(Finsert_string, Fml_if, Fml_provide_prefix_argument)
[bpt/emacs.git] / man / frames.texi
CommitLineData
6bf7aab6 1@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
34359f61 2@c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 99, 2000, 2001
6ca0edfe 3@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
6bf7aab6
DL
4@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5@node Frames, International, Windows, Top
6@chapter Frames and X Windows
7@cindex frames
8
9 When using the X Window System, you can create multiple windows at the
10X level in a single Emacs session. Each X window that belongs to Emacs
11displays a @dfn{frame} which can contain one or several Emacs windows.
12A frame initially contains a single general-purpose Emacs window which
13you can subdivide vertically or horizontally into smaller windows. A
14frame normally contains its own echo area and minibuffer, but you can
15make frames that don't have these---they use the echo area and
16minibuffer of another frame.
17
18 Editing you do in one frame also affects the other frames. For
19instance, if you put text in the kill ring in one frame, you can yank it
20in another frame. If you exit Emacs through @kbd{C-x C-c} in one frame,
21it terminates all the frames. To delete just one frame, use @kbd{C-x 5
85d6c6e7 220} (that is zero, not @kbd{o}).
6bf7aab6
DL
23
24 To avoid confusion, we reserve the word ``window'' for the
25subdivisions that Emacs implements, and never use it to refer to a
26frame.
27
28 Emacs compiled for MS-DOS emulates some aspects of the window system
29so that you can use many of the features described in this chapter.
30@xref{MS-DOS Input}, for more information.
31
70c88b57
DL
32@cindex MS Windows
33 Emacs compiled for MS Windows mostly supports the same features as
099bfef9 34under X. However, images, tool bars, and tooltips are not yet
0b9ad352 35available in Emacs version 21.1 on MS-Windows.
70c88b57 36
6bf7aab6
DL
37@menu
38* Mouse Commands:: Moving, cutting, and pasting, with the mouse.
39* Secondary Selection:: Cutting without altering point and mark.
d235b2db 40* Clipboard:: Using the clipboard for selections.
6bf7aab6
DL
41* Mouse References:: Using the mouse to select an item from a list.
42* Menu Mouse Clicks:: Mouse clicks that bring up menus.
43* Mode Line Mouse:: Mouse clicks on the mode line.
6bf7aab6 44* Creating Frames:: Creating additional Emacs frames with various contents.
099bfef9
RS
45* Frame Commands:: Iconifying, deleting, and switching frames.
46* Speedbar:: How to make and use a speedbar frame.
6bf7aab6
DL
47* Multiple Displays:: How one Emacs job can talk to several displays.
48* Special Buffer Frames:: You can make certain buffers have their own frames.
49* Frame Parameters:: Changing the colors and other modes of frames.
50* Scroll Bars:: How to enable and disable scroll bars; how to use them.
70c88b57 51* Wheeled Mice:: Using mouse wheels for scrolling.
6bf7aab6 52* Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
2beab0db 53* Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
70c88b57 54* Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
47d7776c 55* Tooltips:: Showing "tooltips", AKA "balloon help" for active text.
43391ff3 56* Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
6bf7aab6 57* Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
70c88b57 58* XTerm Mouse:: Using the mouse in an XTerm terminal emulator.
6bf7aab6
DL
59@end menu
60
61@node Mouse Commands
62@section Mouse Commands for Editing
63@cindex mouse buttons (what they do)
64
65 The mouse commands for selecting and copying a region are mostly
66compatible with the @code{xterm} program. You can use the same mouse
67commands for copying between Emacs and other X client programs.
68
0e824f4f 69@kindex DELETE @r{(and mouse selection)}
6bf7aab6
DL
70 If you select a region with any of these mouse commands, and then
71immediately afterward type the @key{DELETE} function key, it deletes the
72region that you selected. The @key{BACKSPACE} function key and the
73ASCII character @key{DEL} do not do this; if you type any other key
74in between the mouse command and @key{DELETE}, it does not do this.
