#+TITLE: Better Defaults layer

#+TAGS: emacs|layer

[[file:img/emacs.png]]

* Table of Contents                     :TOC_5_gh:noexport:
- [[#description][Description]]
  - [[#features][Features:]]
- [[#install][Install]]
- [[#configuration][Configuration]]
- [[#key-bindings][Key bindings]]

* Description
This layer enhances the default commands of Emacs and is primarily intended to
be used with the =emacs= editing style as it does not change anything in the Vim
key bindings.

However the =emacs= editing style is not required, you can still use this layer
while you are using the =vim= editing style if you have some kind of mixed
style.

The commands defined in this layer are taken from various sources like [[https://github.com/bbatsov/prelude][Prelude]].

** Features:
- Smart line navigation: Subsequent presses of ~C-a~ toggles between the beginning of the line and the first non-whitespace character. Similarly, subsequent presses of ~C-e~ will toggle between the end of the code and the end of the comments.
- =spacemacs/backward-kill-word-or-region=: A combination of =kill-region= and =backward-kill-word=, depending on whether there is an active region. If there’s an active region kill that. If not kill the preceding word.
- Fill or unfill paragraph: Pressing ~M-q~ for the first time fills current paragraph and pressing ~M-q~ for the second time unfills it. Note that some modes override this key binding so it’s not available everywhere. Due to implementation details unfilling doesn’t work when called twice via ~M-x~.

* Install
To use this configuration layer, add it to your =~/.spacemacs=. You will need to
add =better-defaults= to the existing =dotspacemacs-configuration-layers= list in
this file.

* Configuration
Choose if ~C-a~ first brings you to the beginning of the line or the beginning of
the code (first non-whitespace character).

#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
  (better-defaults :variables
                   better-defaults-move-to-beginning-of-code-first t)
#+END_SRC

Choose if ~C-e~ first brings you to the end of the line or the end of the code
(before or after comments).

#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
  (better-defaults :variables
                   better-defaults-move-to-end-of-code-first nil)
#+END_SRC

* Key bindings

| Key binding | Description                                                                      |
|-------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| ~C-a~       | move to beginning of line or code                                                |
| ~C-e~       | move to end of line or code                                                      |
| ~C-w~       | backward kill word or region                                                     |
| ~C-y~       | Automatically indenting after pasting. With prefix argument, paste text as it is |
| ~M-q~       | fill or unfill current paragraph                                                 |