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, 2007, 2008 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}.
38 * Cut and Paste:: Mouse commands for cut and paste.
39 * Mouse References:: Using the mouse to select an item from a list.
40 * Menu Mouse Clicks:: Mouse clicks that bring up menus.
41 * Mode Line Mouse:: Mouse clicks on the mode line.
42 * Creating Frames:: Creating additional Emacs frames with various contents.
43 * Frame Commands:: Iconifying, deleting, and switching frames.
44 * Speedbar:: How to make and use a speedbar frame.
45 * Multiple Displays:: How one Emacs job can talk to several displays.
46 * Special Buffer Frames:: You can make certain buffers have their own frames.
47 * Frame Parameters:: Changing the colors and other modes of frames.
48 * Scroll Bars:: How to enable and disable scroll bars; how to use them.
49 * Wheeled Mice:: Using mouse wheels for scrolling.
50 * Drag and Drop:: Using drag and drop to open files and insert text.
51 * Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
52 * Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
53 * Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
54 * Tooltips:: Displaying information at the current mouse position.
55 * Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
56 * Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
57 * Text-Only Mouse:: Using the mouse in text-only terminals.
61 @section Killing and Yanking on Graphical Displays
63 This section describes facilities for selecting a region, killing,
64 and yanking using the mouse.
67 * Mouse Commands:: Moving, cutting, and pasting, with the mouse.
68 * Cut/Paste Other App:: Transfering text between Emacs and other apps.
69 * Word and Line Mouse:: Mouse commands for selecting whole words or lines.
70 * Secondary Selection:: Cutting without altering point and mark.
71 * Clipboard:: Using the clipboard for selections.
75 @subsection Mouse Commands for Editing
76 @cindex mouse buttons (what they do)
78 The mouse commands for selecting and copying a region are mostly
79 compatible with the @code{xterm} program. You can use the same mouse
80 commands for copying between Emacs and other window-based programs.
81 Most of these commands also work in Emacs when you run it under an
82 @code{xterm} terminal.
84 @kindex DELETE @r{(and mouse selection)}
85 If you select a region with any of these mouse commands, and then
86 immediately afterward type the @key{DELETE} function key, it deletes the
87 region that you selected. The @key{BACKSPACE} function key and the
88 @acronym{ASCII} character @key{DEL} do not do this; if you type any other key
89 in between the mouse command and @key{DELETE}, it does not do this.
91 @findex mouse-set-region
92 @findex mouse-set-point
93 @findex mouse-yank-at-click
94 @findex mouse-save-then-click
100 Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
101 This is normally the left button.
103 @vindex x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position
104 Normally, Emacs does not distinguish between ordinary mouse clicks and
105 clicks that select a frame. When you click on a frame to select it,
106 that also changes the selected window and cursor position according to
107 the mouse click position. On the X window system, you can change this
108 behavior by setting the variable
109 @code{x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position} to @code{t}. Then the
110 first click selects the frame, but does not affect the selected window
111 or cursor position. If you click again in the same place, since that
112 click will be in the selected frame, it will change the window or
116 Set the region to the text you select by dragging, and copy it to the
117 kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}). You can specify both ends of the
118 region with this single command.
120 @vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
121 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
122 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
123 back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
124 entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
125 on how far away from the window edge the mouse has gone; the variable
126 @code{mouse-scroll-min-lines} specifies a minimum step size.
128 @vindex mouse-drag-copy-region
129 If the variable @code{mouse-drag-copy-region} is @code{nil}, this
130 mouse command does not copy the selected region into the kill ring.
133 Yank the last killed text, where you click (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
134 This is normally the middle button.
137 This command, @code{mouse-save-then-kill}, has several functions
138 depending on where you click and the status of the region.
140 The most basic case is when you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in one place and
141 then @kbd{Mouse-3} in another. This selects the text between those two
142 positions as the region. It also copies the new region to the kill
143 ring, so that you can copy it to someplace else.
145 If you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in the text, scroll with the scroll bar, and
146 then click @kbd{Mouse-3}, it remembers where point was before scrolling
147 (where you put it with @kbd{Mouse-1}), and uses that position as the
148 other end of the region. This is so that you can select a region that
149 doesn't fit entirely on the screen.
