1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
3 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
4 @node Command Arguments, Antinews, Service, Top
5 @appendix Command Line Arguments
6 @cindex command line arguments
7 @cindex arguments (command line)
8 @cindex options (command line)
9 @cindex switches (command line)
10 @cindex startup (command line arguments)
12 GNU Emacs supports command line arguments to request various actions
13 when invoking Emacs. These are for compatibility with other editors and
14 for sophisticated activities. We don't recommend using them for
17 Arguments starting with @samp{-} are @dfn{options}. Other arguments
18 specify files to visit. Emacs visits the specified files while it
19 starts up. The last file name on your command line becomes the current
20 buffer; the other files are also present in other buffers. As usual,
21 the special argument @samp{--} says that all subsequent arguments
22 are file names, not options, even if they start with @samp{-}.
24 Emacs command options can specify many things, such as the size and
25 position of the X window Emacs uses, its colors, and so on. A few
26 options support advanced usage, such as running Lisp functions on files
27 in batch mode. The sections of this chapter describe the available
28 options, arranged according to their purpose.
30 There are two ways of writing options: the short forms that start with
31 a single @samp{-}, and the long forms that start with @samp{--}. For
32 example, @samp{-d} is a short form and @samp{--display} is the
33 corresponding long form.
35 The long forms with @samp{--} are easier to remember, but longer to
36 type. However, you don't have to spell out the whole option name; any
37 unambiguous abbreviation is enough. When a long option takes an
38 argument, you can use either a space or an equal sign to separate the
39 option name and the argument. Thus, you can write either
40 @samp{--display sugar-bombs:0.0} or @samp{--display=sugar-bombs:0.0}.
41 We recommend an equal sign because it makes the relationship clearer,
42 and the tables below always show an equal sign.
44 @cindex initial options (command line)
45 @cindex action options (command line)
46 Most options specify how to initialize Emacs, or set parameters for
47 the Emacs session. We call them @dfn{initial options}. A few options
48 specify things to do: for example, load libraries, call functions, or
49 exit Emacs. These are called @dfn{action options}. These and file
50 names together are called @dfn{action arguments}. Emacs processes all
51 the action arguments in the order they are written.
54 * Action Arguments:: Arguments to visit files, load libraries,
56 * Initial Options:: Arguments that take effect while starting Emacs.
57 * Command Example:: Examples of using command line arguments.
58 * Resume Arguments:: Specifying arguments when you resume a running Emacs.
59 * Environment:: Environment variables that Emacs uses.
61 * Display X:: Changing the default display and using remote login.
62 * Font X:: Choosing a font for text, under X.
63 * Colors X:: Choosing colors, under X.
64 * Window Size X:: Start-up window size, under X.
65 * Borders X:: Internal and external borders, under X.
66 * Title X:: Specifying the initial frame's title.
67 * Icons X:: Choosing what sort of icon to use, under X.
68 * Resources X:: Advanced use of classes and resources, under X.
69 * Lucid Resources:: X resources for Lucid menus.
70 * Motif Resources:: X resources for Motif menus.
73 @node Action Arguments
74 @appendixsec Action Arguments
76 Here is a table of the action arguments and options:
80 @itemx --visit @var{file}
81 @itemx --file @var{file}
82 Visit @var{file} using @code{find-file}. @xref{Visiting}.
84 @item +@var{linenum} @var{file}
85 Visit @var{file} using @code{find-file}, then go to line number
90 @itemx --load=@var{file}
91 Load a Lisp library named @var{file} with the function @code{load}.
92 @xref{Lisp Libraries}. The library can be found either in the current
93 directory, or in the Emacs library search path as specified
94 with @code{EMACSLOADPATH} (@pxref{General Variables}).
96 @item -f @var{function}
97 @itemx --funcall=@var{function}
98 Call Lisp function @var{function} with no arguments.
100 @item --eval @var{expression}
101 @itemx --execute @var{expression}
102 Evaluate Lisp expression @var{expression}.
104 @item --insert=@var{file}
105 Insert the contents of @var{file} into the current buffer. This is like
106 what @kbd{M-x insert-file} does. @xref{Misc File Ops}.
109 Exit from Emacs without asking for confirmation.
112 @vindex command-line-args
113 The init file can access the values of the action arguments as the
114 elements of a list in the variable @code{command-line-args}. The init
115 file can override the normal processing of the action arguments, or
116 define new ones, by reading and setting this variable.
118 @node Initial Options
119 @appendixsec Initial Options
121 The initial options specify parameters for the Emacs session. This
122 section describes the more general initial options; some other options
123 specifically related to X Windows appear in the following sections.
125 Some initial options affect the loading of init files. The normal
126 actions of Emacs are to first load @file{site-start.el} if it exists,
127 then your own init file @file{~/.emacs} if it exists, and finally
128 @file{default.el} if it exists; certain options prevent loading of some
129 of these files or substitute other files for them.