75
76@findex mouse-set-region
77@findex mouse-set-point
78@findex mouse-yank-at-click
79@findex mouse-save-then-click
80@kindex Mouse-1
81@kindex Mouse-2
82@kindex Mouse-3
83@table @kbd
84@item Mouse-1
85Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
86This is normally the left button.
87
88@item Drag-Mouse-1
89Set the region to the text you select by dragging, and copy it to the
90kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}). You can specify both ends of the
91region with this single command.
92
93@vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
94If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
95dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
96back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
97entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
98on how far away from the window edge the mouse has gone; the variable
99@code{mouse-scroll-min-lines} specifies a minimum step size.
100
101@item Mouse-2
102Yank the last killed text, where you click (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
103This is normally the middle button.
104
105@item Mouse-3
106This command, @code{mouse-save-then-kill}, has several functions
107depending on where you click and the status of the region.
108
109The most basic case is when you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in one place and
110then @kbd{Mouse-3} in another. This selects the text between those two
111positions as the region. It also copies the new region to the kill
112ring, so that you can copy it to someplace else.
113
114If you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in the text, scroll with the scroll bar, and
115then click @kbd{Mouse-3}, it remembers where point was before scrolling
116(where you put it with @kbd{Mouse-1}), and uses that position as the
117other end of the region. This is so that you can select a region that
118doesn't fit entirely on the screen.
119
120More generally, if you do not have a highlighted region, @kbd{Mouse-3}
121selects the text between point and the click position as the region. It
122does this by setting the mark where point was, and moving point to where
123you click.
124
125If you have a highlighted region, or if the region was set just before
126by dragging button 1, @kbd{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end of the region
127by moving it to where you click. The adjusted region's text also
128replaces the old region's text in the kill ring.
129
130If you originally specified the region using a double or triple
131@kbd{Mouse-1}, so that the region is defined to consist of entire words
132or lines, then adjusting the region with @kbd{Mouse-3} also proceeds by
133entire words or lines.
134
135If you use @kbd{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same place,
136that kills the region already selected.
137
138@item Double-Mouse-1
139This key sets the region around the word which you click on. If you
140click on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as underscore, in C
141mode), it sets the region around the symbol surrounding that character.
142
143If you click on a character with open-parenthesis or close-parenthesis
57d28ead 144syntax, it sets the region around the parenthetical grouping
6bf7aab6
DL
145which that character starts or ends. If you click on a character with
146string-delimiter syntax (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C), it
147sets the region around the string constant (using heuristics to figure
148out whether that character is the beginning or the end of it).
149
150@item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
151This key selects a region made up of the words you drag across.
152
153@item Triple-Mouse-1
154This key sets the region around the line you click on.
155
156@item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
157This key selects a region made up of the lines you drag across.
158@end table
159
160 The simplest way to kill text with the mouse is to press @kbd{Mouse-1}
161at one end, then press @kbd{Mouse-3} twice at the other end.
162@xref{Killing}. To copy the text into the kill ring without deleting it
163from the buffer, press @kbd{Mouse-3} just once---or just drag across the
164text with @kbd{Mouse-1}. Then you can copy it elsewhere by yanking it.
165
166@vindex mouse-yank-at-point
167 To yank the killed or copied text somewhere else, move the mouse there
168and press @kbd{Mouse-2}. @xref{Yanking}. However, if
169@code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{Mouse-2} yanks at
170point. Then it does not matter where you click, or even which of the
171frame's windows you click on. The default value is @code{nil}. This
172variable also affects yanking the secondary selection.
173
174@cindex cutting and X
175@cindex pasting and X
176@cindex X cutting and pasting
177 To copy text to another X window, kill it or save it in the kill ring.
178Under X, this also sets the @dfn{primary selection}. Then use the
179``paste'' or ``yank'' command of the program operating the other window
180to insert the text from the selection.
