Annotations are most easily added from the bookmark list itself. Open the bookmark list using C-x r l, then move to the line of the bookmark you want to annotate. Type e, the command to edit an annotation.
From the bookmark list, type: e
Emacs opens a *Bookmark Annotation Compose* window.
Emacs provides some guidance in this buffer about what to do. It says that all lines that start with a comment mark (#) will be deleted and that you press C-c C-c to save and exit the annotations buffer.
The annotation includes lines that are commented out and won't become part of the annotation, but if you'd like to keep the Author and Date lines (logical portions of an annotation), just uncomment those lines by deleting the initial #. You then add any annotation you would like and press C-c C-c to exit the window.
Annotations exhibit a couple of behaviors that are at least annoying if not bugs. First, Emacs defines a # as the default fill prefix. You must either change that (see Chapter 6 for details) or delete the initial # if Emacs inserts it. Second, and more critically, Emacs doesn't automatically save annotations when you exit Emacs. If you set a bookmark, Emacs saves the bookmarks file automatically (and in fact without asking). If you set an annotation but do not add or move a bookmark during the session, you must save the bookmarks file manually by typing M-x bookmark-save.
After you add an annotation, Emacs puts an asterisk (*) before the bookmark name as a visual indication that the bookmark has been annotated. To display an annotation for the current bookmark, press a. To display all annotations, press A.
When you jump to a bookmark or move to a bookmarked file from the bookmark list, annotations are automatically displayed in another window (but don't edit them in this window; you must use the procedure described earlier). If you open the bookmarked file some other way (using C-x C-f, for example), annotations are not displayed.
4.7.6 A Few More Bookmark Commands
In addition to those we've discussed, there are a few more esoteric bookmark commands. These include bookmark-insert, which inserts the text of the bookmarked file at the cursor position; bookmark-write, which prompts for a new filename in which to save bookmarks; and bookmark-load, to load these separate bookmark files. These commands are less useful than the others, but you may think of some clever uses we have not.
Table 4-6 summarizes bookmark commands.
Table 4-6. Bookmark commands
| Keystrokes | Command name | Action |
|---|---|---|
| C-x r m Edit → Bookmarks → Set Bookmark | bookmark-set | Set a bookmark at the current cursor position. |
| C-x r b Edit → Bookmarks → Jump to Bookmark | bookmark-jump | Jump to a bookmark. |
| (none)Edit → Bookmarks → Rename Bookmark | bookmark-rename | Rename a bookmark. |
| (none)Edit → Bookmarks → Delete Bookmark | bookmark-delete | Delete a bookmark. |
| (none)Edit → Bookmarks → Save Bookmarks | bookmark-save | Save all bookmarks in default file. |
| C-x r l Edit → Bookmarks → Edit Bookmark List | bookmark-menu-list | Move to *Bookmark List* buffer. |
| (none)Edit → Bookmarks → Insert Contents | bookmark-insert | Insert full text of file associated with a given bookmark. |
| (none)Edit → Bookmarks → Save Bookmarks As | bookmark-write | Save all bookmarks in a specified file. |
| (none)Edit → Bookmarks → Load a Bookmark File | bookmark-load | Load bookmarks from specified file. |
| (none)Edit → Bookmarks → Insert Location | bookmark-insert-location | Insert the path to a given bookmark at the cursor position. |
Now that you know how to work with multiple buffers, frames, and windows, why not read the next chapter to discover some of the things you can do with them? Some, like using the directory editor and working with the command line from within Emacs, have been alluded to in this chapter.
Chapter 5. Emacs as a Work Environment
Many of the everyday things you do from a command prompt can be done from within Emacs. You can execute commands, work with directories, and print files—all without leaving Emacs. Changing tasks is as simple as jumping between buffers.
What's important about this? Of course, it's nice to be able to move between tasks easily. What's even more important is that you have the same editing environment no matter what you're doing: you can use all of the Emacs editing commands to work on a file, give shell commands, then start up Dired, the directory editor, to do some file maintenance. It is simple to move text from one window to another. You can execute a command and then use Emacs commands to cut and paste the results into a file. If you're trying to compile a program and keep getting error messages, you can save the interactive session as a file and confer with someone about the problem. Despite the many advantages of modern window systems, Emacs often provides the best way to integrate the many kinds of work you do daily.