Clarify C-u C-x v v cvs RET. Clarify the purpose of C-x v b.
[bpt/emacs.git] / man / frames.texi
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6bf7aab6 1@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
34359f61 2@c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 99, 2000, 2001
6ca0edfe 3@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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4@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5@node Frames, International, Windows, Top
6@chapter Frames and X Windows
7@cindex frames
8
9 When using the X Window System, you can create multiple windows at the
10X level in a single Emacs session. Each X window that belongs to Emacs
11displays a @dfn{frame} which can contain one or several Emacs windows.
12A frame initially contains a single general-purpose Emacs window which
13you can subdivide vertically or horizontally into smaller windows. A
14frame normally contains its own echo area and minibuffer, but you can
15make frames that don't have these---they use the echo area and
16minibuffer of another frame.
17
18 Editing you do in one frame also affects the other frames. For
19instance, if you put text in the kill ring in one frame, you can yank it
20in another frame. If you exit Emacs through @kbd{C-x C-c} in one frame,
21it terminates all the frames. To delete just one frame, use @kbd{C-x 5
220}.
23
24 To avoid confusion, we reserve the word ``window'' for the
25subdivisions that Emacs implements, and never use it to refer to a
26frame.
27
28 Emacs compiled for MS-DOS emulates some aspects of the window system
29so that you can use many of the features described in this chapter.
30@xref{MS-DOS Input}, for more information.
31
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32@cindex MS Windows
33 Emacs compiled for MS Windows mostly supports the same features as
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34under X. However, images, tool bars, and tooltips are not yet
35available on MS Windows as of Emacs version 21.1.
70c88b57 36
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37@menu
38* Mouse Commands:: Moving, cutting, and pasting, with the mouse.
39* Secondary Selection:: Cutting without altering point and mark.
d235b2db 40* Clipboard:: Using the clipboard for selections.
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41* Mouse References:: Using the mouse to select an item from a list.
42* Menu Mouse Clicks:: Mouse clicks that bring up menus.
43* Mode Line Mouse:: Mouse clicks on the mode line.
6bf7aab6 44* Creating Frames:: Creating additional Emacs frames with various contents.
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45* Frame Commands:: Iconifying, deleting, and switching frames.
46* Speedbar:: How to make and use a speedbar frame.
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47* Multiple Displays:: How one Emacs job can talk to several displays.
48* Special Buffer Frames:: You can make certain buffers have their own frames.
49* Frame Parameters:: Changing the colors and other modes of frames.
50* Scroll Bars:: How to enable and disable scroll bars; how to use them.
70c88b57 51* Wheeled Mice:: Using mouse wheels for scrolling.
6bf7aab6 52* Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
2beab0db 53* Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
70c88b57 54* Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
2684ed46 55* Tooltips:: Showing "tooltips", AKA "ballon help" for active text.
43391ff3 56* Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
6bf7aab6 57* Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
70c88b57 58* XTerm Mouse:: Using the mouse in an XTerm terminal emulator.
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59@end menu
60
61@node Mouse Commands
62@section Mouse Commands for Editing
63@cindex mouse buttons (what they do)
64
65 The mouse commands for selecting and copying a region are mostly
66compatible with the @code{xterm} program. You can use the same mouse
67commands for copying between Emacs and other X client programs.
68
69@kindex DELETE
70 If you select a region with any of these mouse commands, and then
71immediately afterward type the @key{DELETE} function key, it deletes the
72region that you selected. The @key{BACKSPACE} function key and the
73ASCII character @key{DEL} do not do this; if you type any other key
74in between the mouse command and @key{DELETE}, it does not do this.
75
76@findex mouse-set-region
77@findex mouse-set-point
78@findex mouse-yank-at-click
79@findex mouse-save-then-click
80@kindex Mouse-1
81@kindex Mouse-2
82@kindex Mouse-3
83@table @kbd
84@item Mouse-1
85Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
86This is normally the left button.
