Checked xresources.texi.
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1@c -*-texinfo-*-
2@c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
3@c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001,
6ed161e1 4@c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
b8d4c8d0 5@c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
6336d8c3 6@setfilename ../../info/frames
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7@node Frames, Positions, Windows, Top
8@chapter Frames
9@cindex frame
10
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11 A @dfn{frame} is a screen object that contains one or more Emacs
12windows (@pxref{Windows}). It is the kind of object called a
13``window'' in the terminology of graphical environments; but we can't
14call it a ``window'' here, because Emacs uses that word in a different
15way. In Emacs Lisp, a @dfn{frame object} is a Lisp object that
16represents a frame on the screen. @xref{Frame Type}.
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17
18 A frame initially contains a single main window and/or a minibuffer
19window; you can subdivide the main window vertically or horizontally
6a4cfb0c 20into smaller windows. @xref{Splitting Windows}.
b8d4c8d0 21
3ec61d4e 22@cindex terminal
20cb6c9b 23 A @dfn{terminal} is a display device capable of displaying one or
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24more Emacs frames. In Emacs Lisp, a @dfn{terminal object} is a Lisp
25object that represents a terminal. @xref{Terminal Type}.
20cb6c9b 26
b8d4c8d0 27@cindex terminal frame
b8d4c8d0 28@cindex window frame
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29 There are two classes of terminals: text-only terminals and
30graphical terminals. Text-only terminals are non-graphics-capable
31display devices, including ``terminal emulators'' such as xterm. On
32text-only terminals, each frame occupies the entire terminal screen;
33although you can create additional frames and switch between them,
34only one frame can be shown at any given time. We refer to frames on
35text-only terminals as @dfn{terminal frames}. Graphical terminals, on
36the other hand, are graphics-capable windowing systems, such as the X
37Window System. On a graphical terminal, Emacs can display multiple
38frames simultaneously. We refer to such frames as @dfn{window
39frames}.
40
41 On GNU and Unix systems, you can create additional frames on any
42available terminal, within a single Emacs session, regardless of
43whether Emacs was started on a text-only or graphical terminal. Emacs
44can display on both graphical and text-only terminals simultaneously.
45This comes in handy, for instance, when you connect to the same
46session from several remote locations. @xref{Multiple Terminals}.
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47
48@defun framep object
49This predicate returns a non-@code{nil} value if @var{object} is a
50frame, and @code{nil} otherwise. For a frame, the value indicates which
51kind of display the frame uses:
52
53@table @code
54@item x
55The frame is displayed in an X window.
56@item t
57A terminal frame on a character display.
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58@item w32
59The frame is displayed on MS-Windows 9X/NT.
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60@item ns
61The frame is displayed on a GNUstep or Macintosh Cocoa display.
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62@item pc
63The frame is displayed on an MS-DOS terminal.
64@end table
65@end defun
66
20cb6c9b 67@defun frame-terminal &optional frame
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68This function returns the terminal object that displays @var{frame}.
69If @var{frame} is @code{nil} or unspecified, it defaults to the
70selected frame.
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71@end defun
72
73@defun terminal-live-p object
74This predicate returns a non-@code{nil} value if @var{object} is a
75terminal that is alive (i.e.@: was not deleted), and @code{nil}
76otherwise. For live terminals, the return value indicates what kind
77of frames are displayed on that terminal; the list of possible values
78is the same as for @code{framep} above.
79@end defun
80
b8d4c8d0 81@menu
b4022203 82* Creating Frames:: Creating additional frames.
20cb6c9b 83* Multiple Terminals:: Displaying on several different devices.
b4022203 84* Frame Parameters:: Controlling frame size, position, font, etc.
20cb6c9b 85* Terminal Parameters:: Parameters common for all frames on terminal.
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86* Frame Titles:: Automatic updating of frame titles.
87* Deleting Frames:: Frames last until explicitly deleted.
88* Finding All Frames:: How to examine all existing frames.
89* Frames and Windows:: A frame contains windows;
90 display of text always works through windows.
91* Minibuffers and Frames:: How a frame finds the minibuffer to use.
92* Input Focus:: Specifying the selected frame.
93* Visibility of Frames:: Frames may be visible or invisible, or icons.
