The EM-DASH provokes mixed feelings mostly in writers, and maybe readers if they notice it (probably the writers are the ones noticing it while reading). But the EM-DASH is a really nice way to break up a sentence when a COMMA or a SEMI-COLON or a COLON just won’t do it.
The usage advice out there keeps it really simple—when you use the EM-DASH don’t put any spaces between in and the text it is separating.
Here is the code—it deserves such a prime-placement as using CONTROL and your number row! Since it is so easy to add, set up EN-DASH, too.
(defun help/insert-em-dash () "Inserts an EM-DASH (not a HYPEN, not an N-DASH)" (interactive) (insert "—")) (defun help/insert-en-dash () "Inserts an EN-DASH (not a HYPEN, not an EM-DASH)" (interactive) (insert "–")) (global-set-key (kbd "C--") #'help/insert-em-dash) (global-set-key (kbd "M--") #'help/insert-en-dash) (global-set-key (kbd "C-M-y") #'insert-char)
Here is how they look: hypen EM-DASH EN-DASH
- — –
ADDENDUM 2018-03-22T17-26-55-05-00
- Adds EN-DASH insertion
- Adds C-M-y for “pasting any Unicode chars”
Perfect! Thank you so much. I use EM-DASHes all the time and it became second nature to just go for C-x 8 RET—absolutely dumb, of course, so this will make a big difference. Cheers!
nmsalgueiro glad it helped.
Just dawned one me that we may as well add EN-DASH, too.
I always use C-M-y for #’insert-char because it is kind of like pasting. Mega pasting.
I just do — and life goes on. 🙂
🙂