* anti.texi (Antinews):
[bpt/emacs.git] / doc / lispref / frames.texi
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1@c -*-texinfo-*-
2@c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
3@c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001,
6ed161e1 4@c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
b8d4c8d0 5@c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
6336d8c3 6@setfilename ../../info/frames
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7@node Frames, Positions, Windows, Top
8@chapter Frames
9@cindex frame
10
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11 A @dfn{frame} is a screen object that contains one or more Emacs
12windows (@pxref{Windows}). It is the kind of object called a
13``window'' in the terminology of graphical environments; but we can't
14call it a ``window'' here, because Emacs uses that word in a different
15way. In Emacs Lisp, a @dfn{frame object} is a Lisp object that
16represents a frame on the screen. @xref{Frame Type}.
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17
18 A frame initially contains a single main window and/or a minibuffer
19window; you can subdivide the main window vertically or horizontally
6a4cfb0c 20into smaller windows. @xref{Splitting Windows}.
b8d4c8d0 21
3ec61d4e 22@cindex terminal
20cb6c9b 23 A @dfn{terminal} is a display device capable of displaying one or
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24more Emacs frames. In Emacs Lisp, a @dfn{terminal object} is a Lisp
25object that represents a terminal. @xref{Terminal Type}.
20cb6c9b 26
b8d4c8d0 27@cindex terminal frame
b8d4c8d0 28@cindex window frame
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29 There are two classes of terminals: text-only terminals and
30graphical terminals. Text-only terminals are non-graphics-capable
31display devices, including ``terminal emulators'' such as xterm. On
32text-only terminals, each frame occupies the entire terminal screen;
33although you can create additional frames and switch between them,
34only one frame can be shown at any given time. We refer to frames on
35text-only terminals as @dfn{terminal frames}. Graphical terminals, on
36the other hand, are graphics-capable windowing systems, such as the X
37Window System. On a graphical terminal, Emacs can display multiple
38frames simultaneously. We refer to such frames as @dfn{window
39frames}.
40
41 On GNU and Unix systems, you can create additional frames on any
42available terminal, within a single Emacs session, regardless of
43whether Emacs was started on a text-only or graphical terminal. Emacs
44can display on both graphical and text-only terminals simultaneously.
45This comes in handy, for instance, when you connect to the same
46session from several remote locations. @xref{Multiple Terminals}.
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47
48@defun framep object
49This predicate returns a non-@code{nil} value if @var{object} is a
50frame, and @code{nil} otherwise. For a frame, the value indicates which
51kind of display the frame uses:
52
53@table @code
54@item x
55The frame is displayed in an X window.
56@item t
57A terminal frame on a character display.
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58@item w32
59The frame is displayed on MS-Windows 9X/NT.
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60@item ns
61The frame is displayed on a GNUstep or Macintosh Cocoa display.
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62@item pc
63The frame is displayed on an MS-DOS terminal.
64@end table
65@end defun
66
20cb6c9b 67@defun frame-terminal &optional frame
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68This function returns the terminal object that displays @var{frame}.
69If @var{frame} is @code{nil} or unspecified, it defaults to the
70selected frame.
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71@end defun
72
73@defun terminal-live-p object
74This predicate returns a non-@code{nil} value if @var{object} is a
75terminal that is alive (i.e.@: was not deleted), and @code{nil}
76otherwise. For live terminals, the return value indicates what kind
77of frames are displayed on that terminal; the list of possible values
78is the same as for @code{framep} above.
79@end defun
80
b8d4c8d0 81@menu
b4022203 82* Creating Frames:: Creating additional frames.
20cb6c9b 83* Multiple Terminals:: Displaying on several different devices.
b4022203 84* Frame Parameters:: Controlling frame size, position, font, etc.
20cb6c9b 85* Terminal Parameters:: Parameters common for all frames on terminal.
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86* Frame Titles:: Automatic updating of frame titles.
87* Deleting Frames:: Frames last until explicitly deleted.
88* Finding All Frames:: How to examine all existing frames.
89* Frames and Windows:: A frame contains windows;
90 display of text always works through windows.
91* Minibuffers and Frames:: How a frame finds the minibuffer to use.
92* Input Focus:: Specifying the selected frame.
93* Visibility of Frames:: Frames may be visible or invisible, or icons.
94* Raising and Lowering:: Raising a frame makes it hide other windows;
95 lowering it makes the others hide it.
96* Frame Configurations:: Saving the state of all frames.
97* Mouse Tracking:: Getting events that say when the mouse moves.
98* Mouse Position:: Asking where the mouse is, or moving it.
99* Pop-Up Menus:: Displaying a menu for the user to select from.
100* Dialog Boxes:: Displaying a box to ask yes or no.
101* Pointer Shape:: Specifying the shape of the mouse pointer.
102* Window System Selections:: Transferring text to and from other X clients.
103* Drag and Drop:: Internals of Drag-and-Drop implementation.
104* Color Names:: Getting the definitions of color names.
105* Text Terminal Colors:: Defining colors for text-only terminals.
106* Resources:: Getting resource values from the server.
107* Display Feature Testing:: Determining the features of a terminal.
108@end menu
109
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110@node Creating Frames
111@section Creating Frames
112
113To create a new frame, call the function @code{make-frame}.
114
115@defun make-frame &optional alist
116This function creates and returns a new frame, displaying the current
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117buffer.
118
119The @var{alist} argument is an alist that specifies frame parameters
120for the new frame. @xref{Frame Parameters}. If you specify the
121@code{terminal} parameter in @var{alist}, the new frame is created on
122that terminal. Otherwise, if you specify the @code{window-system}
123frame parameter in @var{alist}, that determines whether the frame
124should be displayed on a text-only or graphical terminal.
125@xref{Window Systems}. If neither is specified, the new frame is
126created in the same terminal as the selected frame.
127
128Any parameters not mentioned in @var{alist} default to the values in
129the alist @code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Initial Parameters});
130parameters not specified there default from the X resources or its
131equivalent on your operating system (@pxref{X Resources,, X Resources,
132emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). After the frame is created, Emacs
133applies any parameters listed in @code{frame-inherited-parameters}
134(see below) and not present in the argument, taking the values from
135the frame that was selected when @code{make-frame} was called.
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136
137This function itself does not make the new frame the selected frame.
138@xref{Input Focus}. The previously selected frame remains selected.
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139On graphical terminals, however, the windowing system may select the
140new frame for its own reasons.
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141@end defun
142
143@defvar before-make-frame-hook
3ec61d4e 144A normal hook run by @code{make-frame} before it creates the frame.
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145@end defvar
146
147@defvar after-make-frame-functions
148An abnormal hook run by @code{make-frame} after it creates the frame.
149Each function in @code{after-make-frame-functions} receives one argument, the
150frame just created.
151@end defvar
152
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153@defvar frame-inherited-parameters
154This variable specifies the list of frame parameters that a newly
155created frame inherits from the currently selected frame. For each
156parameter (a symbol) that is an element in the list and is not present
157in the argument to @code{make-frame}, the function sets the value of
158that parameter in the created frame to its value in the selected
159frame.
160@end defvar
161
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162@node Multiple Terminals
163@section Multiple Terminals
164@cindex multiple terminals
165@cindex multi-tty
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166@cindex multiple X displays
167@cindex displays, multiple
168
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169 Emacs represents each terminal, whether graphical or text-only, as a
170@dfn{terminal object} data type (@pxref{Terminal Type}). On GNU and
171Unix systems, Emacs can use multiple terminals simultaneously in each
172session. On other systems, it can only use a single terminal. Each
173terminal object has the following attributes:
174
175@itemize @bullet
176@item
177The name of the device used by the terminal (e.g., @samp{:0.0} or
178@file{/dev/tty}).
179
180@item
181The terminal and keyboard coding systems used on the terminal.
182@xref{Terminal I/O Encoding}.
b8d4c8d0 183
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184@item
185The kind of display associated with the terminal. This is the symbol
186returned by the function @code{terminal-live-p} (i.e., @code{x},
187@code{t}, @code{w32}, @code{ns}, or @code{pc}). @xref{Frames}.
b8d4c8d0 188
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189@item
190A list of terminal parameters. @xref{Terminal Parameters}.
191@end itemize
192
193 There is no primitive for creating terminal objects. Emacs creates
194them as needed, such as when you call @code{make-frame-on-display}
195(which is described below).
196
197@defun terminal-name &optional terminal
198This function returns the file name of the device used by
199@var{terminal}. If @var{terminal} is omitted or @code{nil}, it
200defaults to the selected frame's terminal. @var{terminal} can also be
201a frame, meaning that frame's terminal.
202@end defun
203
204@defun terminal-list
205This function returns a list of all terminal objects currently in use.
206@end defun
207
208@defun get-device-terminal device
209This function returns a terminal whose device name is given by
210@var{device}. If @var{device} is a string, it can be either the file
211name of a terminal device, or the name of an X display of the form
212@samp{@var{host}:@var{server}.@var{screen}}. If @var{device} is a
213frame, this function returns that frame's terminal; @code{nil} means
214the selected frame. Finally, if @var{device} is a terminal object
215that represents a live terminal, that terminal is returned. The
216function signals an error if its argument is none of the above.
217@end defun
218
219@defun delete-terminal &optional terminal force
220This function deletes all frames on @var{terminal} and frees the
221resources used by it. It runs the abnormal hook
222@code{delete-terminal-functions}, passing @var{terminal} as the
223argument to each function.
224
225If @var{terminal} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to the
226selected frame's terminal. @var{terminal} can also be a frame,
227meaning that frame's terminal.
228
229Normally, this function signals an error if you attempt to delete the
230sole active terminal, but if @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, you are
231allowed to do so. Emacs automatically calls this function when the
232last frame on a terminal is deleted (@pxref{Deleting Frames}).
233@end defun
234
235@defvar delete-terminal-functions
236An abnormal hook run by @code{delete-terminal}. Each function
237receives one argument, the @var{terminal} argument passed to
238@code{delete-terminal}. Due to technical details, the functions may
239be called either just before the terminal is deleted, or just
240afterwards.
241@end defvar
242
243@cindex terminal-local variables
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244 A few Lisp variables are @dfn{terminal-local}; that is, they have a
245separate binding for each terminal. The binding in effect at any time
246is the one for the terminal that the currently selected frame belongs
247to. These variables include @code{default-minibuffer-frame},
248@code{defining-kbd-macro}, @code{last-kbd-macro}, and
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249@code{system-key-alist}. They are always terminal-local, and can
250never be buffer-local (@pxref{Buffer-Local Variables}).
251
252 On GNU and Unix systems, each X display is a separate graphical
253terminal. When Emacs is started from within the X window system, it
254uses the X display chosen with the @code{DISPLAY} environment
255variable, or with the @samp{--display} option. @xref{Initial
256Options,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. Emacs can connect to other X
257displays via the command @code{make-frame-on-display}. Each X display
258has its own selected frame and its own minibuffer windows; however,
259only one of those frames is ``@emph{the} selected frame'' at any given
260moment (@pxref{Input Focus}). Emacs can even connect to other
261text-only terminals, by interacting with the @command{emacsclient}
262program. @xref{Emacs Server,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
263
264 A single X server can handle more than one display. Each X display
265has a three-part name, @samp{@var{host}:@var{server}.@var{screen}}.
266The first two parts, @var{host} and @var{server}, identify the X
267server; the third part, @var{screen}, identifies a screen number on
268that X server. When you use two or more screens belonging to one
269server, Emacs knows by the similarity in their names that they share a
270single keyboard.
271
272 On some ``multi-monitor'' setups, a single X display outputs to more
273than one monitor. Currently, there is no way for Emacs to distinguish
274between the different physical monitors.
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275
276@deffn Command make-frame-on-display display &optional parameters
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277This function creates and returns a new frame on @var{display}, taking
278the other frame parameters from the alist @var{parameters}.
279@var{display} should be the name of an X display (a string).
