about keyboard macros

1. basics
- 1.1. generic
  - 1.1.1. record
  - 1.1.2. replay
- 1.2. concrete
  - 1.2.1. record
  - 1.2.2. replay
2. beyond the basics
3. view last macro
4. edit a kmacro
5. step through a macro
6. counter
7. break the flow
8. bind a macro to key
- 8.1. bind to a register
9. more ways to edit
10. save a macro
11. macro ring
12. more

1 basics

macros can help ease repetetive keyboard action.

1.1 generic

1.1.1 record

start recording.
press some keys.
finalize recording.

==> have a macro.

1.1.2 replay

the macro can be replayed!

no shit Sherlock!

1.2 concrete

1.2.1 record

function key <f3>
action: type something: e.g. "emacs ".
<f4>

stop recording any time with C-g.

1.2.2 replay

<f4>

2 beyond the basics

2.1 record (and some replay)

start alternatives:
- <f3>
- C-x (
- M-x kmacro-start-macro
finalize recording:
- C-x )
- M-x kmacro-end-macro
- <f4>
- M-x kmacro-end-or-call-macro
- C-x e
- M-x kmacro-end-and-call-macro
- C-x e e e

2.2 replay a number of times

have a macro.
prefix argument indicates number of repeats of the macro.
```
e.g. C-u 42 C-x e
```
special prefix argument 0. ==> repeat until error.
- use case: do something for all occurances.

2.3 replay for every line in region

C-x C-k r apply-macro-to-region-lines

3 view last macro

C-x C-k C-v kmacro-view-macro-repeat

4 edit a kmacro

C-x C-k E: M-x edit-last-kbd-macro .
(no term): do some edits.
C-c C-c: apply the edits.
(no term): enjoy the changes.

5 step through a macro

C-x C-k SPC kmacro-step-edit-macro

6 counter

there is a counter for use with keyboard macros.
M-x kmacro-set-counter.
M-x kmacro-insert-counter.
- automatically +1 to the counter .
- prefix-arg defines the amount to sum.
M-x kmacro-set-format. format strings look like "%03d".

7 break the flow

C-x q: give control to the user.
C-u C-x q: enter recursive edit.

8 bind a macro to key

C-x C-k b kmacro-bind-to-key

8.1 bind to a register

C-x C-k x register: kmacro-to-register
C-x r j register

9 more ways to edit

C-x C-k l kmacro-edit-lossage
C-x C-k e edit-kbd-macro

10 save a macro

name a macro.
- C-x C-k n kmacro-name-last-macro
let a macro survive the switch off. (aka persistence)
- name the macro.
- switch to a writable buffer.
- M-x insert-kbd-macro
  - choose the named macro.
- ==> find code which defines the macro. insert that in your config file.

11 macro ring

there is a ring (aka list) which keeps the accessible macros. (without the named macros, I think.)
the head of that ring is the "last macro".
operations on the ring.

C-x C-k C-n kmacro-cycle-ring-next C-x C-k C-p kmacro-cycle-ring-previous C-x C-k C-d kmacro-delete-ring-head C-x C-k C-t kmacro-swap-ring C-x C-k C-l kmacro-call-ring-2nd-repeat