94* Raising and Lowering:: Raising a frame makes it hide other windows;
95 lowering it makes the others hide it.
96* Frame Configurations:: Saving the state of all frames.
97* Mouse Tracking:: Getting events that say when the mouse moves.
98* Mouse Position:: Asking where the mouse is, or moving it.
99* Pop-Up Menus:: Displaying a menu for the user to select from.
100* Dialog Boxes:: Displaying a box to ask yes or no.
101* Pointer Shape:: Specifying the shape of the mouse pointer.
102* Window System Selections:: Transferring text to and from other X clients.
103* Drag and Drop:: Internals of Drag-and-Drop implementation.
104* Color Names:: Getting the definitions of color names.
105* Text Terminal Colors:: Defining colors for text-only terminals.
106* Resources:: Getting resource values from the server.
107* Display Feature Testing:: Determining the features of a terminal.
108@end menu
109
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110@node Creating Frames
111@section Creating Frames
112
113To create a new frame, call the function @code{make-frame}.
114
115@defun make-frame &optional alist
116This function creates and returns a new frame, displaying the current
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117buffer.
118
119The @var{alist} argument is an alist that specifies frame parameters
120for the new frame. @xref{Frame Parameters}. If you specify the
121@code{terminal} parameter in @var{alist}, the new frame is created on
122that terminal. Otherwise, if you specify the @code{window-system}
123frame parameter in @var{alist}, that determines whether the frame
124should be displayed on a text-only or graphical terminal.
125@xref{Window Systems}. If neither is specified, the new frame is
126created in the same terminal as the selected frame.
127
128Any parameters not mentioned in @var{alist} default to the values in
129the alist @code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Initial Parameters});
130parameters not specified there default from the X resources or its
131equivalent on your operating system (@pxref{X Resources,, X Resources,
132emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). After the frame is created, Emacs
133applies any parameters listed in @code{frame-inherited-parameters}
134(see below) and not present in the argument, taking the values from
135the frame that was selected when @code{make-frame} was called.
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136
137This function itself does not make the new frame the selected frame.
138@xref{Input Focus}. The previously selected frame remains selected.
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139On graphical terminals, however, the windowing system may select the
140new frame for its own reasons.
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141@end defun
142
143@defvar before-make-frame-hook
3ec61d4e 144A normal hook run by @code{make-frame} before it creates the frame.
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145@end defvar
146
147@defvar after-make-frame-functions
148An abnormal hook run by @code{make-frame} after it creates the frame.
149Each function in @code{after-make-frame-functions} receives one argument, the
150frame just created.
151@end defvar
152
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153@defvar frame-inherited-parameters
154This variable specifies the list of frame parameters that a newly
155created frame inherits from the currently selected frame. For each
156parameter (a symbol) that is an element in the list and is not present
157in the argument to @code{make-frame}, the function sets the value of
158that parameter in the created frame to its value in the selected
159frame.
160@end defvar
161
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162@node Multiple Terminals
163@section Multiple Terminals
164@cindex multiple terminals
165@cindex multi-tty
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166@cindex multiple X displays
167@cindex displays, multiple
168
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169 Emacs represents each terminal, whether graphical or text-only, as a
170@dfn{terminal object} data type (@pxref{Terminal Type}). On GNU and
171Unix systems, Emacs can use multiple terminals simultaneously in each
172session. On other systems, it can only use a single terminal. Each
173terminal object has the following attributes:
174
175@itemize @bullet
176@item
177The name of the device used by the terminal (e.g., @samp{:0.0} or
178@file{/dev/tty}).
179
180@item
181The terminal and keyboard coding systems used on the terminal.
182@xref{Terminal I/O Encoding}.
b8d4c8d0 183
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184@item
185The kind of display associated with the terminal. This is the symbol
186returned by the function @code{terminal-live-p} (i.e., @code{x},
187@code{t}, @code{w32}, @code{ns}, or @code{pc}). @xref{Frames}.
b8d4c8d0 188
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189@item
190A list of terminal parameters. @xref{Terminal Parameters}.
191@end itemize
192
193 There is no primitive for creating terminal objects. Emacs creates
194them as needed, such as when you call @code{make-frame-on-display}
195(which is described below).
