Merge from emacs--rel--22
[bpt/emacs.git] / doc / emacs / xresources.texi
1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003,
3 @c 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node X Resources, Antinews, Emacs Invocation, Top
6 @appendix X Options and Resources
7
8 You can customize some X-related aspects of Emacs behavior using X
9 resources, as is usual for programs that use X. On MS-Windows, you
10 can customize some of the same aspects using the system registry.
11 @xref{MS-Windows Registry}. Likewise, Emacs on MacOS Carbon emulates X
12 resources using the Preferences system. @xref{Mac Environment Variables}.
13
14 When Emacs is built using an ``X toolkit'', such as Lucid or
15 LessTif, you need to use X resources to customize the appearance of
16 the widgets, including the menu-bar, scroll-bar, and dialog boxes.
17 This is because the libraries that implement these don't provide for
18 customization through Emacs. GTK+ widgets use a separate system of
19 @ifnottex
20 ``GTK resources'', which we will also describe.
21 @end ifnottex
22 @iftex
23 ``GTK resources.'' In this chapter we describe the most commonly used
24 resource specifications. For full documentation, see the online
25 manual.
26
27 @c Add xref for LessTif/Motif menu resources.
28 @end iftex
29
30
31 @menu
32 * Resources:: Using X resources with Emacs (in general).
33 * Table of Resources:: Table of specific X resources that affect Emacs.
34 * Face Resources:: X resources for customizing faces.
35 * Lucid Resources:: X resources for Lucid menus.
36 * LessTif Resources:: X resources for LessTif and Motif menus.
37 * GTK resources:: Resources for GTK widgets.
38 @end menu
39
40 @node Resources
41 @appendixsec X Resources
42 @cindex resources
43 @cindex X resources
44 @cindex @file{~/.Xdefaults} file
45 @cindex @file{~/.Xresources} file
46
47 Programs running under the X Window System organize their user
48 options under a hierarchy of classes and resources. You can specify
49 default values for these options in your X resources file, usually
50 named @file{~/.Xdefaults} or @file{~/.Xresources}.
51 If changes in @file{~/.Xdefaults} do not
52 take effect, it is because your X server stores its own list of
53 resources; to update them, use the shell command @command{xrdb}---for
54 instance, @samp{xrdb ~/.Xdefaults}.
55
56 Each line in the file specifies a value for one option or for a
57 collection of related options, for one program or for several programs
58 (optionally even for all programs).
59
60 @cindex Registry (MS-Windows)
61 MS-Windows systems do not support @file{~/.Xdefaults} files, so
62 instead Emacs compiled for Windows looks for X resources in the
63 Windows Registry, first under the key
64 @samp{HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\GNU\Emacs} and then under the key
65 @samp{HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\GNU\Emacs}. The menu and scroll
66 bars are native widgets on MS-Windows, so they are only customizable
67 via the system-wide settings in the Display Control Panel. You can
68 also set resources using the @samp{-xrm} command line option (see
69 below.)
70
71 @iftex
72 Applications such as Emacs look for resources with specific names
73 and their particular meanings. Case distinctions are significant in
74 these names. Each resource specification in @file{~/.Xdefaults}
75 states the name of the program and the name of the resource. For
76 Emacs, the program name is @samp{Emacs}. It looks like this:
77
78 @example
79 Emacs.borderWidth: 2
80 @end example
81 @end iftex
82 @ifnottex
83 Programs define named resources with particular meanings. They also
84 define how to group resources into named classes. For instance, in
85 Emacs, the @samp{internalBorder} resource controls the width of the
86 internal border, and the @samp{borderWidth} resource controls the width
87 of the external border. Both of these resources are part of the
88 @samp{BorderWidth} class. Case distinctions are significant in these
89 names.
90
91 Every resource definition is associated with a specific program
92 name---the name of the executable file that you ran. For Emacs, that
93 is normally @samp{emacs}. To specify a definition for all instances
94 of Emacs, regardless of their names, use @samp{Emacs}.
95
96 In @file{~/.Xdefaults}, you can specify a value for a single resource
97 on one line, like this:
98
99 @example
100 emacs.borderWidth: 2
101 @end example
102
103 @noindent
104 Or you can use a class name to specify the same value for all resources
105 in that class. Here's an example:
106
107 @example
108 emacs.BorderWidth: 2
109 @end example
110
111 If you specify a value for a class, it becomes the default for all
112 resources in that class. You can specify values for individual
113 resources as well; these override the class value, for those particular
114 resources. Thus, this example specifies 2 as the default width for all
115 borders, but overrides this value with 4 for the external border:
116
117 @example
118 emacs.BorderWidth: 2
119 emacs.borderWidth: 4
120 @end example
121 @end ifnottex
122
123 The order in which the lines appear in the file does not matter.
124 Also, command-line options always override the X resources file.
125
126 @ifnottex
127 Here is a list of X command-line options and their corresponding
128 resource names.
129
130 @table @samp
131 @item -name @var{name}
132 @opindex --name
133 @itemx --name=@var{name}
134 @cindex resource name, command-line argument
135 Use @var{name} as the resource name (and the title) for the initial
136 Emacs frame. This option does not affect subsequent frames, but Lisp
137 programs can specify frame names when they create frames.
138
139 If you don't specify this option, the default is to use the Emacs
140 executable's name as the resource name.
141
142 @item -xrm @var{resource-values}
143 @opindex --xrm
144 @itemx --xrm=@var{resource-values}
145 @cindex resource values, command-line argument
146 Specify X resource values for this Emacs job (see below).
147 @end table
148
149 For consistency, @samp{-name} also specifies the name to use for
150 other resource values that do not belong to any particular frame.
