emacsclient(1) emacsclient(1)
NAME
emacsclient - tells a running Emacs to visit a file
SYNOPSIS
emacsclient [options] files ...
DESCRIPTION
This manual page documents briefly the emacsclient command. Full docu-
mentation is available in the GNU Info format; see below. This manual
page was originally written for the Debian GNU/Linux distribution, but
is not specific to that system.
emacsclient works in conjunction with the built-in Emacs server.
You can either call emacsclient directly or let other programs run it
for you when necessary. On GNU and Unix systems many programs consult
the environment variable EDITOR (sometimes also VISUAL) to obtain the
command used for editing. Thus, setting this environment variable to
'emacsclient' will allow these programs to use an already running Emacs
for editing. Other operating systems might have their own methods for
defining the default editor.
For emacsclient to work, you need an already running Emacs with a
server. Within Emacs, call the functions `server-start' or `server-
mode'. (Your `.emacs' file can do this automatically if you add either
`(server-start)' or `(server-mode 1)' to it.)
When you've finished editing the buffer, type `C-x #' (`server-edit').
This saves the file and sends a message back to the `emacsclient' pro-
gram telling it to exit. The programs that use `EDITOR' wait for the
"editor" (actually, `emacsclient') to exit. `C-x #' also checks for
other pending external requests to edit various files, and selects the
next such file.
If you set the variable `server-window' to a window or a frame, `C-x #'
displays the server buffer in that window or in that frame.
OPTIONS
The programs follow the usual GNU command line syntax, with long
options starting with two dashes (`-').
-n, --no-wait
returns immediately without waiting for you to "finish" the
buffer in Emacs.
-e, --eval
do not visit files but instead evaluate the arguments as Emacs
Lisp expressions.
-s, --socket-name=FILENAME
use socket named FILENAME for communication.
-f, --server-file=FILENAME
use TCP configuration file FILENAME for communication. This can
also be specified via the `EMACS_SERVER_FILE' environment vari-
able.
-a, --alternate-editor=EDITOR
if the Emacs server is not running, run the specified editor
instead. This can also be specified via the `ALTERNATE_EDITOR'
environment variable.
-d, --display=DISPLAY
tell the server to display the files on the given display.
-V, --version
print version information and exit
-h, --help
print this usage information message and exit
SEE ALSO
The program is documented fully in Using Emacs as a Server available
via the Info system.
AUTHOR
This manual page was written by Stephane Bortzmeyer
<bortzmeyer@debian.org>, for the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be
used by others).
COPYING
This manual page is in the public domain.
emacsclient(1)
Mac OS X 10.6 - Generated Thu Sep 17 20:07:32 CDT 2009