1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000,
3 @c 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node Frames, International, Windows, Top
6 @chapter Frames and 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.
30 @xref{MS-DOS Mouse}, for more information.
33 * Mouse Commands:: Moving, cutting, and pasting, with the mouse.
34 * Secondary Selection:: Cutting without altering point and mark.
35 * Clipboard:: Using the clipboard for selections.
36 * Mouse References:: Using the mouse to select an item from a list.
37 * Menu Mouse Clicks:: Mouse clicks that bring up menus.
38 * Mode Line Mouse:: Mouse clicks on the mode line.
39 * Creating Frames:: Creating additional Emacs frames with various contents.
40 * Frame Commands:: Iconifying, deleting, and switching frames.
41 * Speedbar:: How to make and use a speedbar frame.
42 * Multiple Displays:: How one Emacs job can talk to several displays.
43 * Special Buffer Frames:: You can make certain buffers have their own frames.
44 * Frame Parameters:: Changing the colors and other modes of frames.
45 * Scroll Bars:: How to enable and disable scroll bars; how to use them.
46 * Wheeled Mice:: Using mouse wheels for scrolling.
47 * Drag and Drop:: Using drag and drop to open files and insert text.
48 * Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
49 * Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
50 * Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
51 * Tooltips:: Displaying information at the current mouse position.
52 * Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
53 * Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
54 * XTerm Mouse:: Using the mouse in an XTerm terminal emulator.
58 @section Mouse Commands for Editing
59 @cindex mouse buttons (what they do)
61 The mouse commands for selecting and copying a region are mostly
62 compatible with the @code{xterm} program. You can use the same mouse
63 commands for copying between Emacs and other window-based programs.
64 Most of these commands also work in Emacs when you run it under an
65 @code{xterm} terminal.
67 @kindex DELETE @r{(and mouse selection)}
68 If you select a region with any of these mouse commands, and then
69 immediately afterward type the @key{DELETE} function key, it deletes the
70 region that you selected. The @key{BACKSPACE} function key and the
71 @acronym{ASCII} character @key{DEL} do not do this; if you type any other key
72 in between the mouse command and @key{DELETE}, it does not do this.
74 @findex mouse-set-region
75 @findex mouse-set-point
76 @findex mouse-yank-at-click
77 @findex mouse-save-then-click
83 Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
84 This is normally the left button.
86 @vindex x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position
87 Normally, Emacs does not distinguish between ordinary mouse clicks and
88 clicks that select a frame. When you click on a frame to select it,
89 that also changes the selected window and cursor position according to
90 the mouse click position. On the X window system, you can change this
91 behavior by setting the variable
92 @code{x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position} to @code{t}. Then the
93 first click selects the frame, but does not affect the selected window
94 or cursor position. If you click again in the same place, since that
95 click will be in the selected frame, it will change the window or
99 Set the region to the text you select by dragging, and copy it to the
100 kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}). You can specify both ends of the
101 region with this single command.
103 @vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
104 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
105 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
106 back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
107 entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
108 on how far away from the window edge the mouse has gone; the variable
109 @code{mouse-scroll-min-lines} specifies a minimum step size.
111 @vindex mouse-drag-copy-region
112 If the variable @code{mouse-drag-copy-region} is @code{nil}, this
113 mouse command does not copy the selected region into the kill ring.
116 Yank the last killed text, where you click (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
117 This is normally the middle button.
120 This command, @code{mouse-save-then-kill}, has several functions
121 depending on where you click and the status of the region.
123 The most basic case is when you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in one place and
124 then @kbd{Mouse-3} in another. This selects the text between those two
125 positions as the region. It also copies the new region to the kill
126 ring, so that you can copy it to someplace else.
128 If you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in the text, scroll with the scroll bar, and
129 then click @kbd{Mouse-3}, it remembers where point was before scrolling
130 (where you put it with @kbd{Mouse-1}), and uses that position as the
131 other end of the region. This is so that you can select a region that
132 doesn't fit entirely on the screen.
134 More generally, if you do not have a highlighted region, @kbd{Mouse-3}
135 selects the text between point and the click position as the region. It
136 does this by setting the mark where point was, and moving point to where
139 If you have a highlighted region, or if the region was set just before
140 by dragging button 1, @kbd{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end of the region
141 by moving it to where you click. The adjusted region's text also
142 replaces the old region's text in the kill ring.
