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### 5.33 How do I insert <some text> at the beginning of every line?

To do this to an entire buffer, type `M-< M-x replace-regexp <RET> ^ <RET> your text <RET>`.

To do this to a region, use `string-insert-rectangle`. Set the mark (`C-<SPC>`) at the beginning of the first line you want to prefix, move the cursor to last line to be prefixed, and type `M-x string-insert-rectangle <RET>`. To do this for the whole buffer, type `C-x h M-x string-insert-rectangle <RET>`.

If you are trying to prefix a yanked mail message with ‘`>`’, you might want to set the variable `mail-yank-prefix`. In Message buffers, you can even use `M-;` to cite yanked messages (`M-;` runs the function `comment-region`, it is a general-purpose mechanism to comment regions) (see Changing the included text prefix).