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1@c -*-texinfo-*-
2@c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
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3@c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001,
4@c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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5@c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
6@setfilename ../info/frames
7@node Frames, Positions, Windows, Top
8@chapter Frames
9@cindex frame
10
cdbd53be 11 In Emacs editing, A @dfn{frame} is a screen object that contains one
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12or more Emacs windows. It's the kind of object that is 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.
16
17 A frame initially contains a single main window and/or a minibuffer
18window; you can subdivide the main window vertically or horizontally
19into smaller windows. In Emacs Lisp, a @dfn{frame object} is a Lisp
20object that represents a frame on the screen.
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21
22@cindex terminal frame
22697dac 23 When Emacs runs on a text-only terminal, it starts with one
eaac2be1 24@dfn{terminal frame}. If you create additional ones, Emacs displays
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25one and only one at any given time---on the terminal screen, of course.
26
a9f0a989 27@cindex window frame
969fe9b5 28 When Emacs communicates directly with a supported window system, such
e294b7f1 29as X, it does not have a terminal frame; instead, it starts with
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30a single @dfn{window frame}, but you can create more, and Emacs can
31display several such frames at once as is usual for window systems.
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32
33@defun framep object
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34This predicate returns a non-@code{nil} value if @var{object} is a
35frame, and @code{nil} otherwise. For a frame, the value indicates which
36kind of display the frame uses:
37
38@table @code
39@item x
40The frame is displayed in an X window.
41@item t
42A terminal frame on a character display.
43@item mac
44The frame is displayed on a Macintosh.
45@item w32
46The frame is displayed on MS-Windows 9X/NT.
47@item pc
48The frame is displayed on an MS-DOS terminal.
49@end table
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50@end defun
51
52@menu
22697dac 53* Creating Frames:: Creating additional frames.
969fe9b5 54* Multiple Displays:: Creating frames on other displays.
d25390d0 55* Frame Parameters:: Controlling frame size, position, font, etc.
22697dac 56* Frame Titles:: Automatic updating of frame titles.
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57* Deleting Frames:: Frames last until explicitly deleted.
58* Finding All Frames:: How to examine all existing frames.
59* Frames and Windows:: A frame contains windows;
60 display of text always works through windows.
61* Minibuffers and Frames:: How a frame finds the minibuffer to use.
62* Input Focus:: Specifying the selected frame.
63* Visibility of Frames:: Frames may be visible or invisible, or icons.
969fe9b5 64* Raising and Lowering:: Raising a frame makes it hide other windows;
0fe59635 65 lowering it makes the others hide it.
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66* Frame Configurations:: Saving the state of all frames.
67* Mouse Tracking:: Getting events that say when the mouse moves.
68* Mouse Position:: Asking where the mouse is, or moving it.
69* Pop-Up Menus:: Displaying a menu for the user to select from.
70* Dialog Boxes:: Displaying a box to ask yes or no.
01358897 71* Pointer Shape:: Specifying the shape of the mouse pointer.
969fe9b5 72* Window System Selections:: Transferring text to and from other X clients.
e29e838a 73* Drag and Drop:: Internals of Drag-and-Drop implementation.
bfe721d1 74* Color Names:: Getting the definitions of color names.
8241495d 75* Text Terminal Colors:: Defining colors for text-only terminals.
d25390d0 76* Resources:: Getting resource values from the server.
a065c889 77* Display Feature Testing:: Determining the features of a terminal.
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78@end menu
79
177c0ea7 80 @xref{Display}, for information about the related topic of
1911e6e5 81controlling Emacs redisplay.
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82
83@node Creating Frames
84@section Creating Frames
85
86To create a new frame, call the function @code{make-frame}.
87
1a426e9b 88@defun make-frame &optional alist
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89This function creates and returns a new frame, displaying the current
90buffer. If you are using a supported window system, it makes a window
91frame; otherwise, it makes a terminal frame.
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92
93The argument is an alist specifying frame parameters. Any parameters
94not mentioned in @var{alist} default according to the value of the
bfe721d1 95variable @code{default-frame-alist}; parameters not specified even there
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96default from the standard X resources or whatever is used instead on
97your system.
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98
99The set of possible parameters depends in principle on what kind of
969fe9b5 100window system Emacs uses to display its frames. @xref{Window Frame
22697dac 101Parameters}, for documentation of individual parameters you can specify.
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102
103This function itself does not make the new frame the selected frame.
104@xref{Input Focus}. The previously selected frame remains selected.
105However, the window system may select the new frame for its own reasons,
106for instance if the frame appears under the mouse pointer and your
107setup is for focus to follow the pointer.
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108@end defun
109
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110@defvar before-make-frame-hook
111A normal hook run by @code{make-frame} before it actually creates the
112frame.
113@end defvar
114
8241495d 115@defvar after-make-frame-functions
f9f59935 116An abnormal hook run by @code{make-frame} after it creates the frame.
916a89db 117Each function in @code{after-make-frame-functions} receives one argument, the
f9f59935 118frame just created.
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119@end defvar
120
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121@node Multiple Displays
122@section Multiple Displays
1911e6e5 123@cindex multiple X displays
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124@cindex displays, multiple
125
1911e6e5 126 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display.
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127Initially, Emacs uses just one display---the one chosen with the
128@code{DISPLAY} environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option
129(@pxref{Initial Options,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). To connect to
130another display, use the command @code{make-frame-on-display} or specify
131the @code{display} frame parameter when you create the frame.
132
133 Emacs treats each X server as a separate terminal, giving each one its
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134own selected frame and its own minibuffer windows. However, only one of
135those frames is ``@emph{the} selected frame'' at any given moment, see
136@ref{Input Focus}.
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137
138 A few Lisp variables are @dfn{terminal-local}; that is, they have a
139separate binding for each terminal. The binding in effect at any time
140is the one for the terminal that the currently selected frame belongs
141to. These variables include @code{default-minibuffer-frame},
142@code{defining-kbd-macro}, @code{last-kbd-macro}, and
143@code{system-key-alist}. They are always terminal-local, and can never
144be buffer-local (@pxref{Buffer-Local Variables}) or frame-local.
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145
146 A single X server can handle more than one screen. A display name
1911e6e5 147@samp{@var{host}:@var{server}.@var{screen}} has three parts; the last
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148part specifies the screen number for a given server. When you use two
149screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows by the similarity in their
150names that they share a single keyboard, and it treats them as a single
151terminal.
152
153@deffn Command make-frame-on-display display &optional parameters
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154This creates and returns a new frame on display @var{display}, taking
155the other frame parameters from @var{parameters}. Aside from the
156@var{display} argument, it is like @code{make-frame} (@pxref{Creating
157Frames}).
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158@end deffn
159
160@defun x-display-list
161This returns a list that indicates which X displays Emacs has a
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162connection to. The elements of the list are strings, and each one is
163a display name.
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164@end defun
165
94886883 166@defun x-open-connection display &optional xrm-string must-succeed
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167This function opens a connection to the X display @var{display}. It
168does not create a frame on that display, but it permits you to check
169that communication can be established with that display.
170
f9f59935 171The optional argument @var{xrm-string}, if not @code{nil}, is a
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172string of resource names and values, in the same format used in the
173@file{.Xresources} file. The values you specify override the resource
174values recorded in the X server itself; they apply to all Emacs frames
175created on this display. Here's an example of what this string might
176look like:
177
178@example
179"*BorderWidth: 3\n*InternalBorder: 2\n"
180@end example
181
f478a72a 182@xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
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183
184If @var{must-succeed} is non-@code{nil}, failure to open the connection
185terminates Emacs. Otherwise, it is an ordinary Lisp error.
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186@end defun
187
188@defun x-close-connection display
189This function closes the connection to display @var{display}. Before
190you can do this, you must first delete all the frames that were open on
191that display (@pxref{Deleting Frames}).
192@end defun
193
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194@node Frame Parameters
195@section Frame Parameters
196
8241495d 197 A frame has many parameters that control its appearance and behavior.
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198Just what parameters a frame has depends on what display mechanism it
199uses.
200
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201 Frame parameters exist mostly for the sake of window systems. A
202terminal frame has a few parameters, mostly for compatibility's sake;
203only the @code{height}, @code{width}, @code{name}, @code{title},
204@code{menu-bar-lines}, @code{buffer-list} and @code{buffer-predicate}
205parameters do something special. If the terminal supports colors, the
206parameters @code{foreground-color}, @code{background-color},
207@code{background-mode} and @code{display-type} are also meaningful.
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208
209@menu
210* Parameter Access:: How to change a frame's parameters.
211* Initial Parameters:: Specifying frame parameters when you make a frame.
969fe9b5 212* Window Frame Parameters:: List of frame parameters for window systems.
fb9b5ab7 213* Size and Position:: Changing the size and position of a frame.
76d47f0d 214* Geometry:: Parsing geometry specifications.
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215@end menu
216
217@node Parameter Access
218@subsection Access to Frame Parameters
219
220These functions let you read and change the parameter values of a
221frame.
222
94886883 223@defun frame-parameter frame parameter
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224This function returns the value of the parameter @var{parameter} (a
225symbol) of @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it returns the
226selected frame's parameter. If @var{frame} has no setting for
227@var{parameter}, this function returns @code{nil}.
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228@end defun
229
0fe59635 230@defun frame-parameters &optional frame
d25390d0 231The function @code{frame-parameters} returns an alist listing all the
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232parameters of @var{frame} and their values. If @var{frame} is
233@code{nil} or omitted, this returns the selected frame's parameters
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234@end defun
235
236@defun modify-frame-parameters frame alist
237This function alters the parameters of frame @var{frame} based on the
238elements of @var{alist}. Each element of @var{alist} has the form
239@code{(@var{parm} . @var{value})}, where @var{parm} is a symbol naming a
240parameter. If you don't mention a parameter in @var{alist}, its value
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241doesn't change. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the selected
242frame.
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243@end defun
244
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245@defun modify-all-frames-parameters alist
246This function alters the frame parameters of all existing frames
247according to @var{alist}, then modifies @code{default-frame-alist}
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248(and, if necessary, @code{initial-frame-alist}) to apply the same
249parameter values to frames that will be created henceforth.
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250@end defun
251
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252@node Initial Parameters
253@subsection Initial Frame Parameters
254
255You can specify the parameters for the initial startup frame
a40d4712 256by setting @code{initial-frame-alist} in your init file (@pxref{Init File}).
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257
258@defvar initial-frame-alist
259This variable's value is an alist of parameter values used when creating
969fe9b5 260the initial window frame. You can set this variable to specify the
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261appearance of the initial frame without altering subsequent frames.
262Each element has the form:
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263
264@example
265(@var{parameter} . @var{value})
266@end example
267
a40d4712 268Emacs creates the initial frame before it reads your init
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269file. After reading that file, Emacs checks @code{initial-frame-alist},
270and applies the parameter settings in the altered value to the already
271created initial frame.
272
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273If these settings affect the frame geometry and appearance, you'll see
274the frame appear with the wrong ones and then change to the specified
275ones. If that bothers you, you can specify the same geometry and
8241495d 276appearance with X resources; those do take effect before the frame is
61f7e0f5 277created. @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
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278
279X resource settings typically apply to all frames. If you want to
280specify some X resources solely for the sake of the initial frame, and
281you don't want them to apply to subsequent frames, here's how to achieve
282this. Specify parameters in @code{default-frame-alist} to override the
283X resources for subsequent frames; then, to prevent these from affecting
284the initial frame, specify the same parameters in
285@code{initial-frame-alist} with values that match the X resources.