144 If you originally specified the region using a double or triple
145 @kbd{Mouse-1}, so that the region is defined to consist of entire words
146 or lines, then adjusting the region with @kbd{Mouse-3} also proceeds by
147 entire words or lines.
149 If you use @kbd{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same place,
150 that kills the region already selected.
153 This key sets the region around the word which you click on. If you
154 click on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as underscore, in C
155 mode), it sets the region around the symbol surrounding that character.
157 If you click on a character with open-parenthesis or close-parenthesis
158 syntax, it sets the region around the parenthetical grouping
159 which that character starts or ends. If you click on a character with
160 string-delimiter syntax (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C), it
161 sets the region around the string constant (using heuristics to figure
162 out whether that character is the beginning or the end of it).
164 @item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
165 This key selects a region made up of the words you drag across.
168 This key sets the region around the line you click on.
170 @item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
171 This key selects a region made up of the lines you drag across.
174 The simplest way to kill text with the mouse is to press @kbd{Mouse-1}
175 at one end, then press @kbd{Mouse-3} twice at the other end.
176 @xref{Killing}. To copy the text into the kill ring without deleting it
177 from the buffer, press @kbd{Mouse-3} just once---or just drag across the
178 text with @kbd{Mouse-1}. Then you can copy it elsewhere by yanking it.
180 @vindex mouse-yank-at-point
181 To yank the killed or copied text somewhere else, move the mouse there
182 and press @kbd{Mouse-2}. @xref{Yanking}. However, if
183 @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{Mouse-2} yanks at
184 point. Then it does not matter where you click, or even which of the
185 frame's windows you click on. The default value is @code{nil}. This
186 variable also affects yanking the secondary selection.
190 @cindex X cutting and pasting
191 To copy text to another windowing application, kill it or save it in
192 the kill ring. Then use the ``paste'' or ``yank'' command of the
193 other application to insert the text.
195 To copy text from another windowing application, use its ``cut'' or
196 ``copy'' command to select the text you want. Then yank it in Emacs
197 with @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
199 @cindex primary selection
201 @cindex selection, primary
202 @vindex x-cut-buffer-max
203 When Emacs puts text into the kill ring, or rotates text to the
204 front of the kill ring, it sets the @dfn{primary selection} in the
205 window system. This is how other windowing applications can access
206 the text. On the X Window System, emacs also stores the text in the
207 cut buffer, but only if the text is short enough (the value of
208 @code{x-cut-buffer-max} specifies the maximum number of characters);
209 putting long strings in the cut buffer can be slow.
211 The commands to yank the first entry in the kill ring actually check
212 first for a primary selection in another program; after that, they check
213 for text in the cut buffer. If neither of those sources provides text
214 to yank, the kill ring contents are used.
216 The standard coding system for X Window System selections is
217 @code{compound-text-with-extensions}. To specify another coding
218 system for selections, use @kbd{C-x @key{RET} x} or @kbd{C-x @key{RET}
219 X}. @xref{Communication Coding}.
221 @node Secondary Selection
222 @section Secondary Selection
223 @cindex secondary selection
225 The @dfn{secondary selection} is another way of selecting text using
226 the X Window System. It does not use point or the mark, so you can
227 use it to kill text without setting point or the mark.
230 @findex mouse-set-secondary
231 @kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
233 Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
234 down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
235 (@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The highlighting appears and changes as
236 you drag. You can control the appearance of the highlighting by
237 customizing the @code{secondary-selection} face (@pxref{Face
240 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
241 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
242 back into the window. This way, you can mark regions that don't fit
243 entirely on the screen.
245 This way of setting the secondary selection does not alter the kill ring.
247 @findex mouse-start-secondary
250 Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
251 (@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
253 @findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
256 Make a secondary selection, using the place specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
257 as the other end (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). This also
258 puts the selected text in the kill ring. A second click at the same
259 place kills the secondary selection just made.
261 @findex mouse-yank-secondary
264 Insert the secondary selection where you click
265 (@code{mouse-yank-secondary}). This places point at the end of the
269 Double or triple clicking of @kbd{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
270 lines, much like @kbd{Mouse-1}.
272 If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{M-Mouse-2}
273 yanks at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click; all
274 that matters is which window you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
277 @section Using the Clipboard
279 @vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
280 @findex menu-bar-enable-clipboard
284 Apart from the primary and secondary selection types, Emacs can
285 handle the @dfn{clipboard} selection type which is used by some
286 applications, particularly under OpenWindows and Gnome.
