Emacs key bindings for Elisp programming

Elisp Evaluation

Command: M-x [command]	Key Binding	Description

eval-last-sexp	C-x C-e	Evaluate last s-expression under cursor
eval-print-last-sexp	-	Evaluate last s-expression under cursor and print.
eval-expression	M-:	Execute S-expression in minibuffer.
-	C-u M-:	Evaluate S-expression in minibuffer and insert result at point.

eval-defun	C-M-x	Evaluates the outermost S-expression, regardless of cursor position
		within the s-exp.

eval-buffer	C-c C-b	Eval the whole buffer
eval-region	-	Eval the selected text
		Eval and print last s-expression.
		Eval last s-expression.

repeat-complex-command	C-x ESC ESC	Useful to reverse engineering Emacs’ commands executed with M-x like M-x
		lgrep or repeat it.

Note: command M-x repeat-complex-command.

Example: User enter

To extract the command type C-x ESC ESC and copy it from the minibuffer with C-k and then paste with in the buffer with C-y. The result will be:

(lgrep "system.windows.forms" "*.org" "~/Documents/wiki" nil)

This s-expression can be run again or used in a function or any Elisp app. Example:

(defun search-my-dir ()
    (interactive)
    (lgrep (read-string "Search wiki: ") "*.org" "~/Documents/wiki" nil))

M-x search-my-dir system.windows will search all *.org files containing the line that matches system.windows in the directory ~/Documents/wiki.

This video shows how to use Edebugger to debug Elisp functions and code:

Keybinding	M-x command	Description
Emacs

C-u C-M-x	edebug-defun	Instrumment function for debugging.


Inside Edebug
q		Abort execution
space		Setep through, single step.
b		Insert breakpoint
u		Unset breakpoint.
shift-G		Continue beyond breakpoint
i		Jump to definition of defunction
M-:		Prompt for an expression to evaluate.
c		Continue execution
x		Set a conditional breakpoint

Edebug info nodes documentation:

(info "(elisp) Edebug Execution Modes")

(info "(elisp) Instrumenting")

Command: M-x [command]	Key Binding	Description

check-paren		Find unmatched parenthesis
checkdoc		Check docstring in an Elisp package (*.el file).
auto-insert		Insert header file of an Elisp package’s header file.
view-echo-area-messages	C-h e	Show the message buffer
Elisp library

find-variable		Open the elisp file at the point the variable is defined.
find-library		Open an Emacs library or package in the load-path.
find-function		Opens an library.el file at the point the function is defined.
locate-library		Show path of a library.el (Emacs Package) file.

Documentation Commands

apropos		Search for all elisp symbols, variables and functions that match a regex pattern.
apropos-command	C-h a	Search for all commands (M-x cmd) that match a regexp pattern.
apropos-library		Show all symbols associated with an Elisp library (Emacs Package)

info-apropos		Find all info pages that match a pattern.

describe-function	C-h f	Show function documentation or docstring.
describe-mode	C-h m	Show current major mode documentation and all key bindings associated.
describe-bindings	C-h-b	Show all associated key bindings with the current buffer.
describe-variable	C-h v	Show variable documentation
describe-package		Describe an Emacs package installed from Melpa repository.


M-x ielm	Run Emacs Lisp Interpreter
C-c C-b	(IELM only) Change the current buffer of IELM. It is useful control buffers from IELM shell.
C-[up]	(All Shells) Get the next input in the history
C-[down]	(All Shells) Get the previous input in the history
M-p	(All Shells) Get the previous input in the history
M-n	(All Shells) Get the next input in the history
C-c C-l	Display the shell history in another window


C-M-n	Move forward over a parenthetical group
C-M-p	Move backward over a parenthetical group
C-M-f	Move forward over a balanced expression
C-M-b	Move backward over a balanced expression
C-M-k	Delete s-expression under cursor

C-M-a	Move to the beggining of current function
C-M-e	Move to the end of current function


M-(	Wrap selection in parentheses
M-[	Wrap selection in square brackets
M-{	Wrap selection in curly brackets