151 More generally, if you do not have a highlighted region, @kbd{Mouse-3}
152 selects the text between point and the click position as the region. It
153 does this by setting the mark where point was, and moving point to where
156 If you have a highlighted region, or if the region was set just before
157 by dragging button 1, @kbd{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end of the region
158 by moving it to where you click. The adjusted region's text also
159 replaces the old region's text in the kill ring.
161 If you originally specified the region using a double or triple
162 @kbd{Mouse-1}, so that the region is defined to consist of entire words
163 or lines, then adjusting the region with @kbd{Mouse-3} also proceeds by
164 entire words or lines.
166 If you use @kbd{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same place,
167 that kills the region already selected.
170 The simplest way to kill text with the mouse is to press @kbd{Mouse-1}
171 at one end, then press @kbd{Mouse-3} twice at the other end.
172 @xref{Killing}. To copy the text into the kill ring without deleting it
173 from the buffer, press @kbd{Mouse-3} just once---or just drag across the
174 text with @kbd{Mouse-1}. Then you can copy it elsewhere by yanking it.
176 @vindex mouse-yank-at-point
177 To yank the killed or copied text somewhere else, move the mouse there
178 and press @kbd{Mouse-2}. @xref{Yanking}. However, if
179 @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{Mouse-2} yanks at
180 point. Then it does not matter where you click, or even which of the
181 frame's windows you click on. The default value is @code{nil}. This
182 variable also affects yanking the secondary selection.
184 @cindex Delete Selection mode
185 @cindex mode, Delete Selection
186 @findex delete-selection-mode
187 Many graphical applications follow the convention that insertion while text
188 is selected deletes the selected text. You can make Emacs behave this
189 way by enabling Delete Selection mode---with @kbd{M-x
190 delete-selection-mode} or using Custom. Another effect of this mode
191 is that @key{DEL}, @kbd{C-d} and some other keys, when a selection
192 exists, will kill the whole selection. It also enables Transient Mark
193 mode (@pxref{Transient Mark}).
195 @node Cut/Paste Other App
196 @subsection Cut and Paste with Other Window Applications
200 @cindex X cutting and pasting
201 To copy text to another windowing application, kill it or save it in
202 the kill ring. Then use the ``paste'' or ``yank'' command of the
203 other application to insert the text.
205 To copy text from another windowing application, use its ``cut'' or
206 ``copy'' command to select the text you want. Then yank it in Emacs
207 with @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
209 @cindex primary selection
211 @cindex selection, primary
212 @vindex x-cut-buffer-max
213 When Emacs puts text into the kill ring, or rotates text to the
214 front of the kill ring, it sets the @dfn{primary selection} in the
215 window system. This is how other windowing applications can access
216 the text. On the X Window System, emacs also stores the text in the
217 cut buffer, but only if the text is short enough (the value of
218 @code{x-cut-buffer-max} specifies the maximum number of characters);
219 putting long strings in the cut buffer can be slow.
221 The commands to yank the first entry in the kill ring actually check
222 first for a primary selection in another program; after that, they check
223 for text in the cut buffer. If neither of those sources provides text
224 to yank, the kill ring contents are used.
226 The standard coding system for X Window System selections is
227 @code{compound-text-with-extensions}. You may find that the pasted
228 text is not what you expected. In such a case, you can specify
229 another coding system for selections by @kbd{C-x @key{RET} x} or
230 @kbd{C-x @key{RET} X}, or can request the different data type by
231 modifying the variable @code{x-select-request-type}.
232 @xref{Communication Coding}.
234 @node Word and Line Mouse
235 @subsection Mouse Commands for Words and Lines
237 These variants of @kbd{Mouse-1} select entire words or lines at a time.
241 This key sets the region around the word which you click on. If you
242 click on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as underscore, in C
243 mode), it sets the region around the symbol surrounding that character.
245 If you click on a character with open-parenthesis or close-parenthesis
246 syntax, it sets the region around the parenthetical grouping
247 which that character starts or ends. If you click on a character with
248 string-delimiter syntax (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C), it
249 sets the region around the string constant (using heuristics to figure
250 out whether that character is the beginning or the end of it).
