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[bpt/emacs.git] / man / frames.texi
1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 99, 2000, 2001
3 @c 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
7 @cindex frames
8
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.
17
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}).
23
24 To avoid confusion, we reserve the word ``window'' for the
25 subdivisions that Emacs implements, and never use it to refer to a
26 frame.
27
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 Input}, for more information.
31
32 @cindex MS Windows
33 Emacs compiled for MS Windows mostly supports the same features as
34 under X. However, images and tool bars are not yet available in Emacs
35 version 21.3 on MS-Windows.
36
37 @menu
38 * Mouse Commands:: Moving, cutting, and pasting, with the mouse.
39 * Secondary Selection:: Cutting without altering point and mark.
40 * Clipboard:: Using the clipboard for selections.
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.
44 * Creating Frames:: Creating additional Emacs frames with various contents.
45 * Frame Commands:: Iconifying, deleting, and switching frames.
46 * Speedbar:: How to make and use a speedbar frame.
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.
51 * Wheeled Mice:: Using mouse wheels for scrolling.
52 * Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
53 * Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
54 * Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
55 * Tooltips:: Showing "tooltips", AKA "balloon help" for active text.
56 * Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
57 * Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
58 * XTerm Mouse:: Using the mouse in an XTerm terminal emulator.
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
66 compatible with the @code{xterm} program. You can use the same mouse
67 commands for copying between Emacs and other X client programs.
68
69 @kindex DELETE @r{(and mouse selection)}
70 If you select a region with any of these mouse commands, and then
71 immediately afterward type the @key{DELETE} function key, it deletes the
72 region that you selected. The @key{BACKSPACE} function key and the
73 ASCII character @key{DEL} do not do this; if you type any other key
74 in 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
85 Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
86 This is normally the left button.
87
88 @item Drag-Mouse-1
89 Set the region to the text you select by dragging, and copy it to the
90 kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}). You can specify both ends of the
91 region with this single command.
92
93 @vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
94 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
95 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
96 back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
97 entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
98 on 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
102 Yank the last killed text, where you click (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
103 This is normally the middle button.
104
105 @item Mouse-3
106 This command, @code{mouse-save-then-kill}, has several functions
107 depending on where you click and the status of the region.
108
109 The most basic case is when you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in one place and
110 then @kbd{Mouse-3} in another. This selects the text between those two
111 positions as the region. It also copies the new region to the kill
112 ring, so that you can copy it to someplace else.
113
114 If you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in the text, scroll with the scroll bar, and
115 then 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
117 other end of the region. This is so that you can select a region that
118 doesn't fit entirely on the screen.
119
120 More generally, if you do not have a highlighted region, @kbd{Mouse-3}
121 selects the text between point and the click position as the region. It
122 does this by setting the mark where point was, and moving point to where
123 you click.
124
125 If you have a highlighted region, or if the region was set just before
126 by dragging button 1, @kbd{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end of the region
127 by moving it to where you click. The adjusted region's text also
128 replaces the old region's text in the kill ring.
129
130 If 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
132 or lines, then adjusting the region with @kbd{Mouse-3} also proceeds by
133 entire words or lines.
134
135 If you use @kbd{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same place,
136 that kills the region already selected.
137
138 @item Double-Mouse-1
139 This key sets the region around the word which you click on. If you
140 click on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as underscore, in C
141 mode), it sets the region around the symbol surrounding that character.
142
143 If you click on a character with open-parenthesis or close-parenthesis
144 syntax, it sets the region around the parenthetical grouping
145 which that character starts or ends. If you click on a character with
146 string-delimiter syntax (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C), it
147 sets the region around the string constant (using heuristics to figure
148 out whether that character is the beginning or the end of it).
