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, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node Frames, International, Windows, Top
6 @chapter Frames and Graphical Displays
9 When using a graphical display, you can create multiple windows at
10 the system in a single Emacs session. Each system-level window that
11 belongs to Emacs displays a @dfn{frame} which can contain one or
12 several Emacs windows. A frame initially contains a single
13 general-purpose Emacs window which you can subdivide vertically or
14 horizontally into smaller windows. A frame normally contains its own
15 echo area and minibuffer, but you can make frames that don't have
16 these---they use the echo area and minibuffer of another frame.
18 To avoid confusion, we reserve the word ``window'' for the
19 subdivisions that Emacs implements, and never use it to refer to a
22 Editing you do in one frame affects the other frames. For
23 instance, if you put text in the kill ring in one frame, you can yank it
24 in another frame. If you exit Emacs through @kbd{C-x C-c} in one frame,
25 it terminates all the frames. To delete just one frame, use @kbd{C-x 5
26 0} (that is zero, not @kbd{o}).
28 Emacs compiled for MS-DOS emulates some windowing functionality,
29 so that you can use many of the features described in this chapter.
31 @xref{MS-DOS Mouse,,,emacs-xtra,Specialized Emacs Features}.
39 * Mouse Commands:: Moving, cutting, and pasting, with the mouse.
40 * Secondary Selection:: Cutting without altering point and mark.
41 * Clipboard:: Using the clipboard for selections.
42 * Mouse References:: Using the mouse to select an item from a list.
43 * Menu Mouse Clicks:: Mouse clicks that bring up menus.
44 * Mode Line Mouse:: Mouse clicks on the mode line.
45 * Creating Frames:: Creating additional Emacs frames with various contents.
46 * Frame Commands:: Iconifying, deleting, and switching frames.
47 * Speedbar:: How to make and use a speedbar frame.
48 * Multiple Displays:: How one Emacs job can talk to several displays.
49 * Special Buffer Frames:: You can make certain buffers have their own frames.
50 * Frame Parameters:: Changing the colors and other modes of frames.
51 * Scroll Bars:: How to enable and disable scroll bars; how to use them.
52 * Wheeled Mice:: Using mouse wheels for scrolling.
53 * Drag and Drop:: Using drag and drop to open files and insert text.
54 * Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
55 * Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
56 * Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
57 * Tooltips:: Displaying information at the current mouse position.
58 * Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
59 * Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
60 * Text-Only Mouse:: Using the mouse in text-only terminals.
64 @section Mouse Commands for Editing
65 @cindex mouse buttons (what they do)
67 The mouse commands for selecting and copying a region are mostly
68 compatible with the @code{xterm} program. You can use the same mouse
69 commands for copying between Emacs and other window-based programs.
70 Most of these commands also work in Emacs when you run it under an
71 @code{xterm} terminal.
73 @kindex DELETE @r{(and mouse selection)}
74 If you select a region with any of these mouse commands, and then
75 immediately afterward type the @key{DELETE} function key, it deletes the
76 region that you selected. The @key{BACKSPACE} function key and the
77 @acronym{ASCII} character @key{DEL} do not do this; if you type any other key
78 in between the mouse command and @key{DELETE}, it does not do this.
80 @findex mouse-set-region
81 @findex mouse-set-point
82 @findex mouse-yank-at-click
83 @findex mouse-save-then-click
89 Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
90 This is normally the left button.
92 @vindex x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position
93 Normally, Emacs does not distinguish between ordinary mouse clicks and
94 clicks that select a frame. When you click on a frame to select it,
95 that also changes the selected window and cursor position according to
96 the mouse click position. On the X window system, you can change this
97 behavior by setting the variable
98 @code{x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position} to @code{t}. Then the
99 first click selects the frame, but does not affect the selected window
100 or cursor position. If you click again in the same place, since that
101 click will be in the selected frame, it will change the window or
105 Set the region to the text you select by dragging, and copy it to the
106 kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}). You can specify both ends of the
107 region with this single command.
109 @vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
110 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
111 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
112 back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
113 entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
114 on how far away from the window edge the mouse has gone; the variable
115 @code{mouse-scroll-min-lines} specifies a minimum step size.
117 @vindex mouse-drag-copy-region
118 If the variable @code{mouse-drag-copy-region} is @code{nil}, this
119 mouse command does not copy the selected region into the kill ring.