252 @item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
253 This key selects a region made up of the words you drag across.
256 This key sets the region around the line you click on.
258 @item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
259 This key selects a region made up of the lines you drag across.
262 @node Secondary Selection
263 @subsection Secondary Selection
264 @cindex secondary selection
266 The @dfn{secondary selection} is another way of selecting text using
267 the X Window System. It does not use point or the mark, so you can
268 use it to kill text without setting point or the mark.
271 @findex mouse-set-secondary
272 @kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
274 Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
275 down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
276 (@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The highlighting appears and changes as
277 you drag. You can control the appearance of the highlighting by
278 customizing the @code{secondary-selection} face (@pxref{Face
281 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
282 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
283 back into the window. This way, you can mark regions that don't fit
284 entirely on the screen.
286 This way of setting the secondary selection does not alter the kill ring.
288 @findex mouse-start-secondary
291 Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
292 (@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
294 @findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
297 Make a secondary selection, using the place specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
298 as the other end (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). This also
299 puts the selected text in the kill ring. A second click at the same
300 place kills the secondary selection just made.
302 @findex mouse-yank-secondary
305 Insert the secondary selection where you click
306 (@code{mouse-yank-secondary}). This places point at the end of the
310 Double or triple clicking of @kbd{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
311 lines, much like @kbd{Mouse-1}.
313 If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{M-Mouse-2} yanks
314 at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click, or even
315 which of the frame's windows you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
318 @subsection Using the Clipboard
320 @vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
321 @findex menu-bar-enable-clipboard
325 Apart from the primary and secondary selection types, Emacs can
326 handle the @dfn{clipboard} selection type which is used by some
327 applications, particularly under OpenWindows and Gnome.
329 The command @kbd{M-x menu-bar-enable-clipboard} makes the @code{Cut},
330 @code{Paste} and @code{Copy} menu items, as well as the keys of the same
331 names, all use the clipboard.
333 You can customize the variable @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to make
334 the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
335 selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
336 well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not access the
337 clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on MS-Windows and Mac,
338 but not on other systems.
340 @node Mouse References
341 @section Following References with the Mouse
342 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(selection)}
343 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
345 Some read-only Emacs buffers include references you can follow, or
346 commands you can activate. These include names of files, of buffers,
347 of possible completions, of matches for a pattern, as well as the
348 buttons in Help buffers and customization buffers. You can follow the
349 reference or activate the command by moving point to it and typing
350 @key{RET}. You can also do this with the mouse, using either
351 @kbd{Mouse-1} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
353 Since yanking text into a read-only buffer is not allowed, these
354 buffers generally define @kbd{Mouse-2} to follow a reference or
355 activate a command. For example, if you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a file
356 name in a Dired buffer, you visit that file. If you click
357 @kbd{Mouse-2} on an error message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer,
358 you go to the source code for that error message. If you click
359 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a completion in the @samp{*Completions*} buffer, you
360 choose that completion.
362 However, most applications use @kbd{Mouse-1} to do this sort of
363 thing, so Emacs implements this too. If you click @kbd{Mouse-1}
364 quickly on a reference or button, it follows or activates. If you
365 click slowly, it moves point as usual. Dragging, meaning moving the
366 mouse while it is held down, also has its usual behavior of setting
369 @vindex mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows
370 Normally, the @kbd{Mouse-1} click behavior is performed on links in
371 any window. The variable @code{mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows}
372 controls whether @kbd{Mouse-1} has this behavior even in non-selected
373 windows, or only in the selected window.
375 @vindex mouse-highlight
376 You can usually tell when @kbd{Mouse-1} and @kbd{Mouse-2} have this
377 special sort of meaning because the sensitive text highlights when you
378 move the mouse over it. The variable @code{mouse-highlight} controls
379 whether to do this highlighting always (even when such text appears
380 where the mouse already is), never, or only immediately after you move
383 @vindex mouse-1-click-follows-link
384 In Emacs versions before 22, only @kbd{Mouse-2} follows links and
385 @kbd{Mouse-1} always sets point. If you prefer this older behavior,
386 set the variable @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link} to @code{nil}.
