1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000,
3 @c 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node Frames, International, Windows, Top
6 @chapter Frames and X Windows
9 When using the X Window System, you can create multiple windows at the
10 X level in a single Emacs session. Each X window that belongs to Emacs
11 displays a @dfn{frame} which can contain one or several Emacs windows.
12 A frame initially contains a single general-purpose Emacs window which
13 you can subdivide vertically or horizontally into smaller windows. A
14 frame normally contains its own echo area and minibuffer, but you can
15 make frames that don't have these---they use the echo area and
16 minibuffer of another frame.
18 Editing you do in one frame also affects the other frames. For
19 instance, if you put text in the kill ring in one frame, you can yank it
20 in another frame. If you exit Emacs through @kbd{C-x C-c} in one frame,
21 it terminates all the frames. To delete just one frame, use @kbd{C-x 5
22 0} (that is zero, not @kbd{o}).
24 To avoid confusion, we reserve the word ``window'' for the
25 subdivisions that Emacs implements, and never use it to refer to a
28 Emacs compiled for MS-DOS emulates some aspects of the window system
29 so that you can use many of the features described in this chapter.
30 @xref{MS-DOS Mouse}, for more information.
33 * Mouse Commands:: Moving, cutting, and pasting, with the mouse.
34 * Secondary Selection:: Cutting without altering point and mark.
35 * Clipboard:: Using the clipboard for selections.
36 * Mouse References:: Using the mouse to select an item from a list.
37 * Menu Mouse Clicks:: Mouse clicks that bring up menus.
38 * Mode Line Mouse:: Mouse clicks on the mode line.
39 * Creating Frames:: Creating additional Emacs frames with various contents.
40 * Frame Commands:: Iconifying, deleting, and switching frames.
41 * Speedbar:: How to make and use a speedbar frame.
42 * Multiple Displays:: How one Emacs job can talk to several displays.
43 * Special Buffer Frames:: You can make certain buffers have their own frames.
44 * Frame Parameters:: Changing the colors and other modes of frames.
45 * Scroll Bars:: How to enable and disable scroll bars; how to use them.
46 * Wheeled Mice:: Using mouse wheels for scrolling.
47 * Drag and Drop:: Using drag and drop to open files and insert text.
48 * Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
49 * Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
50 * Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
51 * Tooltips:: Displaying information at the current mouse position.
52 * Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
53 * Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
54 * XTerm Mouse:: Using the mouse in an XTerm terminal emulator.
58 @section Mouse Commands for Editing
59 @cindex mouse buttons (what they do)
61 The mouse commands for selecting and copying a region are mostly
62 compatible with the @code{xterm} program. You can use the same mouse
63 commands for copying between Emacs and other window-based programs.
64 Most of these commands also work in Emacs when you run it under an
65 @code{xterm} terminal.
67 @kindex DELETE @r{(and mouse selection)}
68 If you select a region with any of these mouse commands, and then
69 immediately afterward type the @key{DELETE} function key, it deletes the
70 region that you selected. The @key{BACKSPACE} function key and the
71 @acronym{ASCII} character @key{DEL} do not do this; if you type any other key
72 in between the mouse command and @key{DELETE}, it does not do this.
74 @findex mouse-set-region
75 @findex mouse-set-point
76 @findex mouse-yank-at-click
77 @findex mouse-save-then-click
83 Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
84 This is normally the left button.
86 @vindex x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position
87 Normally, Emacs does not distinguish between ordinary mouse clicks and
88 clicks that select a frame. When you click on a frame to select it,
89 that also changes the selected window and cursor position according to
90 the mouse click position. On the X window system, you can change this
91 behavior by setting the variable
92 @code{x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position} to @code{t}. Then the
93 first click selects the frame, but does not affect the selected window
94 or cursor position. If you click again in the same place, since that
95 click will be in the selected frame, it will change the window or
99 Set the region to the text you select by dragging, and copy it to the
100 kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}). You can specify both ends of the
101 region with this single command.
103 @vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
104 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
105 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
106 back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
107 entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
108 on how far away from the window edge the mouse has gone; the variable
109 @code{mouse-scroll-min-lines} specifies a minimum step size.
