Emacs: Delete Brackets by Pair 🚀

Here's a command that deletes char backward (Backspace ⌫), but if the char is a bracket, any type ()[]{}, or ASCII quote, delete the bracket/quote and the inner text.

(defun xah-delete-forward-bracket-pairs (&optional DeleteInnerTextQ)
  "Delete the matching brackets to the right of cursor including the inner text.
e.g. ▮(a b c)

In lisp code, if DeleteInnerTextQ is true, also delete the inner text.

After the command, mark is set at the left matching bracket position, so you can `exchange-point-and-mark' to select it.

This command assumes the char to the right of point is a left bracket or quote, and have a matching one after.

What char is considered bracket or quote is determined by current syntax table.

URL `http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/emacs_delete_backward_char_or_bracket_text.html'
Version: 2017-07-02 2023-07-30"
  (interactive (list t))
  (if DeleteInnerTextQ
      (progn
        (mark-sexp)
        (kill-region (region-beginning) (region-end)))
    (let ((xpt (point)))
      (forward-sexp)
      (delete-char -1)
      (push-mark (point) t)
      (goto-char xpt)
      (delete-char 1))))

(defun xah-delete-backward-bracket-text ()
  "Delete the matching brackets to the left of cursor, including the inner text.
e.g. (a b c)▮

This command assumes the left of cursor is a right bracket, and there is a matching one before it.

What char is considered bracket or quote is determined by current syntax table.

URL `http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/emacs_delete_backward_char_or_bracket_text.html'
Version: 2017-09-21 2023-07-30"
  (interactive)
  (progn
    (forward-sexp -1)
    (mark-sexp)
    (kill-region (region-beginning) (region-end))))

(defun xah-delete-backward-bracket-pair ()
  "Delete the matching brackets/quotes to the left of cursor.
After call, mark is set at the matching bracket position, so you can `exchange-point-and-mark' to select it.

This command assumes the left of point is a right bracket, and there is a matching one before it.

What char is considered bracket or quote is determined by current syntax table.

URL `http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/emacs_delete_backward_char_or_bracket_text.html'
Version: 2017-07-02"
  (interactive)
  (let ((xp0 (point)) xp1)
    (forward-sexp -1)
    (setq xp1 (point))
    (goto-char xp0)
    (delete-char -1)
    (goto-char xp1)
    (delete-char 1)
    (push-mark (point) t)
    (goto-char (- xp0 2))))

(defun xah-delete-backward-char-or-bracket-text ()
  "Delete 1 character or delete quote/bracket pair and inner text.
If the char to the left of cursor is a matching pair, delete it along with inner text, push the deleted text to `kill-ring'.

What char is considered bracket or quote is determined by current syntax table.

If `universal-argument' is called first, do not delete inner text.

URL `http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/emacs_delete_backward_char_or_bracket_text.html'
Version: 2017-07-02 2023-07-22 2023-07-30"
  (interactive)
  (if (and delete-selection-mode (region-active-p))
      (delete-region (region-beginning) (region-end))
    (cond
     ((prog2 (backward-char) (looking-at "\\s)") (forward-char))
      (if current-prefix-arg
          (xah-delete-backward-bracket-pair)
        (xah-delete-backward-bracket-text))
      ;; (if (string-equal major-mode "xah-wolfram-mode")
      ;;           (let (xisComment (xp0 (point)))
      ;;             (backward-char)
      ;;             (setq xisComment (nth 4 (syntax-ppss)))
      ;;             (goto-char xp0)
      ;;             (if xisComment
      ;;                 (if (forward-comment -1)
      ;;                     (kill-region (point) xp0)
      ;;                   (message "error GSNN2:parsing comment failed."))
      ;;               (if current-prefix-arg
      ;;                   (xah-delete-backward-bracket-pair)
      ;;                 (xah-delete-backward-bracket-text))))
      ;;         (progn
      ;;           (if current-prefix-arg
      ;;               (xah-delete-backward-bracket-pair)
      ;;             (xah-delete-backward-bracket-text))))
      )
     ((prog2 (backward-char) (looking-at "\\s(") (forward-char))
      (message "left of cursor is opening bracket")
      (let (xpOpenBracketLeft
            (xpOpenBracketRight (point)) xisComment)
        (backward-char)
        (setq xpOpenBracketLeft (point))
        (goto-char xpOpenBracketRight)
        (forward-char)
        (setq xisComment (nth 4 (syntax-ppss)))
        (if xisComment
            (progn
              (message "cursor is in comment")
              (goto-char xpOpenBracketLeft)
              (if (forward-comment 1)
                  (kill-region (point) xpOpenBracketLeft)
                (message "error hSnRp: parsing comment failed.")))
          (progn
            (message "right 1 char of cursor is not in comment")
            (goto-char xpOpenBracketLeft)
            (forward-sexp)
            (if current-prefix-arg
                (xah-delete-backward-bracket-pair)
              (xah-delete-backward-bracket-text))))))
     ((prog2 (backward-char) (looking-at "\\s\"") (forward-char))
      (if (nth 3 (syntax-ppss))
          (progn
            (backward-char)
            (xah-delete-forward-bracket-pairs (not current-prefix-arg)))
        (if current-prefix-arg
            (xah-delete-backward-bracket-pair)
          (xah-delete-backward-bracket-text))))
     (t
      (delete-char -1)))))

You can set the Backspace ⌫ key for it, like this:

(global-set-key (kbd "DEL") 'xah-delete-backward-char-or-bracket-text)

[see Emacs Keys: Define Key]