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, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node Frames, International, Windows, Top
6 @chapter Frames and Graphical Displays
9 When using a graphical display, you can create multiple system-level
10 ``windows'' in a single Emacs session. We refer to these system-level
11 windows as @dfn{frames}. A frame initially contains a single Emacs
12 window; however, you can subdivide this Emacs window into smaller
13 windows, all fitting into the same frame. Each frame normally
14 contains its own echo area and minibuffer.
16 To avoid confusion, we reserve the word ``window'' for the
17 subdivisions that Emacs implements, and never use it to refer to a
20 Any editing you do in one frame affects the other frames. For
21 instance, if you put text in the kill ring in one frame, you can yank
22 it in another frame. If you exit Emacs through @kbd{C-x C-c} in one
23 frame, it terminates all the frames. To delete just one frame, use
24 @kbd{C-x 5 0} (that is zero, not @kbd{o}).
26 Emacs compiled for MS-DOS emulates some windowing functionality,
27 so that you can use many of the features described in this chapter.
29 @xref{MS-DOS Mouse,,,emacs-xtra,Specialized Emacs Features}.
36 * Cut and Paste:: Mouse commands for cut and paste.
37 * Mouse References:: Using the mouse to select an item from a list.
38 * Menu Mouse Clicks:: Mouse clicks that bring up menus.
39 * Mode Line Mouse:: Mouse clicks on the mode line.
40 * Creating Frames:: Creating additional Emacs frames with various contents.
41 * Frame Commands:: Iconifying, deleting, and switching frames.
42 * Speedbar:: How to make and use a speedbar frame.
43 * Multiple Displays:: How one Emacs job can talk to several displays.
44 * Special Buffer Frames:: You can make certain buffers have their own frames.
45 * Frame Parameters:: Changing the colors and other modes of frames.
46 * Scroll Bars:: How to enable and disable scroll bars; how to use them.
47 * Wheeled Mice:: Using mouse wheels for scrolling.
48 * Drag and Drop:: Using drag and drop to open files and insert text.
49 * Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
50 * Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
51 * Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
52 * Tooltips:: Displaying information at the current mouse position.
53 * Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
54 * Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
55 * Text-Only Mouse:: Using the mouse in text-only terminals.
59 @section Killing and Yanking on Graphical Displays
61 This section describes commands for selecting a region, killing, and
62 yanking using the mouse.
65 * Mouse Commands:: Moving, cutting, and pasting, with the mouse.
66 * Word and Line Mouse:: Mouse commands for selecting whole words or lines.
67 * Cut/Paste Other App:: Transfering text between Emacs and other apps.
68 * Secondary Selection:: Cutting without altering point and mark.
69 * Clipboard:: Using the clipboard for selections.
73 @subsection Mouse Commands for Editing
74 @cindex mouse buttons (what they do)
81 Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
84 Activate the region around the text selected by dragging, and copy it
85 to the kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}).
88 Yank the last killed text at the click position
89 (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
92 If the region is active, move the nearer end of the region to the
93 click position; otherwise, set mark at the current value of point and
94 point at the click position. Save the resulting region in the kill
95 ring; on a second click, kill it (@code{mouse-save-then-kill}).
98 @findex mouse-set-point
99 The most basic mouse command is @code{mouse-set-point}, which is
100 called by clicking with the left mouse button, @key{Mouse-1}, in the
101 text area of a window. This moves point to the position where you
104 @vindex x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position
105 Normally, Emacs does not distinguish between ordinary mouse clicks
106 and clicks that select a frame. When you click on a frame to select
107 it, that also changes the selected window and cursor position
108 according to the mouse click position. On the X window system, you
109 can change this behavior by setting the variable
110 @code{x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position} to @code{t}. Then the
111 first click selects the frame, but does not affect the selected window
112 or cursor position. If you click again in the same place, that click
113 will be in the selected frame, so it will change the window or cursor
116 @findex mouse-set-region
117 @vindex mouse-drag-copy-region
118 Holding down @key{Mouse-1} and ``dragging'' the mouse over a stretch
119 of text activates the region around that text
120 (@code{mouse-set-region}). @xref{Mark}. Emacs places the mark where
121 you started holding down the mouse button, and point where you release
122 it. In addition, the region is copied into the kill ring (@pxref{Kill
123 Ring}). If you don't want Emacs to copy the region, change the
124 variable @code{mouse-drag-copy-region} to @code{nil}.
126 @vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
127 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
128 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
129 back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
130 entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
131 on how far away from the window edge the mouse has gone; the variable
132 @code{mouse-scroll-min-lines} specifies a minimum step size.
