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(emacs-lisp-intro.info)Note for Novices

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A Note for Novices
==================

   If you don't know GNU Emacs, you can still read this document
profitably.  However, I recommend you learn Emacs, if only to learn to
move around your computer screen.  You can teach yourself how to use
Emacs with the on-line tutorial.  To use it, type `C-h t'.  (This means
you press and release the <CTRL> key and the `h' at the same time, and
then press and release `t'.)

   Also, I often refer to one of Emacs' standard commands by listing the
keys which you press to invoke the command and then giving the name of
the command in parentheses, like this: `M-C-\' (`indent-region').  What
this means is that the `indent-region' command is customarily invoked
by typing `M-C-\'.  (You can, if you wish, change the keys that are
typed to invoke the command; this is called "rebinding".  Note:
Keymaps.)  The abbreviation `M-C-\' means that you type your
<META> key, <CTRL> key and <\> key all at the same time.  (On many
modern keyboards the <META> key is labelled <ALT>.)  Sometimes a
combination like this is called a keychord, since it is similar to the
way you play a chord on a piano.  If your keyboard does not have a
<META> key, the <ESC> key prefix is used in place of it.  In this case,
`M-C-\' means that you press and release your <ESC> key and then type
the <CTRL> key and the <\> key at the same time.  But usually `M-C-\'
means press the <CTRL> key along with the key that is labelled <ALT>
and, at the same time, press the <\> key.

   In addition to typing a lone keychord, you can prefix what you type
with `C-u', which is called the `universal argument'.  The `C-u'
keychord passes an argument to the subsequent command.  Thus, to indent
a region of plain text by 6 spaces, mark the region, and then type
`C-u 6 M-C-\'.  (If you do not specify a number, Emacs either passes
the number 4 to the command or otherwise runs the command differently
than it would otherwise.)  Note: Numeric Arguments.

   If you are reading this in Info using GNU Emacs, you can read through
this whole document just by pressing the space bar, <SPC>.  (To learn
about Info, type `C-h i' and then select Info.)

   A note on terminology:  when I use the word Lisp alone, I often am
referring to the various dialects of Lisp in general, but when I speak
of Emacs Lisp, I am referring to GNU Emacs Lisp in particular.