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(efaq)Binding keys to commands

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How do I bind keys (including function keys) to commands?
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   Keys can be bound to commands either interactively or in your
`.emacs' file.  To interactively bind keys for all modes, type `M-x
global-set-key <RET> KEY CMD <RET>'.

   To bind a key just in the current major mode, type `M-x
local-set-key <RET> KEY CMD <RET>'.

   Note: Key Bindings, for further details.

   To make the process of binding keys interactively eaiser, use the
following "trick": First bind the key interactively, then immediately
type `C-x <ESC> <ESC> C-a C-k C-g'.  Now, the command needed to bind
the key is in the kill ring, and can be yanked into your `.emacs' file.
If the key binding is global, no changes to the command are required.
For example,

     (global-set-key (quote [f1]) (quote help-for-help))

can be placed directly into the `.emacs' file.  If the key binding is
local, the command is used in conjunction with the "add-hook" command.
For example, in tex-mode, a local binding might be

     (add-hook 'tex-mode-hook
       (lambda ()
        (local-set-key (quote [f1]) (quote help-for-help))))

   * Control characters in key sequences, in the form yanked from the
     kill ring are given in their graphic form--i.e., <CTRL> is shown as
     `^', <TAB> as a set of spaces (usually 8), etc.  You may want to
     convert these into their vector or string forms.

   * If a prefix key of the character sequence to be bound is already
     bound as a complete key, then you must unbind it before the new
     binding.  For example, if `ESC {' is previously bound:

          (global-unset-key [?\e ?{])   ;;   or
          (local-unset-key [?\e ?{])

   * Aside from commands and "lambda lists," a vector or string also
     can be bound to a key and thus treated as a macro.  For example:

          (global-set-key [f10] [?\C-x?\e?\e?\C-a?\C-k?\C-g])  ;;  or
          (global-set-key [f10] "\C-x\e\e\C-a\C-k\C-g")