132 @item -t @var{device}
133 @itemx --terminal=@var{device}
134 Use @var{device} as the device for terminal input and output.
136 @item -d @var{display}
137 @itemx --display=@var{display}
138 Use the X Window System and use the display named @var{display} to open
139 the initial Emacs frame.
143 Don't communicate directly with X, disregarding the @code{DISPLAY}
144 environment variable even if it is set.
150 Run Emacs in @dfn{batch mode}, which means that the text being edited is
151 not displayed and the standard terminal interrupt characters such as
152 @kbd{C-z} and @kbd{C-c} continue to have their normal effect. Emacs in
153 batch mode outputs to @code{stderr} only what would normally be printed
154 in the echo area under program control.
156 Batch mode is used for running programs written in Emacs Lisp from
157 shell scripts, makefiles, and so on. Normally the @samp{-l} option
158 or @samp{-f} option will be used as well, to invoke a Lisp program
159 to do the batch processing.
161 @samp{-batch} implies @samp{-q} (do not load an init file). It also causes
162 Emacs to kill itself after all command options have been processed. In
163 addition, auto-saving is not done except in buffers for which it has been
164 explicitly requested.
167 @itemx --no-init-file
168 Do not load your Emacs init file @file{~/.emacs}, or @file{default.el}
172 Do not load @file{site-start.el}. The options @samp{-q}, @samp{-u}
173 and @samp{-batch} have no effect on the loading of this file---this is
174 the only option that blocks it.
177 @itemx --user=@var{user}
178 Load @var{user}'s Emacs init file @file{~@var{user}/.emacs} instead of
182 Enable the Emacs Lisp debugger for errors in the init file.
185 @cindex unibyte operation
186 Set up to do almost everything with single-byte buffers and strings.
187 All buffers and strings are unibyte unless you (or a Lisp program)
188 explicitly ask for a multibyte buffer or string. Setting the
189 environment variable @code{EMACS_UNIBYTE} has the same effect.
192 Inhibit the effect of @code{EMACS_UNIBYTE}, so that Emacs
193 uses multibyte characters by default, as usual.
196 @node Command Example
197 @appendixsec Command Argument Example
199 Here is an example of using Emacs with arguments and options. It
200 assumes you have a Lisp program file called @file{hack-c.el} which, when
201 loaded, performs some useful operation on the current buffer, expected
205 emacs -batch foo.c -l hack-c -f save-buffer >& log
209 This says to visit @file{foo.c}, load @file{hack-c.el} (which makes
210 changes in the visited file), save @file{foo.c} (note that
211 @code{save-buffer} is the function that @kbd{C-x C-s} is bound to), and
212 then exit back to the shell (because of @samp{-batch}). @samp{-batch}
213 also guarantees there will be no problem redirecting output to
214 @file{log}, because Emacs will not assume that it has a display terminal
217 @node Resume Arguments
218 @appendixsec Resuming Emacs with Arguments
220 You can specify action arguments for Emacs when you resume it after
221 a suspension. To prepare for this, put the following code in your
222 @file{.emacs} file (@pxref{Hooks}):
225 (add-hook 'suspend-hook 'resume-suspend-hook)
226 (add-hook 'suspend-resume-hook 'resume-process-args)
229 As further preparation, you must execute the shell script
230 @file{emacs.csh} (if you use csh as your shell) or @file{emacs.bash} (if
231 you use bash as your shell). These scripts define an alias named
232 @code{edit}, which will resume Emacs giving it new command line
233 arguments such as files to visit.
235 Only action arguments work properly when you resume Emacs. Initial
236 arguments are not recognized---it's too late to execute them anyway.
238 Note that resuming Emacs (with or without arguments) must be done from
239 within the shell that is the parent of the Emacs job. This is why
240 @code{edit} is an alias rather than a program or a shell script. It is
241 not possible to implement a resumption command that could be run from
242 other subjobs of the shell; no way to define a command that could be
243 made the value of @code{EDITOR}, for example. Therefore, this feature
244 does not take the place of the Emacs Server feature (@pxref{Emacs
247 The aliases use the Emacs Server feature if you appear to have a
248 server Emacs running. However, they cannot determine this with complete
249 accuracy. They may think that a server is still running when in
250 actuality you have killed that Emacs, because the file
251 @file{/tmp/.esrv@dots{}} still exists. If this happens, find that
255 @appendixsec Environment Variables
256 @cindex environment variables
258 This appendix describes how Emacs uses environment variables. An
259 environment variable is a string passed from the operating system to
260 Emacs, and the collection of environment variables is known as the
261 environment. Environment variable names are case sensitive and it is
262 conventional to use upper case letters only.