387 This variable also lets you choose various other alternatives for
388 following links with the mouse. Type @kbd{C-h v
389 mouse-1-click-follows-link @key{RET}} for more details.
391 @node Menu Mouse Clicks
392 @section Mouse Clicks for Menus
394 Several mouse clicks with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} modifiers
400 This menu is for selecting a buffer.
402 The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
403 menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
407 This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
408 for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
412 This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on,
413 this menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus
414 put together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
415 button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
416 menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
417 @kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision
418 to use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu. To use @kbd{Mouse-3} instead,
419 do @code{(global-set-key [mouse-3] 'mouse-popup-menubar-stuff)}.} If
420 Menu-bar mode is off, this menu contains all the items which would be
421 present in the menu bar---not just the mode-specific ones---so that
422 you can access them without having to display the menu bar.
425 This menu is for specifying the frame's default font.
428 @node Mode Line Mouse
429 @section Mode Line Mouse Commands
430 @cindex mode line, mouse
431 @cindex mouse on mode line
433 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
436 Some areas of the mode line, such as the buffer name, and major and minor
437 mode names, have their own special mouse bindings. These areas are
438 highlighted when you hold the mouse over them, and information about
439 the special bindings will be displayed (@pxref{Tooltips}). This
440 section's commands do not apply in those areas.
444 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
445 @kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window it belongs to. By
446 dragging @kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus
447 changing the height of the windows above and below. Changing heights
448 with the mouse in this way never deletes windows, it just refuses to
449 make any window smaller than the minimum height.
452 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
453 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
456 @kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
457 @kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window it belongs to. If the
458 frame has only one window, it buries the current buffer instead, and
459 switches to another buffer.
462 @kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
463 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
464 horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
467 @kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
468 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(scroll bar)}
469 Using @kbd{Mouse-1} on the divider between two side-by-side mode
470 lines, you can move the vertical boundary left or right. Using
471 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
472 vertically. @xref{Split Window}.
474 @node Creating Frames
475 @section Creating Frames
476 @cindex creating frames
479 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
480 subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
481 frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
482 Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
483 the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
484 raising or deiconifying as necessary.
486 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
492 @findex make-frame-command
493 Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
494 @item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
495 Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
496 @code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
497 @item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
498 Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
499 runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
500 @item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
501 Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
502 This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
504 Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
505 @code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
508 Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
509 @code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
511 @item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
513 @findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
514 Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
515 frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
519 @cindex default-frame-alist
520 @cindex initial-frame-alist
521 @cindex face customization, in @file{~/.emacs}
522 @cindex color customization, in @file{~/.emacs}
523 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
524 frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
525 variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
526 only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
527 Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
529 @cindex font (default)
530 The easiest way to specify the principal font for all your Emacs
531 frames is with an X resource (@pxref{Font X}), but you can also do it by
532 modifying @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the @code{font}
533 parameter, as shown here:
536 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
540 Here's a similar example for specifying a foreground color:
543 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(foreground-color . "blue"))
547 By putting such customizations in your @file{~/.emacs} init file, you
548 can control the appearance of all the frames Emacs creates, including
552 @section Frame Commands
554 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
558 @kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
559 @findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
560 Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
561 When typed on an Emacs frame's icon, deiconify instead.
563 The normal meaning of @kbd{C-z}, to suspend Emacs, is not useful under
564 a graphical display that allows multiple applications to operate
565 simultaneously in their own windows, so Emacs gives @kbd{C-z} a
566 different binding in that case.
571 Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed if
572 there is only one frame.
577 Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it so that it
578 stays selected. If you repeat this command, it cycles through all the
579 frames on your terminal.
583 @findex delete-other-frames
584 Delete all frames except the selected one.
587 @vindex focus-follows-mouse
588 To make the command @kbd{C-x 5 o} work properly, you must tell Emacs
589 how the system (or the window manager) generally handles
590 focus-switching between windows. There are two possibilities: either
591 simply moving the mouse onto a window selects it (gives it focus), or
592 you have to click on it in a suitable way to do so. On X, this focus
593 policy also affects whether the focus is given to a frame that Emacs
594 raises. Unfortunately there is no way Emacs can find out
595 automatically which way the system handles this, so you have to
596 explicitly say, by setting the variable @code{focus-follows-mouse}.