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286@end defvar
287
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288If these parameters specify a separate minibuffer-only frame with
289@code{(minibuffer . nil)}, and you have not created one, Emacs creates
290one for you.
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291
292@defvar minibuffer-frame-alist
293This variable's value is an alist of parameter values used when creating
294an initial minibuffer-only frame---if such a frame is needed, according
295to the parameters for the main initial frame.
296@end defvar
297
1e2300d3 298@defvar default-frame-alist
761a9cbf 299This is an alist specifying default values of frame parameters for all
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300Emacs frames---the first frame, and subsequent frames. When using the X
301Window System, you can get the same results by means of X resources
302in many cases.
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303
304Setting this variable does not affect existing frames.
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305@end defvar
306
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307See also @code{special-display-frame-alist}. @xref{Definition of
308special-display-frame-alist}.
bfe721d1 309
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310If you use options that specify window appearance when you invoke Emacs,
311they take effect by adding elements to @code{default-frame-alist}. One
bfe721d1 312exception is @samp{-geometry}, which adds the specified position to
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313@code{initial-frame-alist} instead. @xref{Emacs Invocation,, Command
314Line Arguments for Emacs Invocation, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
1e2300d3 315
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316@node Window Frame Parameters
317@subsection Window Frame Parameters
d25390d0 318
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319 Just what parameters a frame has depends on what display mechanism
320it uses. This section describes the parameters that have special
321meanings on some or all kinds of terminals. Of these, @code{name},
322@code{title}, @code{height}, @code{width}, @code{buffer-list} and
323@code{buffer-predicate} provide meaningful information in terminal
324frames, and @code{tty-color-mode} is meaningful @emph{only} in
325terminal frames.
326
327@menu
328* Basic Parameters:: Parameters that are fundamental.
329* Position Parameters:: The position of the frame on the screen.
330* Size Parameters:: Frame's size.
331* Layout Parameters:: Size of parts of the frame, and
332 enabling or disabling some parts.
333* Buffer Parameters:: Which buffers have been or should be shown.
334* Management Parameters:: Communicating with the window manager.
335* Cursor Parameters:: Controlling the cursor appearance.
336* Color Parameters:: Colors of various parts of the frame.
337@end menu
338
339@node Basic Parameters
340@subsubsection Basic Parameters
341
342 These frame parameters give the most basic information about the
343frame. @code{title} and @code{name} are meaningful on all terminals.
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344
345@table @code
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346@item display
347The display on which to open this frame. It should be a string of the
348form @code{"@var{host}:@var{dpy}.@var{screen}"}, just like the
349@code{DISPLAY} environment variable.
350
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351@item display-type
352This parameter describes the range of possible colors that can be used
353in this frame. Its value is @code{color}, @code{grayscale} or
354@code{mono}.
355
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356@item title
357If a frame has a non-@code{nil} title, it appears in the window system's
358border for the frame, and also in the mode line of windows in that frame
359if @code{mode-line-frame-identification} uses @samp{%F}
360(@pxref{%-Constructs}). This is normally the case when Emacs is not
361using a window system, and can only display one frame at a time.
362@xref{Frame Titles}.
363
d25390d0 364@item name
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365The name of the frame. The frame name serves as a default for the frame
366title, if the @code{title} parameter is unspecified or @code{nil}. If
367you don't specify a name, Emacs sets the frame name automatically
368(@pxref{Frame Titles}).
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369
370If you specify the frame name explicitly when you create the frame, the
371name is also used (instead of the name of the Emacs executable) when
372looking up X resources for the frame.
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373@end table
374
375@node Position Parameters
376@subsubsection Position Parameters
377
378 Position parameters' values are normally measured in pixels, but on
379text-only terminals they count characters or lines instead.
d25390d0 380
1e2e2829 381@table @code
d25390d0 382@item left
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383The screen position of the left edge, in pixels, with respect to the
384left edge of the screen. The value may be a positive number @var{pos},
385or a list of the form @code{(+ @var{pos})} which permits specifying a
386negative @var{pos} value.
387
388A negative number @minus{}@var{pos}, or a list of the form @code{(-
389@var{pos})}, actually specifies the position of the right edge of the
bfe721d1 390window with respect to the right edge of the screen. A positive value
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391of @var{pos} counts toward the left. @strong{Reminder:} if the
392parameter is a negative integer @minus{}@var{pos}, then @var{pos} is
393positive.
d25390d0 394
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395Some window managers ignore program-specified positions. If you want to
396be sure the position you specify is not ignored, specify a
397non-@code{nil} value for the @code{user-position} parameter as well.
398
d25390d0 399@item top
22697dac 400The screen position of the top edge, in pixels, with respect to the
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401top edge of the screen. It works just like @code{left}, except vertically
402instead of horizontally.
53c47801 403
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404@item icon-left
405The screen position of the left edge @emph{of the frame's icon}, in
406pixels, counting from the left edge of the screen. This takes effect if
407and when the frame is iconified.
408
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409If you specify a value for this parameter, then you must also specify
410a value for @code{icon-top} and vice versa. The window manager may
411ignore these two parameters.
412
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413@item icon-top
414The screen position of the top edge @emph{of the frame's icon}, in
415pixels, counting from the top edge of the screen. This takes effect if
416and when the frame is iconified.
417
bd998259 418@item user-position
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419When you create a frame and specify its screen position with the
420@code{left} and @code{top} parameters, use this parameter to say whether
421the specified position was user-specified (explicitly requested in some
422way by a human user) or merely program-specified (chosen by a program).
423A non-@code{nil} value says the position was user-specified.
424
425Window managers generally heed user-specified positions, and some heed
426program-specified positions too. But many ignore program-specified
427positions, placing the window in a default fashion or letting the user
428place it with the mouse. Some window managers, including @code{twm},
429let the user specify whether to obey program-specified positions or
430ignore them.
431
432When you call @code{make-frame}, you should specify a non-@code{nil}
433value for this parameter if the values of the @code{left} and @code{top}
434parameters represent the user's stated preference; otherwise, use
435@code{nil}.
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436@end table
437
438@node Size Parameters
439@subsubsection Size Parameters
440
441 Size parameters' values are normally measured in pixels, but on
442text-only terminals they count characters or lines instead.
d25390d0 443
1e2e2829 444@table @code
d25390d0 445@item height
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446The height of the frame contents, in characters. (To get the height in
447pixels, call @code{frame-pixel-height}; see @ref{Size and Position}.)
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448
449@item width
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450The width of the frame contents, in characters. (To get the height in
451pixels, call @code{frame-pixel-width}; see @ref{Size and Position}.)
d25390d0 452
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453@item user-size
454This does for the size parameters @code{height} and @code{width} what
455the @code{user-position} parameter (see above) does for the position
456parameters @code{top} and @code{left}.
457
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458@item fullscreen
459Specify that width, height or both shall be set to the size of the screen.
460The value @code{fullwidth} specifies that width shall be the size of the
461screen. The value @code{fullheight} specifies that height shall be the
462size of the screen. The value @code{fullboth} specifies that both the
463width and the height shall be set to the size of the screen.
1e2e2829 464@end table
560e5397 465
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466@node Layout Parameters
467@subsubsection Layout Parameters
b6954afd 468
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469 These frame parameters enable or disable various parts of the
470frame, or control their sizes.
471
472@table @code
473@item border-width
af9328f9 474The width in pixels of the frame's border.
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475
476@item internal-border-width
e29e838a 477The distance in pixels between text (or fringe) and the frame's border.
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478
479@item vertical-scroll-bars
480Whether the frame has scroll bars for vertical scrolling, and which side
481of the frame they should be on. The possible values are @code{left},
482@code{right}, and @code{nil} for no scroll bars.
483
484@ignore
485@item horizontal-scroll-bars
486Whether the frame has scroll bars for horizontal scrolling
487(non-@code{nil} means yes). Horizontal scroll bars are not currently
488implemented.
489@end ignore
490
491@item scroll-bar-width
492The width of vertical scroll bars, in pixels, or @code{nil} meaning to
493use the default width.
494
495@item left-fringe
496@itemx right-fringe
497The default width of the left and right fringes of windows in this
498frame (@pxref{Fringes}). If either of these is zero, that effectively
499removes the corresponding fringe. A value of @code{nil} stands for
500the standard fringe width, which is the width needed to display the
501fringe bitmaps.
502
503The combined fringe widths must add up to an integral number of
504columns, so the actual default fringe widths for the frame may be
505larger than the specified values. The extra width needed to reach an
506acceptable total is distributed evenly between the left and right
507fringe. However, you can force one fringe or the other to a precise
508width by specifying that width as a negative integer. If both widths are
509negative, only the left fringe gets the specified width.
510
511@item menu-bar-lines
512The number of lines to allocate at the top of the frame for a menu
513bar. The default is 1. A value of @code{nil} means don't display a
514menu bar. @xref{Menu Bar}. (The X toolkit and GTK allow at most one
515menu bar line; they treat larger values as 1.)
d25390d0 516
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517@item tool-bar-lines
518The number of lines to use for the tool bar. A value of @code{nil}
519means don't display a tool bar. (GTK allows at most one tool bar line;
520it treats larger values as 1.)
521
522@item line-spacing
523Additional space to leave below each text line, in pixels (a positive
76d47f0d 524integer). @xref{Line Height}, for more information.
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525@end table
526
527@node Buffer Parameters
528@subsubsection Buffer Parameters
529
530 These frame parameters, meaningful on all kinds of terminals, deal
531with which buffers have been, or should, be displayed in the frame.
532
533@table @code
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534@item minibuffer
535Whether this frame has its own minibuffer. The value @code{t} means
536yes, @code{nil} means no, @code{only} means this frame is just a
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537minibuffer. If the value is a minibuffer window (in some other frame),
538the new frame uses that minibuffer.
d25390d0 539
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540@item buffer-predicate
541The buffer-predicate function for this frame. The function
542@code{other-buffer} uses this predicate (from the selected frame) to
543decide which buffers it should consider, if the predicate is not
969fe9b5 544@code{nil}. It calls the predicate with one argument, a buffer, once for
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545each buffer; if the predicate returns a non-@code{nil} value, it
546considers that buffer.
547
f9f59935 548@item buffer-list
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549A list of buffers that have been selected in this frame,
550ordered most-recently-selected first.
f9f59935 551
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552@item unsplittable
553If non-@code{nil}, this frame's window is never split automatically.
554@end table
555
556@node Management Parameters
557@subsubsection Window Management Parameters
13112157 558
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559 These frame parameters, meaningful only on window system displays,
560interact with the window manager.
561
562@table @code
563@item visibility
564The state of visibility of the frame. There are three possibilities:
565@code{nil} for invisible, @code{t} for visible, and @code{icon} for
566iconified. @xref{Visibility of Frames}.
567
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568@item auto-raise
569Whether selecting the frame raises it (non-@code{nil} means yes).
570
571@item auto-lower
572Whether deselecting the frame lowers it (non-@code{nil} means yes).
573
d25390d0 574@item icon-type
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575The type of icon to use for this frame when it is iconified. If the
576value is a string, that specifies a file containing a bitmap to use.
577Any other non-@code{nil} value specifies the default bitmap icon (a
578picture of a gnu); @code{nil} specifies a text icon.
d25390d0 579
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580@item icon-name
581The name to use in the icon for this frame, when and if the icon
582appears. If this is @code{nil}, the frame's title is used.
583
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584@item window-id
585The number of the window-system window used by the frame
586to contain the actual Emacs windows.