181
0b9ad352
RS
182 To copy text from another X window, use the ``cut'' or ``copy''
183command of the program operating the other window, to select the text
184you want. Then yank it in Emacs with @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
185
186 The standard coding system for X selections is @code{compound-text}.
187To specify another coding system for X selections, use @kbd{C-x
188@key{RET} x} or @kbd{C-x @key{RET} X}. @xref{Specify Coding}.
6bf7aab6
DL
189
190 These cutting and pasting commands also work on MS-Windows.
191
192@cindex primary selection
193@cindex cut buffer
194@cindex selection, primary
195@vindex x-cut-buffer-max
196 When Emacs puts text into the kill ring, or rotates text to the front
197of the kill ring, it sets the @dfn{primary selection} in the X server.
198This is how other X clients can access the text. Emacs also stores the
199text in the cut buffer, but only if the text is short enough
85d6c6e7
RS
200(the value of @code{x-cut-buffer-max} specifies the maximum number of
201characters); putting long strings in the cut buffer can be slow.
6bf7aab6
DL
202
203 The commands to yank the first entry in the kill ring actually check
204first for a primary selection in another program; after that, they check
205for text in the cut buffer. If neither of those sources provides text
206to yank, the kill ring contents are used.
207
208@node Secondary Selection
209@section Secondary Selection
210@cindex secondary selection
211
212 The @dfn{secondary selection} is another way of selecting text using
213X. It does not use point or the mark, so you can use it to kill text
214without setting point or the mark.
215
216@table @kbd
217@findex mouse-set-secondary
218@kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
219@item M-Drag-Mouse-1
220Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
221down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
222(@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The highlighting appears and changes as
85d6c6e7
RS
223you drag. You can control the appearance of the highlighting by
224customizing the @code{secondary-selection} face (@pxref{Face
225Customization}).
6bf7aab6
DL
226
227If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
228dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
229back into the window. This way, you can mark regions that don't fit
230entirely on the screen.
231
232@findex mouse-start-secondary
233@kindex M-Mouse-1
234@item M-Mouse-1
235Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
236(@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
237
238@findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
239@kindex M-Mouse-3
240@item M-Mouse-3
241Make a secondary selection, using the place specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
242as the other end (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). A second click
243at the same place kills the secondary selection just made.
244
245@findex mouse-yank-secondary
246@kindex M-Mouse-2
247@item M-Mouse-2
248Insert the secondary selection where you click
249(@code{mouse-yank-secondary}). This places point at the end of the
250yanked text.
251@end table
252
253Double or triple clicking of @kbd{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
254lines, much like @kbd{Mouse-1}.
255
256If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{M-Mouse-2}
257yanks at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click; all
258that matters is which window you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
259
d235b2db
DL
260@node Clipboard
261@section Using the Clipboard
262@cindex X clipboard
263@cindex clipboard
264@vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
265@findex menu-bar-enable-clipboard
266@cindex OpenWindows
267@cindex Gnome
268
099bfef9 269 As well as the primary and secondary selection types, X supports a
d235b2db
DL
270@dfn{clipboard} selection type which is used by some applications,
271particularly under OpenWindows and Gnome.
272
099bfef9 273 The command @kbd{M-x menu-bar-enable-clipboard} makes the @code{Cut},
d235b2db
DL
274@code{Paste} and @code{Copy} menu items, as well as the keys of the same
275names, all use the clipboard.
276
099bfef9 277 You can customize the option @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to make
d235b2db
DL
278the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
279selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
280well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not access the
281clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on MS-Windows,
282unlike most systems.
283
6bf7aab6
DL
284@node Mouse References
285@section Following References with the Mouse
286@kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
287
288 Some Emacs buffers display lists of various sorts. These include
289lists of files, of buffers, of possible completions, of matches for
290a pattern, and so on.