111 @vindex mouse-drag-copy-region
112 If the variable @code{mouse-drag-copy-region} is @code{nil}, this
113 mouse command does not copy the selected region into the kill ring.
116 Yank the last killed text, where you click (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
117 This is normally the middle button.
120 This command, @code{mouse-save-then-kill}, has several functions
121 depending on where you click and the status of the region.
123 The most basic case is when you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in one place and
124 then @kbd{Mouse-3} in another. This selects the text between those two
125 positions as the region. It also copies the new region to the kill
126 ring, so that you can copy it to someplace else.
128 If you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in the text, scroll with the scroll bar, and
129 then click @kbd{Mouse-3}, it remembers where point was before scrolling
130 (where you put it with @kbd{Mouse-1}), and uses that position as the
131 other end of the region. This is so that you can select a region that
132 doesn't fit entirely on the screen.
134 More generally, if you do not have a highlighted region, @kbd{Mouse-3}
135 selects the text between point and the click position as the region. It
136 does this by setting the mark where point was, and moving point to where
139 If you have a highlighted region, or if the region was set just before
140 by dragging button 1, @kbd{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end of the region
141 by moving it to where you click. The adjusted region's text also
142 replaces the old region's text in the kill ring.
144 If you originally specified the region using a double or triple
145 @kbd{Mouse-1}, so that the region is defined to consist of entire words
146 or lines, then adjusting the region with @kbd{Mouse-3} also proceeds by
147 entire words or lines.
149 If you use @kbd{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same place,
150 that kills the region already selected.
153 This key sets the region around the word which you click on. If you
154 click on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as underscore, in C
155 mode), it sets the region around the symbol surrounding that character.
157 If you click on a character with open-parenthesis or close-parenthesis
158 syntax, it sets the region around the parenthetical grouping
159 which that character starts or ends. If you click on a character with
160 string-delimiter syntax (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C), it
161 sets the region around the string constant (using heuristics to figure
162 out whether that character is the beginning or the end of it).
164 @item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
165 This key selects a region made up of the words you drag across.
168 This key sets the region around the line you click on.
170 @item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
171 This key selects a region made up of the lines you drag across.
174 The simplest way to kill text with the mouse is to press @kbd{Mouse-1}
175 at one end, then press @kbd{Mouse-3} twice at the other end.
176 @xref{Killing}. To copy the text into the kill ring without deleting it
177 from the buffer, press @kbd{Mouse-3} just once---or just drag across the
178 text with @kbd{Mouse-1}. Then you can copy it elsewhere by yanking it.
180 @vindex mouse-yank-at-point
181 To yank the killed or copied text somewhere else, move the mouse there
182 and press @kbd{Mouse-2}. @xref{Yanking}. However, if
183 @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{Mouse-2} yanks at
184 point. Then it does not matter where you click, or even which of the
185 frame's windows you click on. The default value is @code{nil}. This
186 variable also affects yanking the secondary selection.
188 @cindex cutting and X
189 @cindex pasting and X
190 @cindex X cutting and pasting
191 To copy text to another X window, kill it or save it in the kill ring.
192 Under X, this also sets the @dfn{primary selection}. Then use the
193 ``paste'' or ``yank'' command of the program operating the other window
194 to insert the text from the selection.
196 To copy text from another X window, use the ``cut'' or ``copy''
197 command of the program operating the other window, to select the text
198 you want. Then yank it in Emacs with @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
200 The standard coding system for X selections is
201 @code{compound-text-with-extensions}. To specify another coding
202 system for X selections, use @kbd{C-x @key{RET} x} or @kbd{C-x
203 @key{RET} X}. @xref{Specify Coding}.
205 @cindex primary selection
207 @cindex selection, primary
208 @vindex x-cut-buffer-max
209 When Emacs puts text into the kill ring, or rotates text to the front
210 of the kill ring, it sets the @dfn{primary selection} in the X server.
211 This is how other X clients can access the text. Emacs also stores the
212 text in the cut buffer, but only if the text is short enough
213 (the value of @code{x-cut-buffer-max} specifies the maximum number of
214 characters); putting long strings in the cut buffer can be slow.
216 The commands to yank the first entry in the kill ring actually check
217 first for a primary selection in another program; after that, they check
218 for text in the cut buffer. If neither of those sources provides text
219 to yank, the kill ring contents are used.