122 Yank the last killed text, where you click (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
123 This is normally the middle button.
126 This command, @code{mouse-save-then-kill}, has several functions
127 depending on where you click and the status of the region.
129 The most basic case is when you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in one place and
130 then @kbd{Mouse-3} in another. This selects the text between those two
131 positions as the region. It also copies the new region to the kill
132 ring, so that you can copy it to someplace else.
134 If you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in the text, scroll with the scroll bar, and
135 then click @kbd{Mouse-3}, it remembers where point was before scrolling
136 (where you put it with @kbd{Mouse-1}), and uses that position as the
137 other end of the region. This is so that you can select a region that
138 doesn't fit entirely on the screen.
140 More generally, if you do not have a highlighted region, @kbd{Mouse-3}
141 selects the text between point and the click position as the region. It
142 does this by setting the mark where point was, and moving point to where
145 If you have a highlighted region, or if the region was set just before
146 by dragging button 1, @kbd{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end of the region
147 by moving it to where you click. The adjusted region's text also
148 replaces the old region's text in the kill ring.
150 If you originally specified the region using a double or triple
151 @kbd{Mouse-1}, so that the region is defined to consist of entire words
152 or lines, then adjusting the region with @kbd{Mouse-3} also proceeds by
153 entire words or lines.
155 If you use @kbd{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same place,
156 that kills the region already selected.
159 This key sets the region around the word which you click on. If you
160 click on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as underscore, in C
161 mode), it sets the region around the symbol surrounding that character.
163 If you click on a character with open-parenthesis or close-parenthesis
164 syntax, it sets the region around the parenthetical grouping
165 which that character starts or ends. If you click on a character with
166 string-delimiter syntax (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C), it
167 sets the region around the string constant (using heuristics to figure
168 out whether that character is the beginning or the end of it).
170 @item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
171 This key selects a region made up of the words you drag across.
174 This key sets the region around the line you click on.
176 @item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
177 This key selects a region made up of the lines you drag across.
180 The simplest way to kill text with the mouse is to press @kbd{Mouse-1}
181 at one end, then press @kbd{Mouse-3} twice at the other end.
182 @xref{Killing}. To copy the text into the kill ring without deleting it
183 from the buffer, press @kbd{Mouse-3} just once---or just drag across the
184 text with @kbd{Mouse-1}. Then you can copy it elsewhere by yanking it.
186 @vindex mouse-yank-at-point
187 To yank the killed or copied text somewhere else, move the mouse there
188 and press @kbd{Mouse-2}. @xref{Yanking}. However, if
189 @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{Mouse-2} yanks at
190 point. Then it does not matter where you click, or even which of the
191 frame's windows you click on. The default value is @code{nil}. This
192 variable also affects yanking the secondary selection.
196 @cindex X cutting and pasting
197 To copy text to another windowing application, kill it or save it in
198 the kill ring. Then use the ``paste'' or ``yank'' command of the
199 other application to insert the text.
201 To copy text from another windowing application, use its ``cut'' or
202 ``copy'' command to select the text you want. Then yank it in Emacs
203 with @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
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
210 front of the kill ring, it sets the @dfn{primary selection} in the
211 window system. This is how other windowing applications can access
212 the text. On the X Window System, emacs also stores the text in the
213 cut buffer, but only if the text is short enough (the value of
214 @code{x-cut-buffer-max} specifies the maximum number of characters);
215 putting long strings in the cut buffer can be slow.
217 The commands to yank the first entry in the kill ring actually check
218 first for a primary selection in another program; after that, they check
219 for text in the cut buffer. If neither of those sources provides text
220 to yank, the kill ring contents are used.
222 The standard coding system for X Window System selections is
223 @code{compound-text-with-extensions}. To specify another coding
224 system for selections, use @kbd{C-x @key{RET} x} or @kbd{C-x @key{RET}
225 X}. @xref{Communication Coding}.
227 @node Secondary Selection
228 @section Secondary Selection
229 @cindex secondary selection
231 The @dfn{secondary selection} is another way of selecting text using
232 the X Window System. It does not use point or the mark, so you can
233 use it to kill text without setting point or the mark.
236 @findex mouse-set-secondary
237 @kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
239 Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
240 down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
241 (@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The highlighting appears and changes as
242 you drag. You can control the appearance of the highlighting by
243 customizing the @code{secondary-selection} face (@pxref{Face
246 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
247 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
248 back into the window. This way, you can mark regions that don't fit
249 entirely on the screen.
