Emacs: Copy Buffer or Selection 🚀

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

This page shows you emacs commands to copy/cut whole buffer, or text text selection if there's one.

Copy All or Text Selection

(defun xah-copy-all-or-region ()
  "Put the whole buffer content to `kill-ring', or text selection if there's one.
Respects `narrow-to-region'.
URL `http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/emacs_copy_cut_all_or_region.html'
Version 2015-08-22"
  (interactive)
  (if (use-region-p)
      (progn
        (kill-new (buffer-substring (region-beginning) (region-end)))
        (message "Text selection copied."))
    (progn
      (kill-new (buffer-string))
      (message "Buffer content copied."))))

This command saves you a step of doing selecting whole buffer first.

You should define a key for it. [see Emacs: How to Define Keybinding]

Cut All or Text Selection

(defun xah-cut-all-or-region ()
  "Cut the whole buffer content to `kill-ring', or text selection if there's one.
Respects `narrow-to-region'.
URL `http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/emacs_copy_cut_all_or_region.html'
Version 2015-08-22"
  (interactive)
  (if (use-region-p)
      (progn
        (kill-new (buffer-substring (region-beginning) (region-end)))
        (delete-region (region-beginning) (region-end)))
    (progn
      (kill-new (buffer-string))
      (delete-region (point-min) (point-max)))))

Emacs Copy/Paste