25.1 Basic Editing in Picture Mode

Most keys do the same thing in Picture mode that they usually do, but do it in a quarter-plane style. For example, C-f is rebound to run picture-forward-column, a command which moves point one column to the right, inserting a space if necessary so that the actual end of the line makes no difference. C-b is rebound to run picture-backward-column, which always moves point left one column, converting a tab to multiple spaces if necessary. C-n and C-p are rebound to run picture-move-down and picture-move-up, which can either insert spaces or convert tabs as necessary to make sure that point stays in exactly the same column. C-e runs picture-end-of-line, which moves to after the last nonblank character on the line. There is no need to change C-a, as the choice of screen model does not affect beginnings of lines.

Insertion of text is adapted to the quarter-plane screen model through the use of Overwrite mode (see Minor Modes). Self-inserting characters replace existing text, column by column, rather than pushing existing text to the right. <RET> runs picture-newline, which just moves to the beginning of the following line so that new text will replace that line.

Picture mode provides erasure instead of deletion and killing of text. <DEL> (picture-backward-clear-column) replaces the preceding character with a space rather than removing it; this moves point backwards. C-d (picture-clear-column) replaces the next character or characters with spaces, but does not move point. (If you want to clear characters to spaces and move forward over them, use <SPC>.) C-k (picture-clear-line) really kills the contents of lines, but does not delete the newlines from the buffer.

To do actual insertion, you must use special commands. C-o (picture-open-line) creates a blank line after the current line; it never splits a line. C-M-o (split-line) makes sense in Picture mode, so it is not changed. C-j (picture-duplicate-line) inserts below the current line another line with the same contents.

To do actual deletion in Picture mode, use C-w, C-c C-d (which is defined as delete-char, as C-d is in other modes), or one of the picture rectangle commands (see Rectangles in Picture).