291
292 Since yanking text into these buffers is not very useful, most of them
293define @kbd{Mouse-2} specially, as a command to use or view the item you
294click on.
295
296 For example, if you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a file name in a Dired
297buffer, you visit that file. If you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on an error
298message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer, you go to the source code
299for that error message. If you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a completion in
300the @samp{*Completions*} buffer, you choose that completion.
301
302 You can usually tell when @kbd{Mouse-2} has this special sort of
303meaning because the sensitive text highlights when you move the mouse
304over it.
305
306@node Menu Mouse Clicks
307@section Mouse Clicks for Menus
308
309 Mouse clicks modified with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} keys
310bring up menus.
311
6bf7aab6
DL
312@table @kbd
313@item C-Mouse-1
239e21e2 314@kindex C-Mouse-1
6bf7aab6
DL
315This menu is for selecting a buffer.
316
cb02ee3e
RS
317The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
318menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
239e21e2 319
6bf7aab6 320@item C-Mouse-2
239e21e2 321@kindex C-Mouse-2
6bf7aab6
DL
322This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
323for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
324
325@item C-Mouse-3
239e21e2
DL
326@kindex C-Mouse-3
327This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on, this
328menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus put
329together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
330button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
331menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
332@kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision to
333use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu.} If Menu-bar mode is off, this menu
334contains all the items which would be present in the menu bar---not just
335the mode-specific ones---so that you can access them without having to
336display the menu bar.
6bf7aab6 337
099bfef9 338@item S-Mouse-1
6bf7aab6
DL
339This menu is for specifying the frame's principal font.
340@end table
341
342@node Mode Line Mouse
343@section Mode Line Mouse Commands
239e21e2
DL
344@cindex mode line, mouse
345@cindex mouse on mode line
6bf7aab6
DL
346
347 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
348windows.
349
350@table @kbd
351@item Mouse-1
099bfef9 352@kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
6bf7aab6
DL
353@kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window above. By dragging
354@kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus changing the
355height of the windows above and below.
356
357@item Mouse-2
099bfef9 358@kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
6bf7aab6
DL
359@kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
360
361@item Mouse-3
099bfef9 362@kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
92b432e8
EZ
363@kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window above. If the frame has
364only one window, it buries the current buffer instead and switches to
365another buffer.
6bf7aab6
DL
366
367@item C-Mouse-2
099bfef9 368@kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
6bf7aab6
DL
369@kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
370horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
371@end table
372
099bfef9 373@kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
6bf7aab6 374 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
85d6c6e7 375vertically, unless you are using an X toolkit's implementation of
099bfef9 376scroll bars. @xref{Split Window}.
6bf7aab6 377
099bfef9
RS
378 The commands above apply to areas of the mode line which do not have
379special mouse bindings of their own. Some areas, such as the buffer
380name and the major mode name, have their own special mouse bindings.
381Emacs displays information about these bindings when you hold the
85d6c6e7 382mouse over such a place (@pxref{Tooltips}).
70c88b57 383
6bf7aab6
DL
384@node Creating Frames
385@section Creating Frames
386@cindex creating frames
387
388@kindex C-x 5
389 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
390subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
391frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
392Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
393the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
394raising or deiconifying as necessary.
395
396 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
397buffer to select:
398
399@table @kbd
400@item C-x 5 2
401@kindex C-x 5 2
402@findex make-frame-command
403Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
404@item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
405Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
406@code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
407@item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
408Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
409runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
410@item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
411Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
412This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
413@item C-x 5 m
414Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
415@code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
416@xref{Sending Mail}.
417@item C-x 5 .
418Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
419@code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
420@xref{Tags}.
421@item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
422@kindex C-x 5 r
423@findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
424Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
425frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
426@xref{Visiting}.