151
152 The resources that name Emacs invocations also belong to a class; its
153 name is @samp{Emacs}. If you write @samp{Emacs} instead of
154 @samp{emacs}, the resource applies to all frames in all Emacs jobs,
155 regardless of frame titles and regardless of the name of the executable
156 file. Here is an example:
157
158 @example
159 Emacs.BorderWidth: 2
160 Emacs.borderWidth: 4
161 @end example
162
163 You can specify a string of additional resource values for Emacs to
164 use with the command line option @samp{-xrm @var{resources}}. The text
165 @var{resources} should have the same format that you would use inside a file
166 of X resources. To include multiple resource specifications in
167 @var{resources}, put a newline between them, just as you would in a file.
168 You can also use @samp{#include "@var{filename}"} to include a file full
169 of resource specifications. Resource values specified with @samp{-xrm}
170 take precedence over all other resource specifications.
171
172 One way to experiment with the effect of different resource settings
173 is to use the @code{editres} program. Select @samp{Get Tree} from the
174 @end ifnottex
175 @iftex
176 You can experiment with the effect of different resource settings
177 with the @code{editres} program. Select @samp{Get Tree} from the
178 @end iftex
179 @samp{Commands} menu, then click on an Emacs frame. This will display
180 a tree showing the structure of X toolkit widgets used in an Emacs
181 frame. Select one of them, such as @samp{menubar}, then select
182 @samp{Show Resource Box} from the @samp{Commands} menu. This displays
183 a list of all the meaningful X resources for that widget, and allows
184 you to edit them. Changes take effect when you click on the
185 @samp{Apply} button. (See the @code{editres} man page for more
186 details.)
187
188 @node Table of Resources
189 @appendixsec Table of X Resources for Emacs
190
191 This table lists the resource names that designate options for
192 Emacs, not counting those for the appearance of the menu bar, each
193 with the class that it belongs to:
194
195 @table @asis
196 @item @code{background} (class @code{Background})
197 Background color name.
198
199 @ifnottex
200 @item @code{bitmapIcon} (class @code{BitmapIcon})
201 Use a bitmap icon (a picture of a gnu) if @samp{on}, let the window
202 manager choose an icon if @samp{off}.
203 @end ifnottex
204
205 @item @code{borderColor} (class @code{BorderColor})
206 Color name for the external border.
207
208 @ifnottex
209 @item @code{borderWidth} (class @code{BorderWidth})
210 Width in pixels of the external border.
211 @end ifnottex
212
213 @item @code{cursorColor} (class @code{Foreground})
214 Color name for text cursor (point).
215
216 @ifnottex
217 @item @code{cursorBlink} (class @code{CursorBlink})
218 Specifies whether to make the cursor blink. The default is @samp{on}. Use
219 @samp{off} or @samp{false} to turn cursor blinking off.
220 @end ifnottex
221
222 @item @code{font} (class @code{Font})
223 Font name (or fontset name, @pxref{Fontsets}) for @code{default} font.
224
225 @item @code{foreground} (class @code{Foreground})
226 Color name for text.
227
228 @item @code{geometry} (class @code{Geometry})
229 Window size and position. Be careful not to specify this resource as
230 @samp{emacs*geometry}, because that may affect individual menus as well
231 as the Emacs frame itself.
232
233 If this resource specifies a position, that position applies only to the
234 initial Emacs frame (or, in the case of a resource for a specific frame
235 name, only that frame). However, the size, if specified here, applies to
236 all frames.
237
238 @ifnottex
239 @item @code{fullscreen} (class @code{Fullscreen})
240 The desired fullscreen size. The value can be one of @code{fullboth},
241 @code{fullwidth} or @code{fullheight}, which correspond to
242 the command-line options @samp{-fs}, @samp{-fw}, and @samp{-fh}
243 (@pxref{Window Size X}).
244
245 Note that this applies to the initial frame only.
246 @end ifnottex
247
248 @item @code{iconName} (class @code{Title})
249 Name to display in the icon.
250
251 @item @code{internalBorder} (class @code{BorderWidth})
252 Width in pixels of the internal border.
253
254 @item @code{lineSpacing} (class @code{LineSpacing})
255 @cindex line spacing
256 @cindex leading
257 Additional space (@dfn{leading}) between lines, in pixels.
258
259 @item @code{menuBar} (class @code{MenuBar})
260 @cindex menu bar
261 Give frames menu bars if @samp{on}; don't have menu bars if @samp{off}.
262 @ifnottex
263 @xref{Lucid Resources}, and @ref{LessTif Resources},
264 @end ifnottex
265 @iftex
266 @xref{Lucid Resources},
267 @end iftex
268 for how to control the appearance of the menu bar if you have one.
269
270 @ifnottex
271 @item @code{minibuffer} (class @code{Minibuffer})
272 If @samp{none}, don't make a minibuffer in this frame.
273 It will use a separate minibuffer frame instead.
274
275 @item @code{paneFont} (class @code{Font})
276 @cindex font for menus
277 Font name for menu pane titles, in non-toolkit versions of Emacs.
278 @end ifnottex
279
280 @item @code{pointerColor} (class @code{Foreground})
281 Color of the mouse cursor.
282
283 @ifnottex
284 @item @code{privateColormap} (class @code{PrivateColormap})
285 If @samp{on}, use a private color map, in the case where the ``default
286 visual'' of class PseudoColor and Emacs is using it.
287
288 @item @code{reverseVideo} (class @code{ReverseVideo})
289 Switch foreground and background default colors if @samp{on}, use colors as
290 specified if @samp{off}.
291 @end ifnottex
292
293 @item @code{screenGamma} (class @code{ScreenGamma})
294 @cindex gamma correction
295 Gamma correction for colors, equivalent to the frame parameter
296 @code{screen-gamma}.
297
298 @item @code{scrollBarWidth} (class @code{ScrollBarWidth})
299 @cindex scrollbar width
300 The scroll bar width in pixels, equivalent to the frame parameter
301 @code{scroll-bar-width}.