149
150 @item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
151 This key selects a region made up of the words you drag across.
152
153 @item Triple-Mouse-1
154 This key sets the region around the line you click on.
155
156 @item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
157 This 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}
161 at 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
163 from the buffer, press @kbd{Mouse-3} just once---or just drag across the
164 text 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
168 and press @kbd{Mouse-2}. @xref{Yanking}. However, if
169 @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{Mouse-2} yanks at
170 point. Then it does not matter where you click, or even which of the
171 frame's windows you click on. The default value is @code{nil}. This
172 variable 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.
178 Under X, this also sets the @dfn{primary selection}. Then use the
179 ``paste'' or ``yank'' command of the program operating the other window
180 to insert the text from the selection.
181
182 To copy text from another X window, use the ``cut'' or ``copy''
183 command of the program operating the other window, to select the text
184 you want. Then yank it in Emacs with @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
185
186 The standard coding system for X selections is
187 @code{compound-text-with-extensions}. To specify another coding
188 system for X selections, use @kbd{C-x @key{RET} x} or @kbd{C-x
189 @key{RET} X}. @xref{Specify Coding}.
190
191 These cutting and pasting commands also work on MS-Windows.
192
193 @cindex primary selection
194 @cindex cut buffer
195 @cindex selection, primary
196 @vindex x-cut-buffer-max
197 When Emacs puts text into the kill ring, or rotates text to the front
198 of the kill ring, it sets the @dfn{primary selection} in the X server.
199 This is how other X clients can access the text. Emacs also stores the
200 text in the cut buffer, but only if the text is short enough
201 (the value of @code{x-cut-buffer-max} specifies the maximum number of
202 characters); putting long strings in the cut buffer can be slow.
203
204 The commands to yank the first entry in the kill ring actually check
205 first for a primary selection in another program; after that, they check
206 for text in the cut buffer. If neither of those sources provides text
207 to yank, the kill ring contents are used.
208
209 @node Secondary Selection
210 @section Secondary Selection
211 @cindex secondary selection
212
213 The @dfn{secondary selection} is another way of selecting text using
214 X. It does not use point or the mark, so you can use it to kill text
215 without setting point or the mark.
216
217 @table @kbd
218 @findex mouse-set-secondary
219 @kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
220 @item M-Drag-Mouse-1
221 Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
222 down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
223 (@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The highlighting appears and changes as
224 you drag. You can control the appearance of the highlighting by
225 customizing the @code{secondary-selection} face (@pxref{Face
226 Customization}).
227
228 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
229 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
230 back into the window. This way, you can mark regions that don't fit
231 entirely on the screen.
232
233 @findex mouse-start-secondary
234 @kindex M-Mouse-1
235 @item M-Mouse-1
236 Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
237 (@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
238
239 @findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
240 @kindex M-Mouse-3
241 @item M-Mouse-3
242 Make a secondary selection, using the place specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
243 as the other end (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). A second click
244 at the same place kills the secondary selection just made.
245
246 @findex mouse-yank-secondary
247 @kindex M-Mouse-2
248 @item M-Mouse-2
249 Insert the secondary selection where you click
250 (@code{mouse-yank-secondary}). This places point at the end of the
251 yanked text.
252 @end table
253
254 Double or triple clicking of @kbd{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
255 lines, much like @kbd{Mouse-1}.
256
257 If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{M-Mouse-2}
258 yanks at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click; all
259 that matters is which window you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
260
261 @node Clipboard
262 @section Using the Clipboard
263 @cindex X clipboard
264 @cindex clipboard
265 @vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
266 @findex menu-bar-enable-clipboard
267 @cindex OpenWindows
268 @cindex Gnome
269
270 As well as the primary and secondary selection types, X supports a
271 @dfn{clipboard} selection type which is used by some applications,
272 particularly under OpenWindows and Gnome.
273
274 The command @kbd{M-x menu-bar-enable-clipboard} makes the @code{Cut},
275 @code{Paste} and @code{Copy} menu items, as well as the keys of the same
276 names, all use the clipboard.