251 This way of setting the secondary selection does not alter the kill ring.
253 @findex mouse-start-secondary
256 Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
257 (@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
259 @findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
262 Make a secondary selection, using the place specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
263 as the other end (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). This also
264 puts the selected text in the kill ring. A second click at the same
265 place kills the secondary selection just made.
267 @findex mouse-yank-secondary
270 Insert the secondary selection where you click
271 (@code{mouse-yank-secondary}). This places point at the end of the
275 Double or triple clicking of @kbd{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
276 lines, much like @kbd{Mouse-1}.
278 If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{M-Mouse-2}
279 yanks at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click; all
280 that matters is which window you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
283 @section Using the Clipboard
285 @vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
286 @findex menu-bar-enable-clipboard
290 Apart from the primary and secondary selection types, Emacs can
291 handle the @dfn{clipboard} selection type which is used by some
292 applications, particularly under OpenWindows and Gnome.
294 The command @kbd{M-x menu-bar-enable-clipboard} makes the @code{Cut},
295 @code{Paste} and @code{Copy} menu items, as well as the keys of the same
296 names, all use the clipboard.
298 You can customize the variable @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to make
299 the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
300 selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
301 well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not access the
302 clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on MS-Windows and Mac,
303 but not on other systems.
305 @node Mouse References
306 @section Following References with the Mouse
307 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(selection)}
308 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
310 Some read-only Emacs buffers include references you can follow, or
311 commands you can activate. These include names of files, of buffers,
312 of possible completions, of matches for a pattern, as well as the
313 buttons in Help buffers and customization buffers. You can follow the
314 reference or activate the command by moving point to it and typing
315 @key{RET}. You can also do this with the mouse, using either
316 @kbd{Mouse-1} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
318 Since yanking text into a read-only buffer is not allowed, these
319 buffers generally define @kbd{Mouse-2} to follow a reference or
320 activate a command. For example, if you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a file
321 name in a Dired buffer, you visit that file. If you click
322 @kbd{Mouse-2} on an error message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer,
323 you go to the source code for that error message. If you click
324 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a completion in the @samp{*Completions*} buffer, you
325 choose that completion.
327 However, most applications use @kbd{Mouse-1} to do this sort of
328 thing, so Emacs implements this too. If you click @kbd{Mouse-1}
329 quickly on a reference or button, it follows or activates. If you
330 click slowly, it moves point as usual. Dragging, meaning moving the
331 mouse while it is held down, also has its usual behavior of setting
334 @vindex mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows
335 Normally, the @kbd{Mouse-1} click behavior is performed on links in
336 any window. The variable @code{mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows}
337 controls whether @kbd{Mouse-1} has this behavior even in non-selected
338 windows, or only in the selected window.
340 @vindex mouse-highlight
341 You can usually tell when @kbd{Mouse-1} and @kbd{Mouse-2} have this
342 special sort of meaning because the sensitive text highlights when you
343 move the mouse over it. The variable @code{mouse-highlight} controls
344 whether to do this highlighting always (even when such text appears
345 where the mouse already is), never, or only immediately after you move
348 @vindex mouse-1-click-follows-link
349 In Emacs versions before 22, only @kbd{Mouse-2} follows links and
350 @kbd{Mouse-1} always sets point. If you prefer this older behavior,
351 set the variable @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link} to @code{nil}.
352 This variable also lets you choose various other alternatives for
353 following links with the mouse. Type @kbd{C-h v
354 mouse-1-click-follows-link @key{RET}} for more details.
356 @node Menu Mouse Clicks
357 @section Mouse Clicks for Menus
359 Several mouse clicks with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} modifiers
365 This menu is for selecting a buffer.
367 The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
368 menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
372 This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
373 for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
377 This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on,
378 this menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus
379 put together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
380 button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
381 menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
382 @kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision
383 to use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu. To use @kbd{Mouse-3} instead,
384 do @code{(global-set-key [mouse-3] 'mouse-popup-menubar-stuff)}.} If
385 Menu-bar mode is off, this menu contains all the items which would be
386 present in the menu bar---not just the mode-specific ones---so that
387 you can access them without having to display the menu bar.