302
303 @ifnottex
304 @item @code{selectionFont} (class @code{SelectionFont})
305 Font name for pop-up menu items, in non-toolkit versions of Emacs. (For
306 toolkit versions, see @ref{Lucid Resources}, also see @ref{LessTif
307 Resources}.)
308
309 @item @code{selectionTimeout} (class @code{SelectionTimeout})
310 Number of milliseconds to wait for a selection reply.
311 If the selection owner doesn't reply in this time, we give up.
312 A value of 0 means wait as long as necessary.
313
314 @item @code{synchronous} (class @code{Synchronous})
315 @cindex debugging X problems
316 @cindex synchronous X mode
317 Run Emacs in synchronous mode if @samp{on}. Synchronous mode is
318 useful for debugging X problems.
319 @end ifnottex
320
321 @item @code{title} (class @code{Title})
322 Name to display in the title bar of the initial Emacs frame.
323
324 @item @code{toolBar} (class @code{ToolBar})
325 @cindex tool bar
326 Number of lines to reserve for the tool bar. A zero value suppresses
327 the tool bar. If the value is non-zero and
328 @code{auto-resize-tool-bars} is non-@code{nil}, the tool bar's size
329 will be changed automatically so that all tool bar items are visible.
330 If the value of @code{auto-resize-tool-bars} is @code{grow-only},
331 the tool bar expands automatically, but does not contract automatically.
332 To contract the tool bar, you must redraw the frame by entering @kbd{C-l}.
333
334 @item @code{useXIM} (class @code{UseXIM})
335 @cindex XIM
336 @cindex X input methods
337 @cindex input methods, X
338 Turn off use of X input methods (XIM) if @samp{false} or @samp{off}.
339 This is only relevant if your Emacs is actually built with XIM
340 support. It is potentially useful to turn off XIM for efficiency,
341 especially slow X client/server links.
342
343 @item @code{verticalScrollBars} (class @code{ScrollBars})
344 Give frames scroll bars if @samp{on}; don't have scroll bars if
345 @samp{off}.
346
347 @ifnottex
348 @item @code{visualClass} (class @code{VisualClass})
349 Specify the ``visual'' that X should use. This tells X how to handle
350 colors.
351
352 The value should start with one of @samp{TrueColor},
353 @samp{PseudoColor}, @samp{DirectColor}, @samp{StaticColor},
354 @samp{GrayScale}, and @samp{StaticGray}, followed by
355 @samp{-@var{depth}}, where @var{depth} is the number of color planes.
356 Most terminals only allow a few ``visuals,'' and the @samp{dpyinfo}
357 program outputs information saying which ones.
358 @end ifnottex
359 @end table
360
361 @node Face Resources
362 @appendixsec X Resources for Faces
363
364 You can use resources to customize the appearance of particular
365 faces (@pxref{Faces}):
366
367 @table @code
368 @item @var{face}.attributeForeground
369 Foreground color for face @var{face}.
370 @item @var{face}.attributeBackground
371 Background color for face @var{face}.
372 @item @var{face}.attributeUnderline
373 Underline flag for face @var{face}. Use @samp{on} or @samp{true} for
374 yes.
375 @item @var{face}.attributeStrikeThrough
376 @itemx @var{face}.attributeOverline
377 @itemx @var{face}.attributeBox
378 @itemx @var{face}.attributeInverse
379 Likewise, for other boolean font attributes.
380 @item @var{face}.attributeStipple
381 The name of a pixmap data file to use for the stipple pattern, or
382 @code{false} to not use stipple for the face @var{face}.
383 @item @var{face}.attributeBackgroundPixmap
384 The background pixmap for the face @var{face}. Should be a name of a
385 pixmap file or @code{false}.
386 @item @var{face}.attributeFont
387 Font name (full XFD name or valid X abbreviation) for face @var{face}.
388 Instead of this, you can specify the font through separate attributes.
389 @end table
390
391 Instead of using @code{attributeFont} to specify a font name, you can
392 select a font through these separate attributes:
393
394 @table @code
395 @item @var{face}.attributeFamily
396 Font family for face @var{face}.
397 @item @var{face}.attributeHeight
398 Height of the font to use for face @var{face}: either an integer
399 specifying the height in units of 1/10@dmn{pt}, or a floating point
400 number that specifies a scale factor to scale the underlying face's
401 default font, or a function to be called with the default height which
402 will return a new height.
403 @item @var{face}.attributeWidth
404 @itemx @var{face}.attributeWeight
405 @itemx @var{face}.attributeSlant
406 Each of these resources corresponds to a like-named font attribute,
407 and you write the resource value the same as the symbol you would use
408 for the font attribute value.
409 @item @var{face}.attributeBold
410 Bold flag for face @var{face}---instead of @code{attributeWeight}. Use @samp{on} or @samp{true} for
411 yes.
412 @item @var{face}.attributeItalic
413 Italic flag for face @var{face}---instead of @code{attributeSlant}.
414 @end table
415
416 @node Lucid Resources
417 @appendixsec Lucid Menu X Resources
418 @cindex Menu X Resources (Lucid widgets)
419 @cindex Lucid Widget X Resources
420
421 @ifnottex
422 If the Emacs installed at your site was built to use the X toolkit
423 with the Lucid menu widgets, then the menu bar is a separate widget and
424 has its own resources. The resource names contain @samp{pane.menubar}
425 (following, as always, the name of the Emacs invocation, or @samp{Emacs},
426 which stands for all Emacs invocations). Specify them like this:
427
428 @example
429 Emacs.pane.menubar.@var{resource}: @var{value}
430 @end example
431
432 @noindent
433 For example, to specify the font @samp{8x16} for the menu-bar items,
434 write this:
435 @end ifnottex
436 @iftex
437 If the Emacs installed at your site was built to use the X toolkit
438 with the Lucid menu widgets, then the menu bar is a separate widget
439 and has its own resources. The resource specifications start with
440 @samp{Emacs.pane.menubar}---for instance, to specify the font
441 @samp{8x16} for the menu-bar items, write this:
442 @end iftex
443
444 @example
445 Emacs.pane.menubar.font: 8x16
446 @end example
447
448 @noindent
449 Resources for @emph{non-menubar} toolkit pop-up menus have
450 @samp{menu*} instead of @samp{pane.menubar}. For example, to specify
451 the font @samp{8x16} for the pop-up menu items, write this:
452
453 @example
454 Emacs.menu*.font: 8x16
455 @end example
456
457 @noindent
458 For dialog boxes, use @samp{dialog*}:
459
460 @example
461 Emacs.dialog*.font: 8x16
462 @end example
463
464 @noindent
465 The Lucid menus can display multilingual text in your locale. For
466 more information about fontsets see the man page for
467 @code{XCreateFontSet}. To enable multilingual menu text you specify a
468 @code{fontSet} resource instead of the font resource. If both
469 @code{font} and @code{fontSet} resources are specified, the
470 @code{fontSet} resource is used.
