1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000,
3 @c 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node Frames, International, Windows, Top
6 @chapter Frames and X Windows
9 When using the X Window System, you can create multiple windows at the
10 X level in a single Emacs session. Each X window that belongs to Emacs
11 displays a @dfn{frame} which can contain one or several Emacs windows.
12 A frame initially contains a single general-purpose Emacs window which
13 you can subdivide vertically or horizontally into smaller windows. A
14 frame normally contains its own echo area and minibuffer, but you can
15 make frames that don't have these---they use the echo area and
16 minibuffer of another frame.
18 Editing you do in one frame also affects the other frames. For
19 instance, if you put text in the kill ring in one frame, you can yank it
20 in another frame. If you exit Emacs through @kbd{C-x C-c} in one frame,
21 it terminates all the frames. To delete just one frame, use @kbd{C-x 5
22 0} (that is zero, not @kbd{o}).
24 To avoid confusion, we reserve the word ``window'' for the
25 subdivisions that Emacs implements, and never use it to refer to a
28 Emacs compiled for MS-DOS emulates some aspects of the window system
29 so that you can use many of the features described in this chapter.
30 @xref{MS-DOS Mouse}, for more information.
33 * Mouse Commands:: Moving, cutting, and pasting, with the mouse.
34 * Secondary Selection:: Cutting without altering point and mark.
35 * Clipboard:: Using the clipboard for selections.
36 * Mouse References:: Using the mouse to select an item from a list.
37 * Menu Mouse Clicks:: Mouse clicks that bring up menus.
38 * Mode Line Mouse:: Mouse clicks on the mode line.
39 * Creating Frames:: Creating additional Emacs frames with various contents.
40 * Frame Commands:: Iconifying, deleting, and switching frames.
41 * Speedbar:: How to make and use a speedbar frame.
42 * Multiple Displays:: How one Emacs job can talk to several displays.
43 * Special Buffer Frames:: You can make certain buffers have their own frames.
44 * Frame Parameters:: Changing the colors and other modes of frames.
45 * Scroll Bars:: How to enable and disable scroll bars; how to use them.
46 * Wheeled Mice:: Using mouse wheels for scrolling.
47 * Drag and Drop:: Using drag and drop to open files and insert text.
48 * Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
49 * Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
50 * Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
51 * Tooltips:: Displaying information at the current mouse position.
52 * Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
53 * Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
54 * XTerm Mouse:: Using the mouse in an XTerm terminal emulator.
58 @section Mouse Commands for Editing
59 @cindex mouse buttons (what they do)
61 The mouse commands for selecting and copying a region are mostly
62 compatible with the @code{xterm} program. You can use the same mouse
63 commands for copying between Emacs and other window-based programs.
64 Most of these commands also work in Emacs when you run it under an
65 @code{xterm} terminal.
67 @kindex DELETE @r{(and mouse selection)}
68 If you select a region with any of these mouse commands, and then
69 immediately afterward type the @key{DELETE} function key, it deletes the
70 region that you selected. The @key{BACKSPACE} function key and the
71 @acronym{ASCII} character @key{DEL} do not do this; if you type any other key
72 in between the mouse command and @key{DELETE}, it does not do this.
74 @findex mouse-set-region
75 @findex mouse-set-point
76 @findex mouse-yank-at-click
77 @findex mouse-save-then-click
83 Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
84 This is normally the left button.
86 @vindex x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position
87 Normally, Emacs does not distinguish between ordinary mouse clicks and
88 clicks that select a frame. When you click on a frame to select it,
89 that also changes the selected window and cursor position according to
90 the mouse click position. On the X window system, you can change this
91 behavior by setting the variable
92 @code{x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position} to @code{t}. Then the
93 first click selects the frame, but does not affect the selected window
94 or cursor position. If you click again in the same place, since that
95 click will be in the selected frame, it will change the window or
99 Set the region to the text you select by dragging, and copy it to the
100 kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}). You can specify both ends of the
101 region with this single command.
103 @vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
104 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
105 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
106 back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
107 entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
108 on how far away from the window edge the mouse has gone; the variable
109 @code{mouse-scroll-min-lines} specifies a minimum step size.