390 This menu is for specifying the frame's default font.
393 @node Mode Line Mouse
394 @section Mode Line Mouse Commands
395 @cindex mode line, mouse
396 @cindex mouse on mode line
398 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
401 Some areas of the mode line, such as the buffer name and the major
402 mode name, have their own special mouse bindings. These areas are
403 highlighted when you hold the mouse over them, and information about
404 the special bindings will be displayed (@pxref{Tooltips}). This
405 section's commands do not apply in those areas.
409 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
410 @kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window it belongs to. By
411 dragging @kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus
412 changing the height of the windows above and below. Changing heights
413 with the mouse in this way never deletes windows, it just refuses to
414 make any window smaller than the minimum height.
417 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
418 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
421 @kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
422 @kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window it belongs to. If the
423 frame has only one window, it buries the current buffer instead, and
424 switches to another buffer.
427 @kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
428 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
429 horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
432 @kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
433 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(scroll bar)}
434 Using @kbd{Mouse-1} on the divider between two side-by-side mode
435 lines, you can move the vertical boundary left or right. Using
436 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
437 vertically. @xref{Split Window}.
439 @node Creating Frames
440 @section Creating Frames
441 @cindex creating frames
444 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
445 subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
446 frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
447 Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
448 the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
449 raising or deiconifying as necessary.
451 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
457 @findex make-frame-command
458 Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
459 @item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
460 Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
461 @code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
462 @item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
463 Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
464 runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
465 @item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
466 Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
467 This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
469 Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
470 @code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
473 Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
474 @code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
476 @item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
478 @findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
479 Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
480 frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
484 @cindex default-frame-alist
485 @cindex initial-frame-alist
486 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
487 frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
488 variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
489 only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
490 Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
492 @cindex font (default)
493 The easiest way to specify the principal font for all your Emacs
494 frames is with an X resource (@pxref{Font X}), but you can also do it by
495 modifying @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the @code{font}
496 parameter, as shown here:
499 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
503 Here's a similar example for specifying a foreground color:
506 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(foreground-color . "blue"))
510 @section Frame Commands
512 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
516 @kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
517 @findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
518 Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
519 The normal meaning of @kbd{C-z}, to suspend Emacs, is not useful under
520 a graphical display that allows multiple applications to operate
521 simultaneously in their own windows, so Emacs gives @kbd{C-z} a
522 different binding in that case.
524 If you type this command on an Emacs frame's icon, it deiconifies the frame.
529 Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed if
530 there is only one frame.
535 Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it so that it
536 stays selected. If you repeat this command, it cycles through all the
537 frames on your terminal.
541 @findex delete-other-frames
542 Delete all frames except the selected one.
545 @vindex focus-follows-mouse
546 To make the command @kbd{C-x 5 o} work properly, you must tell Emacs
547 how the system (or the window manager) generally handles
548 focus-switching between windows. There are two possibilities: either
549 simply moving the mouse onto a window selects it (gives it focus), or
550 you have to click on it in a suitable way to do so. On X, this focus
551 policy also affects whether the focus is given to a frame that Emacs
552 raises. Unfortunately there is no way Emacs can find out
553 automatically which way the system handles this, so you have to
554 explicitly say, by setting the variable @code{focus-follows-mouse}.
555 If just moving the mouse onto a window selects it, that variable
556 should be @code{t}; if a click is necessary, the variable should be
559 The window manager that is part of MS-Windows always gives focus to a
560 frame that raises, so this variable has no effect in the native
561 MS-Windows build of Emacs.
564 @section Speedbar Frames
567 @cindex attached frame (of speedbar)
568 The @dfn{speedbar} is a special frame for conveniently navigating in
569 or operating on another frame. The speedbar, when it exists, is
570 always associated with a specific frame, called its @dfn{attached
571 frame}; all speedbar operations act on that frame.
573 Type @kbd{M-x speedbar} to create the speedbar and associate it with
574 the current frame. To dismiss the speedbar, type @kbd{M-x speedbar}
575 again, or select the speedbar and type @kbd{q}. (You can also delete
576 the speedbar frame like any other Emacs frame.) If you wish to
577 associate the speedbar with a different frame, dismiss it and call
578 @kbd{M-x speedbar} from that frame.
580 The speedbar can operate in various modes. Its default mode is
581 @dfn{File Display} mode, which shows the files in the current
582 directory of the selected window of the attached frame, one file per
583 line. Clicking on a file name visits that file in the selected window
584 of the attached frame, and clicking on a directory name shows that
585 directory in the speedbar (@pxref{Mouse References}). Each line also
586 has a box, @samp{[+]} or @samp{<+>}, that you can click on to
587 @dfn{expand} the contents of that item. Expanding a directory adds
588 the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
589 directory's own line. Expanding an ordinary file adds a list of the
590 tags in that file to the speedbar display; you can click on a tag name
591 to jump to that tag in the selected window of the attached frame.