1911e6e5 587
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588@item outer-window-id
589The number of the outermost window-system window used for the whole frame.
7b32356b 590
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591@item wait-for-wm
592If non-@code{nil}, tell Xt to wait for the window manager to confirm
593geometry changes. Some window managers, including versions of Fvwm2
594and KDE, fail to confirm, so Xt hangs. Set this to @code{nil} to
595prevent hanging with those window managers.
596
597@ignore
598@item parent-id
599@c ??? Not yet working.
600The X window number of the window that should be the parent of this one.
601Specifying this lets you create an Emacs window inside some other
602application's window. (It is not certain this will be implemented; try
603it and see if it works.)
604@end ignore
605@end table
606
607@node Cursor Parameters
608@subsubsection Cursor Parameters
1911e6e5 609
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610 This frame parameter controls the way the cursor looks.
611
612@table @code
d25390d0 613@item cursor-type
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614How to display the cursor. Legitimate values are:
615
616@table @code
617@item box
618Display a filled box. (This is the default.)
619@item hollow
620Display a hollow box.
621@item nil
622Don't display a cursor.
623@item bar
624Display a vertical bar between characters.
625@item (bar . @var{width})
626Display a vertical bar @var{width} pixels wide between characters.
627@item hbar
628Display a horizontal bar.
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629@item (hbar . @var{height})
630Display a horizontal bar @var{height} pixels high.
1daccbf4 631@end table
1e2e2829 632@end table
d25390d0 633
caae20c7 634@vindex cursor-type
28932ac1 635The buffer-local variable @code{cursor-type} overrides the value of
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636the @code{cursor-type} frame parameter, but if it is @code{t}, that
637means to use the cursor specified for the frame.
28932ac1 638
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639@defvar blink-cursor-alist
640This variable specifies how to blink the cursor. Each element has the
641form @code{(@var{on-state} . @var{off-state})}. Whenever the cursor
642type equals @var{on-state} (comparing using @code{equal}), the
643corresponding @var{off-state} specifies what the cursor looks like
827b7ee7 644when it blinks ``off.'' Both @var{on-state} and @var{off-state}
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645should be suitable values for the @code{cursor-type} frame parameter.
646
647There are various defaults for how to blink each type of cursor, if
648the type is not mentioned as an @var{on-state} here. Changes in this
649variable do not take effect immediately, because the variable is
650examined only when you specify the @code{cursor-type} parameter.
651@end defvar
d25390d0 652
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653@node Color Parameters
654@subsubsection Color Parameters
d25390d0 655
1e2e2829 656 These frame parameters control the use of colors.
5b2a9a76 657
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658@table @code
659@item background-mode
660This parameter is either @code{dark} or @code{light}, according
661to whether the background color is a light one or a dark one.
d25390d0 662
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663@item tty-color-mode
664@cindex standard colors for character terminals
665This parameter overrides the terminal's color support as given by the
666system's terminal capabilities database in that this parameter's value
667specifies the color mode to use in terminal frames. The value can be
668either a symbol or a number. A number specifies the number of colors
669to use (and, indirectly, what commands to issue to produce each
670color). For example, @code{(tty-color-mode . 8)} specifies use of the
671ANSI escape sequences for 8 standard text colors. A value of -1 turns
672off color support.
d25390d0 673
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674If the parameter's value is a symbol, it specifies a number through
675the value of @code{tty-color-mode-alist}, and the associated number is
676used instead.
d25390d0 677
8241495d 678@item screen-gamma
7d817b83 679@cindex gamma correction
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680If this is a number, Emacs performs ``gamma correction'' which adjusts
681the brightness of all colors. The value should be the screen gamma of
682your display, a floating point number.
683
684Usual PC monitors have a screen gamma of 2.2, so color values in
685Emacs, and in X windows generally, are calibrated to display properly
686on a monitor with that gamma value. If you specify 2.2 for
687@code{screen-gamma}, that means no correction is needed. Other values
688request correction, designed to make the corrected colors appear on
f478a72a 689your screen the way they would have appeared without correction on an
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690ordinary monitor with a gamma value of 2.2.
691
692If your monitor displays colors too light, you should specify a
693@code{screen-gamma} value smaller than 2.2. This requests correction
694that makes colors darker. A screen gamma value of 1.5 may give good
695results for LCD color displays.
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696@end table
697
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698These frame parameters are semi-obsolete in that they are automatically
699equivalent to particular face attributes of particular faces.
700
701@table @code
702@item font
703The name of the font for displaying text in the frame. This is a
704string, either a valid font name for your system or the name of an Emacs
705fontset (@pxref{Fontsets}). It is equivalent to the @code{font}
706attribute of the @code{default} face.
707
708@item foreground-color
709The color to use for the image of a character. It is equivalent to
710the @code{:foreground} attribute of the @code{default} face.
711
712@item background-color
713The color to use for the background of characters. It is equivalent to
714the @code{:background} attribute of the @code{default} face.
715
716@item mouse-color
717The color for the mouse pointer. It is equivalent to the @code{:background}
718attribute of the @code{mouse} face.
719
720@item cursor-color
721The color for the cursor that shows point. It is equivalent to the
722@code{:background} attribute of the @code{cursor} face.
723
724@item border-color
725The color for the border of the frame. It is equivalent to the
726@code{:background} attribute of the @code{border} face.
727
728@item scroll-bar-foreground
729If non-@code{nil}, the color for the foreground of scroll bars. It is
730equivalent to the @code{:foreground} attribute of the
731@code{scroll-bar} face.
732
733@item scroll-bar-background
734If non-@code{nil}, the color for the background of scroll bars. It is
735equivalent to the @code{:background} attribute of the
736@code{scroll-bar} face.
737@end table
738
fb9b5ab7 739@node Size and Position
d25390d0 740@subsection Frame Size And Position
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741@cindex size of frame
742@cindex screen size
743@cindex frame size
744@cindex resize frame
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745
746 You can read or change the size and position of a frame using the
61cfa852 747frame parameters @code{left}, @code{top}, @code{height}, and
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748@code{width}. Whatever geometry parameters you don't specify are chosen
749by the window manager in its usual fashion.
d25390d0 750
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751 Here are some special features for working with sizes and positions.
752(For the precise meaning of ``selected frame'' used by these functions,
753see @ref{Input Focus}.)
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754
755@defun set-frame-position frame left top
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756This function sets the position of the top left corner of @var{frame} to
757@var{left} and @var{top}. These arguments are measured in pixels, and
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758normally count from the top left corner of the screen.
759
760Negative parameter values position the bottom edge of the window up from
761the bottom edge of the screen, or the right window edge to the left of
762the right edge of the screen. It would probably be better if the values
763were always counted from the left and top, so that negative arguments
764would position the frame partly off the top or left edge of the screen,
765but it seems inadvisable to change that now.
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766@end defun
767
768@defun frame-height &optional frame
769@defunx frame-width &optional frame
770These functions return the height and width of @var{frame}, measured in
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771lines and columns. If you don't supply @var{frame}, they use the
772selected frame.
773@end defun
774
775@defun screen-height
776@defunx screen-width
777These functions are old aliases for @code{frame-height} and
778@code{frame-width}. When you are using a non-window terminal, the size
779of the frame is normally the same as the size of the terminal screen.
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780@end defun
781
782@defun frame-pixel-height &optional frame
783@defunx frame-pixel-width &optional frame
784These functions return the height and width of @var{frame}, measured in
785pixels. If you don't supply @var{frame}, they use the selected frame.
786@end defun
787
788@defun frame-char-height &optional frame
789@defunx frame-char-width &optional frame
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790These functions return the height and width of a character in
791@var{frame}, measured in pixels. The values depend on the choice of
792font. If you don't supply @var{frame}, these functions use the selected
793frame.
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794@end defun
795
796@defun set-frame-size frame cols rows
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797This function sets the size of @var{frame}, measured in characters;
798@var{cols} and @var{rows} specify the new width and height.
d25390d0 799
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800To set the size based on values measured in pixels, use
801@code{frame-char-height} and @code{frame-char-width} to convert
802them to units of characters.
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803@end defun
804
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805@defun set-frame-height frame lines &optional pretend
806This function resizes @var{frame} to a height of @var{lines} lines. The
807sizes of existing windows in @var{frame} are altered proportionally to
808fit.
809
810If @var{pretend} is non-@code{nil}, then Emacs displays @var{lines}
811lines of output in @var{frame}, but does not change its value for the
812actual height of the frame. This is only useful for a terminal frame.
813Using a smaller height than the terminal actually implements may be
814useful to reproduce behavior observed on a smaller screen, or if the
815terminal malfunctions when using its whole screen. Setting the frame
816height ``for real'' does not always work, because knowing the correct
817actual size may be necessary for correct cursor positioning on a
818terminal frame.
819@end defun
820
821@defun set-frame-width frame width &optional pretend
822This function sets the width of @var{frame}, measured in characters.
823The argument @var{pretend} has the same meaning as in
824@code{set-frame-height}.
825@end defun
826
827@findex set-screen-height
828@findex set-screen-width
ebc6903b
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829 The older functions @code{set-screen-height} and
830@code{set-screen-width} were used to specify the height and width of the
831screen, in Emacs versions that did not support multiple frames. They
832are semi-obsolete, but still work; they apply to the selected frame.
d25390d0 833
76d47f0d
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834@node Geometry
835@subsection Geometry
836
837 Here's how to examine the data in an X-style window geometry
838specification:
839
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840@defun x-parse-geometry geom
841@cindex geometry specification
1911e6e5 842The function @code{x-parse-geometry} converts a standard X window
61cfa852 843geometry string to an alist that you can use as part of the argument to
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844@code{make-frame}.
845
846The alist describes which parameters were specified in @var{geom}, and
847gives the values specified for them. Each element looks like
848@code{(@var{parameter} . @var{value})}. The possible @var{parameter}
849values are @code{left}, @code{top}, @code{width}, and @code{height}.
850
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851For the size parameters, the value must be an integer. The position
852parameter names @code{left} and @code{top} are not totally accurate,
853because some values indicate the position of the right or bottom edges
854instead. These are the @var{value} possibilities for the position
855parameters:
856
857@table @asis
858@item an integer
859A positive integer relates the left edge or top edge of the window to
860the left or top edge of the screen. A negative integer relates the
861right or bottom edge of the window to the right or bottom edge of the
862screen.
863
bfe721d1 864@item @code{(+ @var{position})}
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865This specifies the position of the left or top edge of the window
866relative to the left or top edge of the screen. The integer
867@var{position} may be positive or negative; a negative value specifies a
868position outside the screen.
869
bfe721d1 870@item @code{(- @var{position})}
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871This specifies the position of the right or bottom edge of the window
872relative to the right or bottom edge of the screen. The integer
873@var{position} may be positive or negative; a negative value specifies a
874position outside the screen.
875@end table
876
877Here is an example:
878
bfe721d1 879@example
d25390d0 880(x-parse-geometry "35x70+0-0")
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881 @result{} ((height . 70) (width . 35)
882 (top - 0) (left . 0))
bfe721d1 883@end example
d25390d0
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884@end defun
885
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886@node Frame Titles
887@section Frame Titles
888
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889 Every frame has a @code{name} parameter; this serves as the default
890for the frame title which window systems typically display at the top of
891the frame. You can specify a name explicitly by setting the @code{name}
892frame property.
22697dac 893
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894 Normally you don't specify the name explicitly, and Emacs computes the
895frame name automatically based on a template stored in the variable
896@code{frame-title-format}. Emacs recomputes the name each time the
897frame is redisplayed.
