(emacs.info) Auto Fill

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(emacs.info) Filling

(emacs.info) Fill Commands

 
 Auto Fill Mode
 --------------
 
    "Auto Fill" mode is a minor mode in which lines are broken
 automatically when they become too wide.  Breaking happens only when
 you type a <SPC> or <RET>.
 
 `M-x auto-fill-mode'
      Enable or disable Auto Fill mode.
 
 `<SPC>'
 `<RET>'
      In Auto Fill mode, break lines when appropriate.
 
    `M-x auto-fill-mode' turns Auto Fill mode on if it was off, or off
 if it was on.  With a positive numeric argument it always turns Auto
 Fill mode on, and with a negative argument always turns it off.  You can
 see when Auto Fill mode is in effect by the presence of the word `Fill'
 in the mode line, inside the parentheses.  Auto Fill mode is a minor
 mode which is enabled or disabled for each buffer individually.  
 Minor Modes.
 
    In Auto Fill mode, lines are broken automatically at spaces when they
 get longer than the desired width.  Line breaking and rearrangement
 takes place only when you type <SPC> or <RET>.  If you wish to insert a
 space or newline without permitting line-breaking, type `C-q <SPC>' or
 `C-q C-j' (recall that a newline is really a control-J).  Also, `C-o'
 inserts a newline without line breaking.
 
    Auto Fill mode works well with programming-language modes, because it
 indents new lines with <TAB>.  If a line ending in a comment gets too
 long, the text of the comment is split into two comment lines.
 Optionally, new comment delimiters are inserted at the end of the first
 line and the beginning of the second so that each line is a separate
 comment; the variable `comment-multi-line' controls the choice (
 Comments).
 
    Adaptive filling (see the following section) works for Auto Filling
 as well as for explicit fill commands.  It takes a fill prefix
 automatically from the second or first line of a paragraph.
 
    Auto Fill mode does not refill entire paragraphs; it can break lines
 but cannot merge lines.  So editing in the middle of a paragraph can
 result in a paragraph that is not correctly filled.  The easiest way to
 make the paragraph properly filled again is usually with the explicit
 fill commands.   Fill Commands.
 
    Many users like Auto Fill mode and want to use it in all text files.
 The section on init files says how to arrange this permanently for
 yourself.   Init File.
 

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(emacs.info) Filling

(emacs.info) Fill Commands