277
278 You can customize the option @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to make
279 the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
280 selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
281 well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not access the
282 clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on MS-Windows,
283 unlike most systems.
284
285 @node Mouse References
286 @section Following References with the Mouse
287 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
288
289 Some Emacs buffers display lists of various sorts. These include
290 lists of files, of buffers, of possible completions, of matches for
291 a pattern, and so on.
292
293 Since yanking text into these buffers is not very useful, most of them
294 define @kbd{Mouse-2} specially, as a command to use or view the item you
295 click on.
296
297 For example, if you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a file name in a Dired
298 buffer, you visit that file. If you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on an error
299 message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer, you go to the source code
300 for that error message. If you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a completion in
301 the @samp{*Completions*} buffer, you choose that completion.
302
303 You can usually tell when @kbd{Mouse-2} has this special sort of
304 meaning because the sensitive text highlights when you move the mouse
305 over it.
306
307 @node Menu Mouse Clicks
308 @section Mouse Clicks for Menus
309
310 Mouse clicks modified with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} keys
311 bring up menus.
312
313 @table @kbd
314 @item C-Mouse-1
315 @kindex C-Mouse-1
316 This menu is for selecting a buffer.
317
318 The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
319 menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
320
321 @item C-Mouse-2
322 @kindex C-Mouse-2
323 This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
324 for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
325
326 @item C-Mouse-3
327 @kindex C-Mouse-3
328 This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on, this
329 menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus put
330 together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
331 button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
332 menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
333 @kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision to
334 use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu.} If Menu-bar mode is off, this menu
335 contains all the items which would be present in the menu bar---not just
336 the mode-specific ones---so that you can access them without having to
337 display the menu bar.
338
339 @item S-Mouse-1
340 This menu is for specifying the frame's principal font.
341 @end table
342
343 @node Mode Line Mouse
344 @section Mode Line Mouse Commands
345 @cindex mode line, mouse
346 @cindex mouse on mode line
347
348 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
349 windows.
350
351 @table @kbd
352 @item Mouse-1
353 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
354 @kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window above. By dragging
355 @kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus changing the
356 height of the windows above and below.
357
358 @item Mouse-2
359 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
360 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
361
362 @item Mouse-3
363 @kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
364 @kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window above. If the frame has
365 only one window, it buries the current buffer instead and switches to
366 another buffer.
367
368 @item C-Mouse-2
369 @kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
370 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
371 horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
372 @end table
373
374 @kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
375 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
376 vertically, unless you are using an X toolkit's implementation of
377 scroll bars. @xref{Split Window}.
378
379 The commands above apply to areas of the mode line which do not have
380 special mouse bindings of their own. Some areas, such as the buffer
381 name and the major mode name, have their own special mouse bindings.
382 Emacs displays information about these bindings when you hold the
383 mouse over such a place (@pxref{Tooltips}).
384
385 @node Creating Frames
386 @section Creating Frames
387 @cindex creating frames
388
389 @kindex C-x 5
390 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
391 subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
392 frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
393 Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
394 the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
395 raising or deiconifying as necessary.
396
397 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
398 buffer to select:
399
400 @table @kbd
401 @item C-x 5 2
402 @kindex C-x 5 2
403 @findex make-frame-command
404 Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
405 @item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
406 Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
407 @code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
408 @item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
409 Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
410 runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
411 @item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
412 Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
413 This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
414 @item C-x 5 m
415 Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
416 @code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
417 @xref{Sending Mail}.
418 @item C-x 5 .
419 Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
420 @code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
421 @xref{Tags}.
422 @item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
423 @kindex C-x 5 r
424 @findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
425 Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
426 frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
427 @xref{Visiting}.