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898
899@defvar frame-title-format
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900This variable specifies how to compute a name for a frame when you have
901not explicitly specified one. The variable's value is actually a mode
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902line construct, just like @code{mode-line-format}, except that the
903@samp{%c} and @samp{%l} constructs are ignored. @xref{Mode Line
969fe9b5 904Data}.
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905@end defvar
906
907@defvar icon-title-format
969fe9b5 908This variable specifies how to compute the name for an iconified frame,
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909when you have not explicitly specified the frame title. This title
910appears in the icon itself.
911@end defvar
912
913@defvar multiple-frames
914This variable is set automatically by Emacs. Its value is @code{t} when
915there are two or more frames (not counting minibuffer-only frames or
916invisible frames). The default value of @code{frame-title-format} uses
917@code{multiple-frames} so as to put the buffer name in the frame title
918only when there is more than one frame.
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919
920The value of this variable is not guaranteed to be accurate except
921while processing @code{frame-title-format} or
922@code{icon-title-format}.
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923@end defvar
924
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925@node Deleting Frames
926@section Deleting Frames
927@cindex deletion of frames
928
929Frames remain potentially visible until you explicitly @dfn{delete}
930them. A deleted frame cannot appear on the screen, but continues to
f478a72a 931exist as a Lisp object until there are no references to it.
d25390d0 932
94886883 933@deffn Command delete-frame &optional frame force
5b2a9a76 934@vindex delete-frame-functions
f478a72a
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935This function deletes the frame @var{frame}. Unless @var{frame} is a
936tooltip, it first runs the hook @code{delete-frame-functions} (each
937function gets one argument, @var{frame}). By default, @var{frame} is
938the selected frame.
94886883
GM
939
940A frame cannot be deleted if its minibuffer is used by other frames.
941Normally, you cannot delete a frame if all other frames are invisible,
942but if the @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, then you are allowed to do so.
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943@end deffn
944
945@defun frame-live-p frame
946The function @code{frame-live-p} returns non-@code{nil} if the frame
f478a72a
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947@var{frame} has not been deleted. The possible non-@code{nil} return
948values are like those of @code{framep}. @xref{Frames}.
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949@end defun
950
22697dac 951 Some window managers provide a command to delete a window. These work
eaac2be1 952by sending a special message to the program that operates the window.
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953When Emacs gets one of these commands, it generates a
954@code{delete-frame} event, whose normal definition is a command that
955calls the function @code{delete-frame}. @xref{Misc Events}.
956
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957@node Finding All Frames
958@section Finding All Frames
959
960@defun frame-list
961The function @code{frame-list} returns a list of all the frames that
962have not been deleted. It is analogous to @code{buffer-list} for
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963buffers, and includes frames on all terminals. The list that you get is
964newly created, so modifying the list doesn't have any effect on the
965internals of Emacs.
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966@end defun
967
968@defun visible-frame-list
969This function returns a list of just the currently visible frames.
22697dac 970@xref{Visibility of Frames}. (Terminal frames always count as
827b7ee7 971``visible,'' even though only the selected one is actually displayed.)
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972@end defun
973
974@defun next-frame &optional frame minibuf
975The function @code{next-frame} lets you cycle conveniently through all
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976the frames on the current display from an arbitrary starting point. It
977returns the ``next'' frame after @var{frame} in the cycle. If
978@var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to the selected frame
979(@pxref{Input Focus}).
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980
981The second argument, @var{minibuf}, says which frames to consider:
982
983@table @asis
984@item @code{nil}
985Exclude minibuffer-only frames.
986@item @code{visible}
987Consider all visible frames.
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988@item 0
989Consider all visible or iconified frames.
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990@item a window
991Consider only the frames using that particular window as their
992minibuffer.
993@item anything else
994Consider all frames.
995@end table
996@end defun
997
998@defun previous-frame &optional frame minibuf
999Like @code{next-frame}, but cycles through all frames in the opposite
1000direction.
1001@end defun
1002
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1003 See also @code{next-window} and @code{previous-window}, in @ref{Cyclic
1004Window Ordering}.
1005
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1006@node Frames and Windows
1007@section Frames and Windows
1008
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1009 Each window is part of one and only one frame; you can get the frame
1010with @code{window-frame}.
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1011
1012@defun window-frame window
1013This function returns the frame that @var{window} is on.
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1014@end defun
1015
1016 All the non-minibuffer windows in a frame are arranged in a cyclic
1017order. The order runs from the frame's top window, which is at the
1018upper left corner, down and to the right, until it reaches the window at
1019the lower right corner (always the minibuffer window, if the frame has
f9f59935 1020one), and then it moves back to the top. @xref{Cyclic Window Ordering}.
fb9b5ab7 1021
0fe59635 1022@defun frame-first-window &optional frame
fb9b5ab7 1023This returns the topmost, leftmost window of frame @var{frame}.
0fe59635 1024If omitted or @code{nil}, @var{frame} defaults to the selected frame.
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1025@end defun
1026
1027At any time, exactly one window on any frame is @dfn{selected within the
1028frame}. The significance of this designation is that selecting the
1029frame also selects this window. You can get the frame's current
1030selected window with @code{frame-selected-window}.
1031
0fe59635 1032@defun frame-selected-window &optional frame
f478a72a
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1033This function returns the window on @var{frame} that is selected
1034within @var{frame}. If omitted or @code{nil}, @var{frame} defaults to
1035the selected frame.
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1036@end defun
1037
1038@defun set-frame-selected-window frame window
1039This sets the selected window of frame @var{frame} to @var{window}.
1040If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it operates on the selected frame. If
1041@var{frame} is the selected frame, this makes @var{window} the
f478a72a 1042selected window. This function returns @var{window}.
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1043@end defun
1044
969fe9b5 1045 Conversely, selecting a window for Emacs with @code{select-window} also
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1046makes that window selected within its frame. @xref{Selecting Windows}.
1047
969fe9b5 1048 Another function that (usually) returns one of the windows in a given
f478a72a 1049frame is @code{minibuffer-window}. @xref{Definition of minibuffer-window}.
bfe721d1 1050
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1051@node Minibuffers and Frames
1052@section Minibuffers and Frames
1053
1054Normally, each frame has its own minibuffer window at the bottom, which
1055is used whenever that frame is selected. If the frame has a minibuffer,
f478a72a
LT
1056you can get it with @code{minibuffer-window} (@pxref{Definition of
1057minibuffer-window}).
d25390d0
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1058
1059However, you can also create a frame with no minibuffer. Such a frame
1060must use the minibuffer window of some other frame. When you create the
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1061frame, you can specify explicitly the minibuffer window to use (in some
1062other frame). If you don't, then the minibuffer is found in the frame
1063which is the value of the variable @code{default-minibuffer-frame}. Its
1064value should be a frame that does have a minibuffer.
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1065
1066If you use a minibuffer-only frame, you might want that frame to raise
1067when you enter the minibuffer. If so, set the variable
1068@code{minibuffer-auto-raise} to @code{t}. @xref{Raising and Lowering}.
1069
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1070@defvar default-minibuffer-frame
1071This variable specifies the frame to use for the minibuffer window, by
f478a72a
LT
1072default. It does not affect existing frames. It is always local to
1073the current terminal and cannot be buffer-local. @xref{Multiple
1074Displays}.
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1075@end defvar
1076
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1077@node Input Focus
1078@section Input Focus
1079@cindex input focus
1080@cindex selected frame
1081
1082At any time, one frame in Emacs is the @dfn{selected frame}. The selected
1083window always resides on the selected frame.
1084
5df7058c
EZ
1085When Emacs displays its frames on several terminals (@pxref{Multiple
1086Displays}), each terminal has its own selected frame. But only one of
1087these is ``@emph{the} selected frame'': it's the frame that belongs to
1088the terminal from which the most recent input came. That is, when Emacs
1089runs a command that came from a certain terminal, the selected frame is
1090the one of that terminal. Since Emacs runs only a single command at any
1091given time, it needs to consider only one selected frame at a time; this
1092frame is what we call @dfn{the selected frame} in this manual. The
1093display on which the selected frame is displayed is the @dfn{selected
1094frame's display}.
1095
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1096@defun selected-frame
1097This function returns the selected frame.
1098@end defun
1099
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1100Some window systems and window managers direct keyboard input to the
1101window object that the mouse is in; others require explicit clicks or
1102commands to @dfn{shift the focus} to various window objects. Either
59db7d6e 1103way, Emacs automatically keeps track of which frame has the focus. To
d1d70b6e 1104switch to a different frame from a Lisp function, call
59db7d6e 1105@code{select-frame-set-input-focus}.
d25390d0 1106
969fe9b5
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1107Lisp programs can also switch frames ``temporarily'' by calling the
1108function @code{select-frame}. This does not alter the window system's
1109concept of focus; rather, it escapes from the window manager's control
1110until that control is somehow reasserted.
d25390d0 1111
59db7d6e 1112When using a text-only terminal, only one frame can be displayed at a
cb4f1287
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1113time on the terminal, so after a call to @code{select-frame}, the next
1114redisplay actually displays the newly selected frame. This frame
0b156b78 1115remains selected until a subsequent call to @code{select-frame} or
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1116@code{select-frame-set-input-focus}. Each terminal frame has a number
1117which appears in the mode line before the buffer name (@pxref{Mode
1118Line Variables}).
59db7d6e
LT
1119
1120@defun select-frame-set-input-focus frame
1121This function makes @var{frame} the selected frame, raises it (should
1122it happen to be obscured by other frames) and tries to give it the X
cb4f1287
LT
1123server's focus. On a text-only terminal, the next redisplay displays
1124the new frame on the entire terminal screen. The return value of this
1125function is not significant.
59db7d6e 1126@end defun
22697dac 1127
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1128@c ??? This is not yet implemented properly.
1129@defun select-frame frame
1130This function selects frame @var{frame}, temporarily disregarding the
22697dac
KH
1131focus of the X server if any. The selection of @var{frame} lasts until
1132the next time the user does something to select a different frame, or
f478a72a
LT
1133until the next time this function is called. (If you are using a
1134window system, the previously selected frame may be restored as the
1135selected frame after return to the command loop, because it still may
1136have the window system's input focus.) The specified @var{frame}
5df7058c 1137becomes the selected frame, as explained above, and the terminal that
cb4f1287
LT
1138@var{frame} is on becomes the selected terminal. This function
1139returns @var{frame}, or @code{nil} if @var{frame} has been deleted.
5df7058c
EZ
1140
1141In general, you should never use @code{select-frame} in a way that could
1142switch to a different terminal without switching back when you're done.
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1143@end defun
1144
969fe9b5
RS
1145Emacs cooperates with the window system by arranging to select frames as
1146the server and window manager request. It does so by generating a
1147special kind of input event, called a @dfn{focus} event, when
1148appropriate. The command loop handles a focus event by calling
1a426e9b 1149@code{handle-switch-frame}. @xref{Focus Events}.
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1150
1151@deffn Command handle-switch-frame frame
1152This function handles a focus event by selecting frame @var{frame}.
1153
1154Focus events normally do their job by invoking this command.
1155Don't call it for any other reason.
1156@end deffn
1157
0fe59635 1158@defun redirect-frame-focus frame &optional focus-frame
d25390d0 1159This function redirects focus from @var{frame} to @var{focus-frame}.
f9f59935
RS
1160This means that @var{focus-frame} will receive subsequent keystrokes and
1161events intended for @var{frame}. After such an event, the value of
d25390d0
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1162@code{last-event-frame} will be @var{focus-frame}. Also, switch-frame
1163events specifying @var{frame} will instead select @var{focus-frame}.