134 @findex mouse-yank-at-click
135 @vindex mouse-yank-at-point
136 Clicking with the middle mouse button, @key{Mouse-2}, moves point to
137 the position where you clicked and performs a yank
138 (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}). @xref{Yanking}. If you change the
139 variable @code{mouse-yank-at-point} to a non-@code{nil} value,
140 @kbd{Mouse-2} does not move point. Then it does not matter where you
141 click, or even which of the frame's windows you click on; the yank
142 occurs at the existing point. This variable also affects yanking the
143 primary and secondary selections (@pxref{Cut/Paste Other App}).
145 @findex mouse-save-then-kill
146 Clicking with the right mouse button, @key{Mouse-3}, runs the
147 command @code{mouse-save-then-kill}. This performs several actions
148 depending on where you click and the status of the region:
152 If no region is active, clicking @key{Mouse-3} activates the region,
153 placing the mark where point was and point at the clicked position.
154 In addition, the text in the region is copied to the kill ring.
157 If a region is active, clicking @key{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end
158 of the region by moving it to the clicked position. The adjusted
159 region's text is copied to the kill ring; if the text in the original
160 region was already on the kill ring, it replaces it there.
163 If you originally specified the region using a double or triple
164 @key{Mouse-1}, so that the region is defined to consist of entire
165 words or lines, then adjusting the region with @key{Mouse-3} also
166 proceeds by entire words or lines.
169 If you use @key{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same
170 place, that kills the region already selected. Thus, the simplest way
171 to kill text with the mouse is to click @key{Mouse-1} at one end, then
172 click @key{Mouse-3} twice at the other end. To copy the text into the
173 kill ring without deleting it from the buffer, press @key{Mouse-3}
174 just once---or just drag across the text with @key{Mouse-1}. Then you
175 can copy it elsewhere by yanking it.
178 Whenever you set the region using any of the mouse commands
179 described above, the mark will be deactivated by any subsequent
180 unshifted cursor motion command, in addition to the usual ways of
181 deactivating the mark. @xref{Shift Selection}. While the region
182 remains active, typing @key{Backspace} or @key{Delete} deletes the
183 text in that region and deactivates the mark; this behavior follows a
184 convention established by other graphical programs, and it does
185 @emph{not} apply when you set the region any other way, including
186 shift-selection (@pxref{Shift Selection}).
188 @cindex Delete Selection mode
189 @cindex mode, Delete Selection
190 @findex delete-selection-mode
191 Many graphical applications also follow the convention that
192 insertion while text is selected deletes the selected text. You can
193 make Emacs behave this way by typing @kbd{M-x delete-selection-mode}.
194 This enables a minor mode named Delete Selection mode. Another effect
195 of this mode is that some keys, such as @key{DEL} and @kbd{C-d},
196 always kill the region if one exists.
198 @node Word and Line Mouse
199 @subsection Mouse Commands for Words and Lines
201 These variants of @kbd{Mouse-1} select entire words or lines at a
202 time. Emacs activates the region around the selected text, which is
203 also copied to the kill ring.
207 Select the text around the word which you click on.
209 Double-clicking on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as
210 underscore, in C mode) selects the symbol surrounding that character.
211 Double-clicking on a character with open- or close-parenthesis syntax
212 selects the parenthetical grouping which that character starts or
213 ends. Double-clicking on a character with string-delimiter syntax
214 (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C) selects the string
215 constant (Emacs uses heuristics to figure out whether that character
216 is the beginning or the end of it).
218 @item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
219 Select the text you drag across, in the form of whole words.
222 Select the line you click on.
224 @item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
225 Select the text you drag across, in the form of whole lines.
228 @node Cut/Paste Other App
229 @subsection Cut and Paste with Other Window Applications
231 @cindex X cutting and pasting
233 @cindex primary selection
234 @cindex selection, primary
235 When running Emacs under the X window system, you can easily
236 transfer text between Emacs and other X applications using the
237 @dfn{primary selection} (also called the @dfn{X selection}). This is
238 @emph{not} the same thing as the @dfn{clipboard}, which is a separate
239 facility used on desktop environments such as Gnome, and on operating
240 systems such as Microsoft Windows (@pxref{Clipboard}).