87
88@item Drag-Mouse-1
89Set the region to the text you select by dragging, and copy it to the
90kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}). You can specify both ends of the
91region with this single command.
92
93@vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
94If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
95dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
96back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
97entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
98on how far away from the window edge the mouse has gone; the variable
99@code{mouse-scroll-min-lines} specifies a minimum step size.
100
101@item Mouse-2
102Yank the last killed text, where you click (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
103This is normally the middle button.
104
105@item Mouse-3
106This command, @code{mouse-save-then-kill}, has several functions
107depending on where you click and the status of the region.
108
109The most basic case is when you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in one place and
110then @kbd{Mouse-3} in another. This selects the text between those two
111positions as the region. It also copies the new region to the kill
112ring, so that you can copy it to someplace else.
113
114If you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in the text, scroll with the scroll bar, and
115then click @kbd{Mouse-3}, it remembers where point was before scrolling
116(where you put it with @kbd{Mouse-1}), and uses that position as the
117other end of the region. This is so that you can select a region that
118doesn't fit entirely on the screen.
119
120More generally, if you do not have a highlighted region, @kbd{Mouse-3}
121selects the text between point and the click position as the region. It
122does this by setting the mark where point was, and moving point to where
123you click.
124
125If you have a highlighted region, or if the region was set just before
126by dragging button 1, @kbd{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end of the region
127by moving it to where you click. The adjusted region's text also
128replaces the old region's text in the kill ring.
129
130If you originally specified the region using a double or triple
131@kbd{Mouse-1}, so that the region is defined to consist of entire words
132or lines, then adjusting the region with @kbd{Mouse-3} also proceeds by
133entire words or lines.
134
135If you use @kbd{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same place,
136that kills the region already selected.
137
138@item Double-Mouse-1
139This key sets the region around the word which you click on. If you
140click on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as underscore, in C
141mode), it sets the region around the symbol surrounding that character.
142
143If you click on a character with open-parenthesis or close-parenthesis
144syntax, it sets the region around the parenthetical grouping (sexp)
145which that character starts or ends. If you click on a character with
146string-delimiter syntax (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C), it
147sets the region around the string constant (using heuristics to figure
148out whether that character is the beginning or the end of it).
149
150@item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
151This key selects a region made up of the words you drag across.
152
153@item Triple-Mouse-1
154This key sets the region around the line you click on.
155
156@item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
157This key selects a region made up of the lines you drag across.
158@end table
159
160 The simplest way to kill text with the mouse is to press @kbd{Mouse-1}
161at one end, then press @kbd{Mouse-3} twice at the other end.
162@xref{Killing}. To copy the text into the kill ring without deleting it
163from the buffer, press @kbd{Mouse-3} just once---or just drag across the
164text with @kbd{Mouse-1}. Then you can copy it elsewhere by yanking it.
165
166@vindex mouse-yank-at-point
167 To yank the killed or copied text somewhere else, move the mouse there
168and press @kbd{Mouse-2}. @xref{Yanking}. However, if
169@code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{Mouse-2} yanks at
170point. Then it does not matter where you click, or even which of the
171frame's windows you click on. The default value is @code{nil}. This
172variable also affects yanking the secondary selection.
173
174@cindex cutting and X
175@cindex pasting and X
176@cindex X cutting and pasting
177 To copy text to another X window, kill it or save it in the kill ring.
178Under X, this also sets the @dfn{primary selection}. Then use the
179``paste'' or ``yank'' command of the program operating the other window
180to insert the text from the selection.
181
182 To copy text from another X window, use the ``cut'' or ``copy'' command
183of the program operating the other window, to select the text you want.
184Then yank it in Emacs with @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
185
186 These cutting and pasting commands also work on MS-Windows.
187
188@cindex primary selection
189@cindex cut buffer
190@cindex selection, primary
191@vindex x-cut-buffer-max
192 When Emacs puts text into the kill ring, or rotates text to the front
193of the kill ring, it sets the @dfn{primary selection} in the X server.