471
472 Thus, to specify @samp{-*-helvetica-medium-r-*--*-120-*-*-*-*-*-*,*}
473 for both the popup and menu bar menus, write this:
474
475 @example
476 Emacs*menu*fontSet: -*-helvetica-medium-r-*--*-120-*-*-*-*-*-*,*
477 @end example
478
479 @noindent
480 The @samp{*menu*} as a wildcard matches @samp{pane.menubar} and
481 @samp{menu@dots{}}.
482
483 Experience shows that on some systems you may need to add
484 @samp{shell.}@: before the @samp{pane.menubar} or @samp{menu*}. On
485 some other systems, you must not add @samp{shell.}. The generic wildcard
486 approach should work on both kinds of systems.
487
488 Here is a list of the specific resources for menu bars and pop-up menus:
489
490 @table @code
491 @item font
492 Font for menu item text.
493 @item fontSet
494 Fontset for menu item text.
495 @item foreground
496 Color of the foreground.
497 @item background
498 Color of the background.
499 @item buttonForeground
500 In the menu bar, the color of the foreground for a selected item.
501 @ifnottex
502 @item horizontalSpacing
503 Horizontal spacing in pixels between items. Default is 3.
504 @item verticalSpacing
505 Vertical spacing in pixels between items. Default is 2.
506 @item arrowSpacing
507 Horizontal spacing between the arrow (which indicates a submenu) and
508 the associated text. Default is 10.
509 @item shadowThickness
510 Thickness of shadow line around the widget. Default is 1.
511
512 Also determines the thickness of shadow lines around other objects,
513 for instance 3D buttons and arrows. If you have the impression that
514 the arrows in the menus do not stand out clearly enough or that the
515 difference between ``in'' and ``out'' buttons is difficult to see, set
516 this to 2. If you have no problems with visibility, the default
517 probably looks better. The background color may also have some effect
518 on the contrast.
519 @end ifnottex
520 @item margin
521 The margin of the menu bar, in characters. Default is 1.
522 @end table
523
524 @ifnottex
525 @node LessTif Resources
526 @appendixsec LessTif Menu X Resources
527 @cindex Menu X Resources (LessTif widgets)
528 @cindex LessTif Widget X Resources
529
530 If the Emacs installed at your site was built to use the X toolkit
531 with the LessTif or Motif widgets, then the menu bar, the dialog
532 boxes, the pop-up menus, and the file-selection box are separate
533 widgets and have their own resources.
534
535 The resource names for the menu bar contain @samp{pane.menubar}
536 (following, as always, the name of the Emacs invocation, or
537 @samp{Emacs}, which stands for all Emacs invocations). Specify them
538 like this:
539
540 @smallexample
541 Emacs.pane.menubar.@var{subwidget}.@var{resource}: @var{value}
542 @end smallexample
543
544 Each individual string in the menu bar is a subwidget; the subwidget's
545 name is the same as the menu item string. For example, the word
546 @samp{File} in the menu bar is part of a subwidget named
547 @samp{emacs.pane.menubar.File}. Most likely, you want to specify the
548 same resources for the whole menu bar. To do this, use @samp{*} instead
549 of a specific subwidget name. For example, to specify the font
550 @samp{8x16} for the menu-bar items, write this:
551
552 @smallexample
553 Emacs.pane.menubar.*.fontList: 8x16
554 @end smallexample
555
556 @noindent
557 This also specifies the resource value for submenus.
558
559 Each item in a submenu in the menu bar also has its own name for X
560 resources; for example, the @samp{File} submenu has an item named
561 @samp{Save (current buffer)}. A resource specification for a submenu
562 item looks like this:
563
564 @smallexample
565 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.@var{menu}.@var{item}.@var{resource}: @var{value}
566 @end smallexample
567
568 @noindent
569 For example, here's how to specify the font for the @samp{Save (current
570 buffer)} item:
571
572 @smallexample
573 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.File.Save (current buffer).fontList: 8x16
574 @end smallexample
575
576 @noindent
577 For an item in a second-level submenu, such as @samp{Complete Word}
578 under @samp{Spell Checking} under @samp{Tools}, the resource fits this
579 template:
580
581 @smallexample
582 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.popup_*.@var{menu}.@var{resource}: @var{value}
583 @end smallexample
584
585 @noindent
586 For example,
587
588 @smallexample
589 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.popup_*.Spell Checking.Complete Word: @var{value}
590 @end smallexample
591
592 @noindent
593 (This should be one long line.)