264 Because environment variables come from the operating system there is no
265 general way to set them; it depends on the operating system and
266 especially the shell that you are using. For example, here's how to set
267 the environment variable @code{ORGANIZATION} to @samp{not very much}
271 export ORGANIZATION="not very much"
275 and here's how to do it in csh or tcsh:
278 setenv ORGANIZATION "not very much"
281 When Emacs is set-up to use the X windowing system, it inherits the
282 use of a large number of environment variables from the X library. See
283 the X documentation for more information.
286 * General Variables:: Environment variables that all versions of Emacs use.
287 * Misc Variables:: Certain system-specific variables.
290 @node General Variables
291 @appendixsubsec General Variables
295 The name of a file used to archive news articles posted with the @sc{gnus}
298 Used by the @code{cd} command to search for the directory you specify,
299 when you specify a relative directory name.
301 The name of the Internet domain that the machine running Emacs is
302 located in. Used by the @sc{gnus} package.
304 @cindex unibyte operation
305 Defining this environment variable directs Emacs to do almost everything
306 with single-byte buffers and strings. It is equivalent to using the
307 @samp{--unibyte} command-line option on each invocation. @xref{Initial
310 Used to initialize the variable @code{data-directory} used to locate the
311 architecture-independent files that come with Emacs. Setting this
312 variable overrides the setting in @file{paths.h} when Emacs was built.
314 A colon-separated list of directories from which to load Emacs Lisp
315 files. Setting this variable overrides the setting in @file{paths.h}
316 when Emacs was built.
318 The directory that Emacs places lock files---files used to protect
319 users from editing the same files simultaneously. Setting this variable
320 overrides the setting in @file{paths.h} when Emacs was built.
322 The location of Emacs-specific binaries. Setting this variable
323 overrides the setting in @file{paths.h} when Emacs was built.
325 Used for shell-mode to override the @code{SHELL} environment variable.
327 The name of the file that shell commands are saved in between logins.
328 This variable defaults to @file{~/.history} if you use (t)csh as shell,
329 to @file{~/.bash_history} if you use bash, to @file{~/.sh_history} if
330 you use ksh, and to @file{~/.history} otherwise.
332 The location of the user's files in the directory tree; used for
333 expansion of file names starting with a tilde (@file{~}). On MS-DOS, it
334 defaults to the directory from which Emacs was started, with @samp{/bin}
335 removed from the end if it was present.
337 The name of the machine that Emacs is running on.
339 A colon-separated list of directories. Used by the @code{complete} package
342 A colon-separated list of directories holding info files. Setting this
343 variable overrides the setting in @file{paths.el} when Emacs was built.
347 @findex set-locale-environment
348 @vindex locale-language-names
349 @vindex locale-charset-language-names
350 @vindex locale-preferred-coding-systems
351 The user's locale, matched by @code{set-locale-environment} against
352 entries in @code{locale-language-names},
353 @code{locale-charset-language-names}, and
354 @code{locale-preferred-coding-systems} to select a default language
355 environment and coding system. The first of these environment variables
356 with a nonempty value specifies the locale.
358 The user's login name. See also @code{USER}.
360 The name of the user's system mail inbox.
362 Name of file containing mail aliases. This defaults to
365 Name of setup file for the mh system. This defaults to
366 @file{~/.mh_profile}.
368 The real-world name of the user.
370 The name of the news server. Used by the mh and @sc{gnus} packages.
372 The name of the organization to which you belong. Used for setting the
373 `Organization:' header in your posts from the @sc{gnus} package.
375 A colon-separated list of directories in which executables reside. (On
376 MS-DOS, it is semicolon-separated instead.) This variable is used to
377 set the Emacs Lisp variable @code{exec-path} which you should consider
380 If set, this should be the default directory when Emacs was started.
382 If set, this specifies an initial value for the variable
383 @code{mail-default-reply-to}. @xref{Mail Headers}.
385 The name of a directory in which news articles are saved by default.
386 Used by the @sc{gnus} package.
388 The name of an interpreter used to parse and execute programs run from
391 The name of the terminal that Emacs is running on. The variable must be
392 set unless Emacs is run in batch mode. On MS-DOS, it defaults to
393 @samp{internal}, which specifies a built-in terminal emulation that
394 handles the machine's own display.
396 The name of the termcap library file describing how to program the
397 terminal specified by the @code{TERM} variable. This defaults to
400 Used by the Emerge package as a prefix for temporary files.
402 This specifies the current time zone and possibly also daylight savings
403 information. On MS-DOS, the default is based on country code; see the
404 file @file{msdos.c} for details.
406 The user's login name. See also @code{LOGNAME}. On MS-DOS, this
407 defaults to @samp{root}.
408 @item VERSION_CONTROL
409 Used to initialize the @code{version-control} variable (@pxref{Backup
414 @appendixsubsec Miscellaneous Variables
416 These variables are used only on particular configurations:
420 On MS-DOS, the name of the command interpreter to use. This is used to
421 make a default value for the @code{SHELL} environment variable.