194This is how other X clients can access the text. Emacs also stores the
195text in the cut buffer, but only if the text is short enough
196(@code{x-cut-buffer-max} specifies the maximum number of characters);
197putting long strings in the cut buffer can be slow.
198
199 The commands to yank the first entry in the kill ring actually check
200first for a primary selection in another program; after that, they check
201for text in the cut buffer. If neither of those sources provides text
202to yank, the kill ring contents are used.
203
204@node Secondary Selection
205@section Secondary Selection
206@cindex secondary selection
207
208 The @dfn{secondary selection} is another way of selecting text using
209X. It does not use point or the mark, so you can use it to kill text
210without setting point or the mark.
211
212@table @kbd
213@findex mouse-set-secondary
214@kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
215@item M-Drag-Mouse-1
216Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
217down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
218(@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The highlighting appears and changes as
219you drag.
220
221If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
222dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
223back into the window. This way, you can mark regions that don't fit
224entirely on the screen.
225
226@findex mouse-start-secondary
227@kindex M-Mouse-1
228@item M-Mouse-1
229Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
230(@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
231
232@findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
233@kindex M-Mouse-3
234@item M-Mouse-3
235Make a secondary selection, using the place specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
236as the other end (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). A second click
237at the same place kills the secondary selection just made.
238
239@findex mouse-yank-secondary
240@kindex M-Mouse-2
241@item M-Mouse-2
242Insert the secondary selection where you click
243(@code{mouse-yank-secondary}). This places point at the end of the
244yanked text.
245@end table
246
247Double or triple clicking of @kbd{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
248lines, much like @kbd{Mouse-1}.
249
250If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{M-Mouse-2}
251yanks at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click; all
252that matters is which window you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
253
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254@node Clipboard
255@section Using the Clipboard
256@cindex X clipboard
257@cindex clipboard
258@vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
259@findex menu-bar-enable-clipboard
260@cindex OpenWindows
261@cindex Gnome
262
099bfef9 263 As well as the primary and secondary selection types, X supports a
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264@dfn{clipboard} selection type which is used by some applications,
265particularly under OpenWindows and Gnome.
266
099bfef9 267 The command @kbd{M-x menu-bar-enable-clipboard} makes the @code{Cut},
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268@code{Paste} and @code{Copy} menu items, as well as the keys of the same
269names, all use the clipboard.
270
099bfef9 271 You can customize the option @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to make
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272the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
273selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
274well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not access the
275clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on MS-Windows,
276unlike most systems.
277
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278@node Mouse References
279@section Following References with the Mouse
280@kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
281
282 Some Emacs buffers display lists of various sorts. These include
283lists of files, of buffers, of possible completions, of matches for
284a pattern, and so on.
285
286 Since yanking text into these buffers is not very useful, most of them
287define @kbd{Mouse-2} specially, as a command to use or view the item you
288click on.
289
290 For example, if you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a file name in a Dired
291buffer, you visit that file. If you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on an error
292message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer, you go to the source code
293for that error message. If you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a completion in
294the @samp{*Completions*} buffer, you choose that completion.
295
296 You can usually tell when @kbd{Mouse-2} has this special sort of
297meaning because the sensitive text highlights when you move the mouse
298over it.
299
300@node Menu Mouse Clicks
301@section Mouse Clicks for Menus
302
303 Mouse clicks modified with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} keys
304bring up menus.
305
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306@table @kbd
307@item C-Mouse-1
239e21e2 308@kindex C-Mouse-1
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309This menu is for selecting a buffer.
310
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311The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
312menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
239e21e2 313
6bf7aab6 314@item C-Mouse-2
239e21e2 315@kindex C-Mouse-2
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316This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
317for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
318
319@item C-Mouse-3
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320@kindex C-Mouse-3
321This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on, this
322menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus put
323together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
324button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
325menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
326@kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision to
327use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu.} If Menu-bar mode is off, this menu
328contains all the items which would be present in the menu bar---not just
329the mode-specific ones---so that you can access them without having to
330display the menu bar.