242 Under X, whenever you select some text in Emacs by dragging or
243 clicking the mouse (@pxref{Mouse Commands}), it is also saved in the
244 primary selection. You can then @dfn{paste} that text into any other
245 X application, usually by clicking @key{Mouse-2} in that application.
246 Unlike the Emacs kill ring (@pxref{Kill Ring}), the primary selection
247 has no ``memory'': each time you save something in the primary
248 selection, either in Emacs or in another X application, the previous
249 contents of the primary selection are lost.
251 Whenever you kill some text using a command such as @kbd{C-w}
252 (@code{kill-region}), or copy it into the kill ring using a command
253 such as @kbd{M-w} (@code{kill-ring-save}), that text is also saved in
254 the primary selection. @xref{Killing}.
256 @vindex select-active-regions
257 @vindex yank-pop-change-selection
258 If you set the region using the keyboard, the text within the region
259 is not normally saved to the primary selection. However, if you
260 change the variable @code{select-active-regions} to @code{t}, the
261 region is saved to the primary selection each time you activate the
262 mark (the primary selection is @emph{not} updated if you subsequently
263 change the region by moving point). If you change the variable
264 @code{yank-pop-change-selection} to @code{t}, rotating the kill ring
265 with @kbd{M-y} (@code{yank-pop}) also saves the new yank to the
266 primary selection (@pxref{Yanking}).
269 @vindex x-cut-buffer-max
270 Whenever Emacs saves some text to the primary selection, it may also
271 save it to the @dfn{cut buffer}. The cut buffer is an obsolete
272 predecessor to the primary selection; most modern applications do not
273 make use of it. Because saving text to the cut buffer is slow and
274 inefficient, Emacs only does it if the text is shorter than the value
275 of @code{x-cut-buffer-max} (the default is 20000 characters).
277 You can yank the primary selection into Emacs using the usual yank
278 commands, such as @kbd{C-y} (@code{yank}) and @key{Mouse-2}
279 (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}). These commands actually check the
280 primary selection before referring to the kill ring; if no primary
281 selection is available, the kill ring contents are used. To prevent
282 yank commands from accessing the primary selection, set the variable
283 @code{x-select-enable-primary} to @code{nil}.
285 The standard coding system for the primary selection is
286 @code{compound-text-with-extensions}. You may find that the pasted
287 text is not what you expected. In such a case, you can specify
288 another coding system for the selection by typing @kbd{C-x @key{RET}
289 x} or @kbd{C-x @key{RET} X}. Alternatively, you can request a
290 different data type by modifying the variable
291 @code{x-select-request-type}. @xref{Communication Coding}.
293 @node Secondary Selection
294 @subsection Secondary Selection
295 @cindex secondary selection
297 In addition to the primary selection, the X Window System provides a
298 second similar facility known as the @dfn{secondary selection}.
299 Nowadays, few X applications make use of the secondary selection, but
300 you can access it using the following Emacs commands:
303 @findex mouse-set-secondary
304 @kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
306 Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
307 down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
308 (@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The selected text is highlighted, using
309 the @code{secondary-selection} face, as you drag. The window scrolls
310 automatically if you drag the mouse off the top or bottom of the
311 window, just like @code{mouse-set-region} (@pxref{Mouse Commands}).
313 This command does not alter the kill ring.
315 @findex mouse-start-secondary
318 Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
319 (@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
321 @findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
324 Set the secondary selection, with one end at the position clicked and
325 the other at the position specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
326 (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). This also puts the selected
327 text in the kill ring. A second @kbd{M-@key{Mouse-3}} at the same
328 place kills the secondary selection just made.
330 @findex mouse-yank-secondary
333 Insert the secondary selection where you click, placing point at the
334 end of the yanked text (@code{mouse-yank-secondary}).
337 Double or triple clicking of @key{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
338 lines, much like @key{Mouse-1}.
340 If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @key{M-Mouse-2} yanks
341 at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click, or even
342 which of the frame's windows you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
345 @subsection Using the Clipboard
348 In desktop environments such as Gnome, and operating systems such as
349 Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, you can transfer data (usually text)
350 between different applications using the @dfn{clipboard}. The
351 clipboard is distinct from the primary selection and secondary
352 selection discussed earlier. You can access the clipboard through the
353 @samp{Edit} menu of the menu bar (@pxref{Menu Bar}).
356 @findex clipboard-kill-region
357 The command @code{clipboard-kill-region}, which is bound to the
358 @code{Cut} menu item, kills the region and saves it in the clipboard.
361 @findex clipboard-kill-ring-save
362 The command @code{clipboard-kill-ring-save}, which is bound to the
363 @code{Copy} menu item, copies the region to the kill ring and saves it
367 The @code{Paste} menu item in the Edit menu yanks the contents of
368 the clipboard at point.