427@end table
428
429@cindex default-frame-alist
430@cindex initial-frame-alist
431 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
432frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
433variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
434only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
435Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
436
437@cindex font (default)
438 The easiest way to specify the principal font for all your Emacs
439frames is with an X resource (@pxref{Font X}), but you can also do it by
440modifying @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the @code{font}
441parameter, as shown here:
442
443@example
444(add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
445@end example
446
eba47cbd
EZ
447@noindent
448Here's a similar example for specifying a foreground color:
449
450@example
451(add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(background-color . "blue"))
452@end example
453
454
099bfef9
RS
455@node Frame Commands
456@section Frame Commands
457
458 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
459
460@table @kbd
461@item C-z
462@kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
463@findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
464Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
465The normal meaning of @kbd{C-z}, to suspend Emacs, is not useful under a
466window system, so it has a different binding in that case.
467
468If you type this command on an Emacs frame's icon, it deiconifies the frame.
469
470@item C-x 5 0
471@kindex C-x 5 0
472@findex delete-frame
473Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed if
474there is only one frame.
475
476@item C-x 5 o
477@kindex C-x 5 o
478@findex other-frame
479Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it so that it
480stays selected. If you repeat this command, it cycles through all the
481frames on your terminal.
482
483@item C-x 5 1
484@kindex C-x 5 1
485@findex delete-other-frames
486Delete all frames except the selected one.
487@end table
488
6bf7aab6
DL
489@node Speedbar
490@section Making and Using a Speedbar Frame
491@cindex speedbar
492
493 An Emacs frame can have a @dfn{speedbar}, which is a vertical window
494that serves as a scrollable menu of files you could visit and tags
495within those files. To create a speedbar, type @kbd{M-x speedbar}; this
496creates a speedbar window for the selected frame. From then on, you can
497click on a file name in the speedbar to visit that file in the
498corresponding Emacs frame, or click on a tag name to jump to that tag in
499the Emacs frame.
500
501 Initially the speedbar lists the immediate contents of the current
502directory, one file per line. Each line also has a box, @samp{[+]} or
503@samp{<+>}, that you can click on with @kbd{Mouse-2} to ``open up'' the
504contents of that item. If the line names a directory, opening it adds
505the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
506directory's own line. If the line lists an ordinary file, opening it up
507adds a list of the tags in that file to the speedbar display. When a
508file is opened up, the @samp{[+]} changes to @samp{[-]}; you can click
509on that box to ``close up'' that file (hide its contents).
510
511 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
512specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
513select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
514files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
515clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
516
517 A speedbar belongs to one Emacs frame, and always operates on that
518frame. If you use multiple frames, you can make a speedbar for some or
519all of the frames; type @kbd{M-x speedbar} in any given frame to make a
520speedbar for it.
521
522@node Multiple Displays
523@section Multiple Displays
524@cindex multiple displays
525
97878c08
EZ
526 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
527uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
528environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
529Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
530@code{make-frame-on-display}:
6bf7aab6
DL
531
532@findex make-frame-on-display
533@table @kbd
534@item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
535Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
536@end table
537
538 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
539frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
540single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
541screens as a single stream of input.
542
543 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
544input stream for each server. This way, two users can type
545simultaneously on the two displays, and Emacs will not garble their
546input. Each server also has its own selected frame. The commands you
547enter with a particular X server apply to that server's selected frame.
548
549 Despite these features, people using the same Emacs job from different
550displays can still interfere with each other if they are not careful.
551For example, if any one types @kbd{C-x C-c}, that exits the Emacs job
552for all of them!
553
554@node Special Buffer Frames
555@section Special Buffer Frames
556
557@vindex special-display-buffer-names
558 You can make certain chosen buffers, for which Emacs normally creates
559a second window when you have just one window, appear in special frames
560of their own. To do this, set the variable
561@code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list of buffer names; any
562buffer whose name is in that list automatically gets a special frame,
563when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in another window.''
564
565 For example, if you set the variable this way,
566
567@example
568(setq special-display-buffer-names
569 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
570@end example
571
572@noindent
573then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
574buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
575windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
576buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
577unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
578frame automatically.