597 If just moving the mouse onto a window selects it, that variable
598 should be @code{t}; if a click is necessary, the variable should be
601 The window manager that is part of MS-Windows always gives focus to a
602 frame that raises, so this variable has no effect in the native
603 MS-Windows build of Emacs.
606 @section Speedbar Frames
609 @cindex attached frame (of speedbar)
610 The @dfn{speedbar} is a special frame for conveniently navigating in
611 or operating on another frame. The speedbar, when it exists, is
612 always associated with a specific frame, called its @dfn{attached
613 frame}; all speedbar operations act on that frame.
615 Type @kbd{M-x speedbar} to create the speedbar and associate it with
616 the current frame. To dismiss the speedbar, type @kbd{M-x speedbar}
617 again, or select the speedbar and type @kbd{q}. (You can also delete
618 the speedbar frame like any other Emacs frame.) If you wish to
619 associate the speedbar with a different frame, dismiss it and call
620 @kbd{M-x speedbar} from that frame.
622 The speedbar can operate in various modes. Its default mode is
623 @dfn{File Display} mode, which shows the files in the current
624 directory of the selected window of the attached frame, one file per
625 line. Clicking on a file name visits that file in the selected window
626 of the attached frame, and clicking on a directory name shows that
627 directory in the speedbar (@pxref{Mouse References}). Each line also
628 has a box, @samp{[+]} or @samp{<+>}, that you can click on to
629 @dfn{expand} the contents of that item. Expanding a directory adds
630 the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
631 directory's own line. Expanding an ordinary file adds a list of the
632 tags in that file to the speedbar display; you can click on a tag name
633 to jump to that tag in the selected window of the attached frame.
634 When a file or directory is expanded, the @samp{[+]} changes to
635 @samp{[-]}; you can click on that box to @dfn{contract} the item,
638 You navigate through the speedbar using the keyboard, too. Typing
639 @kbd{RET} while point is on a line in the speedbar is equivalent to
640 clicking the item on the current line, and @kbd{SPC} expands or
641 contracts the item. @kbd{U} displays the parent directory of the
642 current directory. To copy, delete, or rename the file on the current
643 line, type @kbd{C}, @kbd{D}, and @kbd{R} respectively. To create a
644 new directory, type @kbd{M}.
646 Another general-purpose speedbar mode is @dfn{Buffer Display} mode;
647 in this mode, the speedbar displays a list of Emacs buffers. To
648 switch to this mode, type @kbd{b} in the speedbar. To return to File
649 Display mode, type @kbd{f}. You can also change the display mode by
650 clicking @kbd{mouse-3} anywhere in the speedbar window (or
651 @kbd{mouse-1} on the mode-line) and selecting @samp{Displays} in the
654 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
655 specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
656 select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
657 files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
658 clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
660 For more details on using and programming the speedbar, @xref{Top,
661 Speedbar,,speedbar, Speedbar Manual}.
663 @node Multiple Displays
664 @section Multiple Displays
665 @cindex multiple displays
667 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
668 uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
669 environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
670 Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
671 @code{make-frame-on-display}:
673 @findex make-frame-on-display
675 @item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
676 Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
679 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
680 frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
681 single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
682 screens as a single stream of input.
684 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
685 input stream for each server. This way, two users can type
686 simultaneously on the two displays, and Emacs will not garble their
687 input. Each server also has its own selected frame. The commands you
688 enter with a particular X server apply to that server's selected frame.
690 Despite these features, people using the same Emacs job from different
691 displays can still interfere with each other if they are not careful.