370 @vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
371 You can customize the variable @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to
372 make the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
373 selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
374 well as the primary selection. Otherwise, these commands do not
375 access the clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on
376 MS-Windows and Mac OS, but not on other systems.
378 @node Mouse References
379 @section Following References with the Mouse
380 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(selection)}
381 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
383 @vindex mouse-highlight
384 Some Emacs buffers include @dfn{buttons} which perform some action,
385 such as following a reference. A button is a stretch of text that
386 usually stands out in some way; it may be underlined, or a box may be
387 drawn around it. If you move the mouse over a button, the shape of
388 the mouse cursor changes and the button lights up (if you change the
389 variable @code{mouse-highlight} to @code{nil}, Emacs disables this
392 You can activate a button by moving point to it and typing
393 @key{RET}, or by clicking either @kbd{Mouse-1} or @kbd{Mouse-2} on the
394 button. For example, typing @key{RET} or clicking on a file name in a
395 Dired buffer visits that file (@pxref{Dired}). Doing it on an error
396 message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer goes to the source code for
397 that error message (@pxref{Compilation}). Doing it on a completion in
398 the @samp{*Completions*} buffer chooses that completion
399 (@pxref{Completion}).
401 Although clicking @key{Mouse-1} on a button usually activates that
402 button, if you hold the mouse button down for a short period of time
403 before releasing it (specifically, for more than 450 milliseconds),
404 then Emacs moves point where you clicked instead. This behavior
405 allows you to use the mouse to move point over a button without
406 following it. Dragging, meaning moving the mouse while it is held
407 down, has its usual behavior of setting the region.
409 @vindex mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows
410 Normally, clicking @key{Mouse-1} on a button activates the button
411 even if it is in an un-selected window. If you change the variable
412 @code{mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows} to @code{nil}, clicking
413 @key{Mouse-1} on a button in an un-selected window moves point to the
414 clicked position and selects that window, without activating the
417 @vindex mouse-1-click-follows-link
418 In Emacs versions before 22, only @kbd{Mouse-2} activates buttons
419 and @kbd{Mouse-1} always sets point. If you prefer this older
420 behavior, set the variable @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link} to
421 @code{nil}. This variable also lets you choose various other
422 alternatives for following links with the mouse. Type @kbd{C-h v
423 mouse-1-click-follows-link @key{RET}} for more details.
425 @node Menu Mouse Clicks
426 @section Mouse Clicks for Menus
428 Several mouse clicks with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} modifiers
434 This menu is for selecting a buffer.
436 The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
437 menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
441 This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
442 for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
446 This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on,
447 this menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus
448 put together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
449 button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
450 menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
451 @kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision
452 to use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu. To use @kbd{Mouse-3} instead,
453 do @code{(global-set-key [mouse-3] 'mouse-popup-menubar-stuff)}.} If
454 Menu-bar mode is off, this menu contains all the items which would be
455 present in the menu bar---not just the mode-specific ones---so that
456 you can access them without having to display the menu bar.
459 This menu is for changing the default face within the window's buffer.
460 @xref{Temporary Face Changes}.
463 @node Mode Line Mouse
464 @section Mode Line Mouse Commands
465 @cindex mode line, mouse
466 @cindex mouse on mode line
468 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
471 Some areas of the mode line, such as the buffer name, and major and minor
472 mode names, have their own special mouse bindings. These areas are
473 highlighted when you hold the mouse over them, and information about
474 the special bindings will be displayed (@pxref{Tooltips}). This
475 section's commands do not apply in those areas.
479 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
480 @kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window it belongs to. By
481 dragging @kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus
482 changing the height of the windows above and below. Changing heights
483 with the mouse in this way never deletes windows, it just refuses to
484 make any window smaller than the minimum height.
487 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
488 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
491 @kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
492 @kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window it belongs to. If the
493 frame has only one window, it buries the current buffer instead, and
494 switches to another buffer.
497 @kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
498 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
499 horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
502 @kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
503 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(scroll bar)}
504 Using @kbd{Mouse-1} on the divider between two side-by-side mode
505 lines, you can move the vertical boundary left or right. Using
506 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
507 vertically. @xref{Split Window}.
509 @node Creating Frames
510 @section Creating Frames
511 @cindex creating frames
514 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
515 subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
516 frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
517 Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
518 the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
519 raising or deiconifying as necessary.