111 @vindex mouse-drag-copy-region
112 If the variable @code{mouse-drag-copy-region} is @code{nil}, this
113 mouse command does not copy the selected region into the kill ring.
116 Yank the last killed text, where you click (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
117 This is normally the middle button.
120 This command, @code{mouse-save-then-kill}, has several functions
121 depending on where you click and the status of the region.
123 The most basic case is when you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in one place and
124 then @kbd{Mouse-3} in another. This selects the text between those two
125 positions as the region. It also copies the new region to the kill
126 ring, so that you can copy it to someplace else.
128 If you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in the text, scroll with the scroll bar, and
129 then click @kbd{Mouse-3}, it remembers where point was before scrolling
130 (where you put it with @kbd{Mouse-1}), and uses that position as the
131 other end of the region. This is so that you can select a region that
132 doesn't fit entirely on the screen.
134 More generally, if you do not have a highlighted region, @kbd{Mouse-3}
135 selects the text between point and the click position as the region. It
136 does this by setting the mark where point was, and moving point to where
139 If you have a highlighted region, or if the region was set just before
140 by dragging button 1, @kbd{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end of the region
141 by moving it to where you click. The adjusted region's text also
142 replaces the old region's text in the kill ring.
144 If you originally specified the region using a double or triple
145 @kbd{Mouse-1}, so that the region is defined to consist of entire words
146 or lines, then adjusting the region with @kbd{Mouse-3} also proceeds by
147 entire words or lines.
149 If you use @kbd{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same place,
150 that kills the region already selected.
153 This key sets the region around the word which you click on. If you
154 click on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as underscore, in C
155 mode), it sets the region around the symbol surrounding that character.
157 If you click on a character with open-parenthesis or close-parenthesis
158 syntax, it sets the region around the parenthetical grouping
159 which that character starts or ends. If you click on a character with
160 string-delimiter syntax (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C), it
161 sets the region around the string constant (using heuristics to figure
162 out whether that character is the beginning or the end of it).
164 @item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
165 This key selects a region made up of the words you drag across.
168 This key sets the region around the line you click on.
170 @item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
171 This key selects a region made up of the lines you drag across.
174 The simplest way to kill text with the mouse is to press @kbd{Mouse-1}
175 at one end, then press @kbd{Mouse-3} twice at the other end.
176 @xref{Killing}. To copy the text into the kill ring without deleting it
177 from the buffer, press @kbd{Mouse-3} just once---or just drag across the
178 text with @kbd{Mouse-1}. Then you can copy it elsewhere by yanking it.
180 @vindex mouse-yank-at-point
181 To yank the killed or copied text somewhere else, move the mouse there
182 and press @kbd{Mouse-2}. @xref{Yanking}. However, if
183 @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{Mouse-2} yanks at
184 point. Then it does not matter where you click, or even which of the
185 frame's windows you click on. The default value is @code{nil}. This
186 variable also affects yanking the secondary selection.
188 @cindex cutting and X
189 @cindex pasting and X
190 @cindex X cutting and pasting
191 To copy text to another X window, kill it or save it in the kill ring.
192 Under X, this also sets the @dfn{primary selection}. Then use the
193 ``paste'' or ``yank'' command of the program operating the other window
194 to insert the text from the selection.
196 To copy text from another X window, use the ``cut'' or ``copy''
197 command of the program operating the other window, to select the text
198 you want. Then yank it in Emacs with @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
200 The standard coding system for X selections is
201 @code{compound-text-with-extensions}. To specify another coding
202 system for X selections, use @kbd{C-x @key{RET} x} or @kbd{C-x
203 @key{RET} X}. @xref{Specify Coding}.
205 @cindex primary selection
207 @cindex selection, primary
208 @vindex x-cut-buffer-max
209 When Emacs puts text into the kill ring, or rotates text to the front
210 of the kill ring, it sets the @dfn{primary selection} in the X server.