692 For example, if any one types @kbd{C-x C-c}, that exits the Emacs job
695 @node Special Buffer Frames
696 @section Special Buffer Frames
698 @vindex special-display-buffer-names
699 You can make certain chosen buffers, which Emacs normally displays
700 in ``another window,'' appear in special frames of their own. To do
701 this, set the variable @code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list
702 of buffer names; any buffer whose name is in that list automatically
703 gets a special frame, when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in
706 For example, if you set the variable this way,
709 (setq special-display-buffer-names
710 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
714 then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
715 buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
716 windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
717 buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
718 unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
721 @vindex special-display-regexps
722 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
723 of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
724 matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
725 to buffers that normally get displayed for you in ``another window.'')
727 @vindex special-display-frame-alist
728 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
729 parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
732 For those who know Lisp, an element of
733 @code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
734 can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
735 regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
736 frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter
737 values; these values take precedence over parameter values specified
738 in @code{special-display-frame-alist}. If you specify the symbol
739 @code{same-window} as a ``frame parameter'' in this list, with a
740 non-@code{nil} value, that means to use the selected window if
741 possible. If you use the symbol @code{same-frame} as a ``frame
742 parameter'' in this list, with a non-@code{nil} value, that means to
743 use the selected frame if possible.
745 Alternatively, the value can have this form:
748 (@var{function} @var{args}...)
752 where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
753 calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
754 remaining arguments are @var{args}.
756 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
757 displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
758 same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
759 therefore, if you add a buffer name to
760 @code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
761 whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
763 @node Frame Parameters
764 @section Setting Frame Parameters
765 @cindex Auto-Raise mode
766 @cindex Auto-Lower mode
769 You can specify the font and colors used for text display, and the
770 colors for the frame borders, the cursor, and the mouse cursor, by
771 customizing the faces @code{default}, @code{border}, @code{cursor} and
772 @code{mouse}. @xref{Face Customization}. You can also set a frame's
773 default font through a pop-up menu. Press @kbd{S-Mouse-1} to activate
776 These commands are available for controlling the window management
777 behavior of the selected frame.
780 @findex auto-raise-mode
781 @item M-x auto-raise-mode
782 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
783 means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
786 Some window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable
787 auto-raise for Emacs frames in your window manager, it will work, but
788 it is beyond Emacs' control, so @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect
791 @findex auto-lower-mode
792 @item M-x auto-lower-mode
793 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
794 Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
795 the frame moves to the bottom of the stack on the screen.
797 The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
798 implemented by the window manager. To control that, you must use the
799 appropriate window manager features.
802 In Emacs versions that use an X toolkit, the color-setting and
803 font-setting functions don't affect menus and the menu bar, since they
804 are displayed by their own widget classes. To change the appearance of
805 the menus and menu bar, you must use X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
806 @xref{Colors}, regarding colors. @xref{Font X}, regarding choice of
809 Colors, fonts, and other attributes of the frame's display can also
810 be customized by setting frame parameters in the variable
811 @code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Creating Frames}). For a detailed
812 description of frame parameters and customization, see @ref{Frame
813 Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
817 @cindex Scroll Bar mode
818 @cindex mode, Scroll Bar
820 On graphical displays, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at
821 the left of each Emacs window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is
822 usually more useful with overlapping frames with text starting at the
823 left margin.} The scroll bar runs the height of the window, and shows
824 a moving rectangular inner box which represents the portion of the
825 buffer currently displayed. The entire height of the scroll bar
826 represents the entire length of the buffer.
828 You can use @kbd{Mouse-2} (normally, the middle button) in the scroll
829 bar to move or drag the inner box up and down. If you move it to the
830 top of the scroll bar, you see the top of the buffer. If you move it to
831 the bottom of the scroll bar, you see the bottom of the buffer.
833 The left and right buttons in the scroll bar scroll by controlled
834 increments. @kbd{Mouse-1} (normally, the left button) moves the line at
835 the level where you click up to the top of the window. @kbd{Mouse-3}
836 (normally, the right button) moves the line at the top of the window
837 down to the level where you click. By clicking repeatedly in the same
838 place, you can scroll by the same distance over and over.
840 You can also click @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in the scroll bar to split a
841 window vertically. The split occurs on the line where you click.
