questions about columns

questions about columns

[sunwukung]

I need to make the text version of my resume slim so it can fit into
online forms and look nice.  I tried M-x set-fill-prefix which seems to
work but M-x set-fill-column gives me the error:
set-fill-column requires an explicit argument
but doesn't give me a chance to set it.  How do I?

Also, is there a way from within emacs to do something like the "pr"
command (formats text into columns of a given width and page length)?
In other words, can emacs massage text into a newspaper-like format?

I'm using version:
XEmacs 21.4 (patch 19) "Constant Variable" [Lucid] (i486-linux-gnu,
Mule) of Fri Nov  3 2006 on penell

Thanks!

Re: questions about columns

[haws]

I can answer the first one:

You have to pass the argument before calling the function, like this:
Type C-8 C-0 C-u

Then, as soon as you type M-x, you will see an 80 preceding it in the
minibuffer.
That will be the argument to the function you want to call.

(Btw, you can use numeric arguments for a lot of commands. For example,
try typing C-5 C-n to go not 1, but 5 lines down)

Another good tip if you're a beginner is the key sequence C-h k,
followed by any other key sequence. This will describe what that
keybindings does.
For example, if I type C-h k C-u, I'll get:

C-u runs the command universal-argument
[...]
Begin a numeric argument for the following command.

--
Hope you could understand me!

Hugo

sunwukung@gmail.com escreveu:

> I need to make the text version of my resume slim so it can fit into
> online forms and look nice.  I tried M-x set-fill-prefix which seems to
> work but M-x set-fill-column gives me the error:
> set-fill-column requires an explicit argument
> but doesn't give me a chance to set it.  How do I?
>
> Also, is there a way from within emacs to do something like the "pr"
> command (formats text into columns of a given width and page length)?
> In other words, can emacs massage text into a newspaper-like format?
>
> I'm using version:
> XEmacs 21.4 (patch 19) "Constant Variable" [Lucid] (i486-linux-gnu,
> Mule) of Fri Nov  3 2006 on penell
> 
> Thanks!

Re: questions about columns

[Markus Triska]

"sunwukung@gmail.com" <sunwukung@gmail.com> wrote:

> work but M-x set-fill-column gives me the error: set-fill-column
> requires an explicit argument but doesn't give me a chance to set
> it.  How do I?

Use C-u followed by a number to specify a column.  Just C-u as
argument means to use the current column.

> Also, is there a way from within emacs to do something like the "pr"
> command (formats text into columns of a given width and page length)?
> In other words, can emacs massage text into a newspaper-like format?

You can run pr on the buffer: C-x h (mark-whole-buffer), then M-|
(shell-command-on-region), then the command (pr) and its parameters.

All the best,
Markus Triska

Re: questions about columns

[Kevin Rodgers]

sunwukung@gmail.com wrote:
> I need to make the text version of my resume slim so it can fit into
> online forms and look nice.  I tried M-x set-fill-prefix which seems to
> work but M-x set-fill-column gives me the error:
> set-fill-column requires an explicit argument
> but doesn't give me a chance to set it.  How do I?

,----[ C-h f set-fill-column RET ]
| set-fill-column is an interactive compiled Lisp function in `simple.el'.
| It is bound to C-x f.
| (set-fill-column arg)
|
| Set `fill-column' to specified argument.
| Use C-u followed by a number to specify a column.
| Just C-u as argument means to use the current column.
|
| [back]
`----

-- 
Kevin

Re: questions about columns

[Rupert]

sunwukung@gmail.com wrote:
> I need to make the text version of my resume slim so it can fit into
> online forms and look nice.  I tried M-x set-fill-prefix which seems to
> work but M-x set-fill-column gives me the error:
> set-fill-column requires an explicit argument
> but doesn't give me a chance to set it.  How do I?

I'm not sure whether the current replies are enough for you or not, so
here's my comments. Many emacs commands can logically be repeated a
number of times, such as forward-char or maybe self-insert (which types
a character). Others need a number to do something with (such as
set-fill-columns, which needs to know what width to set fill-columns
to).

To pass a prefix argument to such a function, either type C-u or ESC
and then type the number (on the number keys!) then do the shortcut to
the function or M-x function-name. So for example, you might type: C-u
6 0 C-x f

Just in case it helps, you'll then need to wrap the text - try M-q on a
paragraph.

Rupert

Re: questions about columns

[sunwukung]

Thanks everyone for the advice.  I understand it now!