211 This is how other X clients can access the text. Emacs also stores the
212 text in the cut buffer, but only if the text is short enough
213 (the value of @code{x-cut-buffer-max} specifies the maximum number of
214 characters); putting long strings in the cut buffer can be slow.
216 The commands to yank the first entry in the kill ring actually check
217 first for a primary selection in another program; after that, they check
218 for text in the cut buffer. If neither of those sources provides text
219 to yank, the kill ring contents are used.
221 @node Secondary Selection
222 @section Secondary Selection
223 @cindex secondary selection
225 The @dfn{secondary selection} is another way of selecting text using
226 X. It does not use point or the mark, so you can use it to kill text
227 without setting point or the mark.
230 @findex mouse-set-secondary
231 @kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
233 Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
234 down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
235 (@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The highlighting appears and changes as
236 you drag. You can control the appearance of the highlighting by
237 customizing the @code{secondary-selection} face (@pxref{Face
240 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
241 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
242 back into the window. This way, you can mark regions that don't fit
243 entirely on the screen.
245 This way of setting the secondary selection does not alter the kill ring.
247 @findex mouse-start-secondary
250 Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
251 (@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
253 @findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
256 Make a secondary selection, using the place specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
257 as the other end (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). This also
258 puts the selected text in the kill ring. A second click at the same
259 place kills the secondary selection just made.
261 @findex mouse-yank-secondary
264 Insert the secondary selection where you click
265 (@code{mouse-yank-secondary}). This places point at the end of the
269 Double or triple clicking of @kbd{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
270 lines, much like @kbd{Mouse-1}.
272 If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{M-Mouse-2}
273 yanks at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click; all
274 that matters is which window you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
277 @section Using the Clipboard
280 @vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
281 @findex menu-bar-enable-clipboard
285 Apart from the primary and secondary selection types, X supports a
286 @dfn{clipboard} selection type which is used by some applications,
287 particularly under OpenWindows and Gnome.
289 The command @kbd{M-x menu-bar-enable-clipboard} makes the @code{Cut},
290 @code{Paste} and @code{Copy} menu items, as well as the keys of the same
291 names, all use the clipboard.
293 You can customize the variable @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to make
294 the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
295 selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
296 well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not access the
297 clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on MS-Windows,
300 @node Mouse References
301 @section Following References with the Mouse
302 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(selection)}
303 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
305 Some read-only Emacs buffers include references you can follow, or
306 commands you can activate. These include names of files, of buffers,
307 of possible completions, of matches for a pattern, as well as the
308 buttons in Help buffers and customization buffers. You can follow the
309 reference or activate the command by moving point to it and typing
310 @key{RET}. You can also do this with the mouse, using either
311 @kbd{Mouse-1} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
313 Since yanking text into a read-only buffer is not allowed, these
314 buffers generally define @kbd{Mouse-2} to follow a reference or
315 activate a command. For example, if you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a file
316 name in a Dired buffer, you visit that file. If you click
317 @kbd{Mouse-2} on an error message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer,
318 you go to the source code for that error message. If you click
319 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a completion in the @samp{*Completions*} buffer, you
320 choose that completion.
322 However, most applications use @kbd{Mouse-1} to do this sort of
323 thing, so Emacs implements this too. If you click @kbd{Mouse-1}
324 quickly on a reference or button, it follows or activates. If you
325 click slowly, it moves point as usual. Dragging, meaning moving the
326 mouse while it is held down, also has its usual behavior of setting
329 @vindex mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows
330 Normally, the @kbd{Mouse-1} click behavior is performed on links in
331 any window. The variable @code{mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows}
332 controls whether @kbd{Mouse-1} has this behavior even in non-selected
333 windows, or only in the selected window.