843 @findex scroll-bar-mode
844 @vindex scroll-bar-mode
845 You can enable or disable Scroll Bar mode with the command @kbd{M-x
846 scroll-bar-mode}. With no argument, it toggles the use of scroll
847 bars. With an argument, it turns use of scroll bars on if and only if
848 the argument is positive. This command applies to all frames,
849 including frames yet to be created. Customize the variable
850 @code{scroll-bar-mode} to control the use of scroll bars at startup.
851 You can use it to specify that they are placed at the right of windows
852 if you prefer that. You have to set this variable through the
853 @samp{Customize} interface (@pxref{Easy Customization}), or it will
856 You can also use the X resource @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control
857 the initial setting of Scroll Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
859 @findex toggle-scroll-bar
860 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
861 command @kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar}.
863 @vindex scroll-bar-width
864 @cindex width of the scroll bar
865 You can control the scroll bar width by changing the value of the
866 @code{scroll-bar-width} frame parameter.
869 @section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
873 @findex mouse-wheel-mode
874 @cindex Mouse Wheel minor mode
875 @cindex mode, Mouse Wheel
876 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can
877 usually click the wheel to act as either @kbd{Mouse-2} or
878 @kbd{Mouse-3}, depending on the setup. You can also use the wheel to
879 scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
880 Mouse wheel support only works if the system generates appropriate
881 events; whenever possible, it is turned on by default. To toggle this
882 feature, use @kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-mode}.
884 @vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
885 @vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
886 @vindex mouse-wheel-progressive-speed
887 The two variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
888 @code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
889 buffers are scrolled. The variable
890 @code{mouse-wheel-progressive-speed} determines whether the scroll
891 speed is linked to how fast you move the wheel.
894 @section Drag and Drop
895 @cindex drag and drop
897 Emacs supports @dfn{drag and drop} using the mouse. For instance,
898 dropping text onto an Emacs frame inserts the text where it is dropped.
899 Dropping a file onto an Emacs frame visits that file. As a special
900 case, dropping the file on a Dired buffer moves or copies the file
901 (according to the conventions of the application it came from) into the
902 directory displayed in that buffer.
904 @vindex dnd-open-file-other-window
905 Dropping a file normally visits it in the window you drop it on. If
906 you prefer to visit the file in a new window in such cases, customize
907 the variable @code{dnd-open-file-other-window}.
909 The XDND and Motif drag and drop protocols, and the old KDE 1.x
910 protocol, are currently supported.
914 @cindex Menu Bar mode
915 @cindex mode, Menu Bar
916 @findex menu-bar-mode
917 @vindex menu-bar-mode
919 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
920 menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the variable @code{menu-bar-mode}.
921 With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
922 minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
923 argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
924 the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
925 Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
927 @kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
928 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
929 terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
930 If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
931 with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports pop-up menus.
932 @xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
934 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
935 menu bar. @xref{X Resources}, for how to customize the menu bar
936 menus' visual appearance.
940 @cindex Tool Bar mode
941 @cindex mode, Tool Bar
942 @cindex icons, toolbar
944 The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or lines) of icons at the top of the
945 Emacs window, just below the menu bar. You can click on these icons
946 with the mouse to do various jobs.
948 The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
949 define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
950 that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
953 Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
954 XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
955 bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
957 @findex tool-bar-mode
958 @vindex tool-bar-mode
959 You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
960 tool-bar-mode} or by customizing the option @code{tool-bar-mode}.
963 @section Using Dialog Boxes
966 @vindex use-dialog-box
967 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
968 question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
969 dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
970 invoke the command to begin with.
972 You can customize the variable @code{use-dialog-box} to suppress the
973 use of dialog boxes. This also controls whether to use file selection
974 windows (but those are not supported on all platforms).
976 @vindex use-file-dialog
977 A file selection window is a special kind of dialog box for asking
978 for file names. You can customize the variable @code{use-file-dialog}
979 to suppress the use of file selection windows, even if you still want
980 other kinds of dialogs. This variable has no effect if you have
981 suppressed all dialog boxes with the variable @code{use-dialog-box}.
983 @vindex x-gtk-show-hidden-files
984 For Gtk+ version 2.4 and newer, Emacs use the Gtk+ file chooser
985 dialog. Emacs adds a toggle button that enables and disables showing
986 of hidden files (files starting with a dot) in that dialog. The
987 variable @code{x-gtk-show-hidden-files} controls whether to show
988 hidden files by default.