521 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
527 @findex make-frame-command
528 Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
529 @item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
530 Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
531 @code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
532 @item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
533 Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
534 runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
535 @item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
536 Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
537 This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
539 Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
540 @code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
543 Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
544 @code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
546 @item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
548 @findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
549 Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
550 frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
554 @cindex default-frame-alist
555 @cindex initial-frame-alist
556 @cindex face customization, in init file
557 @cindex color customization, in init file
558 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
559 frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
560 variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
561 only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
562 Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
564 @cindex font (default)
565 For instance, one way to specify the principal font for all your
566 Emacs frames is to modify @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the
567 @code{font} parameter (@pxref{Font X}):
570 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
574 Here's a similar example for specifying a foreground color:
577 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(foreground-color . "blue"))
581 By putting such customizations in your init file, you can control the
582 appearance of all the frames Emacs creates, including the initial one.
586 @section Frame Commands
588 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
592 @kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
593 @findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
594 Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
595 When typed on an Emacs frame's icon, deiconify instead.
601 Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed
602 if there is only one frame.
607 Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it. If you
608 repeat this command, it cycles through all the frames on your
613 @findex delete-other-frames
614 Delete all frames except the selected one.
617 @vindex focus-follows-mouse
618 To make the command @kbd{C-x 5 o} work properly, you should tell
619 Emacs how the system (or the window manager) handles focus-switching
620 between windows. There are two possibilities: either simply moving
621 the mouse onto a window selects it (gives it focus), or you have to
622 click on it to do so. On X, this focus policy also affects whether
623 the focus is given to a frame that Emacs raises. Unfortunately there
624 is no way Emacs can find out automatically which way the system
625 handles this, so you have to explicitly say, by setting the variable
626 @code{focus-follows-mouse}. If just moving the mouse onto a window
627 selects it, that variable should be @code{t}; if a click is necessary,
628 the variable should be @code{nil}. The default is @code{t}.
630 The window manager that is part of MS-Windows always gives focus to
631 a frame that raises, so this variable has no effect in the native
632 MS-Windows build of Emacs.
635 @section Speedbar Frames
638 @cindex attached frame (of speedbar)
639 The @dfn{speedbar} is a special frame for conveniently navigating in
640 or operating on another frame. The speedbar, when it exists, is
641 always associated with a specific frame, called its @dfn{attached
642 frame}; all speedbar operations act on that frame.
644 Type @kbd{M-x speedbar} to create the speedbar and associate it with
645 the current frame. To dismiss the speedbar, type @kbd{M-x speedbar}
646 again, or select the speedbar and type @kbd{q}. (You can also delete
647 the speedbar frame like any other Emacs frame.) If you wish to
648 associate the speedbar with a different frame, dismiss it and call
649 @kbd{M-x speedbar} from that frame.
651 The speedbar can operate in various modes. Its default mode is
652 @dfn{File Display} mode, which shows the files in the current
653 directory of the selected window of the attached frame, one file per
654 line. Clicking on a file name visits that file in the selected window
655 of the attached frame, and clicking on a directory name shows that
656 directory in the speedbar (@pxref{Mouse References}). Each line also
657 has a box, @samp{[+]} or @samp{<+>}, that you can click on to
658 @dfn{expand} the contents of that item. Expanding a directory adds
659 the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
660 directory's own line. Expanding an ordinary file adds a list of the
661 tags in that file to the speedbar display; you can click on a tag name
662 to jump to that tag in the selected window of the attached frame.
663 When a file or directory is expanded, the @samp{[+]} changes to
664 @samp{[-]}; you can click on that box to @dfn{contract} the item,
667 You navigate through the speedbar using the keyboard, too. Typing
668 @kbd{RET} while point is on a line in the speedbar is equivalent to
669 clicking the item on the current line, and @kbd{SPC} expands or
670 contracts the item. @kbd{U} displays the parent directory of the
671 current directory. To copy, delete, or rename the file on the current
672 line, type @kbd{C}, @kbd{D}, and @kbd{R} respectively. To create a
673 new directory, type @kbd{M}.
675 Another general-purpose speedbar mode is @dfn{Buffer Display} mode;
676 in this mode, the speedbar displays a list of Emacs buffers. To
677 switch to this mode, type @kbd{b} in the speedbar. To return to File
678 Display mode, type @kbd{f}. You can also change the display mode by
679 clicking @kbd{mouse-3} anywhere in the speedbar window (or
680 @kbd{mouse-1} on the mode-line) and selecting @samp{Displays} in the
683 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
684 specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
685 select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
686 files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
687 clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
689 For more details on using and programming the speedbar, @xref{Top,
690 Speedbar,,speedbar, Speedbar Manual}.
692 @node Multiple Displays
693 @section Multiple Displays
694 @cindex multiple displays
696 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
697 uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
698 environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
699 Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
700 @code{make-frame-on-display}:
702 @findex make-frame-on-display
704 @item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
705 Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
708 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
709 frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
710 single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
711 screens as a single stream of input.