335 @vindex mouse-highlight
336 You can usually tell when @kbd{Mouse-1} and @kbd{Mouse-2} have this
337 special sort of meaning because the sensitive text highlights when you
338 move the mouse over it. The variable @code{mouse-highlight} controls
339 whether to do this highlighting always (even when such text appears
340 where the mouse already is), never, or only immediately after you move
343 @vindex mouse-1-click-follows-link
344 In Emacs versions before 22, only @kbd{Mouse-2} follows links and
345 @kbd{Mouse-1} always sets points. If you prefer this behavior, set
346 the variable @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link} to @code{nil}. This
347 variable also lets you choose various other alternatives for following
348 links with the mouse. Type @kbd{C-h v mouse-1-click-follows-link @key{RET}}
351 @node Menu Mouse Clicks
352 @section Mouse Clicks for Menus
354 Mouse clicks modified with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} keys
360 This menu is for selecting a buffer.
362 The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
363 menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
367 This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
368 for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
372 This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on,
373 this menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus
374 put together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
375 button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
376 menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
377 @kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision
378 to use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu. To use @kbd{Mouse-3} instead,
379 do @code{(global-set-key [mouse-3] 'mouse-popup-menubar-stuff)}.} If
380 Menu-bar mode is off, this menu contains all the items which would be
381 present in the menu bar---not just the mode-specific ones---so that
382 you can access them without having to display the menu bar.
385 This menu is for specifying the frame's principal font.
388 @node Mode Line Mouse
389 @section Mode Line Mouse Commands
390 @cindex mode line, mouse
391 @cindex mouse on mode line
393 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
396 Some areas of the mode line, such as the buffer name and the major
397 mode name, have their own special mouse bindings. These areas are
398 highlighted when you hold the mouse over them, and information about
399 the special bindings will be displayed (@pxref{Tooltips}).
401 You can also click on areas of the mode line that do not have
402 special mouse bindings of their own. This has the following effects:
406 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
407 @kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window it belongs to. By
408 dragging @kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus
409 changing the height of the windows above and below.
412 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
413 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
416 @kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
417 @kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window it belongs to. If the
418 frame has only one window, it buries the current buffer instead, and
419 switches to another buffer.
422 @kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
423 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
424 horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
427 @kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
428 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
429 vertically. @xref{Split Window}.
431 @node Creating Frames
432 @section Creating Frames
433 @cindex creating frames
436 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
437 subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
438 frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
439 Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
440 the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
441 raising or deiconifying as necessary.
443 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
449 @findex make-frame-command
450 Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
451 @item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
452 Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
453 @code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
454 @item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
455 Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
456 runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
457 @item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
458 Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
459 This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
461 Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
462 @code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
465 Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
466 @code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
468 @item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
470 @findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
471 Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
472 frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
476 @cindex default-frame-alist
477 @cindex initial-frame-alist
478 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
479 frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
480 variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
481 only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
482 Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
484 @cindex font (default)
485 The easiest way to specify the principal font for all your Emacs
486 frames is with an X resource (@pxref{Font X}), but you can also do it by
487 modifying @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the @code{font}
488 parameter, as shown here:
491 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
495 Here's a similar example for specifying a foreground color:
498 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(foreground-color . "blue"))
502 @section Frame Commands
504 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
508 @kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
509 @findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
510 Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
511 The normal meaning of @kbd{C-z}, to suspend Emacs, is not useful under a
512 window system, so it has a different binding in that case.
514 If you type this command on an Emacs frame's icon, it deiconifies the frame.
519 Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed if
520 there is only one frame.
525 Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it so that it
526 stays selected. If you repeat this command, it cycles through all the
527 frames on your terminal.
531 @findex delete-other-frames
532 Delete all frames except the selected one.
535 @vindex focus-follows-mouse
536 To make the command @kbd{C-x 5 o} work properly, you must tell Emacs
537 how the system (or the window manager) generally handles
538 focus-switching between windows. There are two possibilities: either
539 simply moving the mouse onto a window selects it (gives it focus), or
540 you have to click on it in a suitable way to do so. Unfortunately
541 there is no way Emacs can find out automatically which way the system
542 handles this, so you have to explicitly say, by setting the variable
543 @code{focus-follows-mouse}. If just moving the mouse onto a window
544 selects it, that variable should be @code{t}; if a click is necessary,
545 the variable should be @code{nil}.