288 The command @kbd{M-x menu-bar-enable-clipboard} makes the @code{Cut},
289 @code{Paste} and @code{Copy} menu items, as well as the keys of the same
290 names, all use the clipboard.
292 You can customize the variable @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to make
293 the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
294 selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
295 well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not access the
296 clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on MS-Windows,
297 but not on other systems.
299 @node Mouse References
300 @section Following References with the Mouse
301 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(selection)}
302 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
304 Some read-only Emacs buffers include references you can follow, or
305 commands you can activate. These include names of files, of buffers,
306 of possible completions, of matches for a pattern, as well as the
307 buttons in Help buffers and customization buffers. You can follow the
308 reference or activate the command by moving point to it and typing
309 @key{RET}. You can also do this with the mouse, using either
310 @kbd{Mouse-1} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
312 Since yanking text into a read-only buffer is not allowed, these
313 buffers generally define @kbd{Mouse-2} to follow a reference or
314 activate a command. For example, if you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a file
315 name in a Dired buffer, you visit that file. If you click
316 @kbd{Mouse-2} on an error message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer,
317 you go to the source code for that error message. If you click
318 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a completion in the @samp{*Completions*} buffer, you
319 choose that completion.
321 However, most applications use @kbd{Mouse-1} to do this sort of
322 thing, so Emacs implements this too. If you click @kbd{Mouse-1}
323 quickly on a reference or button, it follows or activates. If you
324 click slowly, it moves point as usual. Dragging, meaning moving the
325 mouse while it is held down, also has its usual behavior of setting
328 @vindex mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows
329 Normally, the @kbd{Mouse-1} click behavior is performed on links in
330 any window. The variable @code{mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows}
331 controls whether @kbd{Mouse-1} has this behavior even in non-selected
332 windows, or only in the selected window.
334 @vindex mouse-highlight
335 You can usually tell when @kbd{Mouse-1} and @kbd{Mouse-2} have this
336 special sort of meaning because the sensitive text highlights when you
337 move the mouse over it. The variable @code{mouse-highlight} controls
338 whether to do this highlighting always (even when such text appears
339 where the mouse already is), never, or only immediately after you move
342 @vindex mouse-1-click-follows-link
343 In Emacs versions before 22, only @kbd{Mouse-2} follows links and
344 @kbd{Mouse-1} always sets point. If you prefer this older behavior,
345 set the variable @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link} to @code{nil}.
346 This variable also lets you choose various other alternatives for
347 following links with the mouse. Type @kbd{C-h v
348 mouse-1-click-follows-link @key{RET}} for more details.
350 @node Menu Mouse Clicks
351 @section Mouse Clicks for Menus
353 Several mouse clicks with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} modifiers
359 This menu is for selecting a buffer.
361 The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
362 menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
366 This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
367 for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
371 This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on,
372 this menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus
373 put together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
374 button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
375 menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
376 @kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision
377 to use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu. To use @kbd{Mouse-3} instead,
378 do @code{(global-set-key [mouse-3] 'mouse-popup-menubar-stuff)}.} If
379 Menu-bar mode is off, this menu contains all the items which would be
380 present in the menu bar---not just the mode-specific ones---so that
381 you can access them without having to display the menu bar.
384 This menu is for specifying the frame's default font.
387 @node Mode Line Mouse
388 @section Mode Line Mouse Commands
389 @cindex mode line, mouse
390 @cindex mouse on mode line
392 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
395 Some areas of the mode line, such as the buffer name and the major
396 mode name, have their own special mouse bindings. These areas are
397 highlighted when you hold the mouse over them, and information about
398 the special bindings will be displayed (@pxref{Tooltips}). This
399 section's commands do not apply in those areas.
403 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
404 @kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window it belongs to. By
405 dragging @kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus
406 changing the height of the windows above and below. Changing heights
407 with the mouse in this way never deletes windows, it just refuses to
408 make any window smaller than the minimum height.
411 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
412 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
415 @kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
416 @kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window it belongs to. If the
417 frame has only one window, it buries the current buffer instead, and
418 switches to another buffer.