221 @node Secondary Selection
222 @section Secondary Selection
223 @cindex secondary selection
225 The @dfn{secondary selection} is another way of selecting text using
226 X. It does not use point or the mark, so you can use it to kill text
227 without setting point or the mark.
230 @findex mouse-set-secondary
231 @kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
233 Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
234 down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
235 (@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The highlighting appears and changes as
236 you drag. You can control the appearance of the highlighting by
237 customizing the @code{secondary-selection} face (@pxref{Face
240 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
241 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
242 back into the window. This way, you can mark regions that don't fit
243 entirely on the screen.
245 This way of setting the secondary selection does not alter the kill ring.
247 @findex mouse-start-secondary
250 Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
251 (@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
253 @findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
256 Make a secondary selection, using the place specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
257 as the other end (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). This also
258 puts the selected text in the kill ring. A second click at the same
259 place kills the secondary selection just made.
261 @findex mouse-yank-secondary
264 Insert the secondary selection where you click
265 (@code{mouse-yank-secondary}). This places point at the end of the
269 Double or triple clicking of @kbd{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
270 lines, much like @kbd{Mouse-1}.
272 If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{M-Mouse-2}
273 yanks at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click; all
274 that matters is which window you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
277 @section Using the Clipboard
280 @vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
281 @findex menu-bar-enable-clipboard
285 Apart from the primary and secondary selection types, X supports a
286 @dfn{clipboard} selection type which is used by some applications,
287 particularly under OpenWindows and Gnome.
289 The command @kbd{M-x menu-bar-enable-clipboard} makes the @code{Cut},
290 @code{Paste} and @code{Copy} menu items, as well as the keys of the same
291 names, all use the clipboard.
293 You can customize the variable @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to make
294 the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
295 selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
296 well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not access the
297 clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on MS-Windows,
300 @node Mouse References
301 @section Following References with the Mouse
302 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(selection)}
303 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
305 Some read-only Emacs buffers include references you can follow, or
306 commands you can activate. These include names of files, of buffers,
307 of possible completions, of matches for a pattern, as well as the
308 buttons in Help buffers and customization buffers. You can follow the
309 reference or activate the command by moving point to it and typing
310 @key{RET}. You can also do this with the mouse, using either
311 @kbd{Mouse-1} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
313 Since yanking text into a read-only buffer is not allowed, these
314 buffers generally define @kbd{Mouse-2} to follow a reference or
315 activate a command. For example, if you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a file
316 name in a Dired buffer, you visit that file. If you click
317 @kbd{Mouse-2} on an error message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer,
318 you go to the source code for that error message. If you click
319 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a completion in the @samp{*Completions*} buffer, you
320 choose that completion.
322 However, most applications use @kbd{Mouse-1} to do this sort of
323 thing, so Emacs implements this too. If you click @kbd{Mouse-1}
324 quickly on a reference or button, it follows or activates. If you
325 click slowly, it moves point as usual. Dragging, meaning moving the
326 mouse while it is held down, also has its usual behavior of setting
329 @vindex mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows
330 Normally, the @kbd{Mouse-1} click behavior is performed on links in
331 any window. The variable @code{mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows}
332 controls whether @kbd{Mouse-1} has this behavior even in non-selected
333 windows, or only in the selected window.
335 @vindex mouse-highlight
336 You can usually tell when @kbd{Mouse-1} and @kbd{Mouse-2} have this
337 special sort of meaning because the sensitive text highlights when you
338 move the mouse over it. The variable @code{mouse-highlight} controls
339 whether to do this highlighting always (even when such text appears
340 where the mouse already is), never, or only immediately after you move
343 @vindex mouse-1-click-follows-link
344 In Emacs versions before 22, only @kbd{Mouse-2} follows links and
345 @kbd{Mouse-1} always sets points. If you prefer this behavior, set
346 the variable @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link} to @code{nil}. This
347 variable also lets you choose various other alternatives for following
348 links with the mouse. Type @kbd{C-h v mouse-1-click-follows-link @key{RET}}
351 @node Menu Mouse Clicks
352 @section Mouse Clicks for Menus
354 Mouse clicks modified with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} keys
360 This menu is for selecting a buffer.
362 The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
363 menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
367 This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
368 for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
372 This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on,
373 this menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus
374 put together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
375 button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
376 menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
377 @kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision
378 to use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu. To use @kbd{Mouse-3} instead,
379 do @code{(global-set-key [mouse-3] 'mouse-popup-menubar-stuff)}.} If
380 Menu-bar mode is off, this menu contains all the items which would be
381 present in the menu bar---not just the mode-specific ones---so that
382 you can access them without having to display the menu bar.