713 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
714 input stream for each server. Each server also has its own selected
715 frame. The commands you enter with a particular X server apply to
716 that server's selected frame.
718 It is even possible to use this feature to let two or more users
719 type simultaneously on the two displays, within the same Emacs job.
720 In practice, however, the different users can easily interfere with
721 each others' edits if they are not careful.
723 @node Special Buffer Frames
724 @section Special Buffer Frames
726 @vindex special-display-buffer-names
727 You can make certain chosen buffers, which Emacs normally displays
728 in ``another window,'' appear in special frames of their own. To do
729 this, set the variable @code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list
730 of buffer names; any buffer whose name is in that list automatically
731 gets a special frame, when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in
734 For example, if you set the variable this way,
737 (setq special-display-buffer-names
738 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
742 then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
743 buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
744 windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
745 buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
746 unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
749 @vindex special-display-regexps
750 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
751 of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
752 matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
753 to buffers that normally get displayed for you in ``another window.'')
755 @vindex special-display-frame-alist
756 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
757 parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
760 For those who know Lisp, an element of
761 @code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
762 can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
763 regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
764 frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter
765 values; these values take precedence over parameter values specified
766 in @code{special-display-frame-alist}. If you specify the symbol
767 @code{same-window} as a ``frame parameter'' in this list, with a
768 non-@code{nil} value, that means to use the selected window if
769 possible. If you use the symbol @code{same-frame} as a ``frame
770 parameter'' in this list, with a non-@code{nil} value, that means to
771 use the selected frame if possible.
773 Alternatively, the value can have this form:
776 (@var{function} @var{args}...)
780 where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
781 calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
782 remaining arguments are @var{args}.
784 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
785 displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
786 same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
787 therefore, if you add a buffer name to
788 @code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
789 whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
791 @node Frame Parameters
792 @section Setting Frame Parameters
793 @cindex Auto-Raise mode
794 @cindex Auto-Lower mode
796 These commands are available for controlling the window management
797 behavior of the selected frame:
800 @findex auto-raise-mode
801 @item M-x auto-raise-mode
802 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
803 means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
806 Some window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable
807 auto-raise for Emacs frames in your window manager, it will work, but
808 it is beyond Emacs' control, so @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect
811 @findex auto-lower-mode
812 @item M-x auto-lower-mode
813 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
814 Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
815 the frame moves to the bottom of the stack on the screen.
817 The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
818 implemented by the window manager. To control that, you must use the
819 appropriate window manager features.
822 In Emacs versions that use an X toolkit, the color-setting and
823 font-setting functions don't affect menus and the menu bar, since they
824 are displayed by their own widget classes. To change the appearance of
825 the menus and menu bar, you must use X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
826 @xref{Colors}, regarding colors. @xref{Font X}, regarding choice of
829 Colors, fonts, and other attributes of the frame's display can also
830 be customized by setting frame parameters in the variable
831 @code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Creating Frames}). For a detailed
832 description of frame parameters and customization, see @ref{Frame
833 Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
837 @cindex Scroll Bar mode
838 @cindex mode, Scroll Bar
840 On graphical displays, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at
841 the left of each Emacs window, running the height of the
842 window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is usually more useful with
843 overlapping frames with text starting at the left margin.}
845 When Emacs is compiled with GTK+ support on the X window system, or
846 in operating systems such as Microsoft Windows or Mac OS, you can use
847 the scroll bar as you do in other graphical applications. If you
848 click @key{Mouse-1} on the scroll bar's up and down buttons, that
849 scrolls the window by one line at a time. Clicking @key{Mouse-1}
850 above or below the scroll bar's inner box scrolls the window by nearly
851 the entire height of the window, like @kbd{M-v} and @kbd{C-v}
852 respectively (@pxref{Moving Point}). Dragging the inner box with
853 @key{Mouse-1} scrolls the window continuously.