196
197@defun terminal-name &optional terminal
198This function returns the file name of the device used by
199@var{terminal}. If @var{terminal} is omitted or @code{nil}, it
200defaults to the selected frame's terminal. @var{terminal} can also be
201a frame, meaning that frame's terminal.
202@end defun
203
204@defun terminal-list
205This function returns a list of all terminal objects currently in use.
206@end defun
207
208@defun get-device-terminal device
209This function returns a terminal whose device name is given by
210@var{device}. If @var{device} is a string, it can be either the file
211name of a terminal device, or the name of an X display of the form
212@samp{@var{host}:@var{server}.@var{screen}}. If @var{device} is a
213frame, this function returns that frame's terminal; @code{nil} means
214the selected frame. Finally, if @var{device} is a terminal object
215that represents a live terminal, that terminal is returned. The
216function signals an error if its argument is none of the above.
217@end defun
218
219@defun delete-terminal &optional terminal force
220This function deletes all frames on @var{terminal} and frees the
221resources used by it. It runs the abnormal hook
222@code{delete-terminal-functions}, passing @var{terminal} as the
223argument to each function.
224
225If @var{terminal} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to the
226selected frame's terminal. @var{terminal} can also be a frame,
227meaning that frame's terminal.
228
229Normally, this function signals an error if you attempt to delete the
230sole active terminal, but if @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, you are
231allowed to do so. Emacs automatically calls this function when the
232last frame on a terminal is deleted (@pxref{Deleting Frames}).
233@end defun
234
235@defvar delete-terminal-functions
236An abnormal hook run by @code{delete-terminal}. Each function
237receives one argument, the @var{terminal} argument passed to
238@code{delete-terminal}. Due to technical details, the functions may
239be called either just before the terminal is deleted, or just
240afterwards.
241@end defvar
242
243@cindex terminal-local variables
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244 A few Lisp variables are @dfn{terminal-local}; that is, they have a
245separate binding for each terminal. The binding in effect at any time
246is the one for the terminal that the currently selected frame belongs
247to. These variables include @code{default-minibuffer-frame},
248@code{defining-kbd-macro}, @code{last-kbd-macro}, and
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249@code{system-key-alist}. They are always terminal-local, and can
250never be buffer-local (@pxref{Buffer-Local Variables}).
251
252 On GNU and Unix systems, each X display is a separate graphical
253terminal. When Emacs is started from within the X window system, it
254uses the X display chosen with the @code{DISPLAY} environment
255variable, or with the @samp{--display} option. @xref{Initial
256Options,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. Emacs can connect to other X
257displays via the command @code{make-frame-on-display}. Each X display
258has its own selected frame and its own minibuffer windows; however,
259only one of those frames is ``@emph{the} selected frame'' at any given
260moment (@pxref{Input Focus}). Emacs can even connect to other
261text-only terminals, by interacting with the @command{emacsclient}
262program. @xref{Emacs Server,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
263
264 A single X server can handle more than one display. Each X display
265has a three-part name, @samp{@var{host}:@var{server}.@var{screen}}.
266The first two parts, @var{host} and @var{server}, identify the X
267server; the third part, @var{screen}, identifies a screen number on
268that X server. When you use two or more screens belonging to one
269server, Emacs knows by the similarity in their names that they share a
270single keyboard.
271
272 On some ``multi-monitor'' setups, a single X display outputs to more
273than one monitor. Currently, there is no way for Emacs to distinguish
274between the different physical monitors.
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275
276@deffn Command make-frame-on-display display &optional parameters
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277This function creates and returns a new frame on @var{display}, taking
278the other frame parameters from the alist @var{parameters}.
279@var{display} should be the name of an X display (a string).
280
281Before creating the frame, this function ensures that Emacs is ``set
282up'' to display graphics. For instance, if Emacs has not processed X
283resources (e.g., if it was started on a text-only terminal), it does
284so at this time. In all other respects, this function behaves like
285@code{make-frame} (@pxref{Creating Frames}).
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286@end deffn
287
288@defun x-display-list
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289This function returns a list that indicates which X displays Emacs has
290a connection to. The elements of the list are strings, and each one
291is a display name.