424 On MS-DOS, this variable defaults to the value of the @code{USER}
429 On MS-DOS, these specify the name of the directory for storing temporary
433 On MS-DOS, this specifies a file to use to log the operation of the
434 internal terminal emulator. This feature is useful for submitting bug
438 Used on MS-DOS systems to set screen colors early, so that the screen
439 won't momentarily flash the default colors when Emacs starts up. The
440 value of this variable should be two-character encoding of the
441 foreground (the first character) and the background (the second
442 character) colors of the default face. Each character should be the
443 hexadecimal code for the desired color on a standard PC text-mode
446 The PC display usually supports only eight background colors. However,
447 Emacs switches the DOS display to a mode where all 16 colors can be used
448 for the background, so all four bits of the background color are
452 Used when initializing the Sun windows system.
456 @appendixsec Specifying the Display Name
457 @cindex display name (X Windows)
458 @cindex @code{DISPLAY} environment variable
460 The environment variable @code{DISPLAY} tells all X clients, including
461 Emacs, where to display their windows. Its value is set up by default
462 in ordinary circumstances, when you start an X server and run jobs
463 locally. Occasionally you may need to specify the display yourself; for
464 example, if you do a remote login and want to run a client program
465 remotely, displaying on your local screen.
467 With Emacs, the main reason people change the default display is to
468 let them log into another system, run Emacs on that system, but have the
469 window displayed at their local terminal. You might need to use login
470 to another system because the files you want to edit are there, or
471 because the Emacs executable file you want to run is there.
473 The syntax of the @code{DISPLAY} environment variable is
474 @samp{@var{host}:@var{display}.@var{screen}}, where @var{host} is the
475 host name of the X Window System server machine, @var{display} is an
476 arbitrarily-assigned number that distinguishes your server (X terminal)
477 from other servers on the same machine, and @var{screen} is a
478 rarely-used field that allows an X server to control multiple terminal
479 screens. The period and the @var{screen} field are optional. If
480 included, @var{screen} is usually zero.
482 For example, if your host is named @samp{glasperle} and your server is
483 the first (or perhaps the only) server listed in the configuration, your
484 @code{DISPLAY} is @samp{glasperle:0.0}.
486 You can specify the display name explicitly when you run Emacs, either
487 by changing the @code{DISPLAY} variable, or with the option @samp{-d
488 @var{display}} or @samp{--display=@var{display}}. Here is an example:
491 emacs --display=glasperle:0 &
494 You can inhibit the direct use of X with the @samp{-nw} option. This
495 is also an initial option. It tells Emacs to display using ordinary
496 ASCII on its controlling terminal.
498 Sometimes, security arrangements prevent a program on a remote system
499 from displaying on your local system. In this case, trying to run Emacs
500 produces messages like this:
503 Xlib: connection to "glasperle:0.0" refused by server
507 You might be able to overcome this problem by using the @code{xhost}
508 command on the local system to give permission for access from your
512 @appendixsec Font Specification Options
513 @cindex font name (X Windows)
515 By default, Emacs displays text in the font named @samp{9x15}, which
516 makes each character nine pixels wide and fifteen pixels high. You can
517 specify a different font on your command line through the option
518 @samp{-fn @var{name}}.
522 Use font @var{name} as the default font.
524 @item --font=@var{name}
525 @samp{--font} is an alias for @samp{-fn}.
528 Under X, each font has a long name which consists of eleven words or
529 numbers, separated by dashes. Some fonts also have shorter
530 nicknames---@samp{9x15} is such a nickname. You can use either kind of
531 name. You can use wildcard patterns for the font name; then Emacs lets
532 X choose one of the fonts that match the pattern. Here is an example,
533 which happens to specify the font whose nickname is @samp{6x13}:
536 emacs -fn "-misc-fixed-medium-r-semicondensed--13-*-*-*-c-60-iso8859-1" &
540 You can also specify the font in your @file{.Xdefaults} file:
543 emacs.font: -misc-fixed-medium-r-semicondensed--13-*-*-*-c-60-iso8859-1
546 A long font name has the following form:
549 -@var{maker}-@var{family}-@var{weight}-@var{slant}-@var{widthtype}-@var{style}@dots{}
550 @dots{}-@var{pixels}-@var{height}-@var{horiz}-@var{vert}-@var{spacing}-@var{width}-@var{charset}
555 This is the name of the font family---for example, @samp{courier}.
557 This is normally @samp{bold}, @samp{medium} or @samp{light}. Other
558 words may appear here in some font names.
560 This is @samp{r} (roman), @samp{i} (italic), @samp{o} (oblique),
561 @samp{ri} (reverse italic), or @samp{ot} (other).