855 If Emacs is compiled without GTK+ support on the X window system,
856 the scroll bar behaves differently. The scroll bar's inner box is
857 drawn to represent the portion of the buffer currently displayed, with
858 the entire height of the scroll bar representing the entire length of
859 the buffer. @key{Mouse-1} anywhere on the scroll bar scrolls forward
860 like @kbd{C-v}, and @key{Mouse-3} scrolls backward like @kbd{M-v}.
861 Clicking @key{Mouse-2} in the scroll bar lets you move or drag the
862 inner box up and down.
864 You can also click @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in the scroll bar to split a
865 window vertically. The split occurs on the line where you click.
867 @findex scroll-bar-mode
868 @vindex scroll-bar-mode
869 You can toggle the use of the scroll bar with the command @kbd{M-x
870 scroll-bar-mode}. With a prefix argument, this command turns use of
871 scroll bars on if and only if the argument is positive. This command
872 applies to all frames, including frames yet to be created. Customize
873 the variable @code{scroll-bar-mode} to control the use of scroll bars
874 at startup. You can use it to specify that they are placed at the
875 right of windows if you prefer that. You have to set this variable
876 through the @samp{Customize} interface (@pxref{Easy Customization}),
877 or it will not work properly. You can also use the X resource
878 @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control the initial setting of Scroll Bar
879 mode. @xref{Resources}.
881 @findex toggle-scroll-bar
882 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
883 command @kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar}.
885 @vindex scroll-bar-width
886 @cindex width of the scroll bar
887 You can control the scroll bar width by changing the value of the
888 @code{scroll-bar-width} frame parameter.
891 @section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
895 @findex mouse-wheel-mode
896 @cindex Mouse Wheel minor mode
897 @cindex mode, Mouse Wheel
898 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can
899 usually click the wheel to act as either @kbd{Mouse-2} or
900 @kbd{Mouse-3}, depending on the setup. You can also use the wheel to
901 scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
902 Mouse wheel support only works if the system generates appropriate
903 events; whenever possible, it is turned on by default. To toggle this
904 feature, use @kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-mode}.
906 @vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
907 @vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
908 @vindex mouse-wheel-progressive-speed
909 The two variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
910 @code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
911 buffers are scrolled. The variable
912 @code{mouse-wheel-progressive-speed} determines whether the scroll
913 speed is linked to how fast you move the wheel.
916 @section Drag and Drop
917 @cindex drag and drop
919 Emacs supports @dfn{drag and drop} using the mouse. For instance,
920 dropping text onto an Emacs frame inserts the text where it is dropped.
921 Dropping a file onto an Emacs frame visits that file. As a special
922 case, dropping the file on a Dired buffer moves or copies the file
923 (according to the conventions of the application it came from) into the
924 directory displayed in that buffer.
926 @vindex dnd-open-file-other-window
927 Dropping a file normally visits it in the window you drop it on. If
928 you prefer to visit the file in a new window in such cases, customize
929 the variable @code{dnd-open-file-other-window}.
931 The XDND and Motif drag and drop protocols, and the old KDE 1.x
932 protocol, are currently supported.
936 @cindex Menu Bar mode
937 @cindex mode, Menu Bar
938 @findex menu-bar-mode
939 @vindex menu-bar-mode
941 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
942 menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the variable @code{menu-bar-mode}.
943 With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
944 minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
945 argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
946 the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
947 Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
949 @kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
950 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
951 terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
952 If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
953 with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports pop-up menus.
954 @xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
956 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
957 menu bar. @xref{X Resources}, for how to customize the menu bar
958 menus' visual appearance.
962 @cindex Tool Bar mode
963 @cindex mode, Tool Bar
964 @cindex icons, toolbar
966 The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or lines) of icons at the top of the
967 Emacs window, just below the menu bar. You can click on these icons
968 with the mouse to do various jobs.
970 The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
971 define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
972 that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
975 Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
976 XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
977 bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
979 @findex tool-bar-mode
980 @vindex tool-bar-mode
981 You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
982 tool-bar-mode} or by customizing the option @code{tool-bar-mode}.
985 @section Using Dialog Boxes
988 @vindex use-dialog-box
989 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
990 question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
991 dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
992 invoke the command that led to the question.
994 To disable the use of dialog boxes, change the variable
995 @code{use-dialog-box} to @code{nil}. In that case, Emacs always
996 performs yes-or-no prompts using the echo area and keyboard input.
997 This variable also controls whether to use file selection windows (but
998 those are not supported on all platforms).
1000 @vindex use-file-dialog
1001 A file selection window is a special kind of dialog box for asking
1002 for file names. You can customize the variable @code{use-file-dialog}
1003 to suppress the use of file selection windows, even if you still want
1004 other kinds of dialogs. This variable has no effect if you have
1005 suppressed all dialog boxes with the variable @code{use-dialog-box}.
