Info Catalog emacs: Arguments emacs: Basic

emacs: Repeating

 
 7.11 Repeating a Command
 ========================
 
 Many simple commands, such as those invoked with a single key or with
 ‘M-x COMMAND-NAME <RET>’, can be repeated by invoking them with a
 numeric argument that serves as a repeat count (Arguments).
 However, if the command you want to repeat prompts for input, or uses a
 numeric argument in another way, that method won’t work.
 
    The command ‘C-x z’ (‘repeat’) provides another way to repeat an
 Emacs command many times.  This command repeats the previous Emacs
 command, whatever that was.  Repeating a command uses the same arguments
 that were used before; it does not read new arguments each time.
 
    To repeat the command more than once, type additional ‘z’’s: each ‘z’
 repeats the command one more time.  Repetition ends when you type a
 character other than ‘z’, or press a mouse button.
 
    For example, suppose you type ‘C-u 2 0 C-d’ to delete 20 characters.
 You can repeat that command (including its argument) three additional
 times, to delete a total of 80 characters, by typing ‘C-x z z z’.  The
 first ‘C-x z’ repeats the command once, and each subsequent ‘z’ repeats
 it once again.
 

Info Catalog emacs: Arguments emacs: Basic