563 This is normally @samp{condensed}, @samp{extended}, @samp{semicondensed}
564 or @samp{normal}. Other words may appear here in some font names.
566 This is an optional additional style name. Usually it is empty---most
567 long font names have two hyphens in a row at this point.
569 This is the font height, in pixels.
571 This is the font height on the screen, measured in tenths of a printer's
572 point---approximately 1/720 of an inch. In other words, it is the point
573 size of the font, times ten. For a given vertical resolution,
574 @var{height} and @var{pixels} are proportional; therefore, it is common
575 to specify just one of them and use @samp{*} for the other.
577 This is the horizontal resolution, in pixels per inch, of the screen for
578 which the font is intended.
580 This is the vertical resolution, in dots per inch, of the screen for
581 which the font is intended. Normally the resolution of the fonts on
582 your system is the right value for your screen; therefore, you normally
583 specify @samp{*} for this and @var{horiz}.
585 This is @samp{m} (monospace), @samp{p} (proportional) or @samp{c}
586 (character cell). Emacs can use @samp{m} and @samp{c} fonts.
588 This is the average character width, in pixels, multiplied by ten.
590 This is the character set that the font depicts.
591 Normally you should use @samp{iso8859-1}.
594 Use only fixed-width fonts---that is, fonts in which all characters
595 have the same width; Emacs cannot yet handle display properly for
596 variable-width fonts. Any font with @samp{m} or @samp{c} in the
597 @var{spacing} field of the long name is a fixed-width font. Here's how
598 to use the @code{xlsfonts} program to list all the fixed-width fonts
599 available on your system:
602 xlsfonts -fn '*x*' | egrep "^[0-9]+x[0-9]+"
603 xlsfonts -fn '*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-m*'
604 xlsfonts -fn '*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-c*'
608 To see what a particular font looks like, use the @code{xfd} command.
616 displays the entire font @samp{6x13}.
618 While running Emacs, you can set the font of the current frame
619 (@pxref{Frame Parameters}) or for a specific kind of text
623 @appendixsec Window Color Options
624 @cindex color of window (X Windows)
626 On a color display, you can specify which color to use for various
627 parts of the Emacs display. To find out what colors are available on
628 your system, look at the @file{/usr/lib/X11/rgb.txt} file. If you do
629 not specify colors, the default for the background is white and the
630 default for all other colors is black. On a monochrome display, the
631 foreground is black, the background is white, and the border is gray if
632 the display supports that.
634 Here is a list of the options for specifying colors:
637 @item -fg @var{color}
638 @itemx --foreground-color=@var{color}
639 Specify the foreground color.
640 @item -bg @var{color}
641 @itemx --background-color=@var{color}
642 Specify the background color.
643 @item -bd @var{color}
644 @itemx --border-color=@var{color}
645 Specify the color of the border of the X window.
646 @item -cr @var{color}
647 @itemx --cursor-color=@var{color}
648 Specify the color of the Emacs cursor which indicates where point is.
649 @item -ms @var{color}
650 @itemx --mouse-color=@var{color}
651 Specify the color for the mouse cursor when the mouse is in the Emacs window.
653 @itemx --reverse-video
654 Reverse video---swap the foreground and background colors.
657 For example, to use a coral mouse cursor and a slate blue text cursor,
661 emacs -ms coral -cr 'slate blue' &
664 You can reverse the foreground and background colors through the
665 @samp{-r} option or with the X resource @samp{reverseVideo}.
668 @appendixsec Options for Window Geometry
669 @cindex geometry (X Windows)
671 The @samp{-geometry} option controls the size and position of the
672 initial Emacs frame. Here is the format for specifying the window
676 @item -g @var{width}x@var{height}@r{@{}+-@r{@}}@var{xoffset}@r{@{}+-@r{@}}@var{yoffset}
677 Specify window size @var{width} and @var{height} (measured in character
678 columns and lines), and positions @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset}
679 (measured in pixels).
681 @item --geometry=@var{width}x@var{height}@r{@{}+-@r{@}}@var{xoffset}@r{@{}+-@r{@}}@var{yoffset}
682 This is another way of writing the same thing.
686 @code{@r{@{}+-@r{@}}} means either a plus sign or a minus sign. A plus
687 sign before @var{xoffset} means it is the distance from the left side of
688 the screen; a minus sign means it counts from the right side. A plus
689 sign before @var{yoffset} means it is the distance from the top of the
690 screen, and a minus sign there indicates the distance from the bottom.
691 The values @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} may themselves be positive or
692 negative, but that doesn't change their meaning, only their direction.
694 Emacs uses the same units as @code{xterm} does to interpret the geometry.
695 The @var{width} and @var{height} are measured in characters, so a large font
696 creates a larger frame than a small font. The @var{xoffset} and
697 @var{yoffset} are measured in pixels.