592 When a file or directory is expanded, the @samp{[+]} changes to
593 @samp{[-]}; you can click on that box to @dfn{contract} the item,
596 You navigate through the speedbar using the keyboard, too. Typing
597 @kbd{RET} while point is on a line in the speedbar is equivalent to
598 clicking the item on the current line, and @kbd{SPC} expands or
599 contracts the item. @kbd{U} displays the parent directory of the
600 current directory. To copy, delete, or rename the file on the current
601 line, type @kbd{C}, @kbd{D}, and @kbd{R} respectively. To create a
602 new directory, type @kbd{M}.
604 Another general-purpose speedbar mode is @dfn{Buffer Display} mode;
605 in this mode, the speedbar displays a list of Emacs buffers. To
606 switch to this mode, type @kbd{b} in the speedbar. To return to File
607 Display mode, type @kbd{f}. You can also change the display mode by
608 clicking @kbd{mouse-3} anywhere in the speedbar window (or
609 @kbd{mouse-1} on the mode-line) and selecting @samp{Displays} in the
612 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
613 specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
614 select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
615 files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
616 clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
618 For more details on using and programming the speedbar, @xref{Top,
619 Speedbar,,speedbar, Speedbar Manual}.
621 @node Multiple Displays
622 @section Multiple Displays
623 @cindex multiple displays
625 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
626 uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
627 environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
628 Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
629 @code{make-frame-on-display}:
631 @findex make-frame-on-display
633 @item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
634 Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
637 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
638 frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
639 single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
640 screens as a single stream of input.
642 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
643 input stream for each server. This way, two users can type
644 simultaneously on the two displays, and Emacs will not garble their
645 input. Each server also has its own selected frame. The commands you
646 enter with a particular X server apply to that server's selected frame.
648 Despite these features, people using the same Emacs job from different
649 displays can still interfere with each other if they are not careful.
650 For example, if any one types @kbd{C-x C-c}, that exits the Emacs job
653 @node Special Buffer Frames
654 @section Special Buffer Frames
656 @vindex special-display-buffer-names
657 You can make certain chosen buffers, which Emacs normally displays
658 in ``another window,'' appear in special frames of their own. To do
659 this, set the variable @code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list
660 of buffer names; any buffer whose name is in that list automatically
661 gets a special frame, when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in
664 For example, if you set the variable this way,
667 (setq special-display-buffer-names
668 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
672 then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
673 buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
674 windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
675 buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
676 unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
679 @vindex special-display-regexps
680 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
681 of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
682 matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
683 to buffers that normally get displayed for you in ``another window.'')
685 @vindex special-display-frame-alist
686 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
687 parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
690 For those who know Lisp, an element of
691 @code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
692 can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
693 regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
694 frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter
695 values; these values take precedence over parameter values specified
696 in @code{special-display-frame-alist}. If you specify the symbol
697 @code{same-window} as a ``frame parameter'' in this list, with a
698 non-@code{nil} value, that means to use the selected window if
699 possible. If you use the symbol @code{same-frame} as a ``frame
700 parameter'' in this list, with a non-@code{nil} value, that means to
701 use the selected frame if possible.
703 Alternatively, the value can have this form:
706 (@var{function} @var{args}...)
710 where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
711 calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
712 remaining arguments are @var{args}.
714 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
715 displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
716 same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
717 therefore, if you add a buffer name to
718 @code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
719 whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
721 @node Frame Parameters
722 @section Setting Frame Parameters
723 @cindex Auto-Raise mode
724 @cindex Auto-Lower mode
727 You can specify the font and colors used for text display, and the
728 colors for the frame borders, the cursor, and the mouse cursor, by
729 customizing the faces @code{default}, @code{border}, @code{cursor} and
730 @code{mouse}. @xref{Face Customization}. You can also set a frame's
731 default font through a pop-up menu. Press @kbd{S-Mouse-1} to activate
734 These commands are available for controlling the window management
735 behavior of the selected frame.
