57.4 Customizing Key Bindings

This section describes key bindings, which map keys to commands, and keymaps, which record key bindings. It also explains how to customize key bindings.

Recall that a command is a Lisp function whose definition provides for interactive use. Like every Lisp function, a command has a function name which usually consists of lower-case letters and hyphens.

• Keymaps: Generalities. The global keymap.
• Prefix Keymaps: Keymaps for prefix keys.
• Local Keymaps: Major and minor modes have their own keymaps.
• Minibuffer Maps: The minibuffer uses its own local keymaps.
• Rebinding: How to redefine one key's meaning conveniently.
• Init Rebinding: Rebinding keys with your init file, .emacs.
• Function Keys: Rebinding terminal function keys.
• Named ASCII Chars: Distinguishing <TAB> from C-i, and so on.
• Non-ASCII Rebinding: Rebinding non-ASCII characters such as Latin-1.
• Mouse Buttons: Rebinding mouse buttons in Emacs.
• Disabling: Disabling a command means confirmation is required before it can be executed. This is done to protect beginners from surprises.