579
580@vindex special-display-regexps
581 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
582of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
583matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
584to buffers that normally get displayed for you in a separate window.)
585
586@vindex special-display-frame-alist
587 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
588parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
589to set it.
590
591 For those who know Lisp, an element of
592@code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
593can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
594regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
595frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter values;
596these values take precedence over parameter values specified in
597@code{special-display-frame-alist}. Alternatively, it can have this
598form:
599
600@example
601(@var{function} @var{args}...)
602@end example
603
604@noindent
605where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
606calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
607remaining arguments are @var{args}.
608
609 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
610displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
611same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
612therefore, if you add a buffer name to
613@code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
614whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
615
616@node Frame Parameters
617@section Setting Frame Parameters
618@cindex colors
619@cindex Auto-Raise mode
620@cindex Auto-Lower mode
621
622 This section describes commands for altering the display style and
623window management behavior of the selected frame.
624
625@findex set-foreground-color
626@findex set-background-color
627@findex set-cursor-color
628@findex set-mouse-color
629@findex set-border-color
630@findex auto-raise-mode
631@findex auto-lower-mode
632@table @kbd
633@item M-x set-foreground-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
634Specify color @var{color} for the foreground of the selected frame.
635(This also changes the foreground color of the default face.)
636
637@item M-x set-background-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
638Specify color @var{color} for the background of the selected frame.
639(This also changes the background color of the default face.)
640
641@item M-x set-cursor-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
642Specify color @var{color} for the cursor of the selected frame.
643
644@item M-x set-mouse-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
645Specify color @var{color} for the mouse cursor when it is over the
646selected frame.
647
648@item M-x set-border-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
649Specify color @var{color} for the border of the selected frame.
650
651@item M-x list-colors-display
652Display the defined color names and show what the colors look like.
653This command is somewhat slow.
654
655@item M-x auto-raise-mode
656Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
657means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
658frame.
659
660Note that this auto-raise feature is implemented by Emacs itself. Some
661window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable auto-raise for
662Emacs frames in your X window manager, it should work, but it is beyond
663Emacs's control and therefore @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect on
664it.
665
666@item M-x auto-lower-mode
667Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
668Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
669the frame moves to the bottom of the stack of X windows.
670
671The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
672implemented by the X window manager. To control that, you must use
673the appropriate window manager features.
674
675@findex set-frame-font
676@item M-x set-frame-font @key{RET} @var{font} @key{RET}
677@cindex font (principal)
678Specify font @var{font} as the principal font for the selected frame.
679The principal font controls several face attributes of the
680@code{default} face (@pxref{Faces}). For example, if the principal font
681has a height of 12 pt, all text will be drawn in 12 pt fonts, unless you
682use another face that specifies a different height. @xref{Font X}, for
683ways to list the available fonts on your system.
684
685@kindex S-Mouse-1
686You can also set a frame's principal font through a pop-up menu.
687Press @kbd{S-Mouse-1} to activate this menu.
688@end table
689
690 In Emacs versions that use an X toolkit, the color-setting and
691font-setting functions don't affect menus and the menu bar, since they
692are displayed by their own widget classes. To change the appearance of
693the menus and menu bar, you must use X resources (@pxref{Resources X}).
694@xref{Colors X}, regarding colors. @xref{Font X}, regarding choice of
695font.
696
eba47cbd
EZ
697 Colors, fonts, and other attributes of the frame's display can also
698be customized by setting frame parameters in the variable
699@code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Creating Frames}). For a detailed
700description of frame parameters and customization, see @ref{Frame
6bf7aab6
DL
701Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
702
703@node Scroll Bars
704@section Scroll Bars
705@cindex Scroll Bar mode
706@cindex mode, Scroll Bar
707
708 When using X, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at the left of
70c88b57
DL
709each Emacs window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is usually more
710useful with overlapping frames with text starting at the left margin.}
711The scroll bar runs the height of the window, and shows a moving
712rectangular inner box which represents the portion of the buffer
713currently displayed. The entire height of the scroll bar represents the
714entire length of the buffer.