421 @kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
422 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
423 horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
426 @kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
427 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(scroll bar)}
428 Using @kbd{Mouse-1} on the divider between two side-by-side mode
429 lines, you can move the vertical boundary left or right. Using
430 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
431 vertically. @xref{Split Window}.
433 @node Creating Frames
434 @section Creating Frames
435 @cindex creating frames
438 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
439 subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
440 frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
441 Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
442 the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
443 raising or deiconifying as necessary.
445 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
451 @findex make-frame-command
452 Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
453 @item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
454 Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
455 @code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
456 @item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
457 Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
458 runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
459 @item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
460 Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
461 This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
463 Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
464 @code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
467 Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
468 @code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
470 @item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
472 @findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
473 Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
474 frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
478 @cindex default-frame-alist
479 @cindex initial-frame-alist
480 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
481 frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
482 variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
483 only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
484 Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
486 @cindex font (default)
487 The easiest way to specify the principal font for all your Emacs
488 frames is with an X resource (@pxref{Font X}), but you can also do it by
489 modifying @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the @code{font}
490 parameter, as shown here:
493 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
497 Here's a similar example for specifying a foreground color:
500 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(foreground-color . "blue"))
504 @section Frame Commands
506 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
510 @kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
511 @findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
512 Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
513 The normal meaning of @kbd{C-z}, to suspend Emacs, is not useful under a
514 window system, so it has a different binding in that case.
516 If you type this command on an Emacs frame's icon, it deiconifies the frame.
521 Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed if
522 there is only one frame.
527 Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it so that it
528 stays selected. If you repeat this command, it cycles through all the
529 frames on your terminal.
533 @findex delete-other-frames
534 Delete all frames except the selected one.
537 @vindex focus-follows-mouse
538 To make the command @kbd{C-x 5 o} work properly, you must tell Emacs
539 how the system (or the window manager) generally handles
540 focus-switching between windows. There are two possibilities: either
541 simply moving the mouse onto a window selects it (gives it focus), or
542 you have to click on it in a suitable way to do so. Unfortunately
543 there is no way Emacs can find out automatically which way the system
544 handles this, so you have to explicitly say, by setting the variable
545 @code{focus-follows-mouse}. If just moving the mouse onto a window
546 selects it, that variable should be @code{t}; if a click is necessary,
547 the variable should be @code{nil}.
550 @section Speedbar Frames
553 @cindex attached frame (of speedbar)
554 The @dfn{speedbar} is a special frame for conveniently navigating in
555 or operating on another frame. The speedbar, when it exists, is
556 always associated with a specific frame, called its @dfn{attached
557 frame}; all speedbar operations act on that frame.
559 Type @kbd{M-x speedbar} to create the speedbar and associate it with
560 the current frame. To dismiss the speedbar, type @kbd{M-x speedbar}
561 again, or select the speedbar and type @kbd{q}. (You can also delete
562 the speedbar frame like any other Emacs frame.) If you wish to
563 associate the speedbar with a different frame, dismiss it and call
564 @kbd{M-x speedbar} from that frame.
566 The speedbar can operate in various modes. Its default mode is
567 @dfn{File Display} mode, which shows the files in the current
568 directory of the selected window of the attached frame, one file per
569 line. Clicking on a file name visits that file in the selected window
570 of the attached frame, and clicking on a directory name shows that
571 directory in the speedbar (@pxref{Mouse References}). Each line also
572 has a box, @samp{[+]} or @samp{<+>}, that you can click on to
573 @dfn{expand} the contents of that item. Expanding a directory adds
574 the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
575 directory's own line. Expanding an ordinary file adds a list of the
576 tags in that file to the speedbar display; you can click on a tag name
577 to jump to that tag in the selected window of the attached frame.
578 When a file or directory is expanded, the @samp{[+]} changes to
579 @samp{[-]}; you can click on that box to @dfn{contract} the item,
582 You navigate through the speedbar using the keyboard, too. Typing
583 @kbd{RET} while point is on a line in the speedbar is equivalent to
584 clicking the item on the current line, and @kbd{SPC} expands or
585 contracts the item. @kbd{U} displays the parent directory of the
586 current directory. To copy, delete, or rename the file on the current
587 line, type @kbd{C}, @kbd{D}, and @kbd{R} respectively. To create a
588 new directory, type @kbd{M}.
