minibuffer output to buffer

minibuffer output to buffer

[Gary Wessle]

Hi
how can I get the output which shows in the mini buffer into the
current buffer.
example
M-x emacs-version shows in minibuffer.

thanks

Re: minibuffer output to buffer

[Dieter Wilhelm]

Gary Wessle <phddas@yahoo.com> writes:

> how can I get the output which shows in the mini buffer into the
> current buffer.
> example
> M-x emacs-version shows in minibuffer.

With a numeric prefix of M-x.  For example:

I'm used to press the ALT key while typing - then x (M-- M-x)
or C-u M-x
or C-1 M-x
or M-1 M-x

-- 
    Best wishes

    H. Dieter Wilhelm
    Darmstadt, Germany

RE: minibuffer output to buffer

[Drew Adams]

> how can I get the output which shows in the mini buffer into the
> current buffer.
> example
> M-x emacs-version shows in minibuffer.

Good question - this is a FAQ.

Actually most stuff like that is displayed in the echo area, not the
minibuffer. The minibuffer and the echo area share the same screen real
estate, so it's easy to confuse them.

The minibuffer is for user input, though some stuff, such as a prompt, does
get displayed there.

The echo area is for output - messages and echoes of keystrokes. You cannot
type text there.

Similarly, you cannot select text that is displayed in the echo area.
However, the good news is that most messages displayed in the echo area are
also logged in buffer *Messages*. So, just do `C-x b *Messages*' and then
select the text there.

In Emacs 22, clicking mouse-1 in the echo area, as if trying to select text
there, automatically displays buffer *Messages*.

RE: minibuffer output to buffer

[Drew Adams]

> > how can I get the output which shows in the mini buffer into the
> > current buffer.
> > example
> > M-x emacs-version shows in minibuffer.
>
> With a numeric prefix of M-x.  For example:
>
> I'm used to press the ALT key while typing - then x (M-- M-x)
> or C-u M-x
> or C-1 M-x
> or M-1 M-x

Ah, good point. Just thought I'd mention that this is a peculiarity of that
particular command, `emacs-version'. A few other commands are defined with
similar behavior.

The general rule is that you cannot access what is displayed in the echo
area directly. You can select the message text in *Messages*, or, in some
cases, such as `emacs-version', a command might have an option that inserts
the message into a buffer.

Re: minibuffer output to buffer

[Markus Triska]

"Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:

> In Emacs 22, clicking mouse-1 in the echo area, as if trying to
> select text there, automatically displays buffer *Messages*.

Also:

,----
| C-h e runs the command view-echo-area-messages
|    which is an interactive compiled Lisp function in `help.el'.
| It is bound to C-h e, <f1> e, <help> e.
| (view-echo-area-messages)
| 
| View the log of recent echo-area messages: the `*Messages*' buffer.
| The number of messages retained in that buffer
| is specified by the variable `message-log-max'.
`----

Best wishes!
Markus Triska

Re: minibuffer output to buffer

[David Combs]

In article <mailman.335.1163022806.2155.help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>,
Dieter Wilhelm  <dieter@duenenhof-wilhelm.de> wrote:
>Gary Wessle <phddas@yahoo.com> writes:
>
>> how can I get the output which shows in the mini buffer into the
>> current buffer.
>> example
>> M-x emacs-version shows in minibuffer.
>
>With a numeric prefix of M-x.  For example:
>
>I'm used to press the ALT key while typing - then x (M-- M-x)
>or C-u M-x
>or C-1 M-x
>or M-1 M-x
>
>-- 
>    Best wishes
>
>    H. Dieter Wilhelm
>    Darmstadt, Germany
>
>

COOL!  


THANK YOU!!!


But -- what's this use of the ALT key?

Does nothing (as prefix) for me -- msg still goes to minibuf (or whatever
it's called).

Now, I'm using a SUN keyboard (with control-key in "right",
"old-time" location, left of "a"), on sunBlade-100, Solaris 9.

What effect might that have (on my ALT working differently
from yours)?


Thanks,

David

Re: minibuffer output to buffer

[Dieter Wilhelm]

dkcombs@panix.com (David Combs) writes:

> In article <mailman.335.1163022806.2155.help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>,
> Dieter Wilhelm  <dieter@duenenhof-wilhelm.de> wrote:
>>Gary Wessle <phddas@yahoo.com> writes:
>>
>>> how can I get the output which shows in the mini buffer into the
>>> current buffer.
>>> example
>>> M-x emacs-version shows in minibuffer.
>>
>>With a numeric prefix of M-x.  For example:
>>
>>I'm used to press the ALT key while typing - then x (M-- M-x)
>>or C-u M-x
>>or C-1 M-x
>>or M-1 M-x
>>
>
> THANK YOU!!!

Welcome!

>
> But -- what's this use of the ALT key?
> Does nothing (as prefix) for me -- msg still goes to minibuf (or whatever
> it's called).
>

(I think minibuffer is correct.)

That is sad, because the Alt key is most efficient when the following
shortcut also starts with an Alt key.  It worked so far for me on any
IBM PC.

> Now, I'm using a SUN keyboard (with control-key in "right",
> "old-time" location, left of "a"), on sunBlade-100, Solaris 9.
>
> What effect might that have (on my ALT working differently
> from yours)?
>

Sorry, I don't know, hope some guy with Solaris experience will answer
this.

-- 
    Best wishes

    H. Dieter Wilhelm
    Darmstadt, Germany

Re: minibuffer output to buffer

[Kevin Rodgers]

David Combs wrote:
 > In article <mailman.335.1163022806.2155.help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>,
 > Dieter Wilhelm  <dieter@duenenhof-wilhelm.de> wrote:
 >> Gary Wessle <phddas@yahoo.com> writes:
 >>
 >>> how can I get the output which shows in the mini buffer into the
 >>> current buffer.
 >>> example
 >>> M-x emacs-version shows in minibuffer.
 >>
 >> With a numeric prefix of M-x.  For example:
 >>
 >> I'm used to press the ALT key while typing - then x (M-- M-x)
 >> or C-u M-x
 >> or C-1 M-x
 >> or M-1 M-x
 >
 > COOL!
 >
 > THANK YOU!!!
 >
 > But -- what's this use of the ALT key?
 >
 > Does nothing (as prefix) for me -- msg still goes to minibuf (or whatever
 > it's called).

It is not a prefix key (pressed before another key), it is a modifier
key (pressed simultaneously with another key).  In this case, the Alt
key is acting as the Meta modifier.  Just as typing Shift-a produces the
character A, typing Alt-x produces the Meta-x character.

 > Now, I'm using a SUN keyboard (with control-key in "right",
 > "old-time" location, left of "a"), on sunBlade-100, Solaris 9.
 >
 > What effect might that have (on my ALT working differently
 > from yours)?

If I recall, modern Emacs versions map the Alt key (or perhaps the
diamond key) to the Meta modifier by default, assuming your terminal or
X server (depending on whether you're running emacs in a terminal or as
an X application) are configured correctly/normally.

-- 
Kevin