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(emacs)Rebinding

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Changing Key Bindings Interactively
-----------------------------------

   The way to redefine an Emacs key is to change its entry in a keymap.
You can change the global keymap, in which case the change is effective
in all major modes (except those that have their own overriding local
definitions for the same key).  Or you can change the current buffer's
local map, which affects all buffers using the same major mode.

`M-x global-set-key <RET> KEY CMD <RET>'
     Define KEY globally to run CMD.

`M-x local-set-key <RET> KEY CMD <RET>'
     Define KEY locally (in the major mode now in effect) to run CMD.

`M-x global-unset-key <RET> KEY'
     Make KEY undefined in the global map.

`M-x local-unset-key <RET> KEY'
     Make KEY undefined locally (in the major mode now in effect).

   For example, suppose you like to execute commands in a subshell
within an Emacs buffer, instead of suspending Emacs and executing
commands in your login shell.  Normally, `C-z' is bound to the function
`suspend-emacs' (when not using the X Window System), but you can
change `C-z' to invoke an interactive subshell within Emacs, by binding
it to `shell' as follows:

     M-x global-set-key <RET> C-z shell <RET>

`global-set-key' reads the command name after the key.   After you
press the key, a message like this appears so that you can confirm that
you are binding the key you want:

     Set key C-z to command:

   You can redefine function keys and mouse events in the same way; just
type the function key or click the mouse when it's time to specify the
key to rebind.

   You can rebind a key that contains more than one event in the same
way.  Emacs keeps reading the key to rebind until it is a complete key
(that is, not a prefix key).  Thus, if you type `C-f' for KEY, that's
the end; the minibuffer is entered immediately to read CMD.  But if you
type `C-x', another character is read; if that is `4', another
character is read, and so on.  For example,

     M-x global-set-key <RET> C-x 4 $ spell-other-window <RET>

redefines `C-x 4 $' to run the (fictitious) command
`spell-other-window'.

   The two-character keys consisting of `C-c' followed by a letter are
reserved for user customizations.  Lisp programs are not supposed to
define these keys, so the bindings you make for them will be available
in all major modes and will never get in the way of anything.

   You can remove the global definition of a key with
`global-unset-key'.  This makes the key "undefined"; if you type it,
Emacs will just beep.  Similarly, `local-unset-key' makes a key
undefined in the current major mode keymap, which makes the global
definition (or lack of one) come back into effect in that major mode.

   If you have redefined (or undefined) a key and you subsequently wish
to retract the change, undefining the key will not do the job--you need
to redefine the key with its standard definition.  To find the name of
the standard definition of a key, go to a Fundamental mode buffer and
use `C-h c'.  The documentation of keys in this manual also lists their
command names.

   If you want to prevent yourself from invoking a command by mistake,
it is better to disable the command than to undefine the key.  A
disabled command is less work to invoke when you really want to.  Note:
Disabling.