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292@end defun
293
294@defun x-open-connection display &optional xrm-string must-succeed
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295This function opens a connection to the X display @var{display},
296without creating a frame on that display. Normally, Emacs Lisp
297programs need not call this function, as @code{make-frame-on-display}
298calls it automatically. The only reason for calling it is to check
299whether communication can be established with a given X display.
300
301The optional argument @var{xrm-string}, if not @code{nil}, is a string
302of resource names and values, in the same format used in the
303@file{.Xresources} file. @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The
304GNU Emacs Manual}. These values apply to all Emacs frames created on
305this display, overriding the resource values recorded in the X server.
306Here's an example of what this string might look like:
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307
308@example
309"*BorderWidth: 3\n*InternalBorder: 2\n"
310@end example
311
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312If @var{must-succeed} is non-@code{nil}, failure to open the connection
313terminates Emacs. Otherwise, it is an ordinary Lisp error.
314@end defun
315
316@defun x-close-connection display
317This function closes the connection to display @var{display}. Before
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318you can do this, you must first delete all the frames that were open
319on that display (@pxref{Deleting Frames}).
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320@end defun
321
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322@node Frame Parameters
323@section Frame Parameters
324@cindex frame parameters
325
326 A frame has many parameters that control its appearance and behavior.
327Just what parameters a frame has depends on what display mechanism it
328uses.
329
330 Frame parameters exist mostly for the sake of window systems. A
331terminal frame has a few parameters, mostly for compatibility's sake;
332only the @code{height}, @code{width}, @code{name}, @code{title},
333@code{menu-bar-lines}, @code{buffer-list} and @code{buffer-predicate}
334parameters do something special. If the terminal supports colors, the
335parameters @code{foreground-color}, @code{background-color},
336@code{background-mode} and @code{display-type} are also meaningful.
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337If the terminal supports frame transparency, the parameter
338@code{alpha} is also meaningful.
b8d4c8d0 339
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340 You can use frame parameters to define frame-local bindings for
341variables. @xref{Frame-Local Variables}.
342
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343@menu
344* Parameter Access:: How to change a frame's parameters.
345* Initial Parameters:: Specifying frame parameters when you make a frame.
346* Window Frame Parameters:: List of frame parameters for window systems.
347* Size and Position:: Changing the size and position of a frame.
348* Geometry:: Parsing geometry specifications.
349@end menu
350
351@node Parameter Access
352@subsection Access to Frame Parameters
353
354These functions let you read and change the parameter values of a
355frame.
356
357@defun frame-parameter frame parameter
358This function returns the value of the parameter @var{parameter} (a
359symbol) of @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it returns the
360selected frame's parameter. If @var{frame} has no setting for
361@var{parameter}, this function returns @code{nil}.
362@end defun
363
364@defun frame-parameters &optional frame
365The function @code{frame-parameters} returns an alist listing all the
366parameters of @var{frame} and their values. If @var{frame} is
367@code{nil} or omitted, this returns the selected frame's parameters
368@end defun
369
370@defun modify-frame-parameters frame alist
371This function alters the parameters of frame @var{frame} based on the
372elements of @var{alist}. Each element of @var{alist} has the form
373@code{(@var{parm} . @var{value})}, where @var{parm} is a symbol naming a
374parameter. If you don't mention a parameter in @var{alist}, its value
375doesn't change. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the selected
376frame.
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377
378You can use this function to define frame-local bindings for
379variables, see @ref{Frame-Local Variables}.
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380@end defun
381
4fb04348 382@defun set-frame-parameter frame parm value
3c1f4619 383This function sets the frame parameter @var{parm} to the specified
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384@var{value}. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the
385selected frame.
386@end defun
387
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388@defun modify-all-frames-parameters alist
389This function alters the frame parameters of all existing frames
390according to @var{alist}, then modifies @code{default-frame-alist}
391(and, if necessary, @code{initial-frame-alist}) to apply the same
392parameter values to frames that will be created henceforth.
393@end defun
394
395@node Initial Parameters
396@subsection Initial Frame Parameters
397
398You can specify the parameters for the initial startup frame
399by setting @code{initial-frame-alist} in your init file (@pxref{Init File}).
400
401@defvar initial-frame-alist
402This variable's value is an alist of parameter values used when creating
403the initial window frame. You can set this variable to specify the
404appearance of the initial frame without altering subsequent frames.