428 @end table
429
430 @cindex default-frame-alist
431 @cindex initial-frame-alist
432 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
433 frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
434 variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
435 only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
436 Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
437
438 @cindex font (default)
439 The easiest way to specify the principal font for all your Emacs
440 frames is with an X resource (@pxref{Font X}), but you can also do it by
441 modifying @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the @code{font}
442 parameter, as shown here:
443
444 @example
445 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
446 @end example
447
448 @noindent
449 Here's a similar example for specifying a foreground color:
450
451 @example
452 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(background-color . "blue"))
453 @end example
454
455
456 @node Frame Commands
457 @section Frame Commands
458
459 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
460
461 @table @kbd
462 @item C-z
463 @kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
464 @findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
465 Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
466 The normal meaning of @kbd{C-z}, to suspend Emacs, is not useful under a
467 window system, so it has a different binding in that case.
468
469 If you type this command on an Emacs frame's icon, it deiconifies the frame.
470
471 @item C-x 5 0
472 @kindex C-x 5 0
473 @findex delete-frame
474 Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed if
475 there is only one frame.
476
477 @item C-x 5 o
478 @kindex C-x 5 o
479 @findex other-frame
480 Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it so that it
481 stays selected. If you repeat this command, it cycles through all the
482 frames on your terminal.
483
484 @item C-x 5 1
485 @kindex C-x 5 1
486 @findex delete-other-frames
487 Delete all frames except the selected one.
488 @end table
489
490 @vindex focus-follows-mouse
491 To make the command @kbd{C-x 5 o} work properly, you must tell Emacs
492 how the system (or the window manager) generally handles
493 focus-switching between windows. There are two possibilities: either
494 simply moving the mouse onto a window selects it (gives it focus), or
495 you have to click on it in a suitable way to do so. Unfortunately
496 there is no way Emacs can find out automatically which way the system
497 handles this, so you have to explicitly say, by setting the variable
498 @code{focus-follows-mouse}. If just moving the mouse onto a window
499 selects it, that variable should be @code{t}; if a click is necessary,
500 the variable should be @code{nil}.
501
502 @node Speedbar
503 @section Making and Using a Speedbar Frame
504 @cindex speedbar
505
506 An Emacs frame can have a @dfn{speedbar}, which is a vertical window
507 that serves as a scrollable menu of files you could visit and tags
508 within those files. To create a speedbar, type @kbd{M-x speedbar}; this
509 creates a speedbar window for the selected frame. From then on, you can
510 click on a file name in the speedbar to visit that file in the
511 corresponding Emacs frame, or click on a tag name to jump to that tag in
512 the Emacs frame.
513
514 Initially the speedbar lists the immediate contents of the current
515 directory, one file per line. Each line also has a box, @samp{[+]} or
516 @samp{<+>}, that you can click on with @kbd{Mouse-2} to ``open up'' the
517 contents of that item. If the line names a directory, opening it adds
518 the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
519 directory's own line. If the line lists an ordinary file, opening it up
520 adds a list of the tags in that file to the speedbar display. When a
521 file is opened up, the @samp{[+]} changes to @samp{[-]}; you can click
522 on that box to ``close up'' that file (hide its contents).
523
524 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
525 specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
526 select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
527 files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
528 clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
529
530 A speedbar belongs to one Emacs frame, and always operates on that
531 frame. If you use multiple frames, you can make a speedbar for some or
532 all of the frames; type @kbd{M-x speedbar} in any given frame to make a
533 speedbar for it.
534
535 @node Multiple Displays
536 @section Multiple Displays
537 @cindex multiple displays
538
539 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
540 uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
541 environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
542 Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
543 @code{make-frame-on-display}:
544
545 @findex make-frame-on-display
546 @table @kbd
547 @item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
548 Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
549 @end table
550
551 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
552 frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
553 single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
554 screens as a single stream of input.
555
556 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
557 input stream for each server. This way, two users can type
558 simultaneously on the two displays, and Emacs will not garble their
559 input. Each server also has its own selected frame. The commands you
560 enter with a particular X server apply to that server's selected frame.