6bf7aab6 331
099bfef9 332@item S-Mouse-1
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333This menu is for specifying the frame's principal font.
334@end table
335
336@node Mode Line Mouse
337@section Mode Line Mouse Commands
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338@cindex mode line, mouse
339@cindex mouse on mode line
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340
341 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
342windows.
343
344@table @kbd
345@item Mouse-1
099bfef9 346@kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
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347@kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window above. By dragging
348@kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus changing the
349height of the windows above and below.
350
351@item Mouse-2
099bfef9 352@kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
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353@kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
354
355@item Mouse-3
099bfef9 356@kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
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357@kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window above. If the frame has
358only one window, it buries the current buffer instead and switches to
359another buffer.
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360
361@item C-Mouse-2
099bfef9 362@kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
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363@kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
364horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
365@end table
366
099bfef9 367@kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
6bf7aab6 368 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
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369vertically, unless you are using an X toolkit's implentation of
370scroll bars. @xref{Split Window}.
6bf7aab6 371
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372 The commands above apply to areas of the mode line which do not have
373special mouse bindings of their own. Some areas, such as the buffer
374name and the major mode name, have their own special mouse bindings.
375Emacs displays information about these bindings when you hold the
376mouse over such a place.
70c88b57 377
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378@node Creating Frames
379@section Creating Frames
380@cindex creating frames
381
382@kindex C-x 5
383 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
384subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
385frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
386Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
387the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
388raising or deiconifying as necessary.
389
390 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
391buffer to select:
392
393@table @kbd
394@item C-x 5 2
395@kindex C-x 5 2
396@findex make-frame-command
397Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
398@item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
399Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
400@code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
401@item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
402Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
403runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
404@item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
405Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
406This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
407@item C-x 5 m
408Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
409@code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
410@xref{Sending Mail}.
411@item C-x 5 .
412Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
413@code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
414@xref{Tags}.
415@item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
416@kindex C-x 5 r
417@findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
418Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
419frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
420@xref{Visiting}.
421@end table
422
423@cindex default-frame-alist
424@cindex initial-frame-alist
425 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
426frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
427variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
428only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
429Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
430
431@cindex font (default)
432 The easiest way to specify the principal font for all your Emacs
433frames is with an X resource (@pxref{Font X}), but you can also do it by
434modifying @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the @code{font}
435parameter, as shown here:
436
437@example
438(add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
439@end example
440
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441@node Frame Commands
442@section Frame Commands
443
444 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
445
446@table @kbd
447@item C-z
448@kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
449@findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
450Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
451The normal meaning of @kbd{C-z}, to suspend Emacs, is not useful under a
452window system, so it has a different binding in that case.
453
454If you type this command on an Emacs frame's icon, it deiconifies the frame.
455
456@item C-x 5 0
457@kindex C-x 5 0
458@findex delete-frame
459Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed if
460there is only one frame.
461
462@item C-x 5 o
463@kindex C-x 5 o
464@findex other-frame
465Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it so that it
466stays selected. If you repeat this command, it cycles through all the
467frames on your terminal.
468
469@item C-x 5 1
470@kindex C-x 5 1
471@findex delete-other-frames
472Delete all frames except the selected one.
473@end table
474
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475@node Speedbar
476@section Making and Using a Speedbar Frame
477@cindex speedbar
478
479 An Emacs frame can have a @dfn{speedbar}, which is a vertical window
480that serves as a scrollable menu of files you could visit and tags
481within those files. To create a speedbar, type @kbd{M-x speedbar}; this
482creates a speedbar window for the selected frame. From then on, you can
483click on a file name in the speedbar to visit that file in the
484corresponding Emacs frame, or click on a tag name to jump to that tag in
485the Emacs frame.