385 This menu is for specifying the frame's principal font.
388 @node Mode Line Mouse
389 @section Mode Line Mouse Commands
390 @cindex mode line, mouse
391 @cindex mouse on mode line
393 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
396 Some areas of the mode line, such as the buffer name and the major
397 mode name, have their own special mouse bindings. These areas are
398 highlighted when you hold the mouse over them, and information about
399 the special bindings will be displayed (@pxref{Tooltips}).
401 You can also click on areas of the mode line that do not have
402 special mouse bindings of their own. This has the following effects:
406 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
407 @kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window it belongs to. By
408 dragging @kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus
409 changing the height of the windows above and below.
412 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
413 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
416 @kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
417 @kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window it belongs to. If the
418 frame has only one window, it buries the current buffer instead, and
419 switches to another buffer.
422 @kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
423 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
424 horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
427 @kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
428 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
429 vertically. @xref{Split Window}.
431 @node Creating Frames
432 @section Creating Frames
433 @cindex creating frames
436 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
437 subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
438 frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
439 Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
440 the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
441 raising or deiconifying as necessary.
443 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
449 @findex make-frame-command
450 Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
451 @item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
452 Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
453 @code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
454 @item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
455 Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
456 runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
457 @item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
458 Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
459 This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
461 Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
462 @code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
465 Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
466 @code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
468 @item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
470 @findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
471 Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
472 frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
476 @cindex default-frame-alist
477 @cindex initial-frame-alist
478 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
479 frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
480 variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
481 only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
482 Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
484 @cindex font (default)
485 The easiest way to specify the principal font for all your Emacs
486 frames is with an X resource (@pxref{Font X}), but you can also do it by
487 modifying @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the @code{font}
488 parameter, as shown here:
491 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
495 Here's a similar example for specifying a foreground color:
498 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(foreground-color . "blue"))
502 @section Frame Commands
504 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
508 @kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
509 @findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
510 Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
511 The normal meaning of @kbd{C-z}, to suspend Emacs, is not useful under a
512 window system, so it has a different binding in that case.
514 If you type this command on an Emacs frame's icon, it deiconifies the frame.
519 Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed if
520 there is only one frame.
525 Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it so that it
526 stays selected. If you repeat this command, it cycles through all the
527 frames on your terminal.
531 @findex delete-other-frames
532 Delete all frames except the selected one.
535 @vindex focus-follows-mouse
536 To make the command @kbd{C-x 5 o} work properly, you must tell Emacs
537 how the system (or the window manager) generally handles
538 focus-switching between windows. There are two possibilities: either
539 simply moving the mouse onto a window selects it (gives it focus), or
540 you have to click on it in a suitable way to do so. Unfortunately
541 there is no way Emacs can find out automatically which way the system
542 handles this, so you have to explicitly say, by setting the variable
543 @code{focus-follows-mouse}. If just moving the mouse onto a window
544 selects it, that variable should be @code{t}; if a click is necessary,
545 the variable should be @code{nil}.
548 @section Making and Using a Speedbar Frame
551 The @dfn{Speedbar} is a special frame that is used to summarize
552 information related to other buffers. Normally, it displays a menu of
553 files you could visit and tags within those files. Type @kbd{M-x
554 speedbar} to enable the speedbar and associate it with the current
555 frame (which is called the speedbar's @dfn{attached frame}).
557 Currently, only one speedbar is supported at a time. To dismiss the
558 speedbar, select it and type @kbd{q} or @kbd{M-x speedbar}, or delete
559 the frame or window normally. You can then attach the speedbar to a
560 different frame by calling @kbd{M-x speedbar} from that frame.