548 @section Making and Using a Speedbar Frame
551 An Emacs frame can have a @dfn{speedbar}, which is a vertical window
552 that serves as a scrollable menu of files you could visit and tags
553 within those files. To create a speedbar, type @kbd{M-x speedbar}; this
554 creates a speedbar window for the selected frame. From then on, you can
555 click on a file name in the speedbar to visit that file in the
556 corresponding Emacs frame, or click on a tag name to jump to that tag in
559 Initially the speedbar lists the immediate contents of the current
560 directory, one file per line. Each line also has a box, @samp{[+]} or
561 @samp{<+>}, that you can click on with @kbd{Mouse-2} to ``open up'' the
562 contents of that item. If the line names a directory, opening it adds
563 the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
564 directory's own line. If the line lists an ordinary file, opening it up
565 adds a list of the tags in that file to the speedbar display. When a
566 file is opened up, the @samp{[+]} changes to @samp{[-]}; you can click
567 on that box to ``close up'' that file (hide its contents).
569 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
570 specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
571 select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
572 files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
573 clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
575 A speedbar belongs to one Emacs frame, and always operates on that
576 frame. If you use multiple frames, you can make a speedbar for some or
577 all of the frames; type @kbd{M-x speedbar} in any given frame to make a
580 @node Multiple Displays
581 @section Multiple Displays
582 @cindex multiple displays
584 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
585 uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
586 environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
587 Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
588 @code{make-frame-on-display}:
590 @findex make-frame-on-display
592 @item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
593 Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
596 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
597 frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
598 single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
599 screens as a single stream of input.
601 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
602 input stream for each server. This way, two users can type
603 simultaneously on the two displays, and Emacs will not garble their
604 input. Each server also has its own selected frame. The commands you
605 enter with a particular X server apply to that server's selected frame.
607 Despite these features, people using the same Emacs job from different
608 displays can still interfere with each other if they are not careful.
609 For example, if any one types @kbd{C-x C-c}, that exits the Emacs job
612 @node Special Buffer Frames
613 @section Special Buffer Frames
615 @vindex special-display-buffer-names
616 You can make certain chosen buffers, for which Emacs normally creates
617 a second window when you have just one window, appear in special frames
618 of their own. To do this, set the variable
619 @code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list of buffer names; any
620 buffer whose name is in that list automatically gets a special frame,
621 when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in another window.''
623 For example, if you set the variable this way,
626 (setq special-display-buffer-names
627 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
631 then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
632 buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
633 windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
634 buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
635 unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
638 @vindex special-display-regexps
639 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
640 of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
641 matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
642 to buffers that normally get displayed for you in a separate window.)
644 @vindex special-display-frame-alist
645 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
646 parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
649 For those who know Lisp, an element of
650 @code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
651 can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
652 regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
653 frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter
654 values; these values take precedence over parameter values specified
655 in @code{special-display-frame-alist}. If you specify the symbol
656 @code{same-window} as a ``frame parameter'' in this list, with a
657 non-@code{nil} value, that means to use the selected window if
658 possible. If you use the symbol @code{same-frame} as a ``frame
659 parameter'' in this list, with a non-@code{nil} value, that means to
660 use the selected frame if possible.
662 Alternatively, the value can have this form:
665 (@var{function} @var{args}...)
669 where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
670 calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
671 remaining arguments are @var{args}.
673 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
674 displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
675 same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
676 therefore, if you add a buffer name to
677 @code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
678 whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
680 @node Frame Parameters
681 @section Setting Frame Parameters
682 @cindex Auto-Raise mode
683 @cindex Auto-Lower mode
685 This section describes commands for altering the display style and
686 window management behavior of the selected frame.
688 @findex set-foreground-color
689 @findex set-background-color
690 @findex set-cursor-color
691 @findex set-mouse-color
692 @findex set-border-color
693 @findex auto-raise-mode
694 @findex auto-lower-mode
697 @item M-x set-foreground-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
698 Specify color @var{color} for the foreground of the selected frame.
699 (This also changes the foreground color of the default face.) You can
700 specify @var{color} either by its symbolic name or by its RGB
701 numerical specification@footnote{
702 See the X Window System documentation for more details. On a typical
703 GNU or Unix system, the command @kbd{man 7 X} or @kbd{man -s 7 X} will
704 display the X manual page that explains how to specify colors.}.