486
487 Initially the speedbar lists the immediate contents of the current
488directory, one file per line. Each line also has a box, @samp{[+]} or
489@samp{<+>}, that you can click on with @kbd{Mouse-2} to ``open up'' the
490contents of that item. If the line names a directory, opening it adds
491the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
492directory's own line. If the line lists an ordinary file, opening it up
493adds a list of the tags in that file to the speedbar display. When a
494file is opened up, the @samp{[+]} changes to @samp{[-]}; you can click
495on that box to ``close up'' that file (hide its contents).
496
497 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
498specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
499select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
500files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
501clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
502
503 A speedbar belongs to one Emacs frame, and always operates on that
504frame. If you use multiple frames, you can make a speedbar for some or
505all of the frames; type @kbd{M-x speedbar} in any given frame to make a
506speedbar for it.
507
508@node Multiple Displays
509@section Multiple Displays
510@cindex multiple displays
511
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512 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
513uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
514environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
515Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
516@code{make-frame-on-display}:
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517
518@findex make-frame-on-display
519@table @kbd
520@item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
521Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
522@end table
523
524 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
525frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
526single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
527screens as a single stream of input.
528
529 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
530input stream for each server. This way, two users can type
531simultaneously on the two displays, and Emacs will not garble their
532input. Each server also has its own selected frame. The commands you
533enter with a particular X server apply to that server's selected frame.
534
535 Despite these features, people using the same Emacs job from different
536displays can still interfere with each other if they are not careful.
537For example, if any one types @kbd{C-x C-c}, that exits the Emacs job
538for all of them!
539
540@node Special Buffer Frames
541@section Special Buffer Frames
542
543@vindex special-display-buffer-names
544 You can make certain chosen buffers, for which Emacs normally creates
545a second window when you have just one window, appear in special frames
546of their own. To do this, set the variable
547@code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list of buffer names; any
548buffer whose name is in that list automatically gets a special frame,
549when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in another window.''
550
551 For example, if you set the variable this way,
552
553@example
554(setq special-display-buffer-names
555 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
556@end example
557
558@noindent
559then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
560buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
561windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
562buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
563unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
564frame automatically.
565
566@vindex special-display-regexps
567 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
568of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
569matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
570to buffers that normally get displayed for you in a separate window.)
571
572@vindex special-display-frame-alist
573 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
574parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
575to set it.
576
577 For those who know Lisp, an element of
578@code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
579can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
580regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
581frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter values;
582these values take precedence over parameter values specified in
583@code{special-display-frame-alist}. Alternatively, it can have this
584form:
585
586@example
587(@var{function} @var{args}...)
588@end example
589
590@noindent
591where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
592calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
593remaining arguments are @var{args}.
594
595 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
596displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
597same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
598therefore, if you add a buffer name to
599@code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
600whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
601
602@node Frame Parameters
603@section Setting Frame Parameters
604@cindex colors
605@cindex Auto-Raise mode
606@cindex Auto-Lower mode
607
608 This section describes commands for altering the display style and
609window management behavior of the selected frame.
610
611@findex set-foreground-color
612@findex set-background-color
613@findex set-cursor-color
614@findex set-mouse-color
615@findex set-border-color
616@findex auto-raise-mode
617@findex auto-lower-mode
618@table @kbd
619@item M-x set-foreground-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
620Specify color @var{color} for the foreground of the selected frame.
621(This also changes the foreground color of the default face.)
622
623@item M-x set-background-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
624Specify color @var{color} for the background of the selected frame.
625(This also changes the background color of the default face.)
626
627@item M-x set-cursor-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
628Specify color @var{color} for the cursor of the selected frame.
629
630@item M-x set-mouse-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
631Specify color @var{color} for the mouse cursor when it is over the
632selected frame.
633
634@item M-x set-border-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
635Specify color @var{color} for the border of the selected frame.
636
637@item M-x list-colors-display
638Display the defined color names and show what the colors look like.
639This command is somewhat slow.
640
641@item M-x auto-raise-mode
642Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
643means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
644frame.
645
646Note that this auto-raise feature is implemented by Emacs itself. Some
647window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable auto-raise for
648Emacs frames in your X window manager, it should work, but it is beyond
649Emacs's control and therefore @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect on
650it.
