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31.1 Point ¶

Point is a special buffer position used by many editing commands, including the self-inserting typed characters and text insertion functions. Other commands move point through the text to allow editing and insertion at different places.

Like other positions, point designates a place between two characters (or before the first character, or after the last character), rather than a particular character. Usually terminals display the cursor over the character that immediately follows point; point is actually before the character on which the cursor sits.

The value of point is a number no less than 1, and no greater than the buffer size plus 1. If narrowing is in effect (see Narrowing), then point is constrained to fall within the accessible portion of the buffer (possibly at one end of it).

Each buffer has its own value of point, which is independent of the value of point in other buffers. Each window also has a value of point, which is independent of the value of point in other windows showing the same buffer. This is why the cursor may appear at different positions in various windows that display the same buffer. Wherever necessary, we use the terms buffer point for the unique position of point of a specific buffer and the term window point for the position of point in a specific window showing that buffer. When a buffer appears in only one window, its buffer’s point and that window’s point normally have the same value, so the distinction is rarely important. See Windows and Point, for more details.

Function: point ¶

This function returns the value of point in the current buffer, as an integer.

(point)
     ⇒ 175

Function: point-min ¶

This function returns the minimum accessible value of point in the current buffer. This is normally 1, but if narrowing is in effect, it is the position of the start of the region that you narrowed to. (See Narrowing.)

Function: point-max ¶

This function returns the maximum accessible value of point in the current buffer. This is (1+ (buffer-size)), unless narrowing is in effect, in which case it is the position of the end of the region that you narrowed to. (See Narrowing.)

Function: buffer-end flag ¶

This function returns (point-max) if flag is greater than 0, (point-min) otherwise. The argument flag must be a number.

Function: buffer-size &optional buffer ¶

This function returns the total number of characters in the current buffer. In the absence of any narrowing (see Narrowing), point-max returns a value one larger than this.

If you specify a buffer, buffer, then the value is the size of buffer.

(buffer-size)
     ⇒ 35

(point-max)
     ⇒ 36