699 Since the mode line and the echo area occupy the last 2 lines of the
700 frame, the height of the initial text window is 2 less than the height
701 specified in your geometry. In non-X-toolkit versions of Emacs,
702 the menu bar also takes one line of the specified number.
704 You do not have to specify all of the fields in the geometry
707 If you omit both @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset}, the window manager
708 decides where to put the Emacs frame, possibly by letting you place
709 it with the mouse. For example, @samp{164x55} specifies a window 164
710 columns wide, enough for two ordinary width windows side by side, and 55
713 The default width for Emacs is 80 characters and the default height is
714 40 lines. You can omit either the width or the height or both. If
715 you start the geometry with an integer, Emacs interprets it as the
716 width. If you start with an @samp{x} followed by an integer, Emacs
717 interprets it as the height. Thus, @samp{81} specifies just the width;
718 @samp{x45} specifies just the height.
720 If you start with @samp{+} or @samp{-}, that introduces an offset,
721 which means both sizes are omitted. Thus, @samp{-3} specifies the
722 @var{xoffset} only. (If you give just one offset, it is always
723 @var{xoffset}.) @samp{+3-3} specifies both the @var{xoffset} and the
724 @var{yoffset}, placing the frame near the bottom left of the screen.
726 You can specify a default for any or all of the fields in
727 @file{.Xdefaults} file, and then override selected fields with a
728 @samp{--geometry} option.
731 @appendixsec Internal and External Borders
732 @cindex borders (X Windows)
734 An Emacs frame has an internal border and an external border. The
735 internal border is an extra strip of the background color around all
736 four edges of the frame. Emacs itself adds the internal border. The
737 external border is added by the window manager outside the internal
738 border; it may contain various boxes you can click on to move or iconify
742 @item -ib @var{width}
743 @itemx --internal-border=@var{width}
744 Specify @var{width} as the width of the internal border.
746 @item -bw @var{width}
747 @itemx --border-width=@var{width}
748 Specify @var{width} as the width of the main border.
751 When you specify the size of the frame, that does not count the
752 borders. The frame's position is measured from the outside edge of the
755 Use the @samp{-ib @var{n}} option to specify an internal border
756 @var{n} pixels wide. The default is 1. Use @samp{-bw @var{n}} to
757 specify the width of the external border (though the window manager may
758 not pay attention to what you specify). The default width of the
759 external border is 2.
762 @appendixsec Frame Titles
764 An Emacs frame may or may not have a specified title. The frame
765 title, if specified, appears in window decorations and icons as the name
766 of the frame. If an Emacs frame has no specified title, the default
767 title is the name of the executable program (if there is only one frame)
768 or the selected window's buffer name (if there is more than one frame).
770 You can specify a title for the initial Emacs frame with a command
774 @item -title @var{title}
775 @itemx --title=@var{title}
776 @itemx -T @var{title}
777 Specify @var{title} as the title for the initial Emacs frame.
780 The @samp{--name} option (@pxref{Resources X}) also specifies the title
781 for the initial Emacs frame.
785 @cindex icons (X Windows)
787 Most window managers allow the user to ``iconify'' a frame, removing
788 it from sight, and leaving a small, distinctive ``icon'' window in its
789 place. Clicking on the icon window makes the frame itself appear again.
790 If you have many clients running at once, you can avoid cluttering up
791 the screen by iconifying most of the clients.
796 Use a picture of a gnu as the Emacs icon.
800 Start Emacs in iconified state.
803 The @samp{-i} or @samp{--icon-type} option tells Emacs to use an icon
804 window containing a picture of the GNU gnu. If omitted, Emacs lets the
805 window manager choose what sort of icon to use---usually just a small
806 rectangle containing the frame's title.
808 The @samp{-iconic} option tells Emacs to begin running as an icon,
809 rather than opening a frame right away. In this situation, the icon
810 window provides only indication that Emacs has started; the usual text
811 frame doesn't appear until you deiconify it.
814 @appendixsec X Resources
817 Programs running under the X Window System organize their user options
818 under a hierarchy of classes and resources. You can specify default
819 values for these options in your X resources file, usually named
822 Each line in the file specifies a value for one option or for a
823 collection of related options, for one program or for several programs
824 (optionally even for all programs).
826 Programs define named resources with particular meanings. They also
827 define how to group resources into named classes. For instance, in
828 Emacs, the @samp{internalBorder} resource controls the width of the
829 internal border, and the @samp{borderWidth} resource controls the width
830 of the external border. Both of these resources are part of the
831 @samp{BorderWidth} class. Case distinctions are significant in these
834 In @file{~/.Xdefaults}, you can specify a value for a single resource
835 on one line, like this:
842 Or you can use a class name to specify the same value for all resources
843 in that class. Here's an example:
849 If you specify a value for a class, it becomes the default for all
850 resources in that class. You can specify values for individual
851 resources as well; these override the class value, for those particular
852 resources. Thus, this example specifies 2 as the default width for all
853 borders, but overrides this value with 4 for the external border:
860 The order in which the lines appear in the file does not matter.
861 Also, command-line options always override the X resources file.
863 The string @samp{emacs} in the examples above is also a resource
864 name. It actually represents the name of the executable file that you
865 invoke to run Emacs. If Emacs is installed under a different name, it
866 looks for resources under that name instead of @samp{emacs}.