651
652@item M-x auto-lower-mode
653Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
654Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
655the frame moves to the bottom of the stack of X windows.
656
657The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
658implemented by the X window manager. To control that, you must use
659the appropriate window manager features.
660
661@findex set-frame-font
662@item M-x set-frame-font @key{RET} @var{font} @key{RET}
663@cindex font (principal)
664Specify font @var{font} as the principal font for the selected frame.
665The principal font controls several face attributes of the
666@code{default} face (@pxref{Faces}). For example, if the principal font
667has a height of 12 pt, all text will be drawn in 12 pt fonts, unless you
668use another face that specifies a different height. @xref{Font X}, for
669ways to list the available fonts on your system.
670
671@kindex S-Mouse-1
672You can also set a frame's principal font through a pop-up menu.
673Press @kbd{S-Mouse-1} to activate this menu.
674@end table
675
676 In Emacs versions that use an X toolkit, the color-setting and
677font-setting functions don't affect menus and the menu bar, since they
678are displayed by their own widget classes. To change the appearance of
679the menus and menu bar, you must use X resources (@pxref{Resources X}).
680@xref{Colors X}, regarding colors. @xref{Font X}, regarding choice of
681font.
682
683 For information on frame parameters and customization, see @ref{Frame
684Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
685
686@node Scroll Bars
687@section Scroll Bars
688@cindex Scroll Bar mode
689@cindex mode, Scroll Bar
690
691 When using X, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at the left of
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692each Emacs window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is usually more
693useful with overlapping frames with text starting at the left margin.}
694The scroll bar runs the height of the window, and shows a moving
695rectangular inner box which represents the portion of the buffer
696currently displayed. The entire height of the scroll bar represents the
697entire length of the buffer.
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698
699 You can use @kbd{Mouse-2} (normally, the middle button) in the scroll
700bar to move or drag the inner box up and down. If you move it to the
701top of the scroll bar, you see the top of the buffer. If you move it to
702the bottom of the scroll bar, you see the bottom of the buffer.
703
704 The left and right buttons in the scroll bar scroll by controlled
705increments. @kbd{Mouse-1} (normally, the left button) moves the line at
706the level where you click up to the top of the window. @kbd{Mouse-3}
707(normally, the right button) moves the line at the top of the window
708down to the level where you click. By clicking repeatedly in the same
709place, you can scroll by the same distance over and over.
710
70de49cc 711 If you are using Emacs's own implementation of scroll bars, as opposed
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712to scroll bars from an X toolkit, you can also click @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in
713the scroll bar to split a window vertically. The split occurs on the
714line where you click.
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715
716@findex scroll-bar-mode
70c88b57 717@vindex scroll-bar-mode
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718 You can enable or disable Scroll Bar mode with the command @kbd{M-x
719scroll-bar-mode}. With no argument, it toggles the use of scroll bars.
720With an argument, it turns use of scroll bars on if and only if the
721argument is positive. This command applies to all frames, including
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722frames yet to be created. Customize the option @code{scroll-bar-mode}
723to control the use of scroll bars at startup. You can use it to specify
724that they are placed at the right of windows if you prefer that. You
725can use the X resource @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control the initial
726setting of Scroll Bar mode similarly. @xref{Resources X}.
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727
728@findex toggle-scroll-bar
729 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
730@kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar} command.
731
70c88b57 732@node Wheeled Mice
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733@section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
734
735@cindex mouse wheel
736@findex mouse-wheel-install
2684ed46 737 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can usually
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738click the wheel to act as @kbd{Mouse-3}. You can also use the wheel to
739scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
740Use @kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-install} to set up the wheel for scrolling or put
741@samp{(require 'mouse-wheel)} in your @file{.emacs}. (Support for the wheel
742depends on the system generating appropriate events for Emacs.)
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743
744@vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
745@vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
099bfef9 746 The variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
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747@code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
748buffers are scrolled.