562 When you initially launch the speedbar, it starts in @dfn{File
563 Display Mode}, showing the current directory of the selected window of
564 the attached frame, one file per line. Clicking on a file name visits
565 that file in the attached frame, and clicking on a directory name
566 shows that directory in the speedbar (@pxref{Mouse References}). Each
567 line also has a box, @samp{[+]} or @samp{<+>}, that you can click on
568 to @dfn{expand} the contents of that item. Expanding a directory adds
569 the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
570 directory's own line. Expanding an ordinary file adds a list of the
571 tags in that file to the speedbar display; you can click on a tag name
572 to jump to that tag in the attached frame. When a file or directory
573 is expanded, the @samp{[+]} changes to @samp{[-]}; you can click on
574 that box to @dfn{contract} the item, hiding its contents.
576 You can also use the keyboard to navigate the speedbar. Typing
577 @kbd{RET} is equivalent to clicking the item on the current line, and
578 @kbd{SPC} expands or contracts the item. @kbd{U} displays the parent
579 directory of the current directory. To copy, delete, or rename the
580 file on the current line, type @kbd{C}, @kbd{D}, and @kbd{R}
581 respectively. To create a new directory, type @kbd{M}.
583 The speedbar is not limited to showing files. Type @kbd{b} to enter
584 @dfn{Buffer Display Mode}, in which the speedbar displays a list of
585 Emacs buffers. To return to File Display Mode, type @kbd{f}. You can
586 also change the display mode by clicking @kbd{mouse-3} anywhere in the
587 speedbar window (or @kbd{mouse-1} on the mode-line) and selecting
588 @samp{Displays} in the pop-up menu.
590 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
591 specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
592 select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
593 files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
594 clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
596 For more details on using and programming the speedbar, @xref{Top,
597 Speedbar,,speedbar, Speedbar Manual}.
599 @node Multiple Displays
600 @section Multiple Displays
601 @cindex multiple displays
603 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
604 uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
605 environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
606 Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
607 @code{make-frame-on-display}:
609 @findex make-frame-on-display
611 @item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
612 Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
615 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
616 frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
617 single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
618 screens as a single stream of input.
620 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
621 input stream for each server. This way, two users can type
622 simultaneously on the two displays, and Emacs will not garble their
623 input. Each server also has its own selected frame. The commands you
624 enter with a particular X server apply to that server's selected frame.
626 Despite these features, people using the same Emacs job from different
627 displays can still interfere with each other if they are not careful.
628 For example, if any one types @kbd{C-x C-c}, that exits the Emacs job
631 @node Special Buffer Frames
632 @section Special Buffer Frames
634 @vindex special-display-buffer-names
635 You can make certain chosen buffers, for which Emacs normally creates
636 a second window when you have just one window, appear in special frames
637 of their own. To do this, set the variable
638 @code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list of buffer names; any
639 buffer whose name is in that list automatically gets a special frame,
640 when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in another window.''
642 For example, if you set the variable this way,
645 (setq special-display-buffer-names
646 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
650 then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
651 buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
652 windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
653 buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
654 unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
657 @vindex special-display-regexps
658 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
659 of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
660 matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
661 to buffers that normally get displayed for you in a separate window.)
663 @vindex special-display-frame-alist
664 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
665 parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
668 For those who know Lisp, an element of
669 @code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
670 can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
671 regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
672 frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter
673 values; these values take precedence over parameter values specified
674 in @code{special-display-frame-alist}. If you specify the symbol
675 @code{same-window} as a ``frame parameter'' in this list, with a
676 non-@code{nil} value, that means to use the selected window if
677 possible. If you use the symbol @code{same-frame} as a ``frame
678 parameter'' in this list, with a non-@code{nil} value, that means to
679 use the selected frame if possible.
681 Alternatively, the value can have this form:
684 (@var{function} @var{args}...)
688 where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
689 calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
690 remaining arguments are @var{args}.
692 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
693 displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
694 same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
695 therefore, if you add a buffer name to
696 @code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
697 whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
699 @node Frame Parameters
700 @section Setting Frame Parameters
701 @cindex Auto-Raise mode
702 @cindex Auto-Lower mode
704 This section describes commands for altering the display style and
705 window management behavior of the selected frame.
