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11.1 Help Summary

Here is a summary of the Emacs interactive help commands. See Help Files, for other help commands that just display a pre-written file of information.

C-h a topics <RET>
Display a list of commands whose names match topics (apropos-command; see Apropos).
C-h b
Display a table of all key bindings in effect now, in this order: minor mode bindings, major mode bindings, and global bindings (describe-bindings).
C-h c key
Show the name of the command that key runs (describe-key-briefly). Here c stands for “character.” For more extensive information on key, use C-h k.
C-h d topics <RET>
Display a list of commands and variables whose documentation matches topics (apropos-documentation).
C-h e
Display the *Messages* buffer (view-echo-area-messages).
C-h f function <RET>
Display documentation on the Lisp function named function (describe-function). Since commands are Lisp functions, a command name may be used.
C-h h
Display the HELLO file, which shows examples of various character sets.
C-h i
Run Info, the program for browsing documentation files (info). The complete Emacs manual is available on-line in Info.
C-h k key
Display the name and documentation of the command that key runs (describe-key).
C-h l
Display a description of the last 100 characters you typed (view-lossage).
C-h m
Display documentation of the current major mode (describe-mode).
C-h p
Find packages by topic keyword (finder-by-keyword).
C-h s
Display the current contents of the syntax table, plus an explanation of what they mean (describe-syntax). See Syntax.
C-h t
Enter the Emacs interactive tutorial (help-with-tutorial).
C-h v var <RET>
Display the documentation of the Lisp variable var (describe-variable).
C-h w command <RET>
Show which keys run the command named command (where-is).
C-h C coding <RET>
Describe coding system coding (describe-coding-system).
C-h C <RET>
Describe the coding systems currently in use.
C-h I method <RET>
Describe an input method (describe-input-method).
C-h L language-env <RET>
Display information on the character sets, coding systems, and input methods used for language environment language-env (describe-language-environment).
C-h F function <RET>
Enter Info and go to the node documenting the Emacs function function (Info-goto-emacs-command-node).
C-h K key
Enter Info and go to the node where the key sequence key is documented (Info-goto-emacs-key-command-node).
C-h S symbol <RET>
Display the Info documentation on symbol symbol according to the programming language you are editing (info-lookup-symbol).
C-h .
Display a help message associated with special text areas, such as links in ‘*Help*’ buffers (display-local-help).