70c88b57 749
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750@node Menu Bars
751@section Menu Bars
752@cindex Menu Bar mode
753@cindex mode, Menu Bar
754
755 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
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756menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the option @code{menu-bar-mode}.
757With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
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758minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
759argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
760the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
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761Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources X}.
762
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763@kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
764 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
765terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
766If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
767with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports popup menus.
768@xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
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769
770 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
771menu bar.
772
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773@node Tool Bars
774@section Tool Bars
775@cindex Tool Bar mode
776@cindex mode, Tool Bar
943a8bb7 777@cindex icons, tool bar
2beab0db 778
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779The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or multiple lines) of icons at the top
780of the Emacs window. You can click on these icons with the mouse
781to do various jobs.
782
783The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
784define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
785that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
786global tool bar.
943a8bb7 787
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788Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
789XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
790bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
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791
792You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
793tool-bar-mode}.
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794
795@node Dialog Boxes
796@section Using Dialog Boxes
797@cindex dialog boxes
798
799@vindex use-dialog-box
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800 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
801question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
802dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
803invoke the command to begin with.
804
805 You can customize the option @code{use-dialog-box} to suppress the
806use of dialog boxes. This also controls whether to use file selection
807windows (but those are not supported on all platforms).
70c88b57 808
70c88b57 809@node Tooltips
099bfef9 810@section Tooltips (or ``Balloon Help'')
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811
812@cindex balloon help
099bfef9 813 Tooltips are small X windows displaying a help string at the current
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814mouse position, typically over text---including the mode line---which
815can be activated with the mouse or other keys. (This facility is
2684ed46 816sometimes known as @dfn{balloon help}.) Help text may be available for
099bfef9 817menu items too.
d9701e91 818
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819@findex tooltip-mode
820 To use tooltips, enable Tooltip mode with the command @kbd{M-x
821tooltip-mode}. The customization group @code{tooltip} controls
822various aspects of how tooltips work. When Tooltip mode is disabled,
823the help text is displayed in the echo area instead.
70c88b57 824
099bfef9 825As of Emacs 21.1, tooltips are not supported on MS-Windows.
9638f5c2 826
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827@node Mouse Avoidance
828@section Mouse Avoidance
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829@cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
830@cindex mouse avoidance
43391ff3 831
099bfef9 832@vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
43391ff3 833Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the window system mouse pointer away from
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834point, to avoid obscuring text. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
835raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the option
836@code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
837move the mouse in several ways:
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838
839@table @code
840@item banish
841Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any keypress;
842@item exile
843Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
844and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
845@item jump
846If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
847a random distance & direction;
848@item animate
849As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
850@item cat-and-mouse
851The same as @code{animate};
852@item proteus
853As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
854@end table
855
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856@findex mouse-avoidance-mode
857You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
43391ff3 858the mode.
70c88b57 859
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860@node Non-Window Terminals
861@section Non-Window Terminals
862@cindex non-window terminals
863@cindex single-frame terminals
864
865 If your terminal does not have a window system that Emacs supports,
866then it can display only one Emacs frame at a time. However, you can
867still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch between them. Switching
868frames on these terminals is much like switching between different
869window configurations.
870
871 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
8725 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
873the current frame.
874
875 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
876display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
877appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
878@samp{F@var{n}}.
879
880@findex set-frame-name
881@findex select-frame-by-name
882 @samp{F@var{n}} is actually the frame's name. You can also specify a
883different name if you wish, and you can select a frame by its name. Use
884the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to
885specify a new name for the selected frame, and use @kbd{M-x
886select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to select a frame
887according to its name. The name you specify appears in the mode line
888when the frame is selected.
889
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890@node XTerm Mouse
891@section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
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892@cindex xterm, mouse support
893@cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
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894
895Some terminal emulators under X support mouse clicks in the terminal
896window. In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
897you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to enable simple use of the
898mouse---only single clicks are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse
899functionality is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key
900when you press the mouse button.