Newbie: I don't understand Avy binding instructions.

EDIT: Thanks for all the discussion! A lot of this just leads down a rabbit hole of information that's unnecessary for a beginner. I'm done with this question! Just started learning emacs (macport) about 10 days ago, Avy is the first package I've installed. So I have some questions. **FIRST QUESTION** Was there a particular reason for Oleh Krehel to suggest binding avy-goto-char to `C-:` instead of `C-;`? Since `C-;` doesn't require the shift key, that would be seem to be a preferred binding for frequent navigation. (Perhaps colon `C-;` conflicts with some other popular binding?) **SECOND ISSUE** He suggests (from https://github.com/abo-abo/avy) possibly setting up default bindings using > (avy-setup-default) But that doesn't seem to work for me. `C-h b C-x o C-s avy` fails to find anything. **THIRD ISSUE** [EDIT: ISSUE RESOLVED, THIS IS USED TO INTEGRATE AVY WITHIN AN ISEARCH.] Here's a snippet from the documentation, I don't understand this: >(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-j") 'avy-resume) > >It will bind, for example, avy-isearch to C-' in isearch-mode-map, so that you can select one of the currently visible isearch candidates using avy. How does binding to `C-c C-j` do anything to `C-'`? And what is isearch-mode-map? That function doesn't seem to exist in my beginner level emacs. What does avy-resume do? I don't understand any of this. **FYI** This is what I finally put into my .init.el file to get Avy to work: ;;; AVY BINDINGS https://github.com/abo-abo/avy ;; doesn't seem to work ;;(avy-setup-default) ;; not sure what this does ;;(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-j") 'avy-resume) ;; Suggested bindings from avy github docs (global-set-key (kbd "C-:") 'avy-goto-char) (global-set-key (kbd "C-'") 'avy-goto-char-2) (global-set-key (kbd "M-g f") 'avy-goto-line) (global-set-key (kbd "M-g w") 'avy-goto-word-1) (global-set-key (kbd "M-g e") 'avy-goto-word-0)

> The latter, of course, doesn't require the shift key, so that would be preferred My keyboard (using the US layout) has a key with `;` as the unshifted value, and `:` as the shifted value. It sounds like you have the opposite, which would explain your confusion. > `(avy-setup-default)` ... doesn't seem to work for me. `C-h b C-x o C-s ivy` fail You've searched for "ivy" rather than "avy"? > What does `avy-resume` do? I don't understand that. `C-h f avy-resume` is a little cryptic, but it appears to repeat the most recently-called avy command. > FOURTH ISSUE This is what I finally put into my .init.el file to get Avy to work Was that an issue?

Oops I had a couple typos in my post, now fixed: >Was there a particular reason for Oleh Krehel to suggest binding avy-goto-char to `C-:` instead of `C-;`? Since `C-;` doesn't require the shift key, that would be seem to be a preferred binding for frequent navigation. (Perhaps colon `C-;` conflicts with some other popular binding?) Secondly, typo fixed, I did in fact search for "avy", not "ivy": > (avy-setup-default) ... doesn't seem to work for me. C-h b C-x o C-s avy fail Third, I don't understand this: > (global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-j") 'avy-resume) > > It will bind, for example, avy-isearch to C-' in isearch-mode-map, so that you can select one of the currently visible isearch candidates using avy. How does binding to `C-c C-j` do anything to `C-'`? And what is isearch-mode-map? That function doesn't seem to exist in my beginner level emacs. Thanks!

I think he means that avy-setup-bindings will set `C-``, not the global-set-key call. isearch-mode-map is a keymap, not a function. `C-h v` should show it, and so should `M-x describe-keymap` if you’re on Emacs 28. isearch-mode-map keybindings are active whenever you’re in the middle of an isearch (`C-s`/`C-r`) search.

Thanks!

Yes, when https://github.com/abo-abo/avy#bindings says "It will bind, for example..." it's talking about the call to `avy-setup-default`. In fact, for the version of avy I'm using at least, that's the only thing it does: (defun avy-setup-default () "Setup the default shortcuts." (eval-after-load "isearch" '(define-key isearch-mode-map (kbd "C-'") 'avy-isearch)))

> Secondly, typo fixed, I did in fact search for "avy", not "ivy": You should be seeing that `(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-j") 'avy-resume)` binding at least, if you'd used that suggested set-up. That aside, I guess you haven't bound any keys to any avy commands. I agree that the phrasing is a little unclear, but it's left to users to bind keys to the commands they're interested in using. Refer to the example `global-set-key` code shown next to the description of each command. If you want to use that command, that's an example of how to bind it. I can recommend `avy-goto-char-timer`. That's the only avy command I use, but it's very useful.

I see this same snippet in my avy.el. So evidently, it's not easily discoverable, but `C-h v isearch-mode-map` gives a listing which shows avy-isearch, and that function (hook?) is associated with a numerical reference which SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW resolves to `C-'` behind the scenes. It's not an end-user friendly discoverability. Thanks again for your help. I'm just going to stop here at this rabbit hole, and get back to learning basics!

Yes, the raw keymap values are for Emacs to read, not humans. https://stackoverflow.com/a/36994486 is a command you can use to see a human-readable format (if you're not using Emacs 28, which has its own command for this). A lot of the time this information is provided just by looking at the help for a particular mode (as modes have keymaps and the mode docstrings typically (but not always) display that information). In the specific case of `isearch-mode-map` there's an isearch keybinding to show it: `C-s C-h b`

I highly recommend reading through this: https://www.masteringemacs.org/article/mastering-key-bindings-emacs

It's there! S-SPC isearch-printing-char C-' avy-isearch <f1> Prefix Command

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