594
595 It's impossible to specify a resource for all the menu-bar items
596 without also specifying it for the submenus as well. So if you want the
597 submenu items to look different from the menu bar itself, you must ask
598 for that in two steps. First, specify the resource for all of them;
599 then, override the value for submenus alone. Here is an example:
600
601 @smallexample
602 Emacs.pane.menubar.*.fontList: 8x16
603 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.fontList: 8x16
604 @end smallexample
605
606 @noindent
607 For LessTif pop-up menus, use @samp{menu*} instead of
608 @samp{pane.menubar}. For example, to specify the font @samp{8x16} for
609 the pop-up menu items, write this:
610
611 @smallexample
612 Emacs.menu*.fontList: 8x16
613 @end smallexample
614
615 @noindent
616 For LessTif dialog boxes, use @samp{dialog} instead of @samp{menu}:
617
618 @example
619 Emacs.dialog*.fontList: 8x16
620 Emacs.dialog*.foreground: hotpink
621 @end example
622
623 To specify resources for the LessTif file-selection box, use
624 @samp{fsb*}, like this:
625
626 @example
627 Emacs.fsb*.fontList: 8x16
628 @end example
629
630 @iftex
631 @medbreak
632 @end iftex
633 Here is a list of the specific resources for LessTif menu bars and
634 pop-up menus:
635
636 @table @code
637 @item armColor
638 The color to show in an armed button.
639 @item fontList
640 The font to use.
641 @item marginBottom
642 @itemx marginHeight
643 @itemx marginLeft
644 @itemx marginRight
645 @itemx marginTop
646 @itemx marginWidth
647 Amount of space to leave around the item, within the border.
648 @item borderWidth
649 The width of the border around the menu item, on all sides.
650 @item shadowThickness
651 The width of the border shadow.
652 @item bottomShadowColor
653 The color for the border shadow, on the bottom and the right.
654 @item topShadowColor
655 The color for the border shadow, on the top and the left.
656 @end table
657 @end ifnottex
658
659
660 @node GTK resources
661 @appendixsec GTK resources
662 @iftex
663 The most common way to customize the GTK widgets Emacs uses (menus, dialogs
664 tool bars and scroll bars) is by choosing an appropriate theme, for example
665 with the GNOME theme selector. You can also do Emacs specific customization
666 by inserting GTK style directives in the file @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}. Some GTK
667 themes ignore customizations in @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc} so not everything
668 works with all themes. To customize Emacs font, background, faces, etc., use
669 the normal X resources (@pxref{Resources}). We will present some examples of
670 customizations here, but for a more detailed description, see the online manual
671
672 The first example is just one line. It changes the font on all GTK widgets
673 to courier with size 12:
674
675 @smallexample
676 gtk-font-name = "courier 12"
677 @end smallexample
678
679 The thing to note is that the font name is not an X font name, like
680 -*-helvetica-medium-r-*--*-120-*-*-*-*-*-*, but a Pango font name. A Pango
681 font name is basically of the format "family style size", where the style
682 is optional as in the case above. A name with a style could be for example:
683
684 @smallexample
685 gtk-font-name = "helvetica bold 10"
686 @end smallexample
687
688 To customize widgets you first define a style and then apply the style to
689 the widgets. Here is an example that sets the font for menus, but not
690 for other widgets:
691
692 @smallexample
693 # @r{Define the style @samp{menufont}.}
694 style "menufont"
695 @{
696 font_name = "helvetica bold 14" # This is a Pango font name
697 @}
698
699 # @r{Specify that widget type @samp{*emacs-menuitem*} uses @samp{menufont}.}
700 widget "*emacs-menuitem*" style "menufont"
701 @end smallexample
702
703 The widget name in this example contains wildcards, so the style will be
704 applied to all widgets that match "*emacs-menuitem*". The widgets are
705 named by the way they are contained, from the outer widget to the inner widget.
706 So to apply the style "my_style" (not shown) with the full, absolute name, for
707 the menubar and the scroll bar in Emacs we use:
708
709 @smallexample
710 widget "Emacs.pane.menubar" style "my_style"
711 widget "Emacs.pane.emacs.verticalScrollBar" style "my_style"
712 @end smallexample
713
714 But to avoid having to type it all, wildcards are often used. @samp{*}
715 matches zero or more characters and @samp{?} matches one character. So "*"
716 matches all widgets.
717
718 Each widget has a class (for example GtkMenuItem) and a name (emacs-menuitem).
719 You can assign styles by name or by class. In this example we have used the
720 class:
721
722 @smallexample
723 style "menufont"
724 @{
725 font_name = "helvetica bold 14"
726 @}
727
728 widget_class "*GtkMenuBar" style "menufont"
729 @end smallexample
730
731 @noindent
732 The names and classes for the GTK widgets Emacs uses are:
733
734 @multitable {@code{verticalScrollbar plus}} {@code{GtkFileSelection} and some}
735 @item @code{emacs-filedialog}
736 @tab @code{GtkFileSelection}
737 @item @code{emacs-dialog}
738 @tab @code{GtkDialog}
739 @item @code{Emacs}
740 @tab @code{GtkWindow}
741 @item @code{pane}
742 @tab @code{GtkVHbox}
743 @item @code{emacs}
744 @tab @code{GtkFixed}
745 @item @code{verticalScrollBar}
746 @tab @code{GtkVScrollbar}
747 @item @code{emacs-toolbar}
748 @tab @code{GtkToolbar}
749 @item @code{menubar}
750 @tab @code{GtkMenuBar}
751 @item @code{emacs-menuitem}
752 @tab anything in menus
753 @end multitable
754
755 GTK absolute names are quite strange when it comes to menus
756 and dialogs. The names do not start with @samp{Emacs}, as they are
757 free-standing windows and not contained (in the GTK sense) by the
758 Emacs GtkWindow. To customize the dialogs and menus, use wildcards like this:
759
760 @smallexample
761 widget "*emacs-dialog*" style "my_dialog_style"
762 widget "*emacs-filedialog* style "my_file_style"
763 widget "*emacs-menuitem* style "my_menu_style"
764 @end smallexample
765
766 If you specify a customization in @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}, then it
767 automatically applies only to Emacs, since other programs don't read
768 that file. For example, the drop down menu in the file dialog can not
769 be customized by any absolute widget name, only by an absolute class
770 name. This is because the widgets in the drop down menu do not
771 have names and the menu is not contained in the Emacs GtkWindow. To
772 have all menus in Emacs look the same, use this in
773 @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}:
774
775 @smallexample
776 widget_class "*Menu*" style "my_menu_style"
777 @end smallexample
778
779 Here is a more elaborate example, showing how to change the parts of
780 the scroll bar:
781
782 @smallexample
783 style "scroll"
784 @{
785 fg[NORMAL] = "red"@ @ @ @ @ # @r{The arrow color.}
786 bg[NORMAL] = "yellow"@ @ # @r{The thumb and background around the arrow.}
787 bg[ACTIVE] = "blue"@ @ @ @ # @r{The trough color.}
788 bg[PRELIGHT] = "white"@ # @r{The thumb color when the mouse is over it.}
789 @}
790
791 widget "*verticalScrollBar*" style "scroll"
792 @end smallexample
793 @end iftex
794
795 @ifnottex
796 @cindex GTK resources and customization
797 @cindex resource files for GTK
798 @cindex @file{~/.gtkrc-2.0} file
799 @cindex @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc} file
800
801 If Emacs was built to use the GTK widget set, then the menu bar, tool bar,
802 scroll bar and the dialogs are customized with the standard GTK
803 customization file, @file{~/.gtkrc-2.0}, or with the Emacs specific
804 file @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}. We recommend that you use
805 @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc} for customizations, since @file{~/.gtkrc-2.0}
806 seems to be ignored when running GConf with GNOME. These files apply
807 only to GTK widget features. To customize Emacs font, background,
808 faces, etc., use the normal X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
809
810 Some GTK themes override these mechanisms, which means that using
811 these mechanisms will not work to customize them.