869 @item -name @var{name}
870 @itemx --name=@var{name}
871 Use @var{name} as the resource name (and the title) for the initial
872 Emacs frame. This option does not affect subsequent frames, but Lisp
873 programs can specify frame names when they create frames.
875 If you don't specify this option, the default is to use the Emacs
876 executable's name as the resource name.
878 @item -xrm @var{resource-values}
879 @itemx --xrm=@var{resource-values}
880 Specify X resource values for this Emacs job (see below).
883 For consistency, @samp{-name} also specifies the name to use for
884 other resource values that do not belong to any particular frame.
886 The resources that name Emacs invocations also belong to a class; its
887 name is @samp{Emacs}. If you write @samp{Emacs} instead of
888 @samp{emacs}, the resource applies to all frames in all Emacs jobs,
889 regardless of frame titles and regardless of the name of the executable
890 file. Here is an example:
897 You can specify a string of additional resource values for Emacs to
898 use with the command line option @samp{-xrm @var{resources}}. The text
899 @var{resources} should have the same format that you would use inside a file
900 of X resources. To include multiple resource specifications in
901 @var{data}, put a newline between them, just as you would in a file.
902 You can also use @samp{#include "@var{filename}"} to include a file full
903 of resource specifications. Resource values specified with @samp{-xrm}
904 take precedence over all other resource specifications.
906 The following table lists the resource names that designate options
907 for Emacs, each with the class that it belongs to:
910 @item @code{background} (class @code{Background})
911 Background color name.
913 @item @code{bitmapIcon} (class @code{BitmapIcon})
914 Use a bitmap icon (a picture of a gnu) if @samp{on}, let the window
915 manager choose an icon if @samp{off}.
917 @item @code{borderColor} (class @code{BorderColor})
918 Color name for the external border.
920 @item @code{borderWidth} (class @code{BorderWidth})
921 Width in pixels of the external border.
923 @item @code{cursorColor} (class @code{Foreground})
924 Color name for text cursor (point).
926 @item @code{font} (class @code{Font})
927 Font name for text (or fontset name, @pxref{Fontsets}).
929 @item @code{foreground} (class @code{Foreground})
932 @item @code{geometry} (class @code{Geometry})
933 Window size and position. Be careful not to specify this resource as
934 @samp{emacs*geometry}, because that may affect individual menus as well
935 as the Emacs frame itself.
937 If this resource specifies a position, that position applies only to the
938 initial Emacs frame (or, in the case of a resource for a specific frame
939 name, only that frame). However, the size if specified here applies to
942 @item @code{iconName} (class @code{Title})
943 Name to display in the icon.
945 @item @code{internalBorder} (class @code{BorderWidth})
946 Width in pixels of the internal border.
948 @item @code{menuBar} (class @code{MenuBar})
949 Give frames menu bars if @samp{on}; don't have menu bars if @samp{off}.
951 @item @code{minibuffer} (class @code{Minibuffer})
952 If @samp{none}, don't make a minibuffer in this frame.
953 It will use a separate minibuffer frame instead.
955 @item @code{paneFont} (class @code{Font})
956 Font name for menu pane titles, in non-toolkit versions of Emacs.
958 @item @code{pointerColor} (class @code{Foreground})
959 Color of the mouse cursor.
961 @item @code{reverseVideo} (class @code{ReverseVideo})
962 Switch foreground and background default colors if @samp{on}, use colors as
963 specified if @samp{off}.
965 @item @code{verticalScrollBars} (class @code{ScrollBars})
966 Give frames scroll bars if @samp{on}; don't have scroll bars if
969 @item @code{selectionFont} (class @code{Font})
970 Font name for pop-up menu items, in non-toolkit versions of Emacs. (For
971 toolkit versions, see @ref{Lucid Resources}, also see @ref{Motif
974 @item @code{title} (class @code{Title})