1164
0fe59635 1165If @var{focus-frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, that cancels any existing
d25390d0
RS
1166redirection for @var{frame}, which therefore once again receives its own
1167events.
1168
1169One use of focus redirection is for frames that don't have minibuffers.
1170These frames use minibuffers on other frames. Activating a minibuffer
1171on another frame redirects focus to that frame. This puts the focus on
1172the minibuffer's frame, where it belongs, even though the mouse remains
61cfa852 1173in the frame that activated the minibuffer.
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1174
1175Selecting a frame can also change focus redirections. Selecting frame
1176@code{bar}, when @code{foo} had been selected, changes any redirections
1177pointing to @code{foo} so that they point to @code{bar} instead. This
1178allows focus redirection to work properly when the user switches from
1179one frame to another using @code{select-window}.
1180
1181This means that a frame whose focus is redirected to itself is treated
1182differently from a frame whose focus is not redirected.
1183@code{select-frame} affects the former but not the latter.
1184
1185The redirection lasts until @code{redirect-frame-focus} is called to
1186change it.
1187@end defun
1188
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RS
1189@defopt focus-follows-mouse
1190This option is how you inform Emacs whether the window manager transfers
1191focus when the user moves the mouse. Non-@code{nil} says that it does.
1192When this is so, the command @code{other-frame} moves the mouse to a
979b4033
EZ
1193position consistent with the new selected frame. (This option has no
1194effect on MS-Windows, where the mouse pointer is always automatically
1195moved by the OS to the selected frame.)
969fe9b5
RS
1196@end defopt
1197
d25390d0
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1198@node Visibility of Frames
1199@section Visibility of Frames
1200@cindex visible frame
1201@cindex invisible frame
1202@cindex iconified frame
1203@cindex frame visibility
1204
969fe9b5 1205A window frame may be @dfn{visible}, @dfn{invisible}, or
04c21c78
RS
1206@dfn{iconified}. If it is visible, you can see its contents, unless
1207other windows cover it. If it is iconified, the frame's contents do
1208not appear on the screen, but an icon does. If the frame is
1209invisible, it doesn't show on the screen, not even as an icon.
22697dac
KH
1210
1211Visibility is meaningless for terminal frames, since only the selected
1212one is actually displayed in any case.
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1213
1214@deffn Command make-frame-visible &optional frame
04c21c78
RS
1215This function makes frame @var{frame} visible. If you omit
1216@var{frame}, it makes the selected frame visible. This does not raise
1217the frame, but you can do that with @code{raise-frame} if you wish
1218(@pxref{Raising and Lowering}).
d25390d0
RS
1219@end deffn
1220
f478a72a 1221@deffn Command make-frame-invisible &optional frame force
d25390d0
RS
1222This function makes frame @var{frame} invisible. If you omit
1223@var{frame}, it makes the selected frame invisible.
f478a72a
LT
1224
1225Unless @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, this function refuses to make
1226@var{frame} invisible if all other frames are invisible..
d25390d0
RS
1227@end deffn
1228
1229@deffn Command iconify-frame &optional frame
1230This function iconifies frame @var{frame}. If you omit @var{frame}, it
1231iconifies the selected frame.
1232@end deffn
1233
1234@defun frame-visible-p frame
1235This returns the visibility status of frame @var{frame}. The value is
1236@code{t} if @var{frame} is visible, @code{nil} if it is invisible, and
1237@code{icon} if it is iconified.
f478a72a
LT
1238
1239On a text-only terminal, all frames are considered visible, whether
1240they are currently being displayed or not, and this function returns
1241@code{t} for all frames.
d25390d0
RS
1242@end defun
1243
1244 The visibility status of a frame is also available as a frame
1e2e2829 1245parameter. You can read or change it as such. @xref{Management
d25390d0
RS
1246Parameters}.
1247
22697dac
KH
1248 The user can iconify and deiconify frames with the window manager.
1249This happens below the level at which Emacs can exert any control, but
1250Emacs does provide events that you can use to keep track of such
1251changes. @xref{Misc Events}.
1252
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1253@node Raising and Lowering
1254@section Raising and Lowering Frames
1255
969fe9b5 1256 Most window systems use a desktop metaphor. Part of this metaphor is
d25390d0
RS
1257the idea that windows are stacked in a notional third dimension
1258perpendicular to the screen surface, and thus ordered from ``highest''
827b7ee7 1259to ``lowest.'' Where two windows overlap, the one higher up covers
969fe9b5
RS
1260the one underneath. Even a window at the bottom of the stack can be
1261seen if no other window overlaps it.
d25390d0
RS
1262
1263@cindex raising a frame
1264@cindex lowering a frame
969fe9b5
RS
1265 A window's place in this ordering is not fixed; in fact, users tend
1266to change the order frequently. @dfn{Raising} a window means moving
827b7ee7 1267it ``up,'' to the top of the stack. @dfn{Lowering} a window means
f9f59935 1268moving it to the bottom of the stack. This motion is in the notional
969fe9b5 1269third dimension only, and does not change the position of the window
f9f59935 1270on the screen.
d25390d0 1271
969fe9b5 1272 You can raise and lower Emacs frame Windows with these functions:
d25390d0 1273
a9f0a989
RS
1274@deffn Command raise-frame &optional frame
1275This function raises frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
f478a72a 1276If @var{frame} is invisible or iconified, this makes it visible.
22697dac 1277@end deffn
d25390d0 1278
a9f0a989
RS
1279@deffn Command lower-frame &optional frame
1280This function lowers frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
22697dac 1281@end deffn
d25390d0
RS
1282
1283@defopt minibuffer-auto-raise
1284If this is non-@code{nil}, activation of the minibuffer raises the frame
1285that the minibuffer window is in.
1286@end defopt
1287
1288You can also enable auto-raise (raising automatically when a frame is
1289selected) or auto-lower (lowering automatically when it is deselected)
1e2e2829 1290for any frame using frame parameters. @xref{Management Parameters}.
d25390d0
RS
1291
1292@node Frame Configurations
1293@section Frame Configurations
1294@cindex frame configuration
1295
1296 A @dfn{frame configuration} records the current arrangement of frames,
1297all their properties, and the window configuration of each one.
969fe9b5 1298(@xref{Window Configurations}.)
d25390d0
RS
1299
1300@defun current-frame-configuration
61cfa852 1301This function returns a frame configuration list that describes
d25390d0
RS
1302the current arrangement of frames and their contents.
1303@end defun
1304
94886883 1305@defun set-frame-configuration configuration &optional nodelete
d25390d0 1306This function restores the state of frames described in
f478a72a
LT
1307@var{configuration}. However, this function does not restore deleted
1308frames.
94886883
GM
1309
1310Ordinarily, this function deletes all existing frames not listed in
1311@var{configuration}. But if @var{nodelete} is non-@code{nil}, the
1312unwanted frames are iconified instead.
d25390d0
RS
1313@end defun
1314
1315@node Mouse Tracking
1316@section Mouse Tracking
1317@cindex mouse tracking
1318@cindex tracking the mouse
1319
61cfa852 1320Sometimes it is useful to @dfn{track} the mouse, which means to display
d25390d0
RS
1321something to indicate where the mouse is and move the indicator as the
1322mouse moves. For efficient mouse tracking, you need a way to wait until
1323the mouse actually moves.
1324
1325The convenient way to track the mouse is to ask for events to represent
1326mouse motion. Then you can wait for motion by waiting for an event. In
1327addition, you can easily handle any other sorts of events that may
1328occur. That is useful, because normally you don't want to track the
1329mouse forever---only until some other event, such as the release of a
1330button.
1331
1332@defspec track-mouse body@dots{}
969fe9b5
RS
1333This special form executes @var{body}, with generation of mouse motion
1334events enabled. Typically @var{body} would use @code{read-event} to
1335read the motion events and modify the display accordingly. @xref{Motion
1336Events}, for the format of mouse motion events.
d25390d0
RS
1337
1338The value of @code{track-mouse} is that of the last form in @var{body}.
969fe9b5
RS
1339You should design @var{body} to return when it sees the up-event that
1340indicates the release of the button, or whatever kind of event means
1341it is time to stop tracking.
d25390d0
RS
1342@end defspec
1343
1344The usual purpose of tracking mouse motion is to indicate on the screen
1345the consequences of pushing or releasing a button at the current
1346position.
1347
bfe721d1
KH
1348In many cases, you can avoid the need to track the mouse by using
1349the @code{mouse-face} text property (@pxref{Special Properties}).
1350That works at a much lower level and runs more smoothly than
1351Lisp-level mouse tracking.
1352
d25390d0
RS
1353@ignore
1354@c These are not implemented yet.
1355
1356These functions change the screen appearance instantaneously. The
1357effect is transient, only until the next ordinary Emacs redisplay. That
969fe9b5 1358is OK for mouse tracking, since it doesn't make sense for mouse tracking
d25390d0
RS
1359to change the text, and the body of @code{track-mouse} normally reads
1360the events itself and does not do redisplay.
1361
1362@defun x-contour-region window beg end
1363This function draws lines to make a box around the text from @var{beg}
1364to @var{end}, in window @var{window}.
1365@end defun
1366
1367@defun x-uncontour-region window beg end
1368This function erases the lines that would make a box around the text
1369from @var{beg} to @var{end}, in window @var{window}. Use it to remove
1370a contour that you previously made by calling @code{x-contour-region}.
1371@end defun
1372
1373@defun x-draw-rectangle frame left top right bottom
1374This function draws a hollow rectangle on frame @var{frame} with the
1375specified edge coordinates, all measured in pixels from the inside top
1376left corner. It uses the cursor color, the one used for indicating the
1377location of point.
1378@end defun
1379
1380@defun x-erase-rectangle frame left top right bottom
1381This function erases a hollow rectangle on frame @var{frame} with the
1382specified edge coordinates, all measured in pixels from the inside top
1383left corner. Erasure means redrawing the text and background that
1384normally belong in the specified rectangle.
1385@end defun
1386@end ignore
1387
1388@node Mouse Position
1389@section Mouse Position
1390@cindex mouse position
1391@cindex position of mouse
1392
1393 The functions @code{mouse-position} and @code{set-mouse-position}
1394give access to the current position of the mouse.
1395
1396@defun mouse-position
1397This function returns a description of the position of the mouse. The
1398value looks like @code{(@var{frame} @var{x} . @var{y})}, where @var{x}
fb9b5ab7
RS
1399and @var{y} are integers giving the position in characters relative to
1400the top left corner of the inside of @var{frame}.
d25390d0
RS
1401@end defun
1402
28932ac1 1403@defvar mouse-position-function
caae20c7
RS
1404If non-@code{nil}, the value of this variable is a function for
1405@code{mouse-position} to call. @code{mouse-position} calls this
1406function just before returning, with its normal return value as the
1407sole argument, and it returns whatever this function returns to it.
1408
1409This abnormal hook exists for the benefit of packages like
1410@file{xt-mouse.el} that need to do mouse handling at the Lisp level.
28932ac1
EZ
1411@end defvar
1412
d25390d0
RS
1413@defun set-mouse-position frame x y
1414This function @dfn{warps the mouse} to position @var{x}, @var{y} in
1415frame @var{frame}. The arguments @var{x} and @var{y} are integers,
fb9b5ab7 1416giving the position in characters relative to the top left corner of the
a9f0a989
RS
1417inside of @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is not visible, this function
1418does nothing. The return value is not significant.
fb9b5ab7 1419@end defun
d25390d0 1420
fb9b5ab7
RS
1421@defun mouse-pixel-position
1422This function is like @code{mouse-position} except that it returns
1423coordinates in units of pixels rather than units of characters.