590 Another general-purpose speedbar mode is @dfn{Buffer Display} mode;
591 in this mode, the speedbar displays a list of Emacs buffers. To
592 switch to this mode, type @kbd{b} in the speedbar. To return to File
593 Display mode, type @kbd{f}. You can also change the display mode by
594 clicking @kbd{mouse-3} anywhere in the speedbar window (or
595 @kbd{mouse-1} on the mode-line) and selecting @samp{Displays} in the
598 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
599 specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
600 select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
601 files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
602 clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
604 For more details on using and programming the speedbar, @xref{Top,
605 Speedbar,,speedbar, Speedbar Manual}.
607 @node Multiple Displays
608 @section Multiple Displays
609 @cindex multiple displays
611 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
612 uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
613 environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
614 Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
615 @code{make-frame-on-display}:
617 @findex make-frame-on-display
619 @item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
620 Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
623 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
624 frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
625 single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
626 screens as a single stream of input.
628 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
629 input stream for each server. This way, two users can type
630 simultaneously on the two displays, and Emacs will not garble their
631 input. Each server also has its own selected frame. The commands you
632 enter with a particular X server apply to that server's selected frame.
634 Despite these features, people using the same Emacs job from different
635 displays can still interfere with each other if they are not careful.
636 For example, if any one types @kbd{C-x C-c}, that exits the Emacs job
639 @node Special Buffer Frames
640 @section Special Buffer Frames
642 @vindex special-display-buffer-names
643 You can make certain chosen buffers, which Emacs normally displays
644 in ``another window,'' appear in special frames of their own. To do
645 this, set the variable @code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list
646 of buffer names; any buffer whose name is in that list automatically
647 gets a special frame, when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in
650 For example, if you set the variable this way,
653 (setq special-display-buffer-names
654 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
658 then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
659 buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
660 windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
661 buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
662 unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
665 @vindex special-display-regexps
666 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
667 of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
668 matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
669 to buffers that normally get displayed for you in ``another window.'')
671 @vindex special-display-frame-alist
672 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
673 parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
676 For those who know Lisp, an element of
677 @code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
678 can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
679 regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
680 frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter
681 values; these values take precedence over parameter values specified
682 in @code{special-display-frame-alist}. If you specify the symbol
683 @code{same-window} as a ``frame parameter'' in this list, with a
684 non-@code{nil} value, that means to use the selected window if
685 possible. If you use the symbol @code{same-frame} as a ``frame
686 parameter'' in this list, with a non-@code{nil} value, that means to
687 use the selected frame if possible.
689 Alternatively, the value can have this form:
692 (@var{function} @var{args}...)
696 where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
697 calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
698 remaining arguments are @var{args}.
700 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
701 displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
702 same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
703 therefore, if you add a buffer name to
704 @code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
705 whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
707 @node Frame Parameters
708 @section Setting Frame Parameters
709 @cindex Auto-Raise mode
710 @cindex Auto-Lower mode
714 You can specify the font and colors used for text display, and the
715 colors for the frame borders, the cursor, and the mouse cursor, by
716 customizing the faces @code{default}, @code{border}, @code{cursor} and
717 @code{mouse}. @xref{Face Customization}. You can also set a frame's
718 default font through a pop-up menu. Press @kbd{S-Mouse-1} to activate
721 These commands are available for controlling the window management
722 behavior of the selected frame.
725 @findex auto-raise-mode
726 @item M-x auto-raise-mode
727 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
728 means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
731 Some window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable
732 auto-raise for Emacs frames in your window manager, it will work, but
733 it is beyond Emacs' control, so @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect
736 @findex auto-lower-mode
737 @item M-x auto-lower-mode
738 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
739 Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
740 the frame moves to the bottom of the stack on the screen.
742 The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
743 implemented by the window manager. To control that, you must use the
744 appropriate window manager features.
747 In Emacs versions that use an X toolkit, the color-setting and
748 font-setting functions don't affect menus and the menu bar, since they
749 are displayed by their own widget classes. To change the appearance of
750 the menus and menu bar, you must use X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
751 @xref{Colors}, regarding colors. @xref{Font X}, regarding choice of
754 Colors, fonts, and other attributes of the frame's display can also
755 be customized by setting frame parameters in the variable
756 @code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Creating Frames}). For a detailed
757 description of frame parameters and customization, see @ref{Frame
758 Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
762 @cindex Scroll Bar mode
763 @cindex mode, Scroll Bar
765 On graphical displays, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at
766 the left of each Emacs window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is
767 usually more useful with overlapping frames with text starting at the
768 left margin.} The scroll bar runs the height of the window, and shows
769 a moving rectangular inner box which represents the portion of the
770 buffer currently displayed. The entire height of the scroll bar
771 represents the entire length of the buffer.