975 Name to display in the title bar of the initial Emacs frame.
978 Here are resources for controlling the appearance of particular faces
982 @item @var{face}.attributeFont
983 Font for face @var{face}.
984 @item @var{face}.attributeForeground
985 Foreground color for face @var{face}.
986 @item @var{face}.attributeBackground
987 Background color for face @var{face}.
988 @item @var{face}.attributeUnderline
989 Underline flag for face @var{face}. Use @samp{on} or @samp{true} for
993 @node Lucid Resources
994 @section Lucid Menu X Resources
995 @cindex Menu X Resources (Lucid widgets)
996 @cindex Lucid Widget X Resources
998 If the Emacs installed at your site was built to use the X toolkit
999 with the Lucid menu widgets, then the menu bar is a separate widget and
1000 has its own resources. The resource names contain @samp{pane.menubar}
1001 (following, as always, the name of the Emacs invocation or @samp{Emacs}
1002 which stands for all Emacs invocations). Specify them like this:
1005 Emacs.pane.menubar.@var{resource}: @var{value}
1009 For example, to specify the font @samp{8x16} for the menu-bar items,
1013 Emacs.pane.menubar.font: 8x16
1017 Resources for @emph{non-menubar} toolkit pop-up menus have
1018 @samp{menu*}, in like fashion. For example, to specify the font
1019 @samp{8x16} for the pop-up menu items, write this:
1022 Emacs.menu*.font: 8x16
1026 For dialog boxes, use @samp{dialog} instead of @samp{menu}:
1029 Emacs.dialog*.font: 8x16
1033 Experience shows that on some systems you may need to add
1034 @samp{shell.}@: before the @samp{pane.menubar} or @samp{menu*}. On
1035 some other systems, you must not add @samp{shell.}.
1037 Here is a list of the specific resources for menu bars and pop-up menus:
1041 Font for menu item text.
1043 Color of the foreground.
1045 Color of the background.
1046 @item buttonForeground
1047 In the menu bar, the color of the foreground for a selected item.
1048 @item horizontalSpacing
1049 Horizontal spacing in pixels between items. Default is 3.
1050 @item verticalSpacing
1051 Vertical spacing in pixels between items. Default is 1.
1053 Horizontal spacing between the arrow (which indicates a submenu) and
1054 the associated text. Default is 10.
1055 @item shadowThickness
1056 Thickness of shadow line around the widget.
1059 @node Motif Resources
1060 @section Motif Menu X Resources
1061 @cindex Menu X Resources (Motif widgets)
1062 @cindex Motif Widget X Resources
1064 If the Emacs installed at your site was built to use the X toolkit
1065 with the Motif widgets, then the menu bar is a separate widget and has
1066 its own resources. The resource names contain @samp{pane.menubar}
1067 (following, as always, the name of the Emacs invocation or @samp{Emacs}
1068 which stands for all Emacs invocations). Specify them like this:
1071 Emacs.pane.menubar.@var{subwidget}.@var{resource}: @var{value}
1074 Each individual string in the menu bar is a subwidget; the subwidget's
1075 name is the same as the menu item string. For example, the word
1076 @samp{Files} in the menu bar is part of a subwidget named
1077 @samp{emacs.pane.menubar.Files}. Most likely, you want to specify the
1078 same resources for the whole menu bar. To do this, use @samp{*} instead
1079 of a specific subwidget name. For example, to specify the font
1080 @samp{8x16} for the menu-bar items, write this:
1083 Emacs.pane.menubar.*.fontList: 8x16
1087 This also specifies the resource value for submenus.
1089 Each item in a submenu in the menu bar also has its own name for X
1090 resources; for example, the @samp{Files} submenu has an item named
1091 @samp{Save Buffer}. A resource specification for a submenu item looks
1095 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.@var{menu}.@var{item}.@var{resource}: @var{value}
1099 For example, here's how to specify the font for the @samp{Save Buffer}
1103 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.Files.Save Buffer.fontList: 8x16
1107 For an item in a second-level submenu, such as @samp{Check Message}
1108 under @samp{Spell} under @samp{Edit}, the resource fits this template:
1111 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.popup_*.@var{menu}.@var{resource}: @var{value}
1118 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.popup_*.Spell.Check Message: @var{value}
1121 It's impossible to specify a resource for all the menu-bar items
1122 without also specifying it for the submenus as well. So if you want the
1123 submenu items to look different from the menu bar itself, you must ask
1124 for that in two steps. First, specify the resource for all of them;
1125 then, override the value for submenus alone. Here is an example:
1128 Emacs.pane.menubar.*.fontList: 8x16
1129 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.fontList: 8x16
1133 For toolkit pop-up menus, use @samp{menu*} instead of
1134 @samp{pane.menubar}. For example, to specify the font @samp{8x16} for
1135 the pop-up menu items, write this:
1138 Emacs.menu*.fontList: 8x16
1144 Here is a list of the specific resources for menu bars and pop-up menus:
1148 The color to show in an armed button.
1157 Amount of space to leave around the item, within the border.
1159 The width of border around the menu item, on all sides.
1160 @item shadowThickness
1161 The width of the border shadow.
1162 @item bottomShadowColor
1163 The color for the border shadow, on the bottom and the right.
1164 @item topShadowColor
1165 The color for the border shadow, on the top and the left.