280
281Before creating the frame, this function ensures that Emacs is ``set
282up'' to display graphics. For instance, if Emacs has not processed X
283resources (e.g., if it was started on a text-only terminal), it does
284so at this time. In all other respects, this function behaves like
285@code{make-frame} (@pxref{Creating Frames}).
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286@end deffn
287
288@defun x-display-list
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289This function returns a list that indicates which X displays Emacs has
290a connection to. The elements of the list are strings, and each one
291is a display name.
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292@end defun
293
294@defun x-open-connection display &optional xrm-string must-succeed
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295This function opens a connection to the X display @var{display},
296without creating a frame on that display. Normally, Emacs Lisp
297programs need not call this function, as @code{make-frame-on-display}
298calls it automatically. The only reason for calling it is to check
299whether communication can be established with a given X display.
300
301The optional argument @var{xrm-string}, if not @code{nil}, is a string
302of resource names and values, in the same format used in the
303@file{.Xresources} file. @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The
304GNU Emacs Manual}. These values apply to all Emacs frames created on
305this display, overriding the resource values recorded in the X server.
306Here's an example of what this string might look like:
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307
308@example
309"*BorderWidth: 3\n*InternalBorder: 2\n"
310@end example
311
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312If @var{must-succeed} is non-@code{nil}, failure to open the connection
313terminates Emacs. Otherwise, it is an ordinary Lisp error.
314@end defun
315
316@defun x-close-connection display
317This function closes the connection to display @var{display}. Before
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318you can do this, you must first delete all the frames that were open
319on that display (@pxref{Deleting Frames}).
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320@end defun
321
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322@node Frame Parameters
323@section Frame Parameters
324@cindex frame parameters
325
326 A frame has many parameters that control its appearance and behavior.
327Just what parameters a frame has depends on what display mechanism it
328uses.
329
330 Frame parameters exist mostly for the sake of window systems. A
331terminal frame has a few parameters, mostly for compatibility's sake;
332only the @code{height}, @code{width}, @code{name}, @code{title},
333@code{menu-bar-lines}, @code{buffer-list} and @code{buffer-predicate}
334parameters do something special. If the terminal supports colors, the
335parameters @code{foreground-color}, @code{background-color},
336@code{background-mode} and @code{display-type} are also meaningful.
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337If the terminal supports frame transparency, the parameter
338@code{alpha} is also meaningful.
b8d4c8d0 339
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340 You can use frame parameters to define frame-local bindings for
341variables. @xref{Frame-Local Variables}.
342
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343@menu
344* Parameter Access:: How to change a frame's parameters.
345* Initial Parameters:: Specifying frame parameters when you make a frame.
346* Window Frame Parameters:: List of frame parameters for window systems.
347* Size and Position:: Changing the size and position of a frame.
348* Geometry:: Parsing geometry specifications.
349@end menu
350
351@node Parameter Access
352@subsection Access to Frame Parameters
353
354These functions let you read and change the parameter values of a
355frame.
356
357@defun frame-parameter frame parameter
358This function returns the value of the parameter @var{parameter} (a
359symbol) of @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it returns the
360selected frame's parameter. If @var{frame} has no setting for
361@var{parameter}, this function returns @code{nil}.
362@end defun
363
364@defun frame-parameters &optional frame
365The function @code{frame-parameters} returns an alist listing all the
366parameters of @var{frame} and their values. If @var{frame} is
367@code{nil} or omitted, this returns the selected frame's parameters
368@end defun
369
370@defun modify-frame-parameters frame alist
371This function alters the parameters of frame @var{frame} based on the
372elements of @var{alist}. Each element of @var{alist} has the form
373@code{(@var{parm} . @var{value})}, where @var{parm} is a symbol naming a
374parameter. If you don't mention a parameter in @var{alist}, its value
375doesn't change. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the selected
376frame.
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377
378You can use this function to define frame-local bindings for
379variables, see @ref{Frame-Local Variables}.
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380@end defun
381
4fb04348 382@defun set-frame-parameter frame parm value
3c1f4619 383This function sets the frame parameter @var{parm} to the specified
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384@var{value}. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the
385selected frame.
386@end defun
387
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388@defun modify-all-frames-parameters alist
389This function alters the frame parameters of all existing frames
390according to @var{alist}, then modifies @code{default-frame-alist}
391(and, if necessary, @code{initial-frame-alist}) to apply the same
392parameter values to frames that will be created henceforth.
393@end defun
394
395@node Initial Parameters
396@subsection Initial Frame Parameters
397
398You can specify the parameters for the initial startup frame
399by setting @code{initial-frame-alist} in your init file (@pxref{Init File}).
400
01f17ae2 401@defopt initial-frame-alist
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402This variable's value is an alist of parameter values used when creating
403the initial window frame. You can set this variable to specify the
404appearance of the initial frame without altering subsequent frames.
405Each element has the form:
406
407@example
408(@var{parameter} . @var{value})
409@end example
410
411Emacs creates the initial frame before it reads your init
412file. After reading that file, Emacs checks @code{initial-frame-alist},
413and applies the parameter settings in the altered value to the already
414created initial frame.
415
416If these settings affect the frame geometry and appearance, you'll see
417the frame appear with the wrong ones and then change to the specified
418ones. If that bothers you, you can specify the same geometry and
419appearance with X resources; those do take effect before the frame is
420created. @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
421
422X resource settings typically apply to all frames. If you want to
423specify some X resources solely for the sake of the initial frame, and
424you don't want them to apply to subsequent frames, here's how to achieve
425this. Specify parameters in @code{default-frame-alist} to override the
426X resources for subsequent frames; then, to prevent these from affecting
427the initial frame, specify the same parameters in
428@code{initial-frame-alist} with values that match the X resources.
01f17ae2 429@end defopt
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430
431If these parameters specify a separate minibuffer-only frame with
432@code{(minibuffer . nil)}, and you have not created one, Emacs creates
433one for you.
434
01f17ae2 435@defopt minibuffer-frame-alist
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436This variable's value is an alist of parameter values used when
437creating an initial minibuffer-only frame. This is the
438minibuffer-only frame that Emacs creates if @code{initial-frame-alist}
439specifies a frame with no minibuffer.
01f17ae2 440@end defopt
b8d4c8d0 441
01f17ae2 442@defopt default-frame-alist
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443This is an alist specifying default values of frame parameters for all
444Emacs frames---the first frame, and subsequent frames. When using the X
445Window System, you can get the same results by means of X resources
446in many cases.
447
448Setting this variable does not affect existing frames.
01f17ae2 449@end defopt
b8d4c8d0 450
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451Functions that display a buffer in a separate frame can override the
452default parameters by supplying their own parameters. @xref{Definition
453of special-display-frame-alist}.
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454
455If you use options that specify window appearance when you invoke Emacs,
456they take effect by adding elements to @code{default-frame-alist}. One
457exception is @samp{-geometry}, which adds the specified position to
458@code{initial-frame-alist} instead. @xref{Emacs Invocation,, Command
459Line Arguments for Emacs Invocation, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
460
461@node Window Frame Parameters
462@subsection Window Frame Parameters
463
464 Just what parameters a frame has depends on what display mechanism
465it uses. This section describes the parameters that have special
466meanings on some or all kinds of terminals. Of these, @code{name},
467@code{title}, @code{height}, @code{width}, @code{buffer-list} and
468@code{buffer-predicate} provide meaningful information in terminal
469frames, and @code{tty-color-mode} is meaningful @emph{only} in
470terminal frames.
471
472@menu
473* Basic Parameters:: Parameters that are fundamental.
474* Position Parameters:: The position of the frame on the screen.
475* Size Parameters:: Frame's size.
476* Layout Parameters:: Size of parts of the frame, and
477 enabling or disabling some parts.
478* Buffer Parameters:: Which buffers have been or should be shown.
479* Management Parameters:: Communicating with the window manager.
480* Cursor Parameters:: Controlling the cursor appearance.
80be4dd7 481* Font and Color Parameters:: Fonts and colors for the frame text.
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482@end menu
483
484@node Basic Parameters
485@subsubsection Basic Parameters
486
487 These frame parameters give the most basic information about the
488frame. @code{title} and @code{name} are meaningful on all terminals.
489
490@table @code
491@item display
492The display on which to open this frame. It should be a string of the
493form @code{"@var{host}:@var{dpy}.@var{screen}"}, just like the
494@code{DISPLAY} environment variable.
495
496@item display-type
497This parameter describes the range of possible colors that can be used
498in this frame. Its value is @code{color}, @code{grayscale} or
499@code{mono}.
500
501@item title
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502If a frame has a non-@code{nil} title, it appears in the window
503system's title bar at the top of the frame, and also in the mode line
504of windows in that frame if @code{mode-line-frame-identification} uses
505@samp{%F} (@pxref{%-Constructs}). This is normally the case when
506Emacs is not using a window system, and can only display one frame at
507a time. @xref{Frame Titles}.
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508
509@item name
510The name of the frame. The frame name serves as a default for the frame
511title, if the @code{title} parameter is unspecified or @code{nil}. If
512you don't specify a name, Emacs sets the frame name automatically
513(@pxref{Frame Titles}).
514
515If you specify the frame name explicitly when you create the frame, the
516name is also used (instead of the name of the Emacs executable) when
517looking up X resources for the frame.
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518@end table
519
520@node Position Parameters
521@subsubsection Position Parameters
522
523 Position parameters' values are normally measured in pixels, but on
524text-only terminals they count characters or lines instead.
525
526@table @code
527@item left
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528The position, in pixels, of the left (or right) edge of the frame with
529respect to the left (or right) edge of the screen. The value may be:
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530
531@table @asis
532@item an integer
533A positive integer relates the left edge of the frame to the left edge
534of the screen. A negative integer relates the right frame edge to the
535right screen edge.
536
537@item @code{(+ @var{pos})}
538This specifies the position of the left frame edge relative to the left
539screen edge. The integer @var{pos} may be positive or negative; a
540negative value specifies a position outside the screen.
541
542@item @code{(- @var{pos})}
543This specifies the position of the right frame edge relative to the right
544screen edge. The integer @var{pos} may be positive or negative; a
545negative value specifies a position outside the screen.
546@end table
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547
548Some window managers ignore program-specified positions. If you want to
549be sure the position you specify is not ignored, specify a
550non-@code{nil} value for the @code{user-position} parameter as well.
551
552@item top
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553The screen position of the top (or bottom) edge, in pixels, with respect
554to the top (or bottom) edge of the screen. It works just like
555@code{left}, except vertically instead of horizontally.
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556
557@item icon-left
558The screen position of the left edge @emph{of the frame's icon}, in
559pixels, counting from the left edge of the screen. This takes effect if
560and when the frame is iconified.
561
562If you specify a value for this parameter, then you must also specify
563a value for @code{icon-top} and vice versa. The window manager may
564ignore these two parameters.
565
566@item icon-top
567The screen position of the top edge @emph{of the frame's icon}, in
568pixels, counting from the top edge of the screen. This takes effect if
569and when the frame is iconified.
570
571@item user-position
572When you create a frame and specify its screen position with the
573@code{left} and @code{top} parameters, use this parameter to say whether
574the specified position was user-specified (explicitly requested in some
575way by a human user) or merely program-specified (chosen by a program).
576A non-@code{nil} value says the position was user-specified.
577
578Window managers generally heed user-specified positions, and some heed
579program-specified positions too. But many ignore program-specified
580positions, placing the window in a default fashion or letting the user
581place it with the mouse. Some window managers, including @code{twm},
582let the user specify whether to obey program-specified positions or
583ignore them.
584
585When you call @code{make-frame}, you should specify a non-@code{nil}
586value for this parameter if the values of the @code{left} and @code{top}
587parameters represent the user's stated preference; otherwise, use
588@code{nil}.
589@end table
590
591@node Size Parameters
592@subsubsection Size Parameters
593
594 Size parameters' values are normally measured in pixels, but on
595text-only terminals they count characters or lines instead.