773 You can use @kbd{Mouse-2} (normally, the middle button) in the scroll
774 bar to move or drag the inner box up and down. If you move it to the
775 top of the scroll bar, you see the top of the buffer. If you move it to
776 the bottom of the scroll bar, you see the bottom of the buffer.
778 The left and right buttons in the scroll bar scroll by controlled
779 increments. @kbd{Mouse-1} (normally, the left button) moves the line at
780 the level where you click up to the top of the window. @kbd{Mouse-3}
781 (normally, the right button) moves the line at the top of the window
782 down to the level where you click. By clicking repeatedly in the same
783 place, you can scroll by the same distance over and over.
785 You can also click @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in the scroll bar to split a
786 window vertically. The split occurs on the line where you click.
788 @findex scroll-bar-mode
789 @vindex scroll-bar-mode
790 You can enable or disable Scroll Bar mode with the command @kbd{M-x
791 scroll-bar-mode}. With no argument, it toggles the use of scroll
792 bars. With an argument, it turns use of scroll bars on if and only if
793 the argument is positive. This command applies to all frames,
794 including frames yet to be created. Customize the variable
795 @code{scroll-bar-mode} to control the use of scroll bars at startup.
796 You can use it to specify that they are placed at the right of windows
797 if you prefer that. You have to set this variable through the
798 @samp{Customize} interface (@pxref{Easy Customization}), or it will
801 You can also use the X resource @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control
802 the initial setting of Scroll Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
804 @findex toggle-scroll-bar
805 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
806 command @kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar}.
808 @vindex scroll-bar-width
809 @cindex width of the scroll bar
810 You can control the scroll bar width by changing the value of the
811 @code{scroll-bar-width} frame parameter.
814 @section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
818 @findex mouse-wheel-mode
819 @cindex Mouse Wheel minor mode
820 @cindex mode, Mouse Wheel
821 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can
822 usually click the wheel to act as either @kbd{Mouse-2} or
823 @kbd{Mouse-3}, depending on the setup. You can also use the wheel to
824 scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
825 Mouse wheel support only works if the system generates appropriate
826 events; whenever possible, it is turned on by default. To toggle this
827 feature, use @kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-mode}.
829 @vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
830 @vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
831 @vindex mouse-wheel-progressive-speed
832 The variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
833 @code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
834 buffers are scrolled. The variable
835 @code{mouse-wheel-progressive-speed} determines whether the scroll
836 speed is linked to how fast you move the wheel.
839 @section Drag and Drop
840 @cindex drag and drop
842 Emacs supports @dfn{drag and drop} using the mouse. For instance,
843 dropping text onto an Emacs frame inserts the text where it is dropped.
844 Dropping a file onto an Emacs frame visits that file. As a special
845 case, dropping the file on a Dired buffer moves or copies the file
846 (according to the conventions of the application it came from) into the
847 directory displayed in that buffer.
849 @vindex dnd-open-file-other-window
850 Dropping a file normally visits it in the window you drop it on. If
851 you prefer to visit the file in a new window in such cases, customize
852 the variable @code{dnd-open-file-other-window}.
854 The XDND and Motif drag and drop protocols, and the old KDE 1.x
855 protocol, are currently supported.
859 @cindex Menu Bar mode
860 @cindex mode, Menu Bar
862 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
863 menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the variable @code{menu-bar-mode}.
864 With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
865 minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
866 argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
867 the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
868 Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
870 @kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
871 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
872 terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
873 If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
874 with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports pop-up menus.
875 @xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
877 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
878 menu bar. @xref{X Resources}, for how to customize the menu bar
879 menus' visual appearance.
883 @cindex Tool Bar mode
884 @cindex mode, Tool Bar
885 @cindex icons, toolbar
887 The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or lines) of icons at the top of the
888 Emacs window, just below the menu bar. You can click on these icons
889 with the mouse to do various jobs.
891 The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
892 define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
893 that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
896 Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
897 XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
898 bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
900 You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
901 tool-bar-mode} or by customizing the option @code{tool-bar-mode}.
