SXEmacs is language sensitive. It has several major and minor modes. The major modes customize Emacs to edit text of a particular sort. There are major modes for C, Lisp, Emacs Lisp, LaTeX, English etc. Within each major mode, certain functions and keys are redefined to "suit" that particular sort of text. The minor modes provide certain features which can be turned off or on at any time. Emacs can only be in one major mode at any time, but it can turn on several minor modes at the same time. After you have selected any major or minor mode, you can select Describe Mode from the Help menu and you will get documentation about those modes.
| • Major Modes: | Choosing Major Modes | |
| • Minor Modes: | Auto-Fill, Abbrev and other minor modes |