596
597@table @code
598@item height
599The height of the frame contents, in characters. (To get the height in
600pixels, call @code{frame-pixel-height}; see @ref{Size and Position}.)
601
602@item width
101a6cea 603The width of the frame contents, in characters. (To get the width in
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604pixels, call @code{frame-pixel-width}; see @ref{Size and Position}.)
605
606@item user-size
607This does for the size parameters @code{height} and @code{width} what
608the @code{user-position} parameter (see above) does for the position
609parameters @code{top} and @code{left}.
610
611@item fullscreen
3f1c6666 612Specify that width, height or both shall be maximized.
0c450055 613The value @code{fullwidth} specifies that width shall be as wide as possible.
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614The value @code{fullheight} specifies that height shall be as tall as
615possible. The value @code{fullboth} specifies that both the
b8d4c8d0 616width and the height shall be set to the size of the screen.
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617The value @code{maximized} specifies that the frame shall be maximized.
618The difference between @code{maximized} and @code{fullboth} is that
619the first does have window manager decorations but the second does not
620and thus really covers the whole screen.
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621@end table
622
623@node Layout Parameters
624@subsubsection Layout Parameters
625
626 These frame parameters enable or disable various parts of the
627frame, or control their sizes.
628
629@table @code
630@item border-width
631The width in pixels of the frame's border.
632
633@item internal-border-width
634The distance in pixels between text (or fringe) and the frame's border.
635
636@item vertical-scroll-bars
637Whether the frame has scroll bars for vertical scrolling, and which side
638of the frame they should be on. The possible values are @code{left},
639@code{right}, and @code{nil} for no scroll bars.
640
641@ignore
642@item horizontal-scroll-bars
643Whether the frame has scroll bars for horizontal scrolling
644(non-@code{nil} means yes). Horizontal scroll bars are not currently
645implemented.
646@end ignore
647
648@item scroll-bar-width
649The width of vertical scroll bars, in pixels, or @code{nil} meaning to
650use the default width.
651
652@item left-fringe
653@itemx right-fringe
654The default width of the left and right fringes of windows in this
655frame (@pxref{Fringes}). If either of these is zero, that effectively
656removes the corresponding fringe. A value of @code{nil} stands for
657the standard fringe width, which is the width needed to display the
658fringe bitmaps.
659
660The combined fringe widths must add up to an integral number of
661columns, so the actual default fringe widths for the frame may be
662larger than the specified values. The extra width needed to reach an
663acceptable total is distributed evenly between the left and right
664fringe. However, you can force one fringe or the other to a precise
665width by specifying that width as a negative integer. If both widths are
666negative, only the left fringe gets the specified width.
667
668@item menu-bar-lines
669The number of lines to allocate at the top of the frame for a menu
670bar. The default is 1. A value of @code{nil} means don't display a
671menu bar. @xref{Menu Bar}. (The X toolkit and GTK allow at most one
672menu bar line; they treat larger values as 1.)
673
674@item tool-bar-lines
675The number of lines to use for the tool bar. A value of @code{nil}
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676means don't display a tool bar. (GTK and Nextstep allow at most one
677tool bar line; they treat larger values as 1.)
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678
679@item line-spacing
680Additional space to leave below each text line, in pixels (a positive
681integer). @xref{Line Height}, for more information.
682@end table
683
684@node Buffer Parameters
685@subsubsection Buffer Parameters
686
687 These frame parameters, meaningful on all kinds of terminals, deal
688with which buffers have been, or should, be displayed in the frame.
689
690@table @code
691@item minibuffer
692Whether this frame has its own minibuffer. The value @code{t} means
693yes, @code{nil} means no, @code{only} means this frame is just a
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694minibuffer. If the value is a minibuffer window (in some other
695frame), the frame uses that minibuffer.
696
697This frame parameter takes effect when the frame is created, and can
698not be changed afterwards.
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699
700@item buffer-predicate
701The buffer-predicate function for this frame. The function
702@code{other-buffer} uses this predicate (from the selected frame) to
703decide which buffers it should consider, if the predicate is not
704@code{nil}. It calls the predicate with one argument, a buffer, once for
705each buffer; if the predicate returns a non-@code{nil} value, it
706considers that buffer.
707
708@item buffer-list
709A list of buffers that have been selected in this frame,
710ordered most-recently-selected first.
711
712@item unsplittable
713If non-@code{nil}, this frame's window is never split automatically.
714@end table
715
716@node Management Parameters
717@subsubsection Window Management Parameters
718@cindex window manager, and frame parameters
719
720 These frame parameters, meaningful only on window system displays,
721interact with the window manager.
722
723@table @code
724@item visibility
725The state of visibility of the frame. There are three possibilities:
726@code{nil} for invisible, @code{t} for visible, and @code{icon} for
727iconified. @xref{Visibility of Frames}.
728
729@item auto-raise
730Whether selecting the frame raises it (non-@code{nil} means yes).
731
732@item auto-lower
733Whether deselecting the frame lowers it (non-@code{nil} means yes).
734
735@item icon-type
736The type of icon to use for this frame when it is iconified. If the
737value is a string, that specifies a file containing a bitmap to use.
738Any other non-@code{nil} value specifies the default bitmap icon (a
739picture of a gnu); @code{nil} specifies a text icon.
740
741@item icon-name
742The name to use in the icon for this frame, when and if the icon
743appears. If this is @code{nil}, the frame's title is used.
744
745@item window-id
746The number of the window-system window used by the frame
747to contain the actual Emacs windows.
748
749@item outer-window-id
750The number of the outermost window-system window used for the whole frame.
751
752@item wait-for-wm
753If non-@code{nil}, tell Xt to wait for the window manager to confirm
754geometry changes. Some window managers, including versions of Fvwm2
755and KDE, fail to confirm, so Xt hangs. Set this to @code{nil} to
756prevent hanging with those window managers.
757
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758@item sticky
759If non-@code{nil}, the frame is visible on all virtual desktops on systems
760with virtual desktops.
761
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762@ignore
763@item parent-id
764@c ??? Not yet working.
765The X window number of the window that should be the parent of this one.
766Specifying this lets you create an Emacs window inside some other
767application's window. (It is not certain this will be implemented; try
768it and see if it works.)
769@end ignore
770@end table
771
772@node Cursor Parameters
773@subsubsection Cursor Parameters
774
775 This frame parameter controls the way the cursor looks.
776
777@table @code
778@item cursor-type
779How to display the cursor. Legitimate values are:
780
781@table @code
782@item box
783Display a filled box. (This is the default.)
784@item hollow
785Display a hollow box.
786@item nil
787Don't display a cursor.
788@item bar
789Display a vertical bar between characters.
790@item (bar . @var{width})
791Display a vertical bar @var{width} pixels wide between characters.
792@item hbar
793Display a horizontal bar.
794@item (hbar . @var{height})
795Display a horizontal bar @var{height} pixels high.
796@end table
797@end table
798
799@vindex cursor-type
800The buffer-local variable @code{cursor-type} overrides the value of
801the @code{cursor-type} frame parameter, but if it is @code{t}, that
802means to use the cursor specified for the frame.
803
01f17ae2 804@defopt blink-cursor-alist
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805This variable specifies how to blink the cursor. Each element has the
806form @code{(@var{on-state} . @var{off-state})}. Whenever the cursor
807type equals @var{on-state} (comparing using @code{equal}), the
808corresponding @var{off-state} specifies what the cursor looks like
809when it blinks ``off.'' Both @var{on-state} and @var{off-state}
810should be suitable values for the @code{cursor-type} frame parameter.
811
812There are various defaults for how to blink each type of cursor, if
813the type is not mentioned as an @var{on-state} here. Changes in this
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814variable do not take effect immediately, only when you specify the
815@code{cursor-type} frame parameter.
01f17ae2 816@end defopt
36c763fd 817
01f17ae2 818@defopt cursor-in-non-selected-windows
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819This variable controls how the cursor looks in a window that is not
820selected. It supports the same values as the @code{cursor-type} frame
821parameter; also, @code{nil} means don't display a cursor in
822nonselected windows, and @code{t} (the default) means use a standard
823modificatoin of the usual cursor type (solid box becomes hollow box,
824and bar becomes a narrower bar).
01f17ae2 825@end defopt
b8d4c8d0 826
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827@node Font and Color Parameters
828@subsubsection Font and Color Parameters
b8d4c8d0 829
80be4dd7 830 These frame parameters control the use of fonts and colors.
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831
832@table @code
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833@item font-backend
834A list of symbols, specifying the @dfn{font backends} to use for
835drawing fonts in the frame, in order of priority. On X, there are
836currently two available font backends: @code{x} (the X core font
837driver) and @code{xft} (the Xft font driver). On other systems, there
838is only one available font backend, so it does not make sense to
839modify this frame parameter.
840
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841@item background-mode
842This parameter is either @code{dark} or @code{light}, according
843to whether the background color is a light one or a dark one.
844
845@item tty-color-mode
846@cindex standard colors for character terminals
847This parameter overrides the terminal's color support as given by the
848system's terminal capabilities database in that this parameter's value
849specifies the color mode to use in terminal frames. The value can be
850either a symbol or a number. A number specifies the number of colors
851to use (and, indirectly, what commands to issue to produce each
852color). For example, @code{(tty-color-mode . 8)} specifies use of the
853ANSI escape sequences for 8 standard text colors. A value of -1 turns
854off color support.
855
856If the parameter's value is a symbol, it specifies a number through
857the value of @code{tty-color-mode-alist}, and the associated number is
858used instead.
859
860@item screen-gamma
861@cindex gamma correction
862If this is a number, Emacs performs ``gamma correction'' which adjusts
863the brightness of all colors. The value should be the screen gamma of
864your display, a floating point number.
865
866Usual PC monitors have a screen gamma of 2.2, so color values in
867Emacs, and in X windows generally, are calibrated to display properly
868on a monitor with that gamma value. If you specify 2.2 for
869@code{screen-gamma}, that means no correction is needed. Other values
870request correction, designed to make the corrected colors appear on
871your screen the way they would have appeared without correction on an
872ordinary monitor with a gamma value of 2.2.
873
874If your monitor displays colors too light, you should specify a
875@code{screen-gamma} value smaller than 2.2. This requests correction
876that makes colors darker. A screen gamma value of 1.5 may give good
877results for LCD color displays.
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878
879@item alpha
880@cindex opacity, frame
881@cindex transparency, frame
882@vindex frame-alpha-lower-limit
883This parameter specifies the opacity of the frame, on graphical
884displays that support variable opacity. It should be an integer
885between 0 and 100, where 0 means completely transparent and 100 means
886completely opaque. It can also have a @code{nil} value, which tells
887Emacs not to set the frame opacity (leaving it to the window manager).
888
889To prevent the frame from disappearing completely from view, the
3ec61d4e 890variable @code{frame-alpha-lower-limit} defines a lower opacity limit.
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891If the value of the frame parameter is less than the value of this
892variable, Emacs uses the latter. By default,
3ec61d4e 893@code{frame-alpha-lower-limit} is 20.
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894
895The @code{alpha} frame parameter can also be a cons cell
896@code{(@samp{active} . @samp{inactive})}, where @samp{active} is the
897opacity of the frame when it is selected, and @samp{inactive} is the
898opactity when it is not selected.
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899@end table
900
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901The following frame parameters are semi-obsolete in that they are
902automatically equivalent to particular face attributes of particular
903faces (@pxref{Standard Faces,,, emacs, The Emacs Manual}):
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904
905@table @code
906@item font
907The name of the font for displaying text in the frame. This is a
908string, either a valid font name for your system or the name of an Emacs
909fontset (@pxref{Fontsets}). It is equivalent to the @code{font}
910attribute of the @code{default} face.
911
912@item foreground-color
913The color to use for the image of a character. It is equivalent to
914the @code{:foreground} attribute of the @code{default} face.