990 @vindex x-gtk-use-old-file-dialog
991 For Gtk+ versions 2.4 through 2.10, you can select the old file
992 dialog (@code{gtk-file-selector}) by setting the variable
993 @code{x-gtk-use-old-file-dialog} to a non-@code{nil} value. If it is
994 @code{nil}, Emacs uses @code{gtk-file-chooser}. If Emacs is built
995 with a Gtk+ version that has only one file dialog, this variable has
998 @vindex x-gtk-file-dialog-help-text
999 Emacs adds help text to the Gtk+ file chooser dialog. The variable
1000 @code{x-gtk-file-dialog-help-text} specifies the text to add; if it is
1001 @code{nil}, that disables the added text.
1007 @dfn{Tooltips} are small windows that display text information at the
1008 current mouse position. They activate when there is a pause in mouse
1009 movement. There are two types of tooltip: help tooltips and GUD
1012 @dfn{Help tooltips} typically display over text---including the mode
1013 line---but are also available for other parts of the Emacs frame, such
1014 as the tool bar and menu items.
1016 @findex tooltip-mode
1017 You can toggle display of help tooltips (Tooltip mode) with the
1018 command @kbd{M-x tooltip-mode}. When Tooltip mode is disabled, the
1019 help text is displayed in the echo area instead.
1021 @dfn{GUD tooltips} show values of variables. They are useful when
1022 you are debugging a program. @xref{Debugger Operation}.
1024 @vindex tooltip-delay
1025 The variables @code{tooltip-delay} specifies how long Emacs should
1026 wait before displaying a tooltip. For additional customization
1027 options for displaying tooltips, use @kbd{M-x customize-group
1028 @key{RET} tooltip @key{RET}}. @xref{X Resources}, for information on
1029 customizing the windows that display tooltips.
1031 @node Mouse Avoidance
1032 @section Mouse Avoidance
1033 @cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
1034 @cindex mouse avoidance
1036 @vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
1037 Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the mouse pointer away from point, to avoid
1038 obscuring text you want to edit. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
1039 raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the variable
1040 @code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
1041 move the mouse in several ways:
1045 Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any key-press;
1047 Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
1048 and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
1050 If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
1051 a random distance & direction;
1053 As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
1055 The same as @code{animate};
1057 As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
1060 @findex mouse-avoidance-mode
1061 You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
1064 @node Non-Window Terminals
1065 @section Non-Window Terminals
1066 @cindex non-window terminals
1067 @cindex single-frame terminals
1069 On a text-only terminal, Emacs can display only one Emacs frame at a
1070 time. However, you can still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch
1071 between them. Switching frames on these terminals is much like
1072 switching between different window configurations.
1074 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
1075 5 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
1078 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
1079 display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
1080 appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
1083 @findex set-frame-name
1084 @findex select-frame-by-name
1085 @samp{F@var{n}} is in fact the frame's initial name. You can give
1086 frames more meaningful names if you wish, and you can select a frame
1087 by its name. Use the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET}
1088 @var{name} @key{RET}} to specify a new name for the selected frame,
1089 and use @kbd{M-x select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}}
1090 to select a frame according to its name. The name you specify appears
1091 in the mode line when the frame is selected.
1093 @node Text-Only Mouse
1094 @section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
1095 @cindex mouse support
1096 @cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
1098 Some terminal emulators support mouse clicks in the terminal window.
1101 In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
1102 you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to give Emacs control over
1103 simple use of the mouse---basically, only non-modified single clicks
1104 are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse functionality for such
1105 clicks is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key when you
1106 press the mouse button. Xterm Mouse mode is a global minor mode
1107 (@pxref{Minor Modes}). Repeating the command turns the mode off
1110 In the console on GNU/Linux, you can use @kbd{M-x t-mouse-mode}. You
1111 need to have the gpm package installed and running on your system in
1112 order for this to work.
1115 arch-tag: 7dcf3a31-a43b-45d4-a900-445b10d77e49