1007 @vindex x-gtk-show-hidden-files
1008 @vindex x-gtk-use-old-file-dialog
1009 @vindex x-gtk-file-dialog-help-text
1010 When Emacs is compiled with GTK+ support, it uses the GTK+ ``file
1011 chooser'' dialog. Emacs adds an additional toggle button to this
1012 dialog, which you can use to enable or disable the display of hidden
1013 files (files starting with a dot) in that dialog. If you want this
1014 toggle to be activated by default, change the variable
1015 @code{x-gtk-show-hidden-files} to @code{t}. In addition, Emacs adds
1016 help text to the GTK+ file chooser dialog; to disable this help text,
1017 change the variable @code{x-gtk-file-dialog-help-text} to @code{nil}.
1019 In GTK+ versions 2.4 through 2.10, you can choose to use an older
1020 version of the GTK+ file dialog by setting the variable
1021 @code{x-gtk-use-old-file-dialog} to a non-@code{nil} value. If Emacs
1022 is built with a GTK+ version that has only one file dialog, this
1023 variable has no effect.
1029 @dfn{Tooltips} are small windows that display text information at the
1030 current mouse position. They activate when there is a pause in mouse
1031 movement. There are two types of tooltip: help tooltips and GUD
1034 @dfn{Help tooltips} typically display over text---including the mode
1035 line---but are also available for other parts of the Emacs frame, such
1036 as the tool bar and menu items.
1038 @findex tooltip-mode
1039 You can toggle display of help tooltips (Tooltip mode) with the
1040 command @kbd{M-x tooltip-mode}. When Tooltip mode is disabled, the
1041 help text is displayed in the echo area instead.
1043 @dfn{GUD tooltips} show values of variables. They are useful when
1044 you are debugging a program. @xref{Debugger Operation}.
1046 @vindex tooltip-delay
1047 The variables @code{tooltip-delay} specifies how long Emacs should
1048 wait before displaying a tooltip. For additional customization
1049 options for displaying tooltips, use @kbd{M-x customize-group
1050 @key{RET} tooltip @key{RET}}. @xref{X Resources}, for information on
1051 customizing the windows that display tooltips.
1053 @node Mouse Avoidance
1054 @section Mouse Avoidance
1055 @cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
1056 @cindex mouse avoidance
1058 @vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
1059 Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the mouse pointer away from point, to avoid
1060 obscuring text you want to edit. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
1061 raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the variable
1062 @code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
1063 move the mouse in several ways:
1067 Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any key-press;
1069 Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
1070 and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
1072 If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
1073 a random distance & direction;
1075 As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
1077 The same as @code{animate};
1079 As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
1082 @findex mouse-avoidance-mode
1083 You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
1086 @node Non-Window Terminals
1087 @section Non-Window Terminals
1088 @cindex non-window terminals
1089 @cindex single-frame terminals
1091 On a text-only terminal, Emacs can display only one Emacs frame at a
1092 time. However, you can still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch
1093 between them. Switching frames on these terminals is much like
1094 switching between different window configurations.
1096 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
1097 5 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
1100 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
1101 display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
1102 appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
1105 @findex set-frame-name
1106 @findex select-frame-by-name
1107 @samp{F@var{n}} is in fact the frame's initial name. You can give
1108 frames more meaningful names if you wish, and you can select a frame
1109 by its name. Use the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET}
1110 @var{name} @key{RET}} to specify a new name for the selected frame,
1111 and use @kbd{M-x select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}}
1112 to select a frame according to its name. The name you specify appears
1113 in the mode line when the frame is selected.
1115 @node Text-Only Mouse
1116 @section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
1117 @cindex mouse support
1118 @cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
1120 Some text-only terminals support mouse clicks in the terminal window.
1123 In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
1124 you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to give Emacs control over
1125 simple use of the mouse---basically, only non-modified single clicks
1126 are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse functionality for such
1127 clicks is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key when you
1128 press the mouse button. Xterm Mouse mode is a global minor mode
1129 (@pxref{Minor Modes}). Repeating the command turns the mode off
1132 In the console on GNU/Linux, you can use @kbd{M-x t-mouse-mode} to
1133 enable terminal mouse support. You must have the gpm package
1134 installed and running on your system in order for this to work.
1137 arch-tag: 7dcf3a31-a43b-45d4-a900-445b10d77e49