915
916@item background-color
917The color to use for the background of characters. It is equivalent to
918the @code{:background} attribute of the @code{default} face.
919
920@item mouse-color
921The color for the mouse pointer. It is equivalent to the @code{:background}
922attribute of the @code{mouse} face.
923
924@item cursor-color
925The color for the cursor that shows point. It is equivalent to the
926@code{:background} attribute of the @code{cursor} face.
927
928@item border-color
929The color for the border of the frame. It is equivalent to the
930@code{:background} attribute of the @code{border} face.
931
932@item scroll-bar-foreground
933If non-@code{nil}, the color for the foreground of scroll bars. It is
934equivalent to the @code{:foreground} attribute of the
935@code{scroll-bar} face.
936
937@item scroll-bar-background
938If non-@code{nil}, the color for the background of scroll bars. It is
939equivalent to the @code{:background} attribute of the
940@code{scroll-bar} face.
941@end table
942
943@node Size and Position
944@subsection Frame Size And Position
945@cindex size of frame
946@cindex screen size
947@cindex frame size
948@cindex resize frame
949
950 You can read or change the size and position of a frame using the
951frame parameters @code{left}, @code{top}, @code{height}, and
952@code{width}. Whatever geometry parameters you don't specify are chosen
953by the window manager in its usual fashion.
954
955 Here are some special features for working with sizes and positions.
956(For the precise meaning of ``selected frame'' used by these functions,
957see @ref{Input Focus}.)
958
959@defun set-frame-position frame left top
960This function sets the position of the top left corner of @var{frame} to
961@var{left} and @var{top}. These arguments are measured in pixels, and
962normally count from the top left corner of the screen.
963
964Negative parameter values position the bottom edge of the window up from
965the bottom edge of the screen, or the right window edge to the left of
966the right edge of the screen. It would probably be better if the values
967were always counted from the left and top, so that negative arguments
968would position the frame partly off the top or left edge of the screen,
969but it seems inadvisable to change that now.
970@end defun
971
972@defun frame-height &optional frame
973@defunx frame-width &optional frame
974These functions return the height and width of @var{frame}, measured in
975lines and columns. If you don't supply @var{frame}, they use the
976selected frame.
977@end defun
978
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979@defun frame-pixel-height &optional frame
980@defunx frame-pixel-width &optional frame
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981These functions return the height and width of the main display area
982of @var{frame}, measured in pixels. If you don't supply @var{frame},
983they use the selected frame.
984
985These values include the internal borders, and windows' scroll bars
986and fringes (which belong to individual windows, not to the frame
987itself), but do not include menu bars or tool bars (except when using
988X without an X toolkit).
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989@end defun
990
991@defun frame-char-height &optional frame
992@defunx frame-char-width &optional frame
993These functions return the height and width of a character in
994@var{frame}, measured in pixels. The values depend on the choice of
995font. If you don't supply @var{frame}, these functions use the selected
996frame.
997@end defun
998
999@defun set-frame-size frame cols rows
1000This function sets the size of @var{frame}, measured in characters;
1001@var{cols} and @var{rows} specify the new width and height.
1002
1003To set the size based on values measured in pixels, use
1004@code{frame-char-height} and @code{frame-char-width} to convert
1005them to units of characters.
1006@end defun
1007
1008@defun set-frame-height frame lines &optional pretend
1009This function resizes @var{frame} to a height of @var{lines} lines. The
1010sizes of existing windows in @var{frame} are altered proportionally to
1011fit.
1012
1013If @var{pretend} is non-@code{nil}, then Emacs displays @var{lines}
1014lines of output in @var{frame}, but does not change its value for the
1015actual height of the frame. This is only useful for a terminal frame.
1016Using a smaller height than the terminal actually implements may be
1017useful to reproduce behavior observed on a smaller screen, or if the
1018terminal malfunctions when using its whole screen. Setting the frame
1019height ``for real'' does not always work, because knowing the correct
1020actual size may be necessary for correct cursor positioning on a
1021terminal frame.
1022@end defun
1023
1024@defun set-frame-width frame width &optional pretend
1025This function sets the width of @var{frame}, measured in characters.
1026The argument @var{pretend} has the same meaning as in
1027@code{set-frame-height}.
1028@end defun
1029
1030@findex set-screen-height
1031@findex set-screen-width
1032 The older functions @code{set-screen-height} and
1033@code{set-screen-width} were used to specify the height and width of the
1034screen, in Emacs versions that did not support multiple frames. They
1035are semi-obsolete, but still work; they apply to the selected frame.
1036
1037@node Geometry
1038@subsection Geometry
1039
1040 Here's how to examine the data in an X-style window geometry
1041specification:
1042
1043@defun x-parse-geometry geom
1044@cindex geometry specification
1045The function @code{x-parse-geometry} converts a standard X window
1046geometry string to an alist that you can use as part of the argument to
1047@code{make-frame}.
1048
1049The alist describes which parameters were specified in @var{geom}, and
1050gives the values specified for them. Each element looks like
1051@code{(@var{parameter} . @var{value})}. The possible @var{parameter}
1052values are @code{left}, @code{top}, @code{width}, and @code{height}.
1053
1054For the size parameters, the value must be an integer. The position
1055parameter names @code{left} and @code{top} are not totally accurate,
1056because some values indicate the position of the right or bottom edges
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1057instead. The @var{value} possibilities for the position parameters are:
1058an integer, a list @code{(+ @var{pos})}, or a list @code{(- @var{pos})};
1059as previously described (@pxref{Position Parameters}).
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1060
1061Here is an example:
1062
1063@example
1064(x-parse-geometry "35x70+0-0")
1065 @result{} ((height . 70) (width . 35)
1066 (top - 0) (left . 0))
1067@end example
1068@end defun
1069
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1070@node Terminal Parameters
1071@section Terminal Parameters
1072@cindex terminal parameters
1073
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1074 Each terminal has a list of associated parameters. These
1075@dfn{terminal parameters} are mostly a convenient way of storage for
1076terminal-local variables, but some terminal parameters have a special
1077meaning.
1078
1079 This section describes functions to read and change the parameter values
1080of a terminal. They all accept as their argument either a terminal or
1081a frame; the latter means use that frame's terminal. An argument of
1082@code{nil} means the selected frame's terminal.
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1083
1084@defun terminal-parameters &optional terminal
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1085This function returns an alist listing all the parameters of
1086@var{terminal} and their values.
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1087@end defun
1088
1089@defun terminal-parameter terminal parameter
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1090This function returns the value of the parameter @var{parameter} (a
1091symbol) of @var{terminal}. If @var{terminal} has no setting for
1092@var{parameter}, this function returns @code{nil}.
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1093@end defun
1094
1095@defun set-terminal-parameter terminal parameter value
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1096This function sets the parameter @var{parm} of @var{terminal} to the
1097specified @var{value}, and returns the previous value of that
1098parameter.
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1099@end defun
1100
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1101Here's a list of a few terminal parameters that have a special
1102meaning:
1103
1104@table @code
1105@item background-mode
1106The classification of the terminal's background color, either
1107@code{light} or @code{dark}.
1108@item normal-erase-is-backspace
1109Value is either 1 or 0, depending on whether
1110@code{normal-erase-is-backspace-mode} is turned on or off on this
1111terminal. @xref{DEL Does Not Delete,,, emacs, The Emacs Manual}.
1112@item terminal-initted
1113After the terminal is initialized, this is set to the
1114terminal-specific initialization function.
1115@end table
1116
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1117@node Frame Titles
1118@section Frame Titles
1119@cindex frame title
1120
1121 Every frame has a @code{name} parameter; this serves as the default
1122for the frame title which window systems typically display at the top of
1123the frame. You can specify a name explicitly by setting the @code{name}
1124frame property.
1125
1126 Normally you don't specify the name explicitly, and Emacs computes the
1127frame name automatically based on a template stored in the variable
1128@code{frame-title-format}. Emacs recomputes the name each time the
1129frame is redisplayed.
1130
1131@defvar frame-title-format
1132This variable specifies how to compute a name for a frame when you have
1133not explicitly specified one. The variable's value is actually a mode
1134line construct, just like @code{mode-line-format}, except that the
1135@samp{%c} and @samp{%l} constructs are ignored. @xref{Mode Line
1136Data}.
1137@end defvar
1138
1139@defvar icon-title-format
1140This variable specifies how to compute the name for an iconified frame,
1141when you have not explicitly specified the frame title. This title
1142appears in the icon itself.
1143@end defvar
1144
1145@defvar multiple-frames
1146This variable is set automatically by Emacs. Its value is @code{t} when
1147there are two or more frames (not counting minibuffer-only frames or
1148invisible frames). The default value of @code{frame-title-format} uses
1149@code{multiple-frames} so as to put the buffer name in the frame title
1150only when there is more than one frame.
1151
1152The value of this variable is not guaranteed to be accurate except
1153while processing @code{frame-title-format} or
1154@code{icon-title-format}.
1155@end defvar
1156
1157@node Deleting Frames
1158@section Deleting Frames
1159@cindex deleting frames
1160
1161Frames remain potentially visible until you explicitly @dfn{delete}
1162them. A deleted frame cannot appear on the screen, but continues to
1163exist as a Lisp object until there are no references to it.
1164
1165@deffn Command delete-frame &optional frame force
1166@vindex delete-frame-functions
1167This function deletes the frame @var{frame}. Unless @var{frame} is a
1168tooltip, it first runs the hook @code{delete-frame-functions} (each
1169function gets one argument, @var{frame}). By default, @var{frame} is
1170the selected frame.
1171
1172A frame cannot be deleted if its minibuffer is used by other frames.
1173Normally, you cannot delete a frame if all other frames are invisible,
6a4cfb0c 1174but if @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, then you are allowed to do so.
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1175@end deffn
1176
1177@defun frame-live-p frame
1178The function @code{frame-live-p} returns non-@code{nil} if the frame
1179@var{frame} has not been deleted. The possible non-@code{nil} return
1180values are like those of @code{framep}. @xref{Frames}.
1181@end defun
1182
1183 Some window managers provide a command to delete a window. These work
1184by sending a special message to the program that operates the window.
1185When Emacs gets one of these commands, it generates a
1186@code{delete-frame} event, whose normal definition is a command that
1187calls the function @code{delete-frame}. @xref{Misc Events}.
1188
1189@node Finding All Frames
1190@section Finding All Frames
1191@cindex frames, scanning all
1192
1193@defun frame-list
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1194The function @code{frame-list} returns a list of all the live frames,
1195i.e.@: those that have not been deleted. It is analogous to
1196@code{buffer-list} for buffers, and includes frames on all terminals.
1197The list that you get is newly created, so modifying the list doesn't
1198have any effect on the internals of Emacs.
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1199@end defun
1200
1201@defun visible-frame-list
1202This function returns a list of just the currently visible frames.
1203@xref{Visibility of Frames}. (Terminal frames always count as
1204``visible,'' even though only the selected one is actually displayed.)
1205@end defun
1206
1207@defun next-frame &optional frame minibuf
1208The function @code{next-frame} lets you cycle conveniently through all
1209the frames on the current display from an arbitrary starting point. It
1210returns the ``next'' frame after @var{frame} in the cycle. If
1211@var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to the selected frame
1212(@pxref{Input Focus}).
1213
1214The second argument, @var{minibuf}, says which frames to consider:
1215
1216@table @asis
1217@item @code{nil}
1218Exclude minibuffer-only frames.
1219@item @code{visible}
1220Consider all visible frames.
1221@item 0
1222Consider all visible or iconified frames.
1223@item a window
1224Consider only the frames using that particular window as their
1225minibuffer.
1226@item anything else
1227Consider all frames.
1228@end table
1229@end defun
1230
1231@defun previous-frame &optional frame minibuf
1232Like @code{next-frame}, but cycles through all frames in the opposite
1233direction.
1234@end defun
1235
1236 See also @code{next-window} and @code{previous-window}, in @ref{Cyclic
1237Window Ordering}.
