@cindex Control
@cindex control characters
- GNU Emacs uses an extension of the @acronym{ASCII} character set for keyboard
-input; it also accepts non-character input events including function
-keys and mouse button actions.
+ GNU Emacs is designed for use with keyboard commands because that is
+the most efficient way to edit. You can do editing with the mouse, as
+in other editors, and you can give commands with the menu bar and tool
+bar, and scroll with the scroll bar. But if you keep on editing that
+way, you won't get the benefits of Emacs. Therefore, this manual
+documents primarily how to edit with the keyboard. You can practice
+using the keyboard by using the shell command @samp{emacs -nw} to
+start Emacs.
+
+ Emacs uses an extension of the @acronym{ASCII} character set for
+keyboard input; it also accepts non-character input events including
+function keys and mouse button actions.
@acronym{ASCII} consists of 128 character codes. Some of these codes are
assigned graphic symbols such as @samp{a} and @samp{=}; the rest are