706 @item M-x set-background-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
707 Specify color @var{color} for the background of the selected frame.
708 (This also changes the background color of the default face.)
710 @item M-x set-cursor-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
711 Specify color @var{color} for the cursor of the selected frame.
713 @item M-x set-mouse-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
714 Specify color @var{color} for the mouse cursor when it is over the
717 @item M-x set-border-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
718 Specify color @var{color} for the border of the selected frame.
720 @item M-x list-colors-display
721 Display the defined color names and show what the colors look like.
722 This command is somewhat slow. @xref{Colors, list-colors-display,
723 Display available colors}.
725 @item M-x auto-raise-mode
726 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
727 means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
730 Note that this auto-raise feature is implemented by Emacs itself. Some
731 window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable auto-raise for
732 Emacs frames in your X window manager, it should work, but it is beyond
733 Emacs's control and therefore @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect on
736 @item M-x auto-lower-mode
737 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
738 Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
739 the frame moves to the bottom of the stack of X windows.
741 The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
742 implemented by the X window manager. To control that, you must use
743 the appropriate window manager features.
745 @findex set-frame-font
746 @item M-x set-frame-font @key{RET} @var{font} @key{RET}
747 @cindex font (principal)
748 Specify font @var{font} as the principal font for the selected frame.
749 The principal font controls several face attributes of the
750 @code{default} face (@pxref{Faces}). For example, if the principal font
751 has a height of 12 pt, all text will be drawn in 12 pt fonts, unless you
752 use another face that specifies a different height. @xref{Font X}, for
753 ways to list the available fonts on your system.
756 You can also set a frame's principal font through a pop-up menu.
757 Press @kbd{S-Mouse-1} to activate this menu.
760 In Emacs versions that use an X toolkit, the color-setting and
761 font-setting functions don't affect menus and the menu bar, since they
762 are displayed by their own widget classes. To change the appearance of
763 the menus and menu bar, you must use X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
764 @xref{Colors}, regarding colors. @xref{Font X}, regarding choice of
767 Colors, fonts, and other attributes of the frame's display can also
768 be customized by setting frame parameters in the variable
769 @code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Creating Frames}). For a detailed
770 description of frame parameters and customization, see @ref{Frame
771 Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
775 @cindex Scroll Bar mode
776 @cindex mode, Scroll Bar
778 When using X, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at the left of
779 each Emacs window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is usually more
780 useful with overlapping frames with text starting at the left margin.}
781 The scroll bar runs the height of the window, and shows a moving
782 rectangular inner box which represents the portion of the buffer
783 currently displayed. The entire height of the scroll bar represents the
784 entire length of the buffer.
786 You can use @kbd{Mouse-2} (normally, the middle button) in the scroll
787 bar to move or drag the inner box up and down. If you move it to the
788 top of the scroll bar, you see the top of the buffer. If you move it to
789 the bottom of the scroll bar, you see the bottom of the buffer.
791 The left and right buttons in the scroll bar scroll by controlled
792 increments. @kbd{Mouse-1} (normally, the left button) moves the line at
793 the level where you click up to the top of the window. @kbd{Mouse-3}
794 (normally, the right button) moves the line at the top of the window
795 down to the level where you click. By clicking repeatedly in the same
796 place, you can scroll by the same distance over and over.
798 You can also click @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in the scroll bar to split a
799 window vertically. The split occurs on the line where you click.
801 @findex scroll-bar-mode
802 @vindex scroll-bar-mode
803 You can enable or disable Scroll Bar mode with the command @kbd{M-x
804 scroll-bar-mode}. With no argument, it toggles the use of scroll bars.