1238
1239@node Frames and Windows
1240@section Frames and Windows
1241
6a4cfb0c 1242 Each window is part of one and only one frame; you can get that frame
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1243with @code{window-frame}.
1244
1245@defun window-frame window
1246This function returns the frame that @var{window} is on.
1247@end defun
1248
1249 All the non-minibuffer windows in a frame are arranged in a cyclic
1250order. The order runs from the frame's top window, which is at the
1251upper left corner, down and to the right, until it reaches the window at
1252the lower right corner (always the minibuffer window, if the frame has
1253one), and then it moves back to the top. @xref{Cyclic Window Ordering}.
1254
1255@defun frame-first-window &optional frame
1256This returns the topmost, leftmost window of frame @var{frame}.
1257If omitted or @code{nil}, @var{frame} defaults to the selected frame.
1258@end defun
1259
1260At any time, exactly one window on any frame is @dfn{selected within the
1261frame}. The significance of this designation is that selecting the
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1262frame also selects this window. Conversely, selecting a window for
1263Emacs with @code{select-window} also makes that window selected within
1264its frame. @xref{Selecting Windows}.
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1265
1266@defun frame-selected-window &optional frame
1267This function returns the window on @var{frame} that is selected
1268within @var{frame}. If omitted or @code{nil}, @var{frame} defaults to
1269the selected frame.
1270@end defun
1271
6a4cfb0c 1272@defun set-frame-selected-window frame window &optional norecord
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1273This sets the selected window of frame @var{frame} to @var{window}.
1274If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it operates on the selected frame. If
1275@var{frame} is the selected frame, this makes @var{window} the
1276selected window. This function returns @var{window}.
b8d4c8d0 1277
6a4cfb0c
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1278Optional argument @var{norecord} non-@code{nil} means to neither change
1279the order of recently selected windows nor the buffer list (@pxref{The
1280Buffer List}).
1281@end defun
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1282
1283 Another function that (usually) returns one of the windows in a given
1284frame is @code{minibuffer-window}. @xref{Definition of minibuffer-window}.
1285
1286@node Minibuffers and Frames
1287@section Minibuffers and Frames
1288
1289Normally, each frame has its own minibuffer window at the bottom, which
1290is used whenever that frame is selected. If the frame has a minibuffer,
1291you can get it with @code{minibuffer-window} (@pxref{Definition of
1292minibuffer-window}).
1293
1294However, you can also create a frame with no minibuffer. Such a frame
1295must use the minibuffer window of some other frame. When you create the
1296frame, you can specify explicitly the minibuffer window to use (in some
1297other frame). If you don't, then the minibuffer is found in the frame
1298which is the value of the variable @code{default-minibuffer-frame}. Its
1299value should be a frame that does have a minibuffer.
1300
1301If you use a minibuffer-only frame, you might want that frame to raise
1302when you enter the minibuffer. If so, set the variable
1303@code{minibuffer-auto-raise} to @code{t}. @xref{Raising and Lowering}.
1304
1305@defvar default-minibuffer-frame
1306This variable specifies the frame to use for the minibuffer window, by
1307default. It does not affect existing frames. It is always local to
1308the current terminal and cannot be buffer-local. @xref{Multiple
3ec61d4e 1309Terminals}.
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1310@end defvar
1311
1312@node Input Focus
1313@section Input Focus
1314@cindex input focus
1315@c @cindex selected frame Duplicates selected-frame
1316
1317At any time, one frame in Emacs is the @dfn{selected frame}. The selected
1318window always resides on the selected frame.
1319
1320When Emacs displays its frames on several terminals (@pxref{Multiple
3ec61d4e
CY
1321Terminals}), each terminal has its own selected frame. But only one
1322of these is ``@emph{the} selected frame'': it's the frame that belongs
1323to the terminal from which the most recent input came. That is, when
1324Emacs runs a command that came from a certain terminal, the selected
1325frame is the one of that terminal. Since Emacs runs only a single
1326command at any given time, it needs to consider only one selected
1327frame at a time; this frame is what we call @dfn{the selected frame}
1328in this manual. The display on which the selected frame is shown is
1329the @dfn{selected frame's display}.
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1330
1331@defun selected-frame
1332This function returns the selected frame.
1333@end defun
1334
1335Some window systems and window managers direct keyboard input to the
1336window object that the mouse is in; others require explicit clicks or
1337commands to @dfn{shift the focus} to various window objects. Either
1338way, Emacs automatically keeps track of which frame has the focus. To
6a4cfb0c 1339explicitly switch to a different frame from a Lisp function, call
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1340@code{select-frame-set-input-focus}.
1341
1342Lisp programs can also switch frames ``temporarily'' by calling the
1343function @code{select-frame}. This does not alter the window system's
1344concept of focus; rather, it escapes from the window manager's control
1345until that control is somehow reasserted.
1346
1347When using a text-only terminal, only one frame can be displayed at a
1348time on the terminal, so after a call to @code{select-frame}, the next
1349redisplay actually displays the newly selected frame. This frame
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1350remains selected until a subsequent call to @code{select-frame}. Each
1351terminal frame has a number which appears in the mode line before the
1352buffer name (@pxref{Mode Line Variables}).
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1353
1354@defun select-frame-set-input-focus frame
6a4cfb0c
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1355This function selects @var{frame}, raises it (should it happen to be
1356obscured by other frames) and tries to give it the X server's focus. On
1357a text-only terminal, the next redisplay displays the new frame on the
1358entire terminal screen. The return value of this function is not
1359significant.
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1360@end defun
1361
1362@c ??? This is not yet implemented properly.
6a4cfb0c 1363@defun select-frame frame &optional norecord
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1364This function selects frame @var{frame}, temporarily disregarding the
1365focus of the X server if any. The selection of @var{frame} lasts until
1366the next time the user does something to select a different frame, or
1367until the next time this function is called. (If you are using a
1368window system, the previously selected frame may be restored as the
1369selected frame after return to the command loop, because it still may
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1370have the window system's input focus.)
1371
1372The specified @var{frame} becomes the selected frame, as explained
1373above, and the terminal that @var{frame} is on becomes the selected
1374terminal. The window selected within @var{frame} becomes the selected
1375window. This function returns @var{frame}, or @code{nil} if @var{frame}
1376has been deleted.
1377
1378Optional argument @var{norecord} non-@code{nil} means to neither change
1379the order of recently selected windows nor the buffer list. @xref{The
1380Buffer List}.
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1381
1382In general, you should never use @code{select-frame} in a way that could
1383switch to a different terminal without switching back when you're done.
1384@end defun
1385
1386Emacs cooperates with the window system by arranging to select frames as
1387the server and window manager request. It does so by generating a
1388special kind of input event, called a @dfn{focus} event, when
1389appropriate. The command loop handles a focus event by calling
1390@code{handle-switch-frame}. @xref{Focus Events}.
1391
1392@deffn Command handle-switch-frame frame
1393This function handles a focus event by selecting frame @var{frame}.
1394
1395Focus events normally do their job by invoking this command.
1396Don't call it for any other reason.
1397@end deffn
1398
1399@defun redirect-frame-focus frame &optional focus-frame
1400This function redirects focus from @var{frame} to @var{focus-frame}.
1401This means that @var{focus-frame} will receive subsequent keystrokes and
1402events intended for @var{frame}. After such an event, the value of
1403@code{last-event-frame} will be @var{focus-frame}. Also, switch-frame
1404events specifying @var{frame} will instead select @var{focus-frame}.
1405
1406If @var{focus-frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, that cancels any existing
1407redirection for @var{frame}, which therefore once again receives its own
1408events.
1409
1410One use of focus redirection is for frames that don't have minibuffers.
1411These frames use minibuffers on other frames. Activating a minibuffer
1412on another frame redirects focus to that frame. This puts the focus on
1413the minibuffer's frame, where it belongs, even though the mouse remains
1414in the frame that activated the minibuffer.
1415
1416Selecting a frame can also change focus redirections. Selecting frame
1417@code{bar}, when @code{foo} had been selected, changes any redirections
1418pointing to @code{foo} so that they point to @code{bar} instead. This
1419allows focus redirection to work properly when the user switches from
1420one frame to another using @code{select-window}.
1421
1422This means that a frame whose focus is redirected to itself is treated
1423differently from a frame whose focus is not redirected.
1424@code{select-frame} affects the former but not the latter.
1425
1426The redirection lasts until @code{redirect-frame-focus} is called to
1427change it.
1428@end defun
1429
1430@defopt focus-follows-mouse
1431This option is how you inform Emacs whether the window manager transfers
1432focus when the user moves the mouse. Non-@code{nil} says that it does.
1433When this is so, the command @code{other-frame} moves the mouse to a
6a4cfb0c 1434position consistent with the new selected frame.
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1435@end defopt
1436
1437@node Visibility of Frames
1438@section Visibility of Frames
1439@cindex visible frame
1440@cindex invisible frame
1441@cindex iconified frame
1442@cindex frame visibility
1443
1444A window frame may be @dfn{visible}, @dfn{invisible}, or
1445@dfn{iconified}. If it is visible, you can see its contents, unless
1446other windows cover it. If it is iconified, the frame's contents do
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1447not appear on the screen, but an icon does. (Note: because of the
1448way in which some window managers implement the concept of multiple
1449workspaces, or desktops, all frames on other workspaces may appear to
1450Emacs to be iconified.) If the frame is invisible, it doesn't show on
1451the screen, not even as an icon.
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1452
1453Visibility is meaningless for terminal frames, since only the selected
1454one is actually displayed in any case.
1455
1456@deffn Command make-frame-visible &optional frame
1457This function makes frame @var{frame} visible. If you omit
1458@var{frame}, it makes the selected frame visible. This does not raise
1459the frame, but you can do that with @code{raise-frame} if you wish
1460(@pxref{Raising and Lowering}).
1461@end deffn
1462
1463@deffn Command make-frame-invisible &optional frame force
1464This function makes frame @var{frame} invisible. If you omit
1465@var{frame}, it makes the selected frame invisible.
1466
1467Unless @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, this function refuses to make
1468@var{frame} invisible if all other frames are invisible..
1469@end deffn
1470
1471@deffn Command iconify-frame &optional frame
1472This function iconifies frame @var{frame}. If you omit @var{frame}, it
1473iconifies the selected frame.
1474@end deffn
1475
1476@defun frame-visible-p frame
1477This returns the visibility status of frame @var{frame}. The value is
1478@code{t} if @var{frame} is visible, @code{nil} if it is invisible, and
1479@code{icon} if it is iconified.
1480
1481On a text-only terminal, all frames are considered visible, whether
1482they are currently being displayed or not, and this function returns
1483@code{t} for all frames.
1484@end defun
1485
1486 The visibility status of a frame is also available as a frame
1487parameter. You can read or change it as such. @xref{Management
1488Parameters}.
1489
1490 The user can iconify and deiconify frames with the window manager.
1491This happens below the level at which Emacs can exert any control, but
1492Emacs does provide events that you can use to keep track of such
1493changes. @xref{Misc Events}.
1494
1495@node Raising and Lowering
1496@section Raising and Lowering Frames
1497
1498 Most window systems use a desktop metaphor. Part of this metaphor is
1499the idea that windows are stacked in a notional third dimension
1500perpendicular to the screen surface, and thus ordered from ``highest''
1501to ``lowest.'' Where two windows overlap, the one higher up covers
1502the one underneath. Even a window at the bottom of the stack can be
1503seen if no other window overlaps it.
1504
1505@c @cindex raising a frame redundant with raise-frame
1506@cindex lowering a frame
1507 A window's place in this ordering is not fixed; in fact, users tend
1508to change the order frequently. @dfn{Raising} a window means moving
1509it ``up,'' to the top of the stack. @dfn{Lowering} a window means
1510moving it to the bottom of the stack. This motion is in the notional
1511third dimension only, and does not change the position of the window
1512on the screen.
