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spacemacs/doc/QUICK_START.org
Fabien Dubosson 6cb7399cac Change SPC f e h to SPC h SPC for helm-spacemacs default binding
This make `SPC h SPC` as default binding for accessing `helm-spacemacs`,
by either A) changing all the documentation; and B) adding a deprecation
message for `SPC f e h`.

The deprecation use a warning, because if a message is used it's hidden
directly when the helm buffer is shown, making it nearly unnoticeable
for the user.
2016-01-03 22:23:12 -05:00

162 lines
6 KiB
Org Mode

#+TITLE: Quick start
#+HTML_HEAD_EXTRA: <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../css/readtheorg.css" />
* Configuration :TOC_4_org:noexport:
- [[Configuration layers][Configuration layers]]
- [[Dotfile (.spacemacs)][Dotfile (.spacemacs)]]
- [[Dotdirectory (~/.spacemacs.d)][Dotdirectory (~/.spacemacs.d)]]
- [[Learning Spacemacs][Learning Spacemacs]]
- [[Editing Styles][Editing Styles]]
- [[The leader keys][The leader keys]]
- [[Evil-tutor][Evil-tutor]]
- [[Universal argument][Universal argument]]
- [[Configuration layers and Package discovery][Configuration layers and Package discovery]]
- [[Key bindings discovery][Key bindings discovery]]
- [[Describe functions][Describe functions]]
- [[How-To's][How-To's]]
* Configuration layers
Spacemacs divides its configuration into self-contained units called
=configuration layers=. These layers are stacked on top of each other
to achieve a custom configuration.
By default Spacemacs uses a dotfile called =~/.spacemacs= to control which
layers to load. Within this file you can also configure certain features.
A configuration layer is a directory containing at least a =packages.el=
file which defines and configures packages to be downloaded from Emacs
package repositories using the =package.el= built-in feature of Emacs.
If you already have your own =Emacs= configuration you can move it to your
own layer.
The following command creates a layer in the =private= directory:
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
<SPC> : configuration-layer/create-layer RET
#+END_EXAMPLE
Any configuration layers you create must be explicitly loaded in =~/.spacemacs=.
Note: For your privacy, the contents of the =private= directory are not
under source control. See the section on private configuration management in
the [[file:DOCUMENTATION.org][documentation]].
* Dotfile (.spacemacs)
As mentioned =.spacemacs= controls which configuration layers to load and
is also a means to customizing Spacemacs.
The following command will create a =.spacemacs= file in your home directory:
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
<SPC> : dotspacemacs/install RET
#+END_EXAMPLE
To open the installed dotfile:
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
<SPC> f e d
#+END_EXAMPLE
To load some configuration layers using the variable
=dotspacemacs-configuration-layers=:
#+BEGIN_SRC elisp
;; List of configuration layers to load.
dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '(auto-completion smex)
#+END_SRC
Some configuration layers support configuration variables to expose granular
control over layer-specific features, [[file:../layers/+source-control/git/README.org][git layer]] being one such example.
Variables can be directly set within =dotspacemacs-configuration-layers= like so:
#+BEGIN_SRC elisp
;; List of configuration layers to load.
dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '(auto-completion
(git :variables
git-magit-status-fullscreen t)
smex)
#+END_SRC
At anytime you can apply the changes made to the dotfile or layers
_without restarting_ Spacemacs by pressing ~SPC f e R~.
The [[file:../core/templates/.spacemacs.template][dotfile template]] contain further information about how to customize
Spacemacs. See the dotfile configuration section of the [[file:DOCUMENTATION.org][documentation]] for
more details.
* Dotdirectory (~/.spacemacs.d)
Like =Emacs=, Spacemacs initialization can also be contained in an =init.el= file
in a special directory =~/.spacemacs.d=. The contents of the dotfile should be
then copied in the =init.el= file.
* Learning Spacemacs
** Editing Styles
Spacemacs can be used by Vim users or Emacs users by setting the
=dotspacemacs-editing-style= variable to =vim=, =emacs= or even =hybrid=
in the dotfile =~/.spacemacs=.
** The leader keys
Spacemacs key bindings use a leader key which is by default bound to
~SPC~ (space bar) in =vim= or =hybrid= editing styles and ~M-m~ in =emacs=
style.
You can change it by setting the variable =dotspacemacs-leader-key= if
you use the =vim= style or =dotspacemacs-emacs-leader-key= if you use
the =emacs= style (these variables must be set in the file =~/.spacemacs=).
For simplicity the documentation always refers to the leader key as
~SPC~.
There is secondary leader key called the major-mode leader key which is
set to ~,~ by default. This key is a shortcut for ~SPC m~
where all the major-mode specific commands are bound.
** Evil-tutor
If you are willing to learn the Vim key bindings (highly recommended since
you can benefit from them even in =emacs= style), press ~SPC h T~
to begin an Evil-adapted Vimtutor.
** Universal argument
In =vim= editing style the universal argument defaults to ~SPC u~
instead of ~C-u~ because the latter is used to scroll up as in Vim.
** Configuration layers and Package discovery
By using =helm-spacemacs= with ~SPC h SPC~ you can quickly search
for a package and get the name of the layers using it.
You can also easily go to the =README.org= of a layer or go to the initialization
function of a package.
** Key bindings discovery
Thanks to [[https://github.com/justbur/emacs-which-key][which-key]], whenever a prefix command is pressed (like ~SPC~)
a buffer appears after one second listing the possible keys for this prefix.
It is also possible to search for specific key bindings by pressing:
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
SPC ?
#+END_EXAMPLE
To narrow the bindings list to those prefixed with =SPC=,
type a pattern like this regular expression:
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
SPC\ b
#+END_EXAMPLE
which would list all =buffer= related bindings.
** Describe functions
=Describe functions= are powerful Emacs introspection commands to get information
about functions, variables, modes etc. These commands are bound thusly:
| Key Binding | Description |
|-------------+-------------------|
| ~SPC h d f~ | describe-function |
| ~SPC h d k~ | describe-key |
| ~SPC h d m~ | describe-mode |
| ~SPC h d v~ | describe-variable |
* How-To's
Some quick =how-to's= are compiled in the [[file:HOWTOs.org][HOWTOs.org]] file.