805 With an argument, it turns use of scroll bars on if and only if the
806 argument is positive. This command applies to all frames, including
807 frames yet to be created. Customize the variable @code{scroll-bar-mode}
808 to control the use of scroll bars at startup. You can use it to specify
809 that they are placed at the right of windows if you prefer that. You
810 have to set this variable through the @samp{Customize} interface
811 (@pxref{Easy Customization}). Otherwise, it will not work properly.
812 You can use the X resource @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control the
813 initial setting of Scroll Bar mode similarly. @xref{Resources}.
815 @findex toggle-scroll-bar
816 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
817 command @kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar}.
819 @vindex scroll-bar-width
820 @cindex width of the scroll bar
821 You can control the scroll bar width by changing the value of the
822 @code{scroll-bar-width} frame parameter.
825 @section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
829 @findex mouse-wheel-mode
830 @cindex Mouse Wheel minor mode
831 @cindex mode, Mouse Wheel
832 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can
833 usually click the wheel to act as either @kbd{Mouse-2} or
834 @kbd{Mouse-3}, depending on the setup. You can also use the wheel to
835 scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
836 Mouse wheel support only works if the system generates appropriate
837 events; whenever possible, it is turned on by default. To toggle this
838 feature, use @kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-mode}.
840 @vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
841 @vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
842 @vindex mouse-wheel-progressive-speed
843 The variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
844 @code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
845 buffers are scrolled. The variable
846 @code{mouse-wheel-progressive-speed} determines whether the scroll
847 speed is linked to how fast you move the wheel.
850 @section Drag and Drop
851 @cindex drag and drop
853 Emacs supports @dfn{drag and drop} using the mouse. For instance,
854 dropping text onto an Emacs frame inserts the text where it is dropped.
855 Dropping a file onto an Emacs frame visits that file. As a special
856 case, dropping the file on a Dired buffer moves or copies the file
857 (according to the conventions of the application it came from) into the
858 directory displayed in that buffer.
860 @vindex x-dnd-open-file-other-window
861 Dropping a file normally visits it in the window you drop it on. If
862 you prefer to visit the file in a new window in such cases, customize
863 the variable @code{x-dnd-open-file-other-window}.
866 @c ??? To Lisp manual
867 @vindex x-dnd-test-function
868 @vindex x-dnd-known-types
869 When a user drags something from another application over Emacs, that other
870 application expects Emacs to tell it if Emacs can handle the data that is
871 dragged. The variable @code{x-dnd-test-function} is used by Emacs to determine
872 what to reply. The default value is @code{x-dnd-default-test-function}
873 which accepts drops if the type of the data to be dropped is present in
874 @code{x-dnd-known-types}. You can customize @code{x-dnd-test-function} and/or
875 @code{x-dnd-known-types} if you want Emacs to accept or reject drops based
876 on some other criteria.
878 @vindex x-dnd-types-alist
879 If you want to change the way Emacs handles drop of different types
880 or add a new type, customize @code{x-dnd-types-alist}. This requires
881 detailed knowledge of what types other applications use for drag and
884 @vindex x-dnd-protocol-alist
885 When an URL is dropped on Emacs it may be a file, but it may also be
886 another URL type (ftp, http, etc.). Emacs first checks
887 @code{x-dnd-protocol-alist} to determine what to do with the URL. If
888 there is no match there and if @code{browse-url-browser-function} is
889 an alist, Emacs looks for a match there. If no match is found the
890 text for the URL is inserted. If you want to alter Emacs behavior,
891 you can customize these variables.
894 The drag and drop protocols XDND, Motif and the
895 old KDE 1.x protocol are currently supported.
899 @cindex Menu Bar mode
900 @cindex mode, Menu Bar
902 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
903 menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the variable @code{menu-bar-mode}.
904 With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
905 minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
906 argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
907 the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
908 Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
910 @kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
911 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
912 terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
913 If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
914 with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports pop-up menus.
915 @xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
917 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
918 menu bar. @xref{X Resources}, for how to customize the menu bar
923 @cindex Tool Bar mode
924 @cindex mode, Tool Bar
925 @cindex icons, toolbar
927 The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or lines) of icons at the top of the
928 Emacs window, just below the menu bar. You can click on these icons
929 with the mouse to do various jobs.