812
813 In these files you first define a style and say what it means; then
814 you specify to apply the style to various widget types (@pxref{GTK
815 widget names}). Here is an example of how to change the font for
816 Emacs menus:
817
818 @smallexample
819 # @r{Define the style @samp{menufont}.}
820 style "menufont"
821 @{
822 font_name = "helvetica bold 14" # This is a Pango font name
823 @}
824
825 # @r{Specify that widget type @samp{*emacs-menuitem*} uses @samp{menufont}.}
826 widget "*emacs-menuitem*" style "menufont"
827 @end smallexample
828
829 Here is a more elaborate example, showing how to change the parts of
830 the scroll bar:
831
832 @smallexample
833 style "scroll"
834 @{
835 fg[NORMAL] = "red"@ @ @ @ @ # @r{The arrow color.}
836 bg[NORMAL] = "yellow"@ @ # @r{The thumb and background around the arrow.}
837 bg[ACTIVE] = "blue"@ @ @ @ # @r{The trough color.}
838 bg[PRELIGHT] = "white"@ # @r{The thumb color when the mouse is over it.}
839 @}
840
841 widget "*verticalScrollBar*" style "scroll"
842 @end smallexample
843
844 There are also parameters that affect GTK as a whole. For example,
845 the property @code{gtk-font-name} sets the default font for GTK. You
846 must use Pango font names (@pxref{GTK styles}). A GTK resources file
847 that just sets a default font looks like this:
848
849 @smallexample
850 gtk-font-name = "courier 12"
851 @end smallexample
852
853 The GTK resources file is fully described in the GTK API document.
854 This can be found in
855 @file{@var{prefix}/share/gtk-doc/html/gtk/gtk-resource-files.html},
856 where @file{prefix} is the directory in which the GTK libraries were
857 installed (usually @file{/usr} or @file{/usr/local}). You can also
858 find the document online, at
859 @uref{http://developer.gnome.org/doc/API/2.0/gtk/gtk-Resource-Files.html}.
860
861 @menu
862 * GTK widget names:: How widgets in GTK are named in general.
863 * GTK Names in Emacs:: GTK widget names in Emacs.
864 * GTK styles:: What can be customized in a GTK widget.
865 @end menu
866
867 @node GTK widget names
868 @appendixsubsec GTK widget names
869 @cindex GTK widget names
870
871 A GTK widget is specified by its @dfn{widget class} and
872 @dfn{widget name}. The widget class is the type of the widget: for
873 example, @code{GtkMenuBar}. The widget name is the name given to a
874 specific widget. A widget always has a class, but need not have a
875 name.
876
877 @dfn{Absolute names} are sequences of widget names or widget
878 classes, corresponding to hierarchies of widgets embedded within
879 other widgets. For example, if a @code{GtkWindow} named @code{top}
880 contains a @code{GtkVBox} named @code{box}, which in turn contains
881 a @code{GtkMenuBar} called @code{menubar}, the absolute class name
882 of the menu-bar widget is @code{GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar}, and
883 its absolute widget name is @code{top.box.menubar}.
884
885 When assigning a style to a widget, you can use the absolute class
886 name or the absolute widget name.
887
888 There are two commands to specify changes for widgets:
889
890 @table @asis
891 @item @code{widget_class}
892 specifies a style for widgets based on the absolute class name.
893
894 @item @code{widget}
895 specifies a style for widgets based on the absolute class name,
896 or just the class.
897 @end table
898
899 @noindent
900 You must specify the class and the style in double-quotes, and put
901 these commands at the top level in the GTK customization file, like
902 this:
903
904 @smallexample
905 style "menufont"
906 @{
907 font_name = "helvetica bold 14"
908 @}
909
910 widget "top.box.menubar" style "menufont"
911 widget_class "GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar" style "menufont"
912 @end smallexample
913
914 Matching of absolute names uses shell wildcard syntax: @samp{*}
915 matches zero or more characters and @samp{?} matches one character.
916 This example assigns @code{base_style} to all widgets:
917
918 @smallexample
919 widget "*" style "base_style"
920 @end smallexample
921
922 Given the absolute class name @code{GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar}
923 and the corresponding absolute widget name @code{top.box.menubar}, all
924 these examples specify @code{my_style} for the menu bar:
925
926 @smallexample
927 widget_class "GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar" style "my_style"
928 widget_class "GtkWindow.*.GtkMenuBar" style "my_style"
929 widget_class "*GtkMenuBar" style "my_style"
930 widget "top.box.menubar" style "my_style"
931 widget "*box*menubar" style "my_style"
932 widget "*menubar" style "my_style"
933 widget "*menu*" style "my_style"
934 @end smallexample
935
936 @node GTK Names in Emacs
937 @appendixsubsec GTK Widget Names in Emacs
938 @cindex GTK widget names
939 @cindex GTK widget classes
940
941 In Emacs, the top level widget for a frame is a @code{GtkWindow}
942 that contains a @code{GtkVBox}. The @code{GtkVBox} contains the
943 @code{GtkMenuBar} and a @code{GtkFixed} widget. The vertical scroll
944 bars, @code{GtkVScrollbar}, are contained in the @code{GtkFixed}
945 widget. The text you write in Emacs is drawn in the @code{GtkFixed}
946 widget.