561
562 Despite these features, people using the same Emacs job from different
563 displays can still interfere with each other if they are not careful.
564 For example, if any one types @kbd{C-x C-c}, that exits the Emacs job
565 for all of them!
566
567 @node Special Buffer Frames
568 @section Special Buffer Frames
569
570 @vindex special-display-buffer-names
571 You can make certain chosen buffers, for which Emacs normally creates
572 a second window when you have just one window, appear in special frames
573 of their own. To do this, set the variable
574 @code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list of buffer names; any
575 buffer whose name is in that list automatically gets a special frame,
576 when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in another window.''
577
578 For example, if you set the variable this way,
579
580 @example
581 (setq special-display-buffer-names
582 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
583 @end example
584
585 @noindent
586 then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
587 buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
588 windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
589 buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
590 unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
591 frame automatically.
592
593 @vindex special-display-regexps
594 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
595 of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
596 matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
597 to buffers that normally get displayed for you in a separate window.)
598
599 @vindex special-display-frame-alist
600 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
601 parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
602 to set it.
603
604 For those who know Lisp, an element of
605 @code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
606 can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
607 regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
608 frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter values;
609 these values take precedence over parameter values specified in
610 @code{special-display-frame-alist}. Alternatively, it can have this
611 form:
612
613 @example
614 (@var{function} @var{args}...)
615 @end example
616
617 @noindent
618 where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
619 calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
620 remaining arguments are @var{args}.
621
622 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
623 displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
624 same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
625 therefore, if you add a buffer name to
626 @code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
627 whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
628
629 @node Frame Parameters
630 @section Setting Frame Parameters
631 @cindex colors
632 @cindex Auto-Raise mode
633 @cindex Auto-Lower mode
634
635 This section describes commands for altering the display style and
636 window management behavior of the selected frame.
637
638 @findex set-foreground-color
639 @findex set-background-color
640 @findex set-cursor-color
641 @findex set-mouse-color
642 @findex set-border-color
643 @findex auto-raise-mode
644 @findex auto-lower-mode
645 @table @kbd
646 @item M-x set-foreground-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
647 Specify color @var{color} for the foreground of the selected frame.
648 (This also changes the foreground color of the default face.)
649
650 @item M-x set-background-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
651 Specify color @var{color} for the background of the selected frame.
652 (This also changes the background color of the default face.)
653
654 @item M-x set-cursor-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
655 Specify color @var{color} for the cursor of the selected frame.
656
657 @item M-x set-mouse-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
658 Specify color @var{color} for the mouse cursor when it is over the
659 selected frame.
660
661 @item M-x set-border-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
662 Specify color @var{color} for the border of the selected frame.
663
664 @item M-x list-colors-display
665 Display the defined color names and show what the colors look like.
666 This command is somewhat slow.
667
668 @item M-x auto-raise-mode
669 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
670 means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
671 frame.
672
673 Note that this auto-raise feature is implemented by Emacs itself. Some
674 window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable auto-raise for
675 Emacs frames in your X window manager, it should work, but it is beyond
676 Emacs's control and therefore @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect on
677 it.
678
679 @item M-x auto-lower-mode
680 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
681 Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
682 the frame moves to the bottom of the stack of X windows.
683
684 The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
685 implemented by the X window manager. To control that, you must use
686 the appropriate window manager features.
687
688 @findex set-frame-font
689 @item M-x set-frame-font @key{RET} @var{font} @key{RET}
690 @cindex font (principal)
691 Specify font @var{font} as the principal font for the selected frame.
692 The principal font controls several face attributes of the
693 @code{default} face (@pxref{Faces}). For example, if the principal font
694 has a height of 12 pt, all text will be drawn in 12 pt fonts, unless you
695 use another face that specifies a different height. @xref{Font X}, for
696 ways to list the available fonts on your system.