6bf7aab6
DL
715
716 You can use @kbd{Mouse-2} (normally, the middle button) in the scroll
717bar to move or drag the inner box up and down. If you move it to the
718top of the scroll bar, you see the top of the buffer. If you move it to
719the bottom of the scroll bar, you see the bottom of the buffer.
720
721 The left and right buttons in the scroll bar scroll by controlled
722increments. @kbd{Mouse-1} (normally, the left button) moves the line at
723the level where you click up to the top of the window. @kbd{Mouse-3}
724(normally, the right button) moves the line at the top of the window
725down to the level where you click. By clicking repeatedly in the same
726place, you can scroll by the same distance over and over.
727
70de49cc 728 If you are using Emacs's own implementation of scroll bars, as opposed
d990421f
GM
729to scroll bars from an X toolkit, you can also click @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in
730the scroll bar to split a window vertically. The split occurs on the
731line where you click.
6bf7aab6
DL
732
733@findex scroll-bar-mode
70c88b57 734@vindex scroll-bar-mode
6bf7aab6
DL
735 You can enable or disable Scroll Bar mode with the command @kbd{M-x
736scroll-bar-mode}. With no argument, it toggles the use of scroll bars.
737With an argument, it turns use of scroll bars on if and only if the
738argument is positive. This command applies to all frames, including
70c88b57
DL
739frames yet to be created. Customize the option @code{scroll-bar-mode}
740to control the use of scroll bars at startup. You can use it to specify
741that they are placed at the right of windows if you prefer that. You
742can use the X resource @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control the initial
743setting of Scroll Bar mode similarly. @xref{Resources X}.
6bf7aab6
DL
744
745@findex toggle-scroll-bar
746 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
747@kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar} command.
748
839736d5
EZ
749@vindex scroll-bar-width
750@cindex width of the scroll bar
751 You can control the scroll bar width by changing the value of the
752@code{scroll-bar-width} frame parameter.
753
70c88b57 754@node Wheeled Mice
099bfef9
RS
755@section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
756
757@cindex mouse wheel
1b122be2
DL
758@cindex wheel, mouse
759@findex mouse-wheel-mode
760@cindex Mouse Wheel minor mode
761@cindex mode, Mouse Wheel
762 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can
763usually click the wheel to act as either @kbd{Mouse-2} or
764@kbd{Mouse-3}, depending on the setup. You can also use the wheel to
099bfef9 765scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
1b122be2
DL
766To do so, turn on Mouse Wheel global minor mode with the command
767@kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-mode} or by customizing the option
768@code{mouse-wheel-mode}. Support for the wheel depends on the system
769generating appropriate events for Emacs.
c08e161b
MB
770
771@vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
772@vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
099bfef9 773 The variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
c08e161b
MB
774@code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
775buffers are scrolled.
70c88b57 776
6bf7aab6
DL
777@node Menu Bars
778@section Menu Bars
779@cindex Menu Bar mode
780@cindex mode, Menu Bar
781
782 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
2beab0db
DL
783menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the option @code{menu-bar-mode}.
784With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
6bf7aab6
DL
785minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
786argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
787the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
2beab0db
DL
788Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources X}.
789
099bfef9
RS
790@kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
791 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
792terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
793If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
47d7776c 794with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports pop-up menus.
099bfef9 795@xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
6bf7aab6
DL
796
797 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
798menu bar.
799
2beab0db
DL
800@node Tool Bars
801@section Tool Bars
802@cindex Tool Bar mode
803@cindex mode, Tool Bar
943a8bb7 804@cindex icons, tool bar
2beab0db 805
099bfef9
RS
806The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or multiple lines) of icons at the top
807of the Emacs window. You can click on these icons with the mouse
808to do various jobs.
