How does one make a specific region in a text file read only when

Question

Asked: May 25, 20262026-05-25T15:21:17+00:00 2026-05-25T15:21:17+00:00

How does one make a specific region in a text file read only when using emacs. I know ctrl+X+Q
to make the whole file a read only.

I am currently writing a code and I do not want to modify by accident the first 40 lines of my code while working on lines 41 and upwards.

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Editorial Team · Answer 1 · 2026-05-25T15:21:17+00:00

Editorial Team

Use text properties:

(defun set-region-read-only (begin end)
  (interactive "r")
  (add-text-properties begin end '(read-only t)))

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