20. Minibuffers

A minibuffer is a special buffer that Emacs commands use to read arguments more complicated than the single numeric prefix argument. These arguments include file names, buffer names, and command names (as in M-x). The minibuffer is displayed on the bottom line of the frame, in the same place as the echo area, but only while it is in use for reading an argument.

20.1 Introduction to Minibuffers		Basic information about minibuffers.
20.2 Reading Text Strings with the Minibuffer		How to read a straight text string.
20.3 Reading Lisp Objects with the Minibuffer		How to read a Lisp object or expression.
20.4 Minibuffer History		Recording previous minibuffer inputs so the user can reuse them.
20.5 Completion		How to invoke and customize completion.
20.6 Yes-or-No Queries		Asking a question with a simple answer.
20.7 Asking Multiple Y-or-N Questions		Asking a series of similar questions.
20.8 Reading a Password		Reading a password from the terminal.
20.9 Minibuffer Miscellany		Various customization hooks and variables.