707 @findex set-foreground-color
708 @findex set-background-color
709 @findex set-cursor-color
710 @findex set-mouse-color
711 @findex set-border-color
712 @findex auto-raise-mode
713 @findex auto-lower-mode
716 @item M-x set-foreground-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
717 Specify color @var{color} for the foreground of the selected frame.
718 (This also changes the foreground color of the default face.) You can
719 specify @var{color} either by its symbolic name or by its RGB
720 numerical specification@footnote{
721 See the X Window System documentation for more details. On a typical
722 GNU or Unix system, the command @kbd{man 7 X} or @kbd{man -s 7 X} will
723 display the X manual page that explains how to specify colors.}.
725 @item M-x set-background-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
726 Specify color @var{color} for the background of the selected frame.
727 (This also changes the background color of the default face.)
729 @item M-x set-cursor-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
730 Specify color @var{color} for the cursor of the selected frame.
732 @item M-x set-mouse-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
733 Specify color @var{color} for the mouse cursor when it is over the
736 @item M-x set-border-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
737 Specify color @var{color} for the border of the selected frame.
739 @item M-x list-colors-display
740 Display the defined color names and show what the colors look like.
741 This command is somewhat slow. @xref{Colors, list-colors-display,
742 Display available colors}.
744 @item M-x auto-raise-mode
745 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
746 means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
749 Note that this auto-raise feature is implemented by Emacs itself. Some
750 window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable auto-raise for
751 Emacs frames in your X window manager, it should work, but it is beyond
752 Emacs's control and therefore @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect on
755 @item M-x auto-lower-mode
756 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
757 Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
758 the frame moves to the bottom of the stack of X windows.
760 The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
761 implemented by the X window manager. To control that, you must use
762 the appropriate window manager features.
764 @findex set-frame-font
765 @item M-x set-frame-font @key{RET} @var{font} @key{RET}
766 @cindex font (principal)
767 Specify font @var{font} as the principal font for the selected frame.
768 The principal font controls several face attributes of the
769 @code{default} face (@pxref{Faces}). For example, if the principal font
770 has a height of 12 pt, all text will be drawn in 12 pt fonts, unless you
771 use another face that specifies a different height. @xref{Font X}, for
772 ways to list the available fonts on your system.
775 You can also set a frame's principal font through a pop-up menu.
776 Press @kbd{S-Mouse-1} to activate this menu.
779 In Emacs versions that use an X toolkit, the color-setting and
780 font-setting functions don't affect menus and the menu bar, since they
781 are displayed by their own widget classes. To change the appearance of
782 the menus and menu bar, you must use X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
783 @xref{Colors}, regarding colors. @xref{Font X}, regarding choice of
786 Colors, fonts, and other attributes of the frame's display can also
787 be customized by setting frame parameters in the variable
788 @code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Creating Frames}). For a detailed
789 description of frame parameters and customization, see @ref{Frame
790 Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
794 @cindex Scroll Bar mode
795 @cindex mode, Scroll Bar
797 When using X, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at the left of
798 each Emacs window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is usually more
799 useful with overlapping frames with text starting at the left margin.}
800 The scroll bar runs the height of the window, and shows a moving
801 rectangular inner box which represents the portion of the buffer
802 currently displayed. The entire height of the scroll bar represents the
803 entire length of the buffer.
805 You can use @kbd{Mouse-2} (normally, the middle button) in the scroll
806 bar to move or drag the inner box up and down. If you move it to the
807 top of the scroll bar, you see the top of the buffer. If you move it to
808 the bottom of the scroll bar, you see the bottom of the buffer.
810 The left and right buttons in the scroll bar scroll by controlled
811 increments. @kbd{Mouse-1} (normally, the left button) moves the line at
812 the level where you click up to the top of the window. @kbd{Mouse-3}
813 (normally, the right button) moves the line at the top of the window
814 down to the level where you click. By clicking repeatedly in the same
815 place, you can scroll by the same distance over and over.
817 You can also click @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in the scroll bar to split a
818 window vertically. The split occurs on the line where you click.
820 @findex scroll-bar-mode
821 @vindex scroll-bar-mode
822 You can enable or disable Scroll Bar mode with the command @kbd{M-x
823 scroll-bar-mode}. With no argument, it toggles the use of scroll bars.