697
698 @kindex S-Mouse-1
699 You can also set a frame's principal font through a pop-up menu.
700 Press @kbd{S-Mouse-1} to activate this menu.
701 @end table
702
703 In Emacs versions that use an X toolkit, the color-setting and
704 font-setting functions don't affect menus and the menu bar, since they
705 are displayed by their own widget classes. To change the appearance of
706 the menus and menu bar, you must use X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
707 @xref{Colors}, regarding colors. @xref{Font X}, regarding choice of
708 font.
709
710 Colors, fonts, and other attributes of the frame's display can also
711 be customized by setting frame parameters in the variable
712 @code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Creating Frames}). For a detailed
713 description of frame parameters and customization, see @ref{Frame
714 Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
715
716 @node Scroll Bars
717 @section Scroll Bars
718 @cindex Scroll Bar mode
719 @cindex mode, Scroll Bar
720
721 When using X, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at the left of
722 each Emacs window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is usually more
723 useful with overlapping frames with text starting at the left margin.}
724 The scroll bar runs the height of the window, and shows a moving
725 rectangular inner box which represents the portion of the buffer
726 currently displayed. The entire height of the scroll bar represents the
727 entire length of the buffer.
728
729 You can use @kbd{Mouse-2} (normally, the middle button) in the scroll
730 bar to move or drag the inner box up and down. If you move it to the
731 top of the scroll bar, you see the top of the buffer. If you move it to
732 the bottom of the scroll bar, you see the bottom of the buffer.
733
734 The left and right buttons in the scroll bar scroll by controlled
735 increments. @kbd{Mouse-1} (normally, the left button) moves the line at
736 the level where you click up to the top of the window. @kbd{Mouse-3}
737 (normally, the right button) moves the line at the top of the window
738 down to the level where you click. By clicking repeatedly in the same
739 place, you can scroll by the same distance over and over.
740
741 If you are using Emacs's own implementation of scroll bars, as opposed
742 to scroll bars from an X toolkit, you can also click @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in
743 the scroll bar to split a window vertically. The split occurs on the
744 line where you click.
745
746 @findex scroll-bar-mode
747 @vindex scroll-bar-mode
748 You can enable or disable Scroll Bar mode with the command @kbd{M-x
749 scroll-bar-mode}. With no argument, it toggles the use of scroll bars.
750 With an argument, it turns use of scroll bars on if and only if the
751 argument is positive. This command applies to all frames, including
752 frames yet to be created. Customize the option @code{scroll-bar-mode}
753 to control the use of scroll bars at startup. You can use it to specify
754 that they are placed at the right of windows if you prefer that. You
755 can use the X resource @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control the initial
756 setting of Scroll Bar mode similarly. @xref{Resources}.
757
758 @findex toggle-scroll-bar
759 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
760 @kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar} command.
761
762 @vindex scroll-bar-width
763 @cindex width of the scroll bar
764 You can control the scroll bar width by changing the value of the
765 @code{scroll-bar-width} frame parameter.
766
767 @node Wheeled Mice
768 @section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
769
770 @cindex mouse wheel
771 @cindex wheel, mouse
772 @findex mouse-wheel-mode
773 @cindex Mouse Wheel minor mode
774 @cindex mode, Mouse Wheel
775 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can
776 usually click the wheel to act as either @kbd{Mouse-2} or
777 @kbd{Mouse-3}, depending on the setup. You can also use the wheel to
778 scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
779 To do so, turn on Mouse Wheel global minor mode with the command
780 @kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-mode} or by customizing the option
781 @code{mouse-wheel-mode}. Support for the wheel depends on the system
782 generating appropriate events for Emacs.
783
784 @vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
785 @vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
786 The variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
787 @code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
788 buffers are scrolled.
789
790 @node Menu Bars
791 @section Menu Bars
792 @cindex Menu Bar mode
793 @cindex mode, Menu Bar
794
795 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
796 menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the option @code{menu-bar-mode}.