1424@end defun
1425
1426@defun set-mouse-pixel-position frame x y
1427This function warps the mouse like @code{set-mouse-position} except that
1428@var{x} and @var{y} are in units of pixels rather than units of
1429characters. These coordinates are not required to be within the frame.
a9f0a989
RS
1430
1431If @var{frame} is not visible, this function does nothing. The return
1432value is not significant.
d25390d0
RS
1433@end defun
1434
1435@need 3000
1436
1437@node Pop-Up Menus
1438@section Pop-Up Menus
1439
969fe9b5
RS
1440 When using a window system, a Lisp program can pop up a menu so that
1441the user can choose an alternative with the mouse.
22697dac 1442
d25390d0
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1443@defun x-popup-menu position menu
1444This function displays a pop-up menu and returns an indication of
1445what selection the user makes.
1446
1447The argument @var{position} specifies where on the screen to put the
40823f2d
LT
1448top left corner of the menu. It can be either a mouse button event
1449(which says to put the menu where the user actuated the button) or a
1450list of this form:
d25390d0
RS
1451
1452@example
1453((@var{xoffset} @var{yoffset}) @var{window})
1454@end example
1455
1456@noindent
fb9b5ab7 1457where @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} are coordinates, measured in
40823f2d
LT
1458pixels, counting from the top left corner of @var{window}. @var{window}
1459may be a window or a frame.
d25390d0
RS
1460
1461If @var{position} is @code{t}, it means to use the current mouse
1462position. If @var{position} is @code{nil}, it means to precompute the
1463key binding equivalents for the keymaps specified in @var{menu},
1464without actually displaying or popping up the menu.
1465
1466The argument @var{menu} says what to display in the menu. It can be a
40823f2d
LT
1467keymap or a list of keymaps (@pxref{Menu Keymaps}). In this case, the
1468return value is the list of events corresponding to the user's choice.
1469(This list has more than one element if the choice occurred in a
1470submenu.) Note that @code{x-popup-menu} does not actually execute the
1471command bound to that sequence of events.
1472
1473Alternatively, @var{menu} can have the following form:
d25390d0
RS
1474
1475@example
1476(@var{title} @var{pane1} @var{pane2}...)
1477@end example
1478
1479@noindent
1480where each pane is a list of form
1481
1482@example
40823f2d 1483(@var{title} @var{item1} @var{item2}...)
d25390d0
RS
1484@end example
1485
40823f2d
LT
1486Each item should normally be a cons cell @code{(@var{line} . @var{value})},
1487where @var{line} is a string, and @var{value} is the value to return if
1488that @var{line} is chosen. An item can also be a string; this makes a
1489non-selectable line in the menu.
53420faa
LT
1490
1491If the user gets rid of the menu without making a valid choice, for
1492instance by clicking the mouse away from a valid choice or by typing
1493keyboard input, then this normally results in a quit and
1494@code{x-popup-menu} does not return. But if @var{position} is a mouse
1495button event (indicating that the user invoked the menu with the
1496mouse) then no quit occurs and @code{x-popup-menu} returns @code{nil}.
d25390d0
RS
1497@end defun
1498
f9f59935
RS
1499 @strong{Usage note:} Don't use @code{x-popup-menu} to display a menu
1500if you could do the job with a prefix key defined with a menu keymap.
1501If you use a menu keymap to implement a menu, @kbd{C-h c} and @kbd{C-h
1502a} can see the individual items in that menu and provide help for them.
1503If instead you implement the menu by defining a command that calls
1504@code{x-popup-menu}, the help facilities cannot know what happens inside
1505that command, so they cannot give any help for the menu's items.
2368fc6f
RS
1506
1507 The menu bar mechanism, which lets you switch between submenus by
1508moving the mouse, cannot look within the definition of a command to see
1509that it calls @code{x-popup-menu}. Therefore, if you try to implement a
1510submenu using @code{x-popup-menu}, it cannot work with the menu bar in
1511an integrated fashion. This is why all menu bar submenus are
1512implemented with menu keymaps within the parent menu, and never with
8dc22b86 1513@code{x-popup-menu}. @xref{Menu Bar}.
2368fc6f
RS
1514
1515 If you want a menu bar submenu to have contents that vary, you should
1516still use a menu keymap to implement it. To make the contents vary, add
1517a hook function to @code{menu-bar-update-hook} to update the contents of
1518the menu keymap as necessary.
d25390d0
RS
1519
1520@node Dialog Boxes
1521@section Dialog Boxes
1522@cindex dialog boxes
1523
969fe9b5
RS
1524 A dialog box is a variant of a pop-up menu---it looks a little
1525different, it always appears in the center of a frame, and it has just
24f8f30b 1526one level and one or more buttons. The main use of dialog boxes is
827b7ee7 1527for asking questions that the user can answer with ``yes,'' ``no,''
24f8f30b
NR
1528and a few other alternatives. With a single button, they can also
1529force the user to acknowledge important information. The functions
1530@code{y-or-n-p} and @code{yes-or-no-p} use dialog boxes instead of the
1531keyboard, when called from commands invoked by mouse clicks.
1532
090c98b4 1533@defun x-popup-dialog position contents &optional header
d25390d0
RS
1534This function displays a pop-up dialog box and returns an indication of
1535what selection the user makes. The argument @var{contents} specifies
1536the alternatives to offer; it has this format:
1537
1538@example
fb9b5ab7 1539(@var{title} (@var{string} . @var{value})@dots{})
d25390d0
RS
1540@end example
1541
1542@noindent
1543which looks like the list that specifies a single pane for
1544@code{x-popup-menu}.
1545
fb9b5ab7
RS
1546The return value is @var{value} from the chosen alternative.
1547
40823f2d
LT
1548As for @code{x-popup-menu}, an element of the list may be just a
1549string instead of a cons cell @code{(@var{string} . @var{value})}.
1550That makes a box that cannot be selected.
fb9b5ab7
RS
1551
1552If @code{nil} appears in the list, it separates the left-hand items from
1553the right-hand items; items that precede the @code{nil} appear on the
1554left, and items that follow the @code{nil} appear on the right. If you
1555don't include a @code{nil} in the list, then approximately half the
1556items appear on each side.
1557
d25390d0
RS
1558Dialog boxes always appear in the center of a frame; the argument
1559@var{position} specifies which frame. The possible values are as in
40823f2d
LT
1560@code{x-popup-menu}, but the precise coordinates or the individual
1561window don't matter; only the frame matters.
fb9b5ab7 1562
217797bc
RS
1563If @var{header} is non-@code{nil}, the frame title for the box is
1564@samp{Information}, otherwise it is @samp{Question}. The former is used
b9602867 1565for @code{message-box} (@pxref{message-box}).
24f8f30b 1566
969fe9b5
RS
1567In some configurations, Emacs cannot display a real dialog box; so
1568instead it displays the same items in a pop-up menu in the center of the
1569frame.
53420faa
LT
1570
1571If the user gets rid of the dialog box without making a valid choice,
1572for instance using the window manager, then this produces a quit and
1573@code{x-popup-dialog} does not return.
d25390d0
RS
1574@end defun
1575
01358897
RS
1576@node Pointer Shape
1577@section Pointer Shape
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1578@cindex pointer shape
1579@cindex mouse pointer shape
1580
01358897
RS
1581 You can specify the mouse pointer style for particular text or
1582images using the @code{pointer} text property, and for images with the
1583@code{:pointer} and @code{:map} image properties. The values you can
1584use in these properties are @code{text} (or @code{nil}), @code{arrow},
1585@code{hand}, @code{vdrag}, @code{hdrag}, @code{modeline}, and
1586@code{hourglass}. @code{text} stands for the usual mouse pointer
1587style used over text.
1588
1589 Over void parts of the window (parts that do not correspond to any
1590of the buffer contents), the mouse pointer usually uses the
1591@code{arrow} style, but you can specify a different style (one of
1592those above) by setting @code{void-text-area-pointer}.
1593
1594@defvar void-text-area-pointer
01358897
RS
1595This variable specifies the mouse pointer style for void text areas.
1596These include the areas after the end of a line or below the last line
1597in the buffer. The default is to use the @code{arrow} (non-text)
1598pointer style.
1599@end defvar
bd998259 1600
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1601 You can specify what the @code{text} pointer style really looks like
1602by setting the variable @code{x-pointer-shape}.
1603
1604@defvar x-pointer-shape
1605This variable specifies the pointer shape to use ordinarily in the
1606Emacs frame, for the @code{text} pointer style.
1607@end defvar
bd998259 1608
01358897 1609@defvar x-sensitive-text-pointer-shape
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RS
1610This variable specifies the pointer shape to use when the mouse
1611is over mouse-sensitive text.
e835f3c8 1612@end defvar
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1613
1614 These variables affect newly created frames. They do not normally
01358897
RS
1615affect existing frames; however, if you set the mouse color of a
1616frame, that also installs the current value of those two variables.
1617@xref{Color Parameters}.
bd998259
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1618
1619 The values you can use, to specify either of these pointer shapes, are
477763cd 1620defined in the file @file{lisp/term/x-win.el}. Use @kbd{M-x apropos
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1621@key{RET} x-pointer @key{RET}} to see a list of them.
1622
969fe9b5
RS
1623@node Window System Selections
1624@section Window System Selections
e294b7f1 1625@cindex selection (for window systems)
d25390d0
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1626
1627The X server records a set of @dfn{selections} which permit transfer of
1628data between application programs. The various selections are
1629distinguished by @dfn{selection types}, represented in Emacs by
1630symbols. X clients including Emacs can read or set the selection for
1631any given type.
1632
f478a72a 1633@deffn Command x-set-selection type data
d25390d0
RS
1634This function sets a ``selection'' in the X server. It takes two
1635arguments: a selection type @var{type}, and the value to assign to it,
1636@var{data}. If @var{data} is @code{nil}, it means to clear out the
1637selection. Otherwise, @var{data} may be a string, a symbol, an integer
1638(or a cons of two integers or list of two integers), an overlay, or a
1639cons of two markers pointing to the same buffer. An overlay or a pair
1640of markers stands for text in the overlay or between the markers.
1641
f9f59935
RS
1642The argument @var{data} may also be a vector of valid non-vector
1643selection values.
d25390d0
RS
1644
1645Each possible @var{type} has its own selection value, which changes
0fe59635
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1646independently. The usual values of @var{type} are @code{PRIMARY},
1647@code{SECONDARY} and @code{CLIPBOARD}; these are symbols with upper-case
f478a72a
LT
1648names, in accord with X Window System conventions. If @var{type} is
1649@code{nil}, that stands for @code{PRIMARY}.
1650
1651This function returns @var{data}.
1652@end deffn
d25390d0 1653
61cfa852 1654@defun x-get-selection &optional type data-type
d25390d0
RS
1655This function accesses selections set up by Emacs or by other X
1656clients. It takes two optional arguments, @var{type} and
1657@var{data-type}. The default for @var{type}, the selection type, is
1658@code{PRIMARY}.