1513
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1514 With Emacs, frames constitute the windows in the metaphor sketched
1515above. You can raise and lower frames using these functions:
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1516
1517@deffn Command raise-frame &optional frame
1518This function raises frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
1519If @var{frame} is invisible or iconified, this makes it visible.
1520@end deffn
1521
1522@deffn Command lower-frame &optional frame
1523This function lowers frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
1524@end deffn
1525
1526@defopt minibuffer-auto-raise
1527If this is non-@code{nil}, activation of the minibuffer raises the frame
1528that the minibuffer window is in.
1529@end defopt
1530
1531You can also enable auto-raise (raising automatically when a frame is
1532selected) or auto-lower (lowering automatically when it is deselected)
1533for any frame using frame parameters. @xref{Management Parameters}.
1534
1535@node Frame Configurations
1536@section Frame Configurations
1537@cindex frame configuration
1538
1539 A @dfn{frame configuration} records the current arrangement of frames,
1540all their properties, and the window configuration of each one.
1541(@xref{Window Configurations}.)
1542
1543@defun current-frame-configuration
1544This function returns a frame configuration list that describes
1545the current arrangement of frames and their contents.
1546@end defun
1547
1548@defun set-frame-configuration configuration &optional nodelete
1549This function restores the state of frames described in
1550@var{configuration}. However, this function does not restore deleted
1551frames.
1552
1553Ordinarily, this function deletes all existing frames not listed in
1554@var{configuration}. But if @var{nodelete} is non-@code{nil}, the
1555unwanted frames are iconified instead.
1556@end defun
1557
1558@node Mouse Tracking
1559@section Mouse Tracking
1560@cindex mouse tracking
1561@c @cindex tracking the mouse Duplicates track-mouse
1562
1563 Sometimes it is useful to @dfn{track} the mouse, which means to display
1564something to indicate where the mouse is and move the indicator as the
1565mouse moves. For efficient mouse tracking, you need a way to wait until
1566the mouse actually moves.
1567
1568 The convenient way to track the mouse is to ask for events to represent
1569mouse motion. Then you can wait for motion by waiting for an event. In
1570addition, you can easily handle any other sorts of events that may
1571occur. That is useful, because normally you don't want to track the
1572mouse forever---only until some other event, such as the release of a
1573button.
1574
1575@defspec track-mouse body@dots{}
1576This special form executes @var{body}, with generation of mouse motion
6a4cfb0c 1577events enabled. Typically, @var{body} would use @code{read-event} to
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1578read the motion events and modify the display accordingly. @xref{Motion
1579Events}, for the format of mouse motion events.
1580
1581The value of @code{track-mouse} is that of the last form in @var{body}.
1582You should design @var{body} to return when it sees the up-event that
1583indicates the release of the button, or whatever kind of event means
1584it is time to stop tracking.
1585@end defspec
1586
1587The usual purpose of tracking mouse motion is to indicate on the screen
1588the consequences of pushing or releasing a button at the current
1589position.
1590
1591In many cases, you can avoid the need to track the mouse by using
1592the @code{mouse-face} text property (@pxref{Special Properties}).
1593That works at a much lower level and runs more smoothly than
1594Lisp-level mouse tracking.
1595
1596@ignore
1597@c These are not implemented yet.
1598
1599These functions change the screen appearance instantaneously. The
1600effect is transient, only until the next ordinary Emacs redisplay. That
1601is OK for mouse tracking, since it doesn't make sense for mouse tracking
1602to change the text, and the body of @code{track-mouse} normally reads
1603the events itself and does not do redisplay.
1604
1605@defun x-contour-region window beg end
1606This function draws lines to make a box around the text from @var{beg}
1607to @var{end}, in window @var{window}.
1608@end defun
1609
1610@defun x-uncontour-region window beg end
1611This function erases the lines that would make a box around the text
1612from @var{beg} to @var{end}, in window @var{window}. Use it to remove
1613a contour that you previously made by calling @code{x-contour-region}.
1614@end defun
1615
1616@defun x-draw-rectangle frame left top right bottom
1617This function draws a hollow rectangle on frame @var{frame} with the
1618specified edge coordinates, all measured in pixels from the inside top
1619left corner. It uses the cursor color, the one used for indicating the
1620location of point.
1621@end defun
1622
1623@defun x-erase-rectangle frame left top right bottom
1624This function erases a hollow rectangle on frame @var{frame} with the
1625specified edge coordinates, all measured in pixels from the inside top
1626left corner. Erasure means redrawing the text and background that
1627normally belong in the specified rectangle.
1628@end defun
1629@end ignore
1630
1631@node Mouse Position
1632@section Mouse Position
1633@cindex mouse position
1634@cindex position of mouse
1635
1636 The functions @code{mouse-position} and @code{set-mouse-position}
1637give access to the current position of the mouse.
1638
1639@defun mouse-position
1640This function returns a description of the position of the mouse. The
1641value looks like @code{(@var{frame} @var{x} . @var{y})}, where @var{x}
1642and @var{y} are integers giving the position in characters relative to
1643the top left corner of the inside of @var{frame}.
1644@end defun
1645
1646@defvar mouse-position-function
1647If non-@code{nil}, the value of this variable is a function for
1648@code{mouse-position} to call. @code{mouse-position} calls this
1649function just before returning, with its normal return value as the
1650sole argument, and it returns whatever this function returns to it.
1651
1652This abnormal hook exists for the benefit of packages like
1653@file{xt-mouse.el} that need to do mouse handling at the Lisp level.
1654@end defvar
1655
1656@defun set-mouse-position frame x y
1657This function @dfn{warps the mouse} to position @var{x}, @var{y} in
1658frame @var{frame}. The arguments @var{x} and @var{y} are integers,
1659giving the position in characters relative to the top left corner of the
1660inside of @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is not visible, this function
1661does nothing. The return value is not significant.
1662@end defun
1663
1664@defun mouse-pixel-position
1665This function is like @code{mouse-position} except that it returns
1666coordinates in units of pixels rather than units of characters.
1667@end defun
1668
1669@defun set-mouse-pixel-position frame x y
1670This function warps the mouse like @code{set-mouse-position} except that
1671@var{x} and @var{y} are in units of pixels rather than units of
1672characters. These coordinates are not required to be within the frame.
1673
1674If @var{frame} is not visible, this function does nothing. The return
1675value is not significant.
1676@end defun
1677
1678@need 3000
1679
1680@node Pop-Up Menus
1681@section Pop-Up Menus
1682
1683 When using a window system, a Lisp program can pop up a menu so that
1684the user can choose an alternative with the mouse.
1685
1686@defun x-popup-menu position menu
1687This function displays a pop-up menu and returns an indication of
1688what selection the user makes.
1689
1690The argument @var{position} specifies where on the screen to put the
1691top left corner of the menu. It can be either a mouse button event
1692(which says to put the menu where the user actuated the button) or a
1693list of this form:
1694
1695@example
1696((@var{xoffset} @var{yoffset}) @var{window})
1697@end example
1698
1699@noindent
1700where @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} are coordinates, measured in
1701pixels, counting from the top left corner of @var{window}. @var{window}
1702may be a window or a frame.
1703
1704If @var{position} is @code{t}, it means to use the current mouse
1705position. If @var{position} is @code{nil}, it means to precompute the
1706key binding equivalents for the keymaps specified in @var{menu},
1707without actually displaying or popping up the menu.
1708
1709The argument @var{menu} says what to display in the menu. It can be a
1710keymap or a list of keymaps (@pxref{Menu Keymaps}). In this case, the
1711return value is the list of events corresponding to the user's choice.
1712(This list has more than one element if the choice occurred in a
1713submenu.) Note that @code{x-popup-menu} does not actually execute the
1714command bound to that sequence of events.
1715
1716Alternatively, @var{menu} can have the following form:
1717
1718@example
1719(@var{title} @var{pane1} @var{pane2}...)
1720@end example
1721
1722@noindent
1723where each pane is a list of form
1724
1725@example
1726(@var{title} @var{item1} @var{item2}...)
1727@end example
1728
1729Each item should normally be a cons cell @code{(@var{line} . @var{value})},
1730where @var{line} is a string, and @var{value} is the value to return if
1731that @var{line} is chosen. An item can also be a string; this makes a
1732non-selectable line in the menu.
1733
1734If the user gets rid of the menu without making a valid choice, for
1735instance by clicking the mouse away from a valid choice or by typing
1736keyboard input, then this normally results in a quit and
1737@code{x-popup-menu} does not return. But if @var{position} is a mouse
1738button event (indicating that the user invoked the menu with the
1739mouse) then no quit occurs and @code{x-popup-menu} returns @code{nil}.
1740@end defun
1741
1742 @strong{Usage note:} Don't use @code{x-popup-menu} to display a menu
1743if you could do the job with a prefix key defined with a menu keymap.
1744If you use a menu keymap to implement a menu, @kbd{C-h c} and @kbd{C-h
1745a} can see the individual items in that menu and provide help for them.
1746If instead you implement the menu by defining a command that calls
1747@code{x-popup-menu}, the help facilities cannot know what happens inside
1748that command, so they cannot give any help for the menu's items.
1749
1750 The menu bar mechanism, which lets you switch between submenus by
1751moving the mouse, cannot look within the definition of a command to see
1752that it calls @code{x-popup-menu}. Therefore, if you try to implement a
1753submenu using @code{x-popup-menu}, it cannot work with the menu bar in
1754an integrated fashion. This is why all menu bar submenus are
1755implemented with menu keymaps within the parent menu, and never with
1756@code{x-popup-menu}. @xref{Menu Bar}.
1757
1758 If you want a menu bar submenu to have contents that vary, you should
1759still use a menu keymap to implement it. To make the contents vary, add
1760a hook function to @code{menu-bar-update-hook} to update the contents of
1761the menu keymap as necessary.
1762
1763@node Dialog Boxes
1764@section Dialog Boxes
1765@cindex dialog boxes
1766
1767 A dialog box is a variant of a pop-up menu---it looks a little
1768different, it always appears in the center of a frame, and it has just
1769one level and one or more buttons. The main use of dialog boxes is
1770for asking questions that the user can answer with ``yes,'' ``no,''
1771and a few other alternatives. With a single button, they can also
1772force the user to acknowledge important information. The functions
1773@code{y-or-n-p} and @code{yes-or-no-p} use dialog boxes instead of the
1774keyboard, when called from commands invoked by mouse clicks.
1775
1776@defun x-popup-dialog position contents &optional header
1777This function displays a pop-up dialog box and returns an indication of
1778what selection the user makes. The argument @var{contents} specifies
1779the alternatives to offer; it has this format:
1780
1781@example
1782(@var{title} (@var{string} . @var{value})@dots{})
1783@end example
1784
1785@noindent
1786which looks like the list that specifies a single pane for
1787@code{x-popup-menu}.
1788
1789The return value is @var{value} from the chosen alternative.
1790
1791As for @code{x-popup-menu}, an element of the list may be just a
1792string instead of a cons cell @code{(@var{string} . @var{value})}.
1793That makes a box that cannot be selected.
1794
1795If @code{nil} appears in the list, it separates the left-hand items from
1796the right-hand items; items that precede the @code{nil} appear on the
1797left, and items that follow the @code{nil} appear on the right. If you
1798don't include a @code{nil} in the list, then approximately half the
1799items appear on each side.
1800
1801Dialog boxes always appear in the center of a frame; the argument
1802@var{position} specifies which frame. The possible values are as in
1803@code{x-popup-menu}, but the precise coordinates or the individual
1804window don't matter; only the frame matters.
1805
1806If @var{header} is non-@code{nil}, the frame title for the box is
1807@samp{Information}, otherwise it is @samp{Question}. The former is used
1808for @code{message-box} (@pxref{message-box}).
1809
1810In some configurations, Emacs cannot display a real dialog box; so
1811instead it displays the same items in a pop-up menu in the center of the
1812frame.
