GNU Info

(emacs)Fill Commands

---

Next: Fill Prefix Prev: Refill Up: Filling

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

Explicit Fill Commands
----------------------

`M-q'
     Fill current paragraph (`fill-paragraph').

`C-x f'
     Set the fill column (`set-fill-column').

`M-x fill-region'
     Fill each paragraph in the region (`fill-region').

`M-x fill-region-as-paragraph'
     Fill the region, considering it as one paragraph.

`M-s'
     Center a line.

   To refill a paragraph, use the command `M-q' (`fill-paragraph').
This operates on the paragraph that point is inside, or the one after
point if point is between paragraphs.  Refilling works by removing all
the line-breaks, then inserting new ones where necessary.

   To refill many paragraphs, use `M-x fill-region', which divides the
region into paragraphs and fills each of them.

   `M-q' and `fill-region' use the same criteria as `M-h' for finding
paragraph boundaries (Note: Paragraphs).  For more control, you can
use `M-x fill-region-as-paragraph', which refills everything between
point and mark.  This command deletes any blank lines within the
region, so separate blocks of text end up combined into one block.

   A numeric argument to `M-q' causes it to "justify" the text as well
as filling it.  This means that extra spaces are inserted to make the
right margin line up exactly at the fill column.  To remove the extra
spaces, use `M-q' with no argument.  (Likewise for `fill-region'.)
Another way to control justification, and choose other styles of
filling, is with the `justification' text property; see Note: Format
Justification.

   The command `M-s' (`center-line') centers the current line within
the current fill column.  With an argument N, it centers N lines
individually and moves past them.

   The maximum line width for filling is in the variable `fill-column'.
Altering the value of `fill-column' makes it local to the current
buffer; until that time, the default value is in effect.  The default
is initially 70.  Note: Locals.  The easiest way to set `fill-column'
is to use the command `C-x f' (`set-fill-column').  With a numeric
argument, it uses that as the new fill column.  With just `C-u' as
argument, it sets `fill-column' to the current horizontal position of
point.

   Emacs commands normally consider a period followed by two spaces or
by a newline as the end of a sentence; a period followed by just one
space indicates an abbreviation and not the end of a sentence.  To
preserve the distinction between these two ways of using a period, the
fill commands do not break a line after a period followed by just one
space.

   If the variable `sentence-end-double-space' is `nil', the fill
commands expect and leave just one space at the end of a sentence.
Ordinarily this variable is `t', so the fill commands insist on two
spaces for the end of a sentence, as explained above.  Note:
Sentences.

   If the variable `colon-double-space' is non-`nil', the fill commands
put two spaces after a colon.

   Some languages do not use period to indicate end of sentence.  For
example, a sentence in Thai text ends with double space but without a
period.  Set the variable `sentence-end-without-period' to `t' to tell
the sentence commands that a period is not necessary.