11.1 Help Summary

Here is a summary of the Emacs interactive help commands. See Help Files, for other help commands that just display a pre-written file of information.

C-h a topics <RET>

Display a list of commands whose names match topics (apropos-command; see Apropos).

C-h b

Display a table of all key bindings in effect now, in this order: minor mode bindings, major mode bindings, and global bindings (describe-bindings).

C-h c key

Show the name of the command that key runs (describe-key-briefly). Here c stands for “character.” For more extensive information on key, use C-h k.

C-h d topics <RET>

Display a list of commands and variables whose documentation matches topics (apropos-documentation).

C-h e

Display the *Messages* buffer (view-echo-area-messages).

C-h f function <RET>

Display documentation on the Lisp function named function (describe-function). Since commands are Lisp functions, a command name may be used.

C-h h

Display the HELLO file, which shows examples of various character sets.

C-h i

Run Info, the program for browsing documentation files (info). The complete Emacs manual is available on-line in Info.

C-h k key

Display the name and documentation of the command that key runs (describe-key).

C-h l

Display a description of the last 100 characters you typed (view-lossage).

C-h m

Display documentation of the current major mode (describe-mode).

C-h p

Find packages by topic keyword (finder-by-keyword).

C-h s

Display the current contents of the syntax table, plus an explanation of what they mean (describe-syntax). See Syntax.

C-h t

Enter the Emacs interactive tutorial (help-with-tutorial).

C-h v var <RET>

Display the documentation of the Lisp variable var (describe-variable).

C-h w command <RET>

Show which keys run the command named command (where-is).

C-h C coding <RET>

Describe coding system coding (describe-coding-system).

C-h C <RET>

Describe the coding systems currently in use.

C-h I method <RET>

Describe an input method (describe-input-method).

C-h L language-env <RET>

Display information on the character sets, coding systems, and input methods used for language environment language-env (describe-language-environment).

C-h F function <RET>

Enter Info and go to the node documenting the Emacs function function (Info-goto-emacs-command-node).

C-h K key

Enter Info and go to the node where the key sequence key is documented (Info-goto-emacs-key-command-node).

C-h S symbol <RET>

Display the Info documentation on symbol symbol according to the programming language you are editing (info-lookup-symbol).

C-h .

Display a help message associated with special text areas, such as links in ‘*Help*’ buffers (display-local-help).