797 With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
798 minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
799 argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
800 the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
801 Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
802
803 @kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
804 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
805 terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
806 If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
807 with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports pop-up menus.
808 @xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
809
810 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
811 menu bar. @xref{X Resources}, for how to customize the menu bar
812 menus.
813
814 @node Tool Bars
815 @section Tool Bars
816 @cindex Tool Bar mode
817 @cindex mode, Tool Bar
818 @cindex icons, tool bar
819
820 The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or multiple lines) of icons at the top
821 of the Emacs window. You can click on these icons with the mouse
822 to do various jobs.
823
824 The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
825 define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
826 that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
827 global tool bar.
828
829 Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
830 XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
831 bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
832
833 You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
834 tool-bar-mode}.
835
836 @node Dialog Boxes
837 @section Using Dialog Boxes
838 @cindex dialog boxes
839
840 @vindex use-dialog-box
841 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
842 question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
843 dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
844 invoke the command to begin with.
845
846 You can customize the option @code{use-dialog-box} to suppress the
847 use of dialog boxes. This also controls whether to use file selection
848 windows (but those are not supported on all platforms).
849
850 @node Tooltips
851 @section Tooltips (or ``Balloon Help'')
852
853 @cindex balloon help
854 Tooltips are small X windows displaying a help string at the current
855 mouse position, typically over text---including the mode line---which
856 can be activated with the mouse or other keys. (This facility is
857 sometimes known as @dfn{balloon help}.) Help text may be available for
858 menu items too.
859
860 @findex tooltip-mode
861 To use tooltips, enable Tooltip mode with the command @kbd{M-x
862 tooltip-mode}. The customization group @code{tooltip} controls
863 various aspects of how tooltips work. When Tooltip mode is disabled,
864 the help text is displayed in the echo area instead.
865
866 @xref{X Resources}, for information on customizing the windows
867 that display tooltips.
868
869 @node Mouse Avoidance
870 @section Mouse Avoidance
871 @cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
872 @cindex mouse avoidance
873
874 @vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
875 Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the window system mouse pointer away from
876 point, to avoid obscuring text. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
877 raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the option
878 @code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
879 move the mouse in several ways:
880
881 @table @code
882 @item banish
883 Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any key-press;
884 @item exile
885 Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
886 and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
887 @item jump
888 If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
889 a random distance & direction;
890 @item animate
891 As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
892 @item cat-and-mouse
893 The same as @code{animate};
894 @item proteus
895 As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
896 @end table
897
898 @findex mouse-avoidance-mode
899 You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
900 the mode.
901
902 @node Non-Window Terminals
903 @section Non-Window Terminals
904 @cindex non-window terminals
905 @cindex single-frame terminals
906
907 If your terminal does not have a window system that Emacs supports,
908 then it can display only one Emacs frame at a time. However, you can
909 still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch between them. Switching
910 frames on these terminals is much like switching between different
911 window configurations.
912
913 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
914 5 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
915 the current frame.
916
917 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
918 display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
919 appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
920 @samp{F@var{n}}.
921
922 @findex set-frame-name
923 @findex select-frame-by-name
924 @samp{F@var{n}} is actually the frame's name. You can also specify a
925 different name if you wish, and you can select a frame by its name. Use
926 the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to
927 specify a new name for the selected frame, and use @kbd{M-x
928 select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to select a frame
929 according to its name. The name you specify appears in the mode line
930 when the frame is selected.
931
932 @node XTerm Mouse
933 @section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
934 @cindex xterm, mouse support
935 @cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
936
937 Some terminal emulators under X support mouse clicks in the terminal
938 window. In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
939 you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to enable simple use of the
940 mouse---only single clicks are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse
941 functionality is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key
942 when you press the mouse button. The Linux console supports this
943 mode if it has support for the mouse enabled, e.g.@: using the
944 @command{gpm} daemon.