738 @findex auto-raise-mode
739 @item M-x auto-raise-mode
740 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
741 means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
744 Some window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable
745 auto-raise for Emacs frames in your window manager, it will work, but
746 it is beyond Emacs' control, so @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect
749 @findex auto-lower-mode
750 @item M-x auto-lower-mode
751 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
752 Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
753 the frame moves to the bottom of the stack on the screen.
755 The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
756 implemented by the window manager. To control that, you must use the
757 appropriate window manager features.
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 On graphical displays, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at
779 the left of each Emacs window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is
780 usually more useful with overlapping frames with text starting at the
781 left margin.} The scroll bar runs the height of the window, and shows
782 a moving rectangular inner box which represents the portion of the
783 buffer currently displayed. The entire height of the scroll bar
784 represents the 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
805 bars. With an argument, it turns use of scroll bars on if and only if
806 the argument is positive. This command applies to all frames,
807 including frames yet to be created. Customize the variable
808 @code{scroll-bar-mode} to control the use of scroll bars at startup.
809 You can use it to specify that they are placed at the right of windows
810 if you prefer that. You have to set this variable through the
811 @samp{Customize} interface (@pxref{Easy Customization}), or it will
814 You can also use the X resource @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control
815 the initial setting of Scroll Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
817 @findex toggle-scroll-bar
818 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
819 command @kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar}.
821 @vindex scroll-bar-width
822 @cindex width of the scroll bar
823 You can control the scroll bar width by changing the value of the
824 @code{scroll-bar-width} frame parameter.
827 @section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
831 @findex mouse-wheel-mode
832 @cindex Mouse Wheel minor mode
833 @cindex mode, Mouse Wheel
834 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can
835 usually click the wheel to act as either @kbd{Mouse-2} or
836 @kbd{Mouse-3}, depending on the setup. You can also use the wheel to
837 scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
838 Mouse wheel support only works if the system generates appropriate
839 events; whenever possible, it is turned on by default. To toggle this
840 feature, use @kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-mode}.
842 @vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
843 @vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
844 @vindex mouse-wheel-progressive-speed
845 The variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
846 @code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
847 buffers are scrolled. The variable
848 @code{mouse-wheel-progressive-speed} determines whether the scroll
849 speed is linked to how fast you move the wheel.
852 @section Drag and Drop
853 @cindex drag and drop
855 Emacs supports @dfn{drag and drop} using the mouse. For instance,
856 dropping text onto an Emacs frame inserts the text where it is dropped.
857 Dropping a file onto an Emacs frame visits that file. As a special
858 case, dropping the file on a Dired buffer moves or copies the file
859 (according to the conventions of the application it came from) into the
860 directory displayed in that buffer.
862 @vindex dnd-open-file-other-window
863 Dropping a file normally visits it in the window you drop it on. If
864 you prefer to visit the file in a new window in such cases, customize
865 the variable @code{dnd-open-file-other-window}.
867 The XDND and Motif drag and drop protocols, and the old KDE 1.x
868 protocol, are currently supported.
872 @cindex Menu Bar mode
873 @cindex mode, Menu Bar
874 @findex menu-bar-mode
875 @vindex menu-bar-mode
877 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
878 menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the variable @code{menu-bar-mode}.
879 With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
880 minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
881 argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
882 the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
883 Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
885 @kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
886 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
887 terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
888 If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
889 with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports pop-up menus.
890 @xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
892 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
893 menu bar. @xref{X Resources}, for how to customize the menu bar
894 menus' visual appearance.
898 @cindex Tool Bar mode
899 @cindex mode, Tool Bar
900 @cindex icons, toolbar
902 The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or lines) of icons at the top of the
903 Emacs window, just below the menu bar. You can click on these icons
904 with the mouse to do various jobs.
906 The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
907 define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
908 that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
911 Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
912 XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
913 bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
915 @findex tool-bar-mode
916 @vindex tool-bar-mode
917 You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
918 tool-bar-mode} or by customizing the option @code{tool-bar-mode}.
921 @section Using Dialog Boxes
924 @vindex use-dialog-box
925 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
926 question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
927 dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
928 invoke the command to begin with.
930 You can customize the variable @code{use-dialog-box} to suppress the
931 use of dialog boxes. This also controls whether to use file selection
932 windows (but those are not supported on all platforms).