809
810The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
811define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
812that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
813global tool bar.
943a8bb7 814
84be61d6
DL
815Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
816XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
817bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
099bfef9
RS
818
819You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
820tool-bar-mode}.
70c88b57
DL
821
822@node Dialog Boxes
823@section Using Dialog Boxes
824@cindex dialog boxes
825
826@vindex use-dialog-box
099bfef9
RS
827 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
828question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
829dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
830invoke the command to begin with.
831
832 You can customize the option @code{use-dialog-box} to suppress the
833use of dialog boxes. This also controls whether to use file selection
834windows (but those are not supported on all platforms).
70c88b57 835
70c88b57 836@node Tooltips
099bfef9 837@section Tooltips (or ``Balloon Help'')
70c88b57
DL
838
839@cindex balloon help
099bfef9 840 Tooltips are small X windows displaying a help string at the current
d9701e91
DL
841mouse position, typically over text---including the mode line---which
842can be activated with the mouse or other keys. (This facility is
2684ed46 843sometimes known as @dfn{balloon help}.) Help text may be available for
099bfef9 844menu items too.
d9701e91 845
099bfef9
RS
846@findex tooltip-mode
847 To use tooltips, enable Tooltip mode with the command @kbd{M-x
848tooltip-mode}. The customization group @code{tooltip} controls
849various aspects of how tooltips work. When Tooltip mode is disabled,
850the help text is displayed in the echo area instead.
70c88b57 851
85d6c6e7
RS
852 As of Emacs 21.1, tooltips are not supported on MS-Windows.
853So help text always appears in the echo area.
9638f5c2 854
43391ff3
DL
855@node Mouse Avoidance
856@section Mouse Avoidance
099bfef9
RS
857@cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
858@cindex mouse avoidance
43391ff3 859
099bfef9 860@vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
43391ff3 861Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the window system mouse pointer away from
099bfef9
RS
862point, to avoid obscuring text. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
863raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the option
864@code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
865move the mouse in several ways:
43391ff3
DL
866
867@table @code
868@item banish
47d7776c 869Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any key-press;
43391ff3
DL
870@item exile
871Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
872and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
873@item jump
874If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
875a random distance & direction;
876@item animate
877As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
878@item cat-and-mouse
879The same as @code{animate};
880@item proteus
881As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
882@end table
883
099bfef9
RS
884@findex mouse-avoidance-mode
885You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
43391ff3 886the mode.
70c88b57 887
6bf7aab6
DL
888@node Non-Window Terminals
889@section Non-Window Terminals
890@cindex non-window terminals
891@cindex single-frame terminals
892
893 If your terminal does not have a window system that Emacs supports,
894then it can display only one Emacs frame at a time. However, you can
895still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch between them. Switching
896frames on these terminals is much like switching between different
897window configurations.
898
899 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
9005 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
901the current frame.
902
903 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
904display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
905appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
906@samp{F@var{n}}.
907
908@findex set-frame-name
909@findex select-frame-by-name
910 @samp{F@var{n}} is actually the frame's name. You can also specify a
911different name if you wish, and you can select a frame by its name. Use
912the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to
913specify a new name for the selected frame, and use @kbd{M-x
914select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to select a frame
915according to its name. The name you specify appears in the mode line
916when the frame is selected.
917
70c88b57
DL
918@node XTerm Mouse
919@section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
43391ff3
DL
920@cindex xterm, mouse support
921@cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
70c88b57
DL
922
923Some terminal emulators under X support mouse clicks in the terminal
924window. In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
925you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to enable simple use of the
926mouse---only single clicks are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse
927functionality is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key
1b122be2
DL
928when you press the mouse button. The Linux console supports this
929mode if it has support for the mouse enabled, e.g.@: using the
930@command{gpm} daemon.