1659
1660The @var{data-type} argument specifies the form of data conversion to
1661use, to convert the raw data obtained from another X client into Lisp
1662data. Meaningful values include @code{TEXT}, @code{STRING},
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RS
1663@code{UTF8_STRING}, @code{TARGETS}, @code{LENGTH}, @code{DELETE},
1664@code{FILE_NAME}, @code{CHARACTER_POSITION}, @code{NAME},
1665@code{LINE_NUMBER}, @code{COLUMN_NUMBER}, @code{OWNER_OS},
1666@code{HOST_NAME}, @code{USER}, @code{CLASS}, @code{ATOM}, and
1667@code{INTEGER}. (These are symbols with upper-case names in accord
1668with X conventions.) The default for @var{data-type} is
1669@code{STRING}.
d25390d0
RS
1670@end defun
1671
1672@cindex cut buffer
0fe59635 1673The X server also has a set of eight numbered @dfn{cut buffers} which can
d25390d0
RS
1674store text or other data being moved between applications. Cut buffers
1675are considered obsolete, but Emacs supports them for the sake of X
0fe59635 1676clients that still use them. Cut buffers are numbered from 0 to 7.
d25390d0 1677
0fe59635 1678@defun x-get-cut-buffer &optional n
d25390d0 1679This function returns the contents of cut buffer number @var{n}.
0fe59635 1680If omitted @var{n} defaults to 0.
d25390d0
RS
1681@end defun
1682
94886883 1683@defun x-set-cut-buffer string &optional push
7baeca0c 1684@anchor{Definition of x-set-cut-buffer}
d25390d0 1685This function stores @var{string} into the first cut buffer (cut buffer
94886883
GM
16860). If @var{push} is @code{nil}, only the first cut buffer is changed.
1687If @var{push} is non-@code{nil}, that says to move the values down
1688through the series of cut buffers, much like the way successive kills in
1689Emacs move down the kill ring. In other words, the previous value of
1690the first cut buffer moves into the second cut buffer, and the second to
1691the third, and so on through all eight cut buffers.
d25390d0
RS
1692@end defun
1693
ad37b071 1694@defvar selection-coding-system
ad37b071 1695This variable specifies the coding system to use when reading and
b9660a6f 1696writing selections or the clipboard. @xref{Coding
23b7c675
EZ
1697Systems}. The default is @code{compound-text-with-extensions}, which
1698converts to the text representation that X11 normally uses.
ad37b071
RS
1699@end defvar
1700
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RS
1701@cindex clipboard support (for MS-Windows)
1702When Emacs runs on MS-Windows, it does not implement X selections in
1ecbf4e4 1703general, but it does support the clipboard. @code{x-get-selection}
8241495d
RS
1704and @code{x-set-selection} on MS-Windows support the text data type
1705only; if the clipboard holds other types of data, Emacs treats the
1706clipboard as empty.
1707
279a8f1a
YM
1708@cindex scrap support (for Mac OS)
1709On Mac OS, selection-like data transfer between applications is
1710performed through a mechanism called @dfn{scraps}. The clipboard is a
1711particular scrap named @code{com.apple.scrap.clipboard}. Types of scrap
1712data are called @dfn{scrap flavor types}, which are identified by
1713four-char codes such as @code{TEXT}. Emacs associates a selection with
1714a scrap, and a selection type with a scrap flavor type via
1715@code{mac-scrap-name} and @code{mac-ostype} properties, respectively.
1716
1717@example
1718(get 'CLIPBOARD 'mac-scrap-name)
1719 @result{} "com.apple.scrap.clipboard"
1720(get 'com.apple.traditional-mac-plain-text 'mac-ostype)
1721 @result{} "TEXT"
1722@end example
1723
1724Conventionally, selection types for scrap flavor types on Mac OS have
1725the form of @acronym{UTI, Uniform Type Identifier} such as
1726@code{com.apple.traditional-mac-plain-text},
1727@code{public.utf16-plain-text}, and @code{public.file-url}.
1728
8241495d
RS
1729@defopt x-select-enable-clipboard
1730If this is non-@code{nil}, the Emacs yank functions consult the
1731clipboard before the primary selection, and the kill functions store in
1732the clipboard as well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not
1733access the clipboard at all. The default is @code{nil} on most systems,
279a8f1a 1734but @code{t} on MS-Windows and Mac.
8241495d 1735@end defopt
a9f0a989 1736
e29e838a
RS
1737@node Drag and Drop
1738@section Drag and Drop
1739
1740@vindex x-dnd-test-function
1741@vindex x-dnd-known-types
1742 When a user drags something from another application over Emacs, that other
1743application expects Emacs to tell it if Emacs can handle the data that is
1744dragged. The variable @code{x-dnd-test-function} is used by Emacs to determine
1745what to reply. The default value is @code{x-dnd-default-test-function}
1746which accepts drops if the type of the data to be dropped is present in
1747@code{x-dnd-known-types}. You can customize @code{x-dnd-test-function} and/or
1748@code{x-dnd-known-types} if you want Emacs to accept or reject drops based
1749on some other criteria.
1750
1751@vindex x-dnd-types-alist
1752 If you want to change the way Emacs handles drop of different types
1753or add a new type, customize @code{x-dnd-types-alist}. This requires
1754detailed knowledge of what types other applications use for drag and
1755drop.
1756
1757@vindex dnd-protocol-alist
1758 When an URL is dropped on Emacs it may be a file, but it may also be
1759another URL type (ftp, http, etc.). Emacs first checks
1760@code{dnd-protocol-alist} to determine what to do with the URL. If
1761there is no match there and if @code{browse-url-browser-function} is
1762an alist, Emacs looks for a match there. If no match is found the
1763text for the URL is inserted. If you want to alter Emacs behavior,
1764you can customize these variables.
e29e838a 1765
bfe721d1
KH
1766@node Color Names
1767@section Color Names
d25390d0 1768
f705df79
EZ
1769@cindex color names
1770@cindex specify color
1771@cindex numerical RGB color specification
8dc22b86
RS
1772 A color name is text (usually in a string) that specifies a color.
1773Symbolic names such as @samp{black}, @samp{white}, @samp{red}, etc.,
1774are allowed; use @kbd{M-x list-colors-display} to see a list of
1775defined names. You can also specify colors numerically in forms such
1776as @samp{#@var{rgb}} and @samp{RGB:@var{r}/@var{g}/@var{b}}, where
1777@var{r} specifies the red level, @var{g} specifies the green level,
1778and @var{b} specifies the blue level. You can use either one, two,
1779three, or four hex digits for @var{r}; then you must use the same
1780number of hex digits for all @var{g} and @var{b} as well, making
f705df79
EZ
1781either 3, 6, 9 or 12 hex digits in all. (See the documentation of the
1782X Window System for more details about numerical RGB specification of
1783colors.)
8dc22b86 1784
8241495d 1785 These functions provide a way to determine which color names are
5df7058c
EZ
1786valid, and what they look like. In some cases, the value depends on the
1787@dfn{selected frame}, as described below; see @ref{Input Focus}, for the
827b7ee7 1788meaning of the term ``selected frame.''
8241495d
RS
1789
1790@defun color-defined-p color &optional frame
fed7c77a 1791This function reports whether a color name is meaningful. It returns
a3431be8
RS
1792@code{t} if so; otherwise, @code{nil}. The argument @var{frame} says
1793which frame's display to ask about; if @var{frame} is omitted or
1794@code{nil}, the selected frame is used.
d25390d0 1795
fed7c77a 1796Note that this does not tell you whether the display you are using
8241495d
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1797really supports that color. When using X, you can ask for any defined
1798color on any kind of display, and you will get some result---typically,
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1799the closest it can do. To determine whether a frame can really display
1800a certain color, use @code{color-supported-p} (see below).
8241495d 1801
72821190 1802@findex x-color-defined-p
8241495d
RS
1803This function used to be called @code{x-color-defined-p},
1804and that name is still supported as an alias.
1805@end defun
1806
1807@defun defined-colors &optional frame
8241495d
RS
1808This function returns a list of the color names that are defined
1809and supported on frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
f478a72a 1810If @var{frame} does not support colors, the value is @code{nil}.
8241495d 1811
72821190 1812@findex x-defined-colors
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RS
1813This function used to be called @code{x-defined-colors},
1814and that name is still supported as an alias.
fed7c77a
RS
1815@end defun
1816
72821190 1817@defun color-supported-p color &optional frame background-p
72821190
RS
1818This returns @code{t} if @var{frame} can really display the color
1819@var{color} (or at least something close to it). If @var{frame} is
1820omitted or @code{nil}, the question applies to the selected frame.
1821
1822Some terminals support a different set of colors for foreground and
1823background. If @var{background-p} is non-@code{nil}, that means you are
1824asking whether @var{color} can be used as a background; otherwise you
1825are asking whether it can be used as a foreground.
1826
1827The argument @var{color} must be a valid color name.
1828@end defun
1829
1830@defun color-gray-p color &optional frame
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RS
1831This returns @code{t} if @var{color} is a shade of gray, as defined on
1832@var{frame}'s display. If @var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, the
f478a72a
LT
1833question applies to the selected frame. If @var{color} is not a valid
1834color name, this function returns @code{nil}.
72821190
RS
1835@end defun
1836
8241495d 1837@defun color-values color &optional frame
f705df79 1838@cindex rgb value
fed7c77a 1839This function returns a value that describes what @var{color} should
f478a72a
LT
1840ideally look like on @var{frame}. If @var{color} is defined, the
1841value is a list of three integers, which give the amount of red, the
1842amount of green, and the amount of blue. Each integer ranges in
1843principle from 0 to 65535, but some displays may not use the full
f705df79
EZ
1844range. This three-element list is called the @dfn{rgb values} of the
1845color.
8241495d
RS
1846
1847If @var{color} is not defined, the value is @code{nil}.
fed7c77a
RS
1848
1849@example
8241495d 1850(color-values "black")
fed7c77a 1851 @result{} (0 0 0)
8241495d 1852(color-values "white")
fed7c77a 1853 @result{} (65280 65280 65280)
8241495d 1854(color-values "red")
fed7c77a 1855 @result{} (65280 0 0)
8241495d 1856(color-values "pink")
fed7c77a 1857 @result{} (65280 49152 51968)
8241495d 1858(color-values "hungry")
fed7c77a
RS
1859 @result{} nil
1860@end example
a3431be8 1861
8dc22b86
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1862The color values are returned for @var{frame}'s display. If
1863@var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, the information is returned for
1864the selected frame's display. If the frame cannot display colors, the
1865value is @code{nil}.
8241495d 1866
72821190 1867@findex x-color-values
8241495d
RS
1868This function used to be called @code{x-color-values},
1869and that name is still supported as an alias.
1870@end defun
1871
1872@node Text Terminal Colors
1873@section Text Terminal Colors
1874@cindex colors on text-only terminals
1875
f5d71784
RS
1876 Text-only terminals usually support only a small number of colors,
1877and the computer uses small integers to select colors on the terminal.
1878This means that the computer cannot reliably tell what the selected
1879color looks like; instead, you have to inform your application which
1880small integers correspond to which colors. However, Emacs does know
1881the standard set of colors and will try to use them automatically.
8241495d 1882
8d78fe22
EZ
1883 The functions described in this section control how terminal colors
1884are used by Emacs.
1885
f705df79
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1886 Several of these functions use or return @dfn{rgb values}, described
1887in @ref{Color Names}.
8241495d 1888
75708135
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1889 These functions accept a display (either a frame or the name of a
1890terminal) as an optional argument. We hope in the future to make Emacs
1891support more than one text-only terminal at one time; then this argument
1892will specify which terminal to operate on (the default being the
5df7058c 1893selected frame's terminal; @pxref{Input Focus}). At present, though,
8dc22b86 1894the @var{frame} argument has no effect.
72821190 1895
8dc22b86 1896@defun tty-color-define name number &optional rgb frame
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RS
1897This function associates the color name @var{name} with
1898color number @var{number} on the terminal.