904 @section Using Dialog Boxes
907 @vindex use-dialog-box
908 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
909 question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
910 dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
911 invoke the command to begin with.
913 You can customize the variable @code{use-dialog-box} to suppress the
914 use of dialog boxes. This also controls whether to use file selection
915 windows (but those are not supported on all platforms).
917 @vindex use-file-dialog
918 A file selection window is a special kind of dialog box for asking
919 for file names. You can customize the variable @code{use-file-dialog}
920 to suppress the use of file selection windows, even if you still want
921 other kinds of dialogs. This variable has no effect if you have
922 suppressed all dialog boxes with the variable @code{use-dialog-box}.
924 @vindex x-gtk-show-hidden-files
925 For Gtk+ version 2.4 and newer, Emacs use the Gtk+ file chooser
926 dialog. Emacs adds a toggle button that enables and disables showing
927 of hidden files (files starting with a dot) in that dialog. The
928 variable @code{x-gtk-show-hidden-files} controls whether to show
929 hidden files by default.
931 @vindex x-use-old-gtk-file-dialog
932 For Gtk+ version 2.4 and 2.6, you can make Emacs use the old file dialog
933 by setting the variable @code{x-use-old-gtk-file-dialog} to a non-@code{nil}
934 value. If Emacs is built with a Gtk+ version that has only one file dialog,
935 the setting of this variable has no effect.
941 @dfn{Tooltips} are small windows that display text information at the
942 current mouse position. They activate when there is a pause in mouse
943 movement. There are two types of tooltip: help tooltips and GUD
946 @dfn{Help tooltips} typically display over text---including the mode
947 line---but are also available for other parts of the Emacs frame, such
948 as the tool bar and menu items.
951 You can toggle display of help tooltips (Tooltip mode) with the
952 command @kbd{M-x tooltip-mode}. When Tooltip mode is disabled, the
953 help text is displayed in the echo area instead.
955 @dfn{GUD tooltips} show values of variables. They are useful when
956 you are debugging a program. @xref{Debugger Operation}.
958 @vindex tooltip-delay
959 The variables @code{tooltip-delay} specifies how long Emacs should
960 wait before displaying a tooltip. For additional customization
961 options for displaying tooltips, use @kbd{M-x customize-group
962 @key{RET} tooltip @key{RET}}. @xref{X Resources}, for information on
963 customizing the windows that display tooltips.
965 @node Mouse Avoidance
966 @section Mouse Avoidance
967 @cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
968 @cindex mouse avoidance
970 @vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
971 Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the window system mouse pointer away from
972 point, to avoid obscuring text. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
973 raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the variable
974 @code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
975 move the mouse in several ways:
979 Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any key-press;
981 Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
982 and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
984 If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
985 a random distance & direction;
987 As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
989 The same as @code{animate};
991 As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
994 @findex mouse-avoidance-mode
995 You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
998 @node Non-Window Terminals
999 @section Non-Window Terminals
1000 @cindex non-window terminals
1001 @cindex single-frame terminals
1003 On a text-only terminal, Emacs can display only one Emacs frame at a
1004 time. However, you can still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch
1005 between them. Switching frames on these terminals is much like
1006 switching between different window configurations.
1008 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
1009 5 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
1012 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
1013 display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
1014 appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
1017 @findex set-frame-name
1018 @findex select-frame-by-name
1019 @samp{F@var{n}} is in fact the frame's initial name. You can give
1020 frames more meaningful names if you wish, and you can select a frame
1021 by its name. Use the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET}
1022 @var{name} @key{RET}} to specify a new name for the selected frame,
1023 and use @kbd{M-x select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}}
1024 to select a frame according to its name. The name you specify appears
1025 in the mode line when the frame is selected.
1028 @section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
1029 @cindex xterm, mouse support
1030 @cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
1032 Some terminal emulators under X support mouse clicks in the terminal
1033 window. In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
1034 you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to give Emacs control over
1035 simple use of the mouse---basically, only non-modified single clicks
1036 are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse functionality for such
1037 clicks is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key when you
1038 press the mouse button.
1040 Xterm Mouse mode is a global minor mode (@pxref{Minor Modes}).
1041 Repeating the command turns the mode off again.
1044 arch-tag: 7dcf3a31-a43b-45d4-a900-445b10d77e49