824 With an argument, it turns use of scroll bars on if and only if the
825 argument is positive. This command applies to all frames, including
826 frames yet to be created. Customize the variable @code{scroll-bar-mode}
827 to control the use of scroll bars at startup. You can use it to specify
828 that they are placed at the right of windows if you prefer that. You
829 have to set this variable through the @samp{Customize} interface
830 (@pxref{Easy Customization}). Otherwise, it will not work properly.
831 You can use the X resource @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control the
832 initial setting of Scroll Bar mode similarly. @xref{Resources}.
834 @findex toggle-scroll-bar
835 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
836 command @kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar}.
838 @vindex scroll-bar-width
839 @cindex width of the scroll bar
840 You can control the scroll bar width by changing the value of the
841 @code{scroll-bar-width} frame parameter.
844 @section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
848 @findex mouse-wheel-mode
849 @cindex Mouse Wheel minor mode
850 @cindex mode, Mouse Wheel
851 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can
852 usually click the wheel to act as either @kbd{Mouse-2} or
853 @kbd{Mouse-3}, depending on the setup. You can also use the wheel to
854 scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
855 Mouse wheel support only works if the system generates appropriate
856 events; whenever possible, it is turned on by default. To toggle this
857 feature, use @kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-mode}.
859 @vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
860 @vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
861 @vindex mouse-wheel-progressive-speed
862 The variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
863 @code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
864 buffers are scrolled. The variable
865 @code{mouse-wheel-progressive-speed} determines whether the scroll
866 speed is linked to how fast you move the wheel.
869 @section Drag and Drop
870 @cindex drag and drop
872 Emacs supports @dfn{drag and drop} using the mouse. For instance,
873 dropping text onto an Emacs frame inserts the text where it is dropped.
874 Dropping a file onto an Emacs frame visits that file. As a special
875 case, dropping the file on a Dired buffer moves or copies the file
876 (according to the conventions of the application it came from) into the
877 directory displayed in that buffer.
879 @vindex dnd-open-file-other-window
880 Dropping a file normally visits it in the window you drop it on. If
881 you prefer to visit the file in a new window in such cases, customize
882 the variable @code{dnd-open-file-other-window}.
885 @c ??? To Lisp manual
886 @vindex x-dnd-test-function
887 @vindex x-dnd-known-types
888 When a user drags something from another application over Emacs, that other
889 application expects Emacs to tell it if Emacs can handle the data that is
890 dragged. The variable @code{x-dnd-test-function} is used by Emacs to determine
891 what to reply. The default value is @code{x-dnd-default-test-function}
892 which accepts drops if the type of the data to be dropped is present in
893 @code{x-dnd-known-types}. You can customize @code{x-dnd-test-function} and/or
894 @code{x-dnd-known-types} if you want Emacs to accept or reject drops based
895 on some other criteria.
897 @vindex x-dnd-types-alist
898 If you want to change the way Emacs handles drop of different types
899 or add a new type, customize @code{x-dnd-types-alist}. This requires
900 detailed knowledge of what types other applications use for drag and
903 @vindex dnd-protocol-alist
904 When an URL is dropped on Emacs it may be a file, but it may also be
905 another URL type (ftp, http, etc.). Emacs first checks
906 @code{dnd-protocol-alist} to determine what to do with the URL. If
907 there is no match there and if @code{browse-url-browser-function} is
908 an alist, Emacs looks for a match there. If no match is found the
909 text for the URL is inserted. If you want to alter Emacs behavior,
910 you can customize these variables.
913 The drag and drop protocols XDND, Motif and the
914 old KDE 1.x protocol are currently supported.
918 @cindex Menu Bar mode
919 @cindex mode, Menu Bar
921 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
922 menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the variable @code{menu-bar-mode}.
923 With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
924 minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
925 argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
926 the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
927 Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
929 @kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
930 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
931 terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
932 If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
933 with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports pop-up menus.
934 @xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
936 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
937 menu bar. @xref{X Resources}, for how to customize the menu bar
942 @cindex Tool Bar mode
943 @cindex mode, Tool Bar
944 @cindex icons, toolbar
946 The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or lines) of icons at the top of the
947 Emacs window, just below the menu bar. You can click on these icons
948 with the mouse to do various jobs.