947
948 Dialogs in Emacs are @code{GtkDialog} widgets. The file dialog is a
949 @code{GtkFileSelection} widget.
950
951 @noindent
952 To set a style for the menu bar using the absolute class name, use:
953
954 @smallexample
955 widget_class "GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar" style "my_style"
956 @end smallexample
957
958 @noindent
959 For the scroll bar, the absolute class name is:
960
961 @smallexample
962 widget_class
963 "GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkFixed.GtkVScrollbar"
964 style "my_style"
965 @end smallexample
966
967 @noindent
968 The names for the emacs widgets, and their classes, are:
969
970 @multitable {@code{verticalScrollbar plus}} {@code{GtkFileSelection} and some}
971 @item @code{emacs-filedialog}
972 @tab @code{GtkFileSelection}
973 @item @code{emacs-dialog}
974 @tab @code{GtkDialog}
975 @item @code{Emacs}
976 @tab @code{GtkWindow}
977 @item @code{pane}
978 @tab @code{GtkVHbox}
979 @item @code{emacs}
980 @tab @code{GtkFixed}
981 @item @code{verticalScrollBar}
982 @tab @code{GtkVScrollbar}
983 @item @code{emacs-toolbar}
984 @tab @code{GtkToolbar}
985 @item @code{menubar}
986 @tab @code{GtkMenuBar}
987 @item @code{emacs-menuitem}
988 @tab anything in menus
989 @end multitable
990
991 @noindent
992 Thus, for Emacs you can write the two examples above as:
993
994 @smallexample
995 widget "Emacs.pane.menubar" style "my_style"
996 widget "Emacs.pane.emacs.verticalScrollBar" style "my_style"
997 @end smallexample
998
999 GTK absolute names are quite strange when it comes to menus
1000 and dialogs. The names do not start with @samp{Emacs}, as they are
1001 free-standing windows and not contained (in the GTK sense) by the
1002 Emacs GtkWindow. To customize the dialogs and menus, use wildcards like this:
1003
1004 @smallexample
1005 widget "*emacs-dialog*" style "my_dialog_style"
1006 widget "*emacs-filedialog* style "my_file_style"
1007 widget "*emacs-menuitem* style "my_menu_style"
1008 @end smallexample
1009
1010 If you specify a customization in @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}, then it
1011 automatically applies only to Emacs, since other programs don't read
1012 that file. For example, the drop down menu in the file dialog can not
1013 be customized by any absolute widget name, only by an absolute class
1014 name. This is because the widgets in the drop down menu do not
1015 have names and the menu is not contained in the Emacs GtkWindow. To
1016 have all menus in Emacs look the same, use this in
1017 @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}:
1018
1019 @smallexample
1020 widget_class "*Menu*" style "my_menu_style"
1021 @end smallexample
1022
1023 @node GTK styles
1024 @appendixsubsec GTK styles
1025 @cindex GTK styles
1026
1027 In a GTK style you specify the appearance widgets shall have. You
1028 can specify foreground and background color, background pixmap and
1029 font. The edit widget (where you edit the text) in Emacs is a GTK
1030 widget, but trying to specify a style for the edit widget will have no
1031 effect. This is so that Emacs compiled for GTK is compatible with
1032 Emacs compiled for other X toolkits. The settings for foreground,
1033 background and font for the edit widget is taken from the X resources;
1034 @pxref{Resources}. Here is an example of two style declarations,
1035 @samp{default} and @samp{ruler}:
1036
1037 @smallexample
1038 pixmap_path "/usr/share/pixmaps:/usr/include/X11/pixmaps"
1039
1040 style "default"
1041 @{
1042 font_name = "helvetica 12"
1043
1044 bg[NORMAL] = @{ 0.83, 0.80, 0.73 @}
1045 bg[SELECTED] = @{ 0.0, 0.55, 0.55 @}
1046 bg[INSENSITIVE] = @{ 0.77, 0.77, 0.66 @}
1047 bg[ACTIVE] = @{ 0.0, 0.55, 0.55 @}
1048 bg[PRELIGHT] = @{ 0.0, 0.55, 0.55 @}
1049
1050 fg[NORMAL] = "black"
1051 fg[SELECTED] = @{ 0.9, 0.9, 0.9 @}
1052 fg[ACTIVE] = "black"
1053 fg[PRELIGHT] = @{ 0.9, 0.9, 0.9 @}
1054
1055 base[INSENSITIVE] = "#777766"
1056 text[INSENSITIVE] = @{ 0.60, 0.65, 0.57 @}
1057
1058 bg_pixmap[NORMAL] = "background.xpm"
1059 bg_pixmap[INSENSITIVE] = "background.xpm"
1060 bg_pixmap[ACTIVE] = "background.xpm"
1061 bg_pixmap[PRELIGHT] = "<none>"
1062
1063 @}
1064
1065 style "ruler" = "default"
1066 @{
1067 font_name = "helvetica 8"
1068 @}
1069
1070 @end smallexample
1071
1072 The style @samp{ruler} inherits from @samp{default}. This way you can build
1073 on existing styles. The syntax for fonts and colors is described below.
1074
1075 As this example shows, it is possible to specify several values for
1076 foreground and background depending on the widget's @dfn{state}. The
1077 possible states are:
1078
1079 @table @code
1080 @item NORMAL
1081 This is the default state for widgets.
1082 @item ACTIVE
1083 This is the state for a widget that is ready to do something. It is
1084 also for the trough of a scroll bar, i.e. @code{bg[ACTIVE] = "red"}
1085 sets the scroll bar trough to red. Buttons that have been pressed but
1086 not released yet (``armed'') are in this state.