931 The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
932 define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
933 that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
936 Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
937 XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
938 bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
940 You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
944 @section Using Dialog Boxes
947 @vindex use-dialog-box
948 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
949 question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
950 dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
951 invoke the command to begin with.
953 You can customize the variable @code{use-dialog-box} to suppress the
954 use of dialog boxes. This also controls whether to use file selection
955 windows (but those are not supported on all platforms).
957 @vindex use-file-dialog
958 A file selection window is a special kind of dialog box for asking for
961 You can customize the variable @code{use-file-dialog} to suppress the
962 use of file selection windows even if you still want other kinds
963 of dialogs. This variable has no effect if you have suppressed all dialog
964 boxes with the variable @code{use-dialog-box}.
966 @vindex x-use-old-gtk-file-dialog
967 For Gtk+ version 2.4 and 2.6, you can make Emacs use the old file dialog
968 by setting the variable @code{x-use-old-gtk-file-dialog} to a non-@code{nil}
969 value. If Emacs is built with a Gtk+ version that has only one file dialog,
970 the setting of this variable has no effect.
976 @dfn{Tooltips} are small windows that display text information at the
977 current mouse position. They activate when there is a pause in mouse
978 movement. There are two types of tooltip: help tooltips and GUD
981 @dfn{Help tooltips} typically display over text---including the mode
982 line---but may be also available for many other parts of the Emacs
983 frame such as the tool bar and menu items.
986 You can toggle help tooltips (Tooltip mode) with the command
987 @kbd{M-x tooltip-mode}. When Tooltip mode is disabled, the help text
988 is displayed in the echo area instead.
990 @dfn{GUD tooltips} show values of variables. They are useful when
991 you are debugging a program. @xref{Debugger Operation}.
993 @vindex tooltip-delay
994 The variables @code{tooltip-delay} specifies how long Emacs should
995 wait before displaying a tooltip. For additional customization
996 options for displaying tooltips, use @kbd{M-x customize-group
997 @key{RET} tooltip @key{RET}}. @xref{X Resources}, for information on
998 customizing the windows that display tooltips.
1000 @node Mouse Avoidance
1001 @section Mouse Avoidance
1002 @cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
1003 @cindex mouse avoidance
1005 @vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
1006 Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the window system mouse pointer away from
1007 point, to avoid obscuring text. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
1008 raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the variable
1009 @code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
1010 move the mouse in several ways:
1014 Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any key-press;
1016 Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
1017 and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
1019 If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
1020 a random distance & direction;
1022 As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
1024 The same as @code{animate};
1026 As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
1029 @findex mouse-avoidance-mode
1030 You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
1033 @node Non-Window Terminals
1034 @section Non-Window Terminals
1035 @cindex non-window terminals
1036 @cindex single-frame terminals
1038 If your terminal does not have a window system that Emacs supports,
1039 then it can display only one Emacs frame at a time. However, you can
1040 still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch between them. Switching
1041 frames on these terminals is much like switching between different
1042 window configurations.
1044 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
1045 5 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
1048 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
1049 display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
1050 appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
1053 @findex set-frame-name
1054 @findex select-frame-by-name
1055 @samp{F@var{n}} is actually the frame's name. You can also specify a
1056 different name if you wish, and you can select a frame by its name. Use
1057 the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to
1058 specify a new name for the selected frame, and use @kbd{M-x
1059 select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to select a frame
1060 according to its name. The name you specify appears in the mode line
1061 when the frame is selected.
1064 @section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
1065 @cindex xterm, mouse support
1066 @cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
1068 Some terminal emulators under X support mouse clicks in the terminal
1069 window. In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
1070 you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to give Emacs control over
1071 simple use of the mouse---basically, only non-modified single clicks
1072 are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse functionality for such
1073 clicks is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key when you
1074 press the mouse button.
1076 Xterm Mouse mode is a global minor mode (@pxref{Minor Modes}).
1077 Repeating the command turns the mode off again.
1080 arch-tag: 7dcf3a31-a43b-45d4-a900-445b10d77e49