1813
1814If the user gets rid of the dialog box without making a valid choice,
1815for instance using the window manager, then this produces a quit and
1816@code{x-popup-dialog} does not return.
1817@end defun
1818
1819@node Pointer Shape
1820@section Pointer Shape
1821@cindex pointer shape
1822@cindex mouse pointer shape
1823
1824 You can specify the mouse pointer style for particular text or
1825images using the @code{pointer} text property, and for images with the
1826@code{:pointer} and @code{:map} image properties. The values you can
1827use in these properties are @code{text} (or @code{nil}), @code{arrow},
1828@code{hand}, @code{vdrag}, @code{hdrag}, @code{modeline}, and
1829@code{hourglass}. @code{text} stands for the usual mouse pointer
1830style used over text.
1831
1832 Over void parts of the window (parts that do not correspond to any
1833of the buffer contents), the mouse pointer usually uses the
1834@code{arrow} style, but you can specify a different style (one of
1835those above) by setting @code{void-text-area-pointer}.
1836
1837@defvar void-text-area-pointer
1838This variable specifies the mouse pointer style for void text areas.
1839These include the areas after the end of a line or below the last line
1840in the buffer. The default is to use the @code{arrow} (non-text)
1841pointer style.
1842@end defvar
1843
3568e767
JR
1844 When using X, you can specify what the @code{text} pointer style
1845really looks like by setting the variable @code{x-pointer-shape}.
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1846
1847@defvar x-pointer-shape
1848This variable specifies the pointer shape to use ordinarily in the
1849Emacs frame, for the @code{text} pointer style.
1850@end defvar
1851
1852@defvar x-sensitive-text-pointer-shape
1853This variable specifies the pointer shape to use when the mouse
1854is over mouse-sensitive text.
1855@end defvar
1856
1857 These variables affect newly created frames. They do not normally
1858affect existing frames; however, if you set the mouse color of a
1859frame, that also installs the current value of those two variables.
80be4dd7 1860@xref{Font and Color Parameters}.
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1861
1862 The values you can use, to specify either of these pointer shapes, are
1863defined in the file @file{lisp/term/x-win.el}. Use @kbd{M-x apropos
1864@key{RET} x-pointer @key{RET}} to see a list of them.
1865
1866@node Window System Selections
1867@section Window System Selections
1868@cindex selection (for window systems)
1869
1870The X server records a set of @dfn{selections} which permit transfer of
1871data between application programs. The various selections are
1872distinguished by @dfn{selection types}, represented in Emacs by
1873symbols. X clients including Emacs can read or set the selection for
1874any given type.
1875
1876@deffn Command x-set-selection type data
1877This function sets a ``selection'' in the X server. It takes two
1878arguments: a selection type @var{type}, and the value to assign to it,
1879@var{data}. If @var{data} is @code{nil}, it means to clear out the
1880selection. Otherwise, @var{data} may be a string, a symbol, an integer
1881(or a cons of two integers or list of two integers), an overlay, or a
1882cons of two markers pointing to the same buffer. An overlay or a pair
1883of markers stands for text in the overlay or between the markers.
1884
1885The argument @var{data} may also be a vector of valid non-vector
1886selection values.
1887
1888Each possible @var{type} has its own selection value, which changes
1889independently. The usual values of @var{type} are @code{PRIMARY},
1890@code{SECONDARY} and @code{CLIPBOARD}; these are symbols with upper-case
1891names, in accord with X Window System conventions. If @var{type} is
1892@code{nil}, that stands for @code{PRIMARY}.
1893
1894This function returns @var{data}.
1895@end deffn
1896
1897@defun x-get-selection &optional type data-type
1898This function accesses selections set up by Emacs or by other X
1899clients. It takes two optional arguments, @var{type} and
1900@var{data-type}. The default for @var{type}, the selection type, is
1901@code{PRIMARY}.
1902
1903The @var{data-type} argument specifies the form of data conversion to
1904use, to convert the raw data obtained from another X client into Lisp
1905data. Meaningful values include @code{TEXT}, @code{STRING},
1906@code{UTF8_STRING}, @code{TARGETS}, @code{LENGTH}, @code{DELETE},
1907@code{FILE_NAME}, @code{CHARACTER_POSITION}, @code{NAME},
1908@code{LINE_NUMBER}, @code{COLUMN_NUMBER}, @code{OWNER_OS},
1909@code{HOST_NAME}, @code{USER}, @code{CLASS}, @code{ATOM}, and
1910@code{INTEGER}. (These are symbols with upper-case names in accord
1911with X conventions.) The default for @var{data-type} is
1912@code{STRING}.
1913@end defun
1914
1915@cindex cut buffer
1916The X server also has a set of eight numbered @dfn{cut buffers} which can
1917store text or other data being moved between applications. Cut buffers
1918are considered obsolete, but Emacs supports them for the sake of X
1919clients that still use them. Cut buffers are numbered from 0 to 7.
1920
1921@defun x-get-cut-buffer &optional n
1922This function returns the contents of cut buffer number @var{n}.
1923If omitted @var{n} defaults to 0.
1924@end defun
1925
1926@defun x-set-cut-buffer string &optional push
1927@anchor{Definition of x-set-cut-buffer}
1928This function stores @var{string} into the first cut buffer (cut buffer
19290). If @var{push} is @code{nil}, only the first cut buffer is changed.
1930If @var{push} is non-@code{nil}, that says to move the values down
1931through the series of cut buffers, much like the way successive kills in
1932Emacs move down the kill ring. In other words, the previous value of
1933the first cut buffer moves into the second cut buffer, and the second to
1934the third, and so on through all eight cut buffers.
1935@end defun
1936
01f17ae2 1937@defopt selection-coding-system
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1938This variable specifies the coding system to use when reading and
1939writing selections or the clipboard. @xref{Coding
1940Systems}. The default is @code{compound-text-with-extensions}, which
1941converts to the text representation that X11 normally uses.
01f17ae2 1942@end defopt
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1943
1944@cindex clipboard support (for MS-Windows)
1945When Emacs runs on MS-Windows, it does not implement X selections in
1946general, but it does support the clipboard. @code{x-get-selection}
1947and @code{x-set-selection} on MS-Windows support the text data type
1948only; if the clipboard holds other types of data, Emacs treats the
1949clipboard as empty.
1950
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1951@defopt x-select-enable-clipboard
1952If this is non-@code{nil}, the Emacs yank functions consult the
1953clipboard before the primary selection, and the kill functions store in
1954the clipboard as well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not
1955access the clipboard at all. The default is @code{nil} on most systems,
9e2a2647 1956but @code{t} on MS-Windows.
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1957@end defopt
1958
1959@node Drag and Drop
1960@section Drag and Drop
1961
1962@vindex x-dnd-test-function
1963@vindex x-dnd-known-types
1964 When a user drags something from another application over Emacs, that other
1965application expects Emacs to tell it if Emacs can handle the data that is
1966dragged. The variable @code{x-dnd-test-function} is used by Emacs to determine
1967what to reply. The default value is @code{x-dnd-default-test-function}
1968which accepts drops if the type of the data to be dropped is present in
1969@code{x-dnd-known-types}. You can customize @code{x-dnd-test-function} and/or
1970@code{x-dnd-known-types} if you want Emacs to accept or reject drops based
1971on some other criteria.
1972
1973@vindex x-dnd-types-alist
1974 If you want to change the way Emacs handles drop of different types
1975or add a new type, customize @code{x-dnd-types-alist}. This requires
1976detailed knowledge of what types other applications use for drag and
1977drop.
1978
1979@vindex dnd-protocol-alist
1980 When an URL is dropped on Emacs it may be a file, but it may also be
1981another URL type (ftp, http, etc.). Emacs first checks
1982@code{dnd-protocol-alist} to determine what to do with the URL. If
1983there is no match there and if @code{browse-url-browser-function} is
1984an alist, Emacs looks for a match there. If no match is found the
1985text for the URL is inserted. If you want to alter Emacs behavior,
1986you can customize these variables.
1987
1988@node Color Names
1989@section Color Names
1990
1991@cindex color names
1992@cindex specify color
1993@cindex numerical RGB color specification
1994 A color name is text (usually in a string) that specifies a color.
1995Symbolic names such as @samp{black}, @samp{white}, @samp{red}, etc.,
1996are allowed; use @kbd{M-x list-colors-display} to see a list of
1997defined names. You can also specify colors numerically in forms such
1998as @samp{#@var{rgb}} and @samp{RGB:@var{r}/@var{g}/@var{b}}, where
1999@var{r} specifies the red level, @var{g} specifies the green level,
2000and @var{b} specifies the blue level. You can use either one, two,
2001three, or four hex digits for @var{r}; then you must use the same
2002number of hex digits for all @var{g} and @var{b} as well, making
2003either 3, 6, 9 or 12 hex digits in all. (See the documentation of the
2004X Window System for more details about numerical RGB specification of
2005colors.)
2006
2007 These functions provide a way to determine which color names are
2008valid, and what they look like. In some cases, the value depends on the
2009@dfn{selected frame}, as described below; see @ref{Input Focus}, for the
2010meaning of the term ``selected frame.''
2011
73b7530a
EZ
2012 To read user input of color names with completion, use
2013@code{read-color} (@pxref{High-Level Completion, read-color}).
2014
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2015@defun color-defined-p color &optional frame
2016This function reports whether a color name is meaningful. It returns
2017@code{t} if so; otherwise, @code{nil}. The argument @var{frame} says
2018which frame's display to ask about; if @var{frame} is omitted or
2019@code{nil}, the selected frame is used.
2020
2021Note that this does not tell you whether the display you are using
2022really supports that color. When using X, you can ask for any defined
2023color on any kind of display, and you will get some result---typically,
2024the closest it can do. To determine whether a frame can really display
2025a certain color, use @code{color-supported-p} (see below).
2026
2027@findex x-color-defined-p
2028This function used to be called @code{x-color-defined-p},
2029and that name is still supported as an alias.
2030@end defun
2031
2032@defun defined-colors &optional frame
2033This function returns a list of the color names that are defined
2034and supported on frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
2035If @var{frame} does not support colors, the value is @code{nil}.
2036
2037@findex x-defined-colors
2038This function used to be called @code{x-defined-colors},
2039and that name is still supported as an alias.
2040@end defun
2041
2042@defun color-supported-p color &optional frame background-p
2043This returns @code{t} if @var{frame} can really display the color
2044@var{color} (or at least something close to it). If @var{frame} is
2045omitted or @code{nil}, the question applies to the selected frame.
2046
2047Some terminals support a different set of colors for foreground and
2048background. If @var{background-p} is non-@code{nil}, that means you are
2049asking whether @var{color} can be used as a background; otherwise you
2050are asking whether it can be used as a foreground.
2051
2052The argument @var{color} must be a valid color name.
2053@end defun
2054
2055@defun color-gray-p color &optional frame
2056This returns @code{t} if @var{color} is a shade of gray, as defined on
2057@var{frame}'s display. If @var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, the
2058question applies to the selected frame. If @var{color} is not a valid
2059color name, this function returns @code{nil}.
2060@end defun
2061
2062@defun color-values color &optional frame
2063@cindex rgb value
2064This function returns a value that describes what @var{color} should
2065ideally look like on @var{frame}. If @var{color} is defined, the
2066value is a list of three integers, which give the amount of red, the
2067amount of green, and the amount of blue. Each integer ranges in
2068principle from 0 to 65535, but some displays may not use the full
2069range. This three-element list is called the @dfn{rgb values} of the
2070color.
2071
2072If @var{color} is not defined, the value is @code{nil}.
2073
2074@example
2075(color-values "black")
2076 @result{} (0 0 0)
2077(color-values "white")
2078 @result{} (65280 65280 65280)
2079(color-values "red")
2080 @result{} (65280 0 0)
2081(color-values "pink")
2082 @result{} (65280 49152 51968)
2083(color-values "hungry")
2084 @result{} nil
2085@end example
2086
2087The color values are returned for @var{frame}'s display. If
2088@var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, the information is returned for
2089the selected frame's display. If the frame cannot display colors, the
2090value is @code{nil}.
