Repeating a Single Command

Lugaru's Epsilon
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Epsilon User's Manual and Reference > Commands by Topic > Repeating Commands >

Repeating a Single Command

You may give any Epsilon command a numeric prefix argument. Numeric arguments can go up to several hundred million, and can have either a positive or negative sign. Epsilon commands, unless stated otherwise in their description, use a numeric argument as a repetition count if this makes sense. For instance, forward-word goes forward 10 words if given a numeric argument of 10, or goes backward 3 words if given a numeric argument of -3.

The argument command, normally bound to Ctrl-u, specifies a numeric argument. After typing Ctrl-u, type a sequence of digits and then the command to which to apply the numeric argument. Typing a minus sign changes the sign of the numeric argument.

You may also use the Alt versions of the digit keys (Alt-1, etc.) with this command. (Note that by default the numeric keypad keys plus Alt do not give Alt digits. They produce keys like Alt-<PgUp> or let you enter special characters by their numeric code. See the alt-numpad-keys variable.) You can enter a numeric argument by holding down the Alt key and typing the number on the main keyboard. Alt-<Minus> will change the sign of a numeric argument, or start one at -4.

If you omit the digits, and just say Ctrl-u Ctrl-f, for instance, Epsilon will provide a default numeric argument of 4 and move forward four characters. Typing another Ctrl-u after invoking argument multiplies the current numeric argument by four, so typing Ctrl-u Ctrl-u Ctrl-n will move down sixteen lines. In general typing a sequence of n Ctrl-u's will produce a numeric argument of 4 to the n'th power.

The run-with-argument command provides an alternative way to run a command with a numeric argument. It prompts for the argument with a normal Epsilon numeric prompt, so that you can yank the number to use from the clipboard, or specify it with a different base like 0x1000 (for hexadecimal), or specify the number as a character code like 'q' or '\n' or <Yen Sign>.

Standard bindings:

Ctrl-u argument

run-with-argument

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