1087 @item PRELIGHT
1088 This is the state for a widget that can be manipulated, when the mouse
1089 pointer is over it---for example when the mouse is over the thumb in
1090 the scroll bar or over a menu item. When the mouse is over a button
1091 that is not pressed, the button is in this state.
1092 @item SELECTED
1093 This is the state for data that has been selected by the user. It can
1094 be selected text or items selected in a list. This state is not used
1095 in Emacs.
1096 @item INSENSITIVE
1097 This is the state for widgets that are visible, but they can not be
1098 manipulated in the usual way---for example, buttons that can't be
1099 pressed, and disabled menu items. To display disabled menu items in
1100 yellow, use @code{fg[INSENSITIVE] = "yellow"}.
1101 @end table
1102
1103 Here are the things that can go in a style declaration:
1104
1105 @table @code
1106 @item bg[@var{state}] = @var{color}
1107 This specifies the background color for the widget. Note that
1108 editable text doesn't use @code{bg}; it uses @code{base} instead.
1109
1110 @item base[@var{state}] = @var{color}
1111 This specifies the background color for editable text. In Emacs, this
1112 color is used for the background of the text fields in the file
1113 dialog.
1114
1115 @item bg_pixmap[@var{state}] = "@var{pixmap}"
1116 This specifies an image background (instead of a background color).
1117 @var{pixmap} should be the image file name. GTK can use a number of
1118 image file formats, including XPM, XBM, GIF, JPEG and PNG. If you
1119 want a widget to use the same image as its parent, use
1120 @samp{<parent>}. If you don't want any image, use @samp{<none>}.
1121 @samp{<none>} is the way to cancel a background image inherited from a
1122 parent style.
1123
1124 You can't specify the file by its absolute file name. GTK looks for
1125 the pixmap file in directories specified in @code{pixmap_path}.
1126 @code{pixmap_path} is a colon-separated list of directories within
1127 double quotes, specified at the top level in a @file{gtkrc} file
1128 (i.e. not inside a style definition; see example above):
1129
1130 @smallexample
1131 pixmap_path "/usr/share/pixmaps:/usr/include/X11/pixmaps"
1132 @end smallexample
1133
1134 @item fg[@var{state}] = @var{color}
1135 This specifies the foreground color for widgets to use. It is the
1136 color of text in menus and buttons, and the color for the arrows in
1137 the scroll bar. For editable text, use @code{text}.
1138
1139 @item text[@var{state}] = @var{color}
1140 This is the color for editable text. In Emacs, this color is used for the
1141 text fields in the file dialog.
1142
1143 @item font_name = "@var{font}"
1144 This specifies the font for text in the widget. @var{font} is a
1145 Pango font name, for example @samp{Sans Italic 10}, @samp{Helvetica
1146 Bold 12}, @samp{Courier 14}, @samp{Times 18}. See below for exact
1147 syntax. The names are case insensitive.
1148 @end table
1149
1150 There are three ways to specify a color: by name, in hexadecimal
1151 form, and with an RGB triplet.
1152
1153 @noindent
1154 A color name is written within double quotes, for example @code{"red"}.
1155
1156 @noindent
1157 Hexadecimal form is the same as in X:
1158 @code{#@var{rrrr}@var{gggg}@var{bbbb}}, where all three color specs
1159 must have the same number of hex digits (1, 2, 3 or 4).
1160
1161 @noindent
1162 An RGB triplet looks like @code{@{ @var{r}, @var{g}, @var{b} @}},
1163 where @var{r}, @var{g} and @var{b} are either integers in the range
1164 0-65535 or floats in the range 0.0-1.0.
1165
1166 Pango font names have the form ``@var{family-list} @var{style-options}
1167 @var{size}.''
1168 @cindex Pango font name
1169 @noindent
1170 @var{family-list} is a comma separated list of font families optionally
1171 terminated by a comma. This way you can specify several families and the
1172 first one found will be used. @var{family} corresponds to the second part in
1173 an X font name, for example in
1174
1175 @smallexample
1176 -adobe-times-medium-r-normal--12-120-75-75-p-64-iso10646-1
1177 @end smallexample
1178
1179 @noindent
1180 the family name is @samp{times}.
1181
1182 @noindent
1183 @var{style-options} is a whitespace separated list of words where each word
1184 is a style, variant, weight, or stretch. The default value for all of
1185 these is @code{normal}.
1186
1187 @noindent
1188 A `style' corresponds to the fourth part of an X font name. In X font
1189 names it is the character @samp{r}, @samp{i} or @samp{o}; in Pango
1190 font names the corresponding values are @code{normal}, @code{italic},
1191 or @code{oblique}.
1192
1193 @noindent
1194 A `variant' is either @code{normal} or @code{small-caps}.
1195 Small caps is a font with the lower case characters replaced by
1196 smaller variants of the capital characters.
1197
1198 @noindent
1199 Weight describes the ``boldness'' of a font. It corresponds to the third
1200 part of an X font name. It is one of @code{ultra-light}, @code{light},
1201 @code{normal}, @code{bold}, @code{ultra-bold}, or @code{heavy}.
1202
1203 @noindent
1204 Stretch gives the width of the font relative to other designs within a
1205 family. It corresponds to the fifth part of an X font name. It is one of
1206 @code{ultra-condensed}, @code{extra-condensed}, @code{condensed},
1207 @code{semi-condensed}, @code{normal}, @code{semi-expanded},
1208 @code{expanded}, @code{extra-expanded}, or @code{ultra-expanded}.
1209
1210 @noindent
1211 @var{size} is a decimal number that describes the font size in points.
1212 @end ifnottex
1213
1214 @ignore
1215 arch-tag: 9b6ff773-48b6-41f6-b2f9-f114b8bdd97f
1216 @end ignore