Function: delete-char

delete-char is an interactive function defined in cmds.c.

Signature

(delete-char N &optional KILLFLAG)

Documentation

Delete the following N characters (previous if N is negative).

Optional second arg KILLFLAG non-nil means kill instead (save in kill ring). Interactively, N is the prefix arg, and KILLFLAG is set if N was explicitly specified.

The command delete-forward-char is preferable for interactive use, e.g. because it respects values of delete-active-region(var)/delete-active-region(fun) and overwrite-mode(var)/overwrite-mode(fun).

View in manual

Probably introduced at or before Emacs version 20.1.

Key Bindings

Aliases

picture-delete-char

Source Code

// Defined in /usr/src/emacs/src/cmds.c
{
  EMACS_INT pos;

  CHECK_FIXNUM (n);

  if (eabs (XFIXNUM (n)) < 2)
    call0 (Qundo_auto_amalgamate);

  pos = PT + XFIXNUM (n);
  if (NILP (killflag))
    {
      if (XFIXNUM (n) < 0)
	{
	  if (pos < BEGV)
	    xsignal0 (Qbeginning_of_buffer);
	  else
	    del_range (pos, PT);
	}
      else
	{
	  if (pos > ZV)
	    xsignal0 (Qend_of_buffer);
	  else
	    del_range (PT, pos);
	}
    }
  else
    {
      call1 (Qkill_forward_chars, n);
    }
  return Qnil;
}