2091
2092@findex x-color-values
2093This function used to be called @code{x-color-values},
2094and that name is still supported as an alias.
2095@end defun
2096
2097@node Text Terminal Colors
2098@section Text Terminal Colors
2099@cindex colors on text-only terminals
2100
2101 Text-only terminals usually support only a small number of colors,
2102and the computer uses small integers to select colors on the terminal.
2103This means that the computer cannot reliably tell what the selected
2104color looks like; instead, you have to inform your application which
2105small integers correspond to which colors. However, Emacs does know
2106the standard set of colors and will try to use them automatically.
2107
2108 The functions described in this section control how terminal colors
2109are used by Emacs.
2110
2111 Several of these functions use or return @dfn{rgb values}, described
2112in @ref{Color Names}.
2113
2114 These functions accept a display (either a frame or the name of a
ee1b1917
CY
2115terminal) as an optional argument. We hope in the future to make
2116Emacs support different colors on different text-only terminals; then
2117this argument will specify which terminal to operate on (the default
2118being the selected frame's terminal; @pxref{Input Focus}). At
2119present, though, the @var{frame} argument has no effect.
b8d4c8d0
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2120
2121@defun tty-color-define name number &optional rgb frame
2122This function associates the color name @var{name} with
2123color number @var{number} on the terminal.
2124
2125The optional argument @var{rgb}, if specified, is an rgb value, a list
2126of three numbers that specify what the color actually looks like.
2127If you do not specify @var{rgb}, then this color cannot be used by
2128@code{tty-color-approximate} to approximate other colors, because
2129Emacs will not know what it looks like.
2130@end defun
2131
2132@defun tty-color-clear &optional frame
2133This function clears the table of defined colors for a text-only terminal.
2134@end defun
2135
2136@defun tty-color-alist &optional frame
2137This function returns an alist recording the known colors supported by a
2138text-only terminal.
2139
2140Each element has the form @code{(@var{name} @var{number} . @var{rgb})}
2141or @code{(@var{name} @var{number})}. Here, @var{name} is the color
2142name, @var{number} is the number used to specify it to the terminal.
2143If present, @var{rgb} is a list of three color values (for red, green,
2144and blue) that says what the color actually looks like.
2145@end defun
2146
2147@defun tty-color-approximate rgb &optional frame
2148This function finds the closest color, among the known colors
2149supported for @var{display}, to that described by the rgb value
2150@var{rgb} (a list of color values). The return value is an element of
2151@code{tty-color-alist}.
2152@end defun
2153
2154@defun tty-color-translate color &optional frame
2155This function finds the closest color to @var{color} among the known
2156colors supported for @var{display} and returns its index (an integer).
2157If the name @var{color} is not defined, the value is @code{nil}.
2158@end defun
2159
2160@node Resources
2161@section X Resources
2162
2163@defun x-get-resource attribute class &optional component subclass
2164The function @code{x-get-resource} retrieves a resource value from the X
2165Window defaults database.
2166
2167Resources are indexed by a combination of a @dfn{key} and a @dfn{class}.
2168This function searches using a key of the form
2169@samp{@var{instance}.@var{attribute}} (where @var{instance} is the name
2170under which Emacs was invoked), and using @samp{Emacs.@var{class}} as
2171the class.
2172
2173The optional arguments @var{component} and @var{subclass} add to the key
2174and the class, respectively. You must specify both of them or neither.
2175If you specify them, the key is
2176@samp{@var{instance}.@var{component}.@var{attribute}}, and the class is
2177@samp{Emacs.@var{class}.@var{subclass}}.
2178@end defun
2179
2180@defvar x-resource-class
2181This variable specifies the application name that @code{x-get-resource}
2182should look up. The default value is @code{"Emacs"}. You can examine X
2183resources for application names other than ``Emacs'' by binding this
2184variable to some other string, around a call to @code{x-get-resource}.
2185@end defvar
2186
2187@defvar x-resource-name
2188This variable specifies the instance name that @code{x-get-resource}
2189should look up. The default value is the name Emacs was invoked with,
2190or the value specified with the @samp{-name} or @samp{-rn} switches.
2191@end defvar
2192
2193To illustrate some of the above, suppose that you have the line:
2194
2195@example
2196xterm.vt100.background: yellow
2197@end example
2198
2199@noindent
2200in your X resources file (whose name is usually @file{~/.Xdefaults}
2201or @file{~/.Xresources}). Then:
2202
2203@example
2204@group
2205(let ((x-resource-class "XTerm") (x-resource-name "xterm"))
2206 (x-get-resource "vt100.background" "VT100.Background"))
2207 @result{} "yellow"
2208@end group
2209@group
2210(let ((x-resource-class "XTerm") (x-resource-name "xterm"))
2211 (x-get-resource "background" "VT100" "vt100" "Background"))
2212 @result{} "yellow"
2213@end group
2214@end example
2215
2216 @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
2217
2218@node Display Feature Testing
2219@section Display Feature Testing
2220@cindex display feature testing
2221
2222 The functions in this section describe the basic capabilities of a
2223particular display. Lisp programs can use them to adapt their behavior
2224to what the display can do. For example, a program that ordinarily uses
2225a popup menu could use the minibuffer if popup menus are not supported.
2226
2227 The optional argument @var{display} in these functions specifies which
2228display to ask the question about. It can be a display name, a frame
2229(which designates the display that frame is on), or @code{nil} (which
2230refers to the selected frame's display, @pxref{Input Focus}).
2231
2232 @xref{Color Names}, @ref{Text Terminal Colors}, for other functions to
2233obtain information about displays.
2234
2235@defun display-popup-menus-p &optional display
2236This function returns @code{t} if popup menus are supported on
2237@var{display}, @code{nil} if not. Support for popup menus requires that
2238the mouse be available, since the user cannot choose menu items without
2239a mouse.
2240@end defun
2241
2242@defun display-graphic-p &optional display
2243This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} is a graphic display
2244capable of displaying several frames and several different fonts at
2245once. This is true for displays that use a window system such as X, and
2246false for text-only terminals.
2247@end defun
2248
2249@defun display-mouse-p &optional display
2250@cindex mouse, availability
2251This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} has a mouse available,
2252@code{nil} if not.
2253@end defun
2254
2255@defun display-color-p &optional display
2256@findex x-display-color-p
2257This function returns @code{t} if the screen is a color screen.
2258It used to be called @code{x-display-color-p}, and that name
2259is still supported as an alias.
2260@end defun
2261
2262@defun display-grayscale-p &optional display
2263This function returns @code{t} if the screen can display shades of gray.
2264(All color displays can do this.)
2265@end defun
2266
2267@defun display-supports-face-attributes-p attributes &optional display
2268@anchor{Display Face Attribute Testing}
2269This function returns non-@code{nil} if all the face attributes in
2270@var{attributes} are supported (@pxref{Face Attributes}).
2271
2272The definition of `supported' is somewhat heuristic, but basically
2273means that a face containing all the attributes in @var{attributes},
2274when merged with the default face for display, can be represented in a
2275way that's
2276
2277@enumerate
2278@item
2279different in appearance than the default face, and
2280
2281@item
2282`close in spirit' to what the attributes specify, if not exact.
2283@end enumerate
2284
2285Point (2) implies that a @code{:weight black} attribute will be
2286satisfied by any display that can display bold, as will
2287@code{:foreground "yellow"} as long as some yellowish color can be
2288displayed, but @code{:slant italic} will @emph{not} be satisfied by
2289the tty display code's automatic substitution of a `dim' face for
2290italic.
2291@end defun
2292
2293@defun display-selections-p &optional display
2294This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} supports selections.
2295Windowed displays normally support selections, but they may also be
2296supported in some other cases.
2297@end defun
2298
2299@defun display-images-p &optional display
2300This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} can display images.
2301Windowed displays ought in principle to handle images, but some
2302systems lack the support for that. On a display that does not support
2303images, Emacs cannot display a tool bar.
2304@end defun
2305
2306@defun display-screens &optional display
2307This function returns the number of screens associated with the display.
2308@end defun
2309
2310@defun display-pixel-height &optional display
2311This function returns the height of the screen in pixels.
2312On a character terminal, it gives the height in characters.
2313
2314For graphical terminals, note that on ``multi-monitor'' setups this
2315refers to the pixel width for all physical monitors associated with
3ec61d4e 2316@var{display}. @xref{Multiple Terminals}.
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2317@end defun
2318
2319@defun display-pixel-width &optional display
2320This function returns the width of the screen in pixels.
2321On a character terminal, it gives the width in characters.
2322
2323For graphical terminals, note that on ``multi-monitor'' setups this
2324refers to the pixel width for all physical monitors associated with
3ec61d4e 2325@var{display}. @xref{Multiple Terminals}.
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2326@end defun
2327
2328@defun display-mm-height &optional display
2329This function returns the height of the screen in millimeters,
2330or @code{nil} if Emacs cannot get that information.
2331@end defun
2332
2333@defun display-mm-width &optional display
2334This function returns the width of the screen in millimeters,
2335or @code{nil} if Emacs cannot get that information.
2336@end defun
2337
01f17ae2 2338@defopt display-mm-dimensions-alist
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2339This variable allows the user to specify the dimensions of graphical
2340displays returned by @code{display-mm-height} and
2341@code{display-mm-width} in case the system provides incorrect values.
01f17ae2 2342@end defopt
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2343
2344@defun display-backing-store &optional display
2345This function returns the backing store capability of the display.
2346Backing store means recording the pixels of windows (and parts of
2347windows) that are not exposed, so that when exposed they can be
2348displayed very quickly.
2349
2350Values can be the symbols @code{always}, @code{when-mapped}, or
2351@code{not-useful}. The function can also return @code{nil}
2352when the question is inapplicable to a certain kind of display.
2353@end defun
2354
2355@defun display-save-under &optional display
2356This function returns non-@code{nil} if the display supports the
2357SaveUnder feature. That feature is used by pop-up windows
2358to save the pixels they obscure, so that they can pop down
2359quickly.
2360@end defun
2361
2362@defun display-planes &optional display
2363This function returns the number of planes the display supports.
2364This is typically the number of bits per pixel.
2365For a tty display, it is log to base two of the number of colors supported.
2366@end defun
2367
2368@defun display-visual-class &optional display
2369This function returns the visual class for the screen. The value is one
2370of the symbols @code{static-gray}, @code{gray-scale},
2371@code{static-color}, @code{pseudo-color}, @code{true-color}, and
2372@code{direct-color}.
2373@end defun
2374
2375@defun display-color-cells &optional display
2376This function returns the number of color cells the screen supports.
2377@end defun
2378
2379 These functions obtain additional information specifically
2380about X displays.
2381
2382@defun x-server-version &optional display
2383This function returns the list of version numbers of the X server
2384running the display. The value is a list of three integers: the major
2385and minor version numbers of the X protocol, and the
2386distributor-specific release number of the X server software itself.
2387@end defun
2388
2389@defun x-server-vendor &optional display
2390This function returns the ``vendor'' that provided the X server
2391software (as a string). Really this means whoever distributes the X
2392server.
2393
2394When the developers of X labelled software distributors as
2395``vendors,'' they showed their false assumption that no system could
2396ever be developed and distributed noncommercially.
2397@end defun
2398
2399@ignore
2400@defvar x-no-window-manager
2401This variable's value is @code{t} if no X window manager is in use.
2402@end defvar
2403@end ignore
2404
2405@ignore
2406@item
2407The functions @code{x-pixel-width} and @code{x-pixel-height} return the
2408width and height of an X Window frame, measured in pixels.
2409@end ignore
2410
b4022203 2411
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2412@ignore
2413 arch-tag: 94977df6-3dca-4730-b57b-c6329e9282ba
2414@end ignore