950 The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
951 define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
952 that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
955 Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
956 XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
957 bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
959 You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
963 @section Using Dialog Boxes
966 @vindex use-dialog-box
967 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
968 question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
969 dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
970 invoke the command to begin with.
972 You can customize the variable @code{use-dialog-box} to suppress the
973 use of dialog boxes. This also controls whether to use file selection
974 windows (but those are not supported on all platforms).
976 @vindex use-file-dialog
977 A file selection window is a special kind of dialog box for asking for
980 You can customize the variable @code{use-file-dialog} to suppress the
981 use of file selection windows even if you still want other kinds
982 of dialogs. This variable has no effect if you have suppressed all dialog
983 boxes with the variable @code{use-dialog-box}.
985 @vindex x-use-old-gtk-file-dialog
986 For Gtk+ version 2.4 and 2.6, you can make Emacs use the old file dialog
987 by setting the variable @code{x-use-old-gtk-file-dialog} to a non-@code{nil}
988 value. If Emacs is built with a Gtk+ version that has only one file dialog,
989 the setting of this variable has no effect.
995 @dfn{Tooltips} are small windows that display text information at the
996 current mouse position. They activate when there is a pause in mouse
997 movement. There are two types of tooltip: help tooltips and GUD
1000 @dfn{Help tooltips} typically display over text---including the mode
1001 line---but may be also available for many other parts of the Emacs
1002 frame such as the tool bar and menu items.
1004 @findex tooltip-mode
1005 You can toggle help tooltips (Tooltip mode) with the command
1006 @kbd{M-x tooltip-mode}. When Tooltip mode is disabled, the help text
1007 is displayed in the echo area instead.
1009 @dfn{GUD tooltips} show values of variables. They are useful when
1010 you are debugging a program. @xref{Debugger Operation}.
1012 @vindex tooltip-delay
1013 The variables @code{tooltip-delay} specifies how long Emacs should
1014 wait before displaying a tooltip. For additional customization
1015 options for displaying tooltips, use @kbd{M-x customize-group
1016 @key{RET} tooltip @key{RET}}. @xref{X Resources}, for information on
1017 customizing the windows that display tooltips.
1019 @node Mouse Avoidance
1020 @section Mouse Avoidance
1021 @cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
1022 @cindex mouse avoidance
1024 @vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
1025 Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the window system mouse pointer away from
1026 point, to avoid obscuring text. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
1027 raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the variable
1028 @code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
1029 move the mouse in several ways:
1033 Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any key-press;
1035 Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
1036 and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
1038 If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
1039 a random distance & direction;
1041 As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
1043 The same as @code{animate};
1045 As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
1048 @findex mouse-avoidance-mode
1049 You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
1052 @node Non-Window Terminals
1053 @section Non-Window Terminals
1054 @cindex non-window terminals
1055 @cindex single-frame terminals
1057 If your terminal does not have a window system that Emacs supports,
1058 then it can display only one Emacs frame at a time. However, you can
1059 still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch between them. Switching
1060 frames on these terminals is much like switching between different
1061 window configurations.
1063 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
1064 5 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
1067 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
1068 display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
1069 appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
1072 @findex set-frame-name
1073 @findex select-frame-by-name
1074 @samp{F@var{n}} is actually the frame's name. You can also specify a
1075 different name if you wish, and you can select a frame by its name. Use
1076 the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to
1077 specify a new name for the selected frame, and use @kbd{M-x
1078 select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to select a frame
1079 according to its name. The name you specify appears in the mode line
1080 when the frame is selected.
1083 @section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
1084 @cindex xterm, mouse support
1085 @cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
1087 Some terminal emulators under X support mouse clicks in the terminal
1088 window. In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
1089 you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to give Emacs control over
1090 simple use of the mouse---basically, only non-modified single clicks
1091 are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse functionality for such
1092 clicks is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key when you
1093 press the mouse button.
1095 Xterm Mouse mode is a global minor mode (@pxref{Minor Modes}).
1096 Repeating the command turns the mode off again.
1099 arch-tag: 7dcf3a31-a43b-45d4-a900-445b10d77e49