1899
8dc22b86 1900The optional argument @var{rgb}, if specified, is an rgb value, a list
45221c9e 1901of three numbers that specify what the color actually looks like.
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RS
1902If you do not specify @var{rgb}, then this color cannot be used by
1903@code{tty-color-approximate} to approximate other colors, because
1904Emacs will not know what it looks like.
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1905@end defun
1906
8dc22b86 1907@defun tty-color-clear &optional frame
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1908This function clears the table of defined colors for a text-only terminal.
1909@end defun
1910
8dc22b86 1911@defun tty-color-alist &optional frame
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1912This function returns an alist recording the known colors supported by a
1913text-only terminal.
8241495d
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1914
1915Each element has the form @code{(@var{name} @var{number} . @var{rgb})}
1916or @code{(@var{name} @var{number})}. Here, @var{name} is the color
1917name, @var{number} is the number used to specify it to the terminal.
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1918If present, @var{rgb} is a list of three color values (for red, green,
1919and blue) that says what the color actually looks like.
72821190 1920@end defun
8241495d 1921
8dc22b86 1922@defun tty-color-approximate rgb &optional frame
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RS
1923This function finds the closest color, among the known colors
1924supported for @var{display}, to that described by the rgb value
1925@var{rgb} (a list of color values). The return value is an element of
1926@code{tty-color-alist}.
8241495d
RS
1927@end defun
1928
8dc22b86 1929@defun tty-color-translate color &optional frame
72821190 1930This function finds the closest color to @var{color} among the known
f478a72a
LT
1931colors supported for @var{display} and returns its index (an integer).
1932If the name @var{color} is not defined, the value is @code{nil}.
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1933@end defun
1934
d25390d0
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1935@node Resources
1936@section X Resources
1937
bfe721d1 1938@defun x-get-resource attribute class &optional component subclass
d25390d0 1939The function @code{x-get-resource} retrieves a resource value from the X
0fe59635 1940Window defaults database.
d25390d0
RS
1941
1942Resources are indexed by a combination of a @dfn{key} and a @dfn{class}.
1943This function searches using a key of the form
61cfa852 1944@samp{@var{instance}.@var{attribute}} (where @var{instance} is the name
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KH
1945under which Emacs was invoked), and using @samp{Emacs.@var{class}} as
1946the class.
d25390d0
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1947
1948The optional arguments @var{component} and @var{subclass} add to the key
1949and the class, respectively. You must specify both of them or neither.
1950If you specify them, the key is
1951@samp{@var{instance}.@var{component}.@var{attribute}}, and the class is
bfe721d1 1952@samp{Emacs.@var{class}.@var{subclass}}.
d25390d0
RS
1953@end defun
1954
f9f59935
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1955@defvar x-resource-class
1956This variable specifies the application name that @code{x-get-resource}
1957should look up. The default value is @code{"Emacs"}. You can examine X
1958resources for application names other than ``Emacs'' by binding this
1959variable to some other string, around a call to @code{x-get-resource}.
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RS
1960@end defvar
1961
1962@defvar x-resource-name
1963This variable specifies the instance name that @code{x-get-resource}
1964should look up. The default value is the name Emacs was invoked with,
1965or the value specified with the @samp{-name} or @samp{-rn} switches.
f9f59935
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1966@end defvar
1967
f478a72a
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1968To illustrate some of the above, suppose that you have the line:
1969
1970@example
1971xterm.vt100.background: yellow
1972@end example
1973
1974@noindent
45221c9e 1975in your X resources file (whose name is usually @file{~/.Xdefaults}
342fd6cd 1976or @file{~/.Xresources}). Then:
f478a72a
LT
1977
1978@example
1979@group
1980(let ((x-resource-class "XTerm") (x-resource-name "xterm"))
1981 (x-get-resource "vt100.background" "VT100.Background"))
1982 @result{} "yellow"
1983@end group
1984@group
1985(let ((x-resource-class "XTerm") (x-resource-name "xterm"))
1986 (x-get-resource "background" "VT100" "vt100" "Background"))
1987 @result{} "yellow"
1988@end group
1989@end example
1990
61f7e0f5 1991 @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
d25390d0 1992
a065c889
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1993@node Display Feature Testing
1994@section Display Feature Testing
1995@cindex display feature testing
1996
1997 The functions in this section describe the basic capabilities of a
1998particular display. Lisp programs can use them to adapt their behavior
5fe3b9bc 1999to what the display can do. For example, a program that ordinarily uses
a065c889
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2000a popup menu could use the minibuffer if popup menus are not supported.
2001
2002 The optional argument @var{display} in these functions specifies which
2003display to ask the question about. It can be a display name, a frame
2004(which designates the display that frame is on), or @code{nil} (which
5df7058c 2005refers to the selected frame's display, @pxref{Input Focus}).
a065c889
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2006
2007 @xref{Color Names}, @ref{Text Terminal Colors}, for other functions to
2008obtain information about displays.
2009
2010@defun display-popup-menus-p &optional display
a065c889
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2011This function returns @code{t} if popup menus are supported on
2012@var{display}, @code{nil} if not. Support for popup menus requires that
2013the mouse be available, since the user cannot choose menu items without
2014a mouse.
2015@end defun
2016
2017@defun display-graphic-p &optional display
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RS
2018@cindex frames, more than one on display
2019@cindex fonts, more than one on display
2020This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} is a graphic display
2021capable of displaying several frames and several different fonts at
2022once. This is true for displays that use a window system such as X, and
2023false for text-only terminals.
2024@end defun
2025
1dffc5db 2026@defun display-mouse-p &optional display
1dffc5db
RS
2027@cindex mouse, availability
2028This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} has a mouse available,
2029@code{nil} if not.
2030@end defun
2031
12210d03 2032@defun display-color-p &optional display
12210d03
RS
2033@findex x-display-color-p
2034This function returns @code{t} if the screen is a color screen.
2035It used to be called @code{x-display-color-p}, and that name
2036is still supported as an alias.
2037@end defun
2038
2039@defun display-grayscale-p &optional display
12210d03 2040This function returns @code{t} if the screen can display shades of gray.
1dffc5db 2041(All color displays can do this.)
12210d03
RS
2042@end defun
2043
11ef2a3b 2044@defun display-supports-face-attributes-p attributes &optional display
7baeca0c 2045@anchor{Display Face Attribute Testing}
11ef2a3b
MB
2046This function returns non-@code{nil} if all the face attributes in
2047@var{attributes} are supported (@pxref{Face Attributes}).
2048
2049The definition of `supported' is somewhat heuristic, but basically
2050means that a face containing all the attributes in @var{attributes},
2051when merged with the default face for display, can be represented in a
2052way that's
2053
2054@enumerate
2055@item
2056different in appearance than the default face, and
2057
2058@item
2059`close in spirit' to what the attributes specify, if not exact.
2060@end enumerate
2061
2062Point (2) implies that a @code{:weight black} attribute will be
2063satisfied by any display that can display bold, as will
2064@code{:foreground "yellow"} as long as some yellowish color can be
72459b15 2065displayed, but @code{:slant italic} will @emph{not} be satisfied by
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2066the tty display code's automatic substitution of a `dim' face for
2067italic.
2068@end defun
2069
a065c889 2070@defun display-selections-p &optional display
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2071This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} supports selections.
2072Windowed displays normally support selections, but they may also be
2073supported in some other cases.
2074@end defun
d25390d0 2075
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EZ
2076@defun display-images-p &optional display
2077This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} can display images.
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2078Windowed displays ought in principle to handle images, but some
2079systems lack the support for that. On a display that does not support
2080images, Emacs cannot display a tool bar.
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2081@end defun
2082
12210d03 2083@defun display-screens &optional display
22697dac 2084This function returns the number of screens associated with the display.
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2085@end defun
2086
12210d03 2087@defun display-pixel-height &optional display
22697dac 2088This function returns the height of the screen in pixels.
f478a72a 2089On a character terminal, it gives the height in characters.
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2090@end defun
2091
12210d03 2092@defun display-pixel-width &optional display
22697dac 2093This function returns the width of the screen in pixels.
f478a72a 2094On a character terminal, it gives the width in characters.
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2095@end defun
2096
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2097@defun display-mm-height &optional display
2098This function returns the height of the screen in millimeters,
2099or @code{nil} if Emacs cannot get that information.
2100@end defun
2101
12210d03 2102@defun display-mm-width &optional display
12210d03
RS
2103This function returns the width of the screen in millimeters,
2104or @code{nil} if Emacs cannot get that information.
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2105@end defun
2106
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2107@defvar display-mm-dimensions-alist
2108This variable allows the user to specify the dimensions of graphical
2109displays returned by @code{display-mm-height} and
2110@code{display-mm-width} in case the system provides incorrect values.
2111@end defvar
2112
12210d03 2113@defun display-backing-store &optional display
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2114This function returns the backing store capability of the display.
2115Backing store means recording the pixels of windows (and parts of
2116windows) that are not exposed, so that when exposed they can be
2117displayed very quickly.
2118
d25390d0 2119Values can be the symbols @code{always}, @code{when-mapped}, or
12210d03
RS
2120@code{not-useful}. The function can also return @code{nil}
2121when the question is inapplicable to a certain kind of display.
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2122@end defun
2123
12210d03 2124@defun display-save-under &optional display
22697dac 2125This function returns non-@code{nil} if the display supports the
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2126SaveUnder feature. That feature is used by pop-up windows
2127to save the pixels they obscure, so that they can pop down
2128quickly.
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2129@end defun
2130
12210d03 2131@defun display-planes &optional display
22697dac 2132This function returns the number of planes the display supports.
1dffc5db 2133This is typically the number of bits per pixel.
f0cdbdfa 2134For a tty display, it is log to base two of the number of colors supported.
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2135@end defun
2136
12210d03 2137@defun display-visual-class &optional display
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KH
2138This function returns the visual class for the screen. The value is one
2139of the symbols @code{static-gray}, @code{gray-scale},
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RS
2140@code{static-color}, @code{pseudo-color}, @code{true-color}, and
2141@code{direct-color}.
2142@end defun
2143
12210d03 2144@defun display-color-cells &optional display
12210d03 2145This function returns the number of color cells the screen supports.
22697dac
KH
2146@end defun
2147
12210d03
RS
2148 These functions obtain additional information specifically
2149about X displays.
2150
2151@defun x-server-version &optional display
2152This function returns the list of version numbers of the X server
f478a72a 2153running the display. The value is a list of three integers: the major
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RS
2154and minor version numbers of the X protocol, and the
2155distributor-specific release number of the X server software itself.
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RS
2156@end defun
2157
2158@defun x-server-vendor &optional display
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2159This function returns the ``vendor'' that provided the X server
2160software (as a string). Really this means whoever distributes the X
2161server.
2162
2163When the developers of X labelled software distributors as
827b7ee7 2164``vendors,'' they showed their false assumption that no system could
60bb4909 2165ever be developed and distributed noncommercially.
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2166@end defun
2167
2168@ignore
2169@defvar x-no-window-manager
a9f0a989 2170This variable's value is @code{t} if no X window manager is in use.
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RS
2171@end defvar
2172@end ignore
2173
2174@ignore
2175@item
2176The functions @code{x-pixel-width} and @code{x-pixel-height} return the
2177width and height of an X Window frame, measured in pixels.
d25390d0 2178@end ignore
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2179
2180@ignore
2181 arch-tag: 94977df6-3dca-4730-b57b-c6329e9282ba
2182@end ignore