934 @vindex use-file-dialog
935 A file selection window is a special kind of dialog box for asking
936 for file names. You can customize the variable @code{use-file-dialog}
937 to suppress the use of file selection windows, even if you still want
938 other kinds of dialogs. This variable has no effect if you have
939 suppressed all dialog boxes with the variable @code{use-dialog-box}.
941 @vindex x-gtk-show-hidden-files
942 For Gtk+ version 2.4 and newer, Emacs use the Gtk+ file chooser
943 dialog. Emacs adds a toggle button that enables and disables showing
944 of hidden files (files starting with a dot) in that dialog. The
945 variable @code{x-gtk-show-hidden-files} controls whether to show
946 hidden files by default.
948 @vindex x-gtk-use-old-file-dialog
949 For Gtk+ version 2.4 through 2.10, you can make Emacs use the old file dialog
950 (gtk-file-selector) by setting the variable @code{x-gtk-use-old-file-dialog}
951 to a non-@code{nil} value. Otherwise the gtk-file-chooser will be used.
952 If Emacs is built with a Gtk+ version that has only one file dialog,
953 the setting of this variable has no effect.
955 @vindex x-gtk-file-dialog-help-text
956 Emacs will by default add some help text to the Gtk+ file chooser dialog.
957 If you don't want to see that text, you can customize the variable
958 @code{x-gtk-file-dialog-help-text}. A @code{nil} value will disable the
965 @dfn{Tooltips} are small windows that display text information at the
966 current mouse position. They activate when there is a pause in mouse
967 movement. There are two types of tooltip: help tooltips and GUD
970 @dfn{Help tooltips} typically display over text---including the mode
971 line---but are also available for other parts of the Emacs frame, such
972 as the tool bar and menu items.
975 You can toggle display of help tooltips (Tooltip mode) with the
976 command @kbd{M-x tooltip-mode}. When Tooltip mode is disabled, the
977 help text is displayed in the echo area instead.
979 @dfn{GUD tooltips} show values of variables. They are useful when
980 you are debugging a program. @xref{Debugger Operation}.
982 @vindex tooltip-delay
983 The variables @code{tooltip-delay} specifies how long Emacs should
984 wait before displaying a tooltip. For additional customization
985 options for displaying tooltips, use @kbd{M-x customize-group
986 @key{RET} tooltip @key{RET}}. @xref{X Resources}, for information on
987 customizing the windows that display tooltips.
989 @node Mouse Avoidance
990 @section Mouse Avoidance
991 @cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
992 @cindex mouse avoidance
994 @vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
995 Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the mouse pointer away from point, to avoid
996 obscuring text you want to edit. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
997 raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the variable
998 @code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
999 move the mouse in several ways:
1003 Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any key-press;
1005 Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
1006 and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
1008 If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
1009 a random distance & direction;
1011 As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
1013 The same as @code{animate};
1015 As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
1018 @findex mouse-avoidance-mode
1019 You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
1022 @node Non-Window Terminals
1023 @section Non-Window Terminals
1024 @cindex non-window terminals
1025 @cindex single-frame terminals
1027 On a text-only terminal, Emacs can display only one Emacs frame at a
1028 time. However, you can still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch
1029 between them. Switching frames on these terminals is much like
1030 switching between different window configurations.
1032 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
1033 5 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
1036 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
1037 display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
1038 appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
1041 @findex set-frame-name
1042 @findex select-frame-by-name
1043 @samp{F@var{n}} is in fact the frame's initial name. You can give
1044 frames more meaningful names if you wish, and you can select a frame
1045 by its name. Use the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET}
1046 @var{name} @key{RET}} to specify a new name for the selected frame,
1047 and use @kbd{M-x select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}}
1048 to select a frame according to its name. The name you specify appears
1049 in the mode line when the frame is selected.
1051 @node Text-Only Mouse
1052 @section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
1053 @cindex mouse support
1054 @cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
1056 Some terminal emulators support mouse clicks in the terminal window.
1059 In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
1060 you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to give Emacs control over
1061 simple use of the mouse---basically, only non-modified single clicks
1062 are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse functionality for such
1063 clicks is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key when you
1064 press the mouse button. Xterm Mouse mode is a global minor mode
1065 (@pxref{Minor Modes}). Repeating the command turns the mode off
1068 In the console on GNU/Linux, you can use @kbd{M-x t-mouse-mode}. You
1069 need to have the gpm package installed and running on your system in
1070 order for this to work.
1073 arch-tag: 7dcf3a31-a43b-45d4-a900-445b10d77e49