405Each element has the form:
406
407@example
408(@var{parameter} . @var{value})
409@end example
410
411Emacs creates the initial frame before it reads your init
412file. After reading that file, Emacs checks @code{initial-frame-alist},
413and applies the parameter settings in the altered value to the already
414created initial frame.
415
416If these settings affect the frame geometry and appearance, you'll see
417the frame appear with the wrong ones and then change to the specified
418ones. If that bothers you, you can specify the same geometry and
419appearance with X resources; those do take effect before the frame is
420created. @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
421
422X resource settings typically apply to all frames. If you want to
423specify some X resources solely for the sake of the initial frame, and
424you don't want them to apply to subsequent frames, here's how to achieve
425this. Specify parameters in @code{default-frame-alist} to override the
426X resources for subsequent frames; then, to prevent these from affecting
427the initial frame, specify the same parameters in
428@code{initial-frame-alist} with values that match the X resources.
429@end defvar
430
431If these parameters specify a separate minibuffer-only frame with
432@code{(minibuffer . nil)}, and you have not created one, Emacs creates
433one for you.
434
435@defvar minibuffer-frame-alist
436This variable's value is an alist of parameter values used when creating
437an initial minibuffer-only frame---if such a frame is needed, according
438to the parameters for the main initial frame.
439@end defvar
440
441@defvar default-frame-alist
442This is an alist specifying default values of frame parameters for all
443Emacs frames---the first frame, and subsequent frames. When using the X
444Window System, you can get the same results by means of X resources
445in many cases.
446
447Setting this variable does not affect existing frames.
448@end defvar
449
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450Functions that display a buffer in a separate frame can override the
451default parameters by supplying their own parameters. @xref{Definition
452of special-display-frame-alist}.
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453
454If you use options that specify window appearance when you invoke Emacs,
455they take effect by adding elements to @code{default-frame-alist}. One
456exception is @samp{-geometry}, which adds the specified position to
457@code{initial-frame-alist} instead. @xref{Emacs Invocation,, Command
458Line Arguments for Emacs Invocation, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
459
460@node Window Frame Parameters
461@subsection Window Frame Parameters
462
463 Just what parameters a frame has depends on what display mechanism
464it uses. This section describes the parameters that have special
465meanings on some or all kinds of terminals. Of these, @code{name},
466@code{title}, @code{height}, @code{width}, @code{buffer-list} and
467@code{buffer-predicate} provide meaningful information in terminal
468frames, and @code{tty-color-mode} is meaningful @emph{only} in
469terminal frames.
470
471@menu
472* Basic Parameters:: Parameters that are fundamental.
473* Position Parameters:: The position of the frame on the screen.
474* Size Parameters:: Frame's size.
475* Layout Parameters:: Size of parts of the frame, and
476 enabling or disabling some parts.
477* Buffer Parameters:: Which buffers have been or should be shown.
478* Management Parameters:: Communicating with the window manager.
479* Cursor Parameters:: Controlling the cursor appearance.
480* Color Parameters:: Colors of various parts of the frame.
481@end menu
482
483@node Basic Parameters
484@subsubsection Basic Parameters
485
486 These frame parameters give the most basic information about the
487frame. @code{title} and @code{name} are meaningful on all terminals.
488
489@table @code
490@item display
491The display on which to open this frame. It should be a string of the
492form @code{"@var{host}:@var{dpy}.@var{screen}"}, just like the
493@code{DISPLAY} environment variable.
494
495@item display-type
496This parameter describes the range of possible colors that can be used
497in this frame. Its value is @code{color}, @code{grayscale} or
498@code{mono}.
499
500@item title
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501If a frame has a non-@code{nil} title, it appears in the window
502system's title bar at the top of the frame, and also in the mode line
503of windows in that frame if @code{mode-line-frame-identification} uses
504@samp{%F} (@pxref{%-Constructs}). This is normally the case when
505Emacs is not using a window system, and can only display one frame at
506a time. @xref{Frame Titles}.
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507
508@item name
509The name of the frame. The frame name serves as a default for the frame
510title, if the @code{title} parameter is unspecified or @code{nil}. If
511you don't specify a name, Emacs sets the frame name automatically
512(@pxref{Frame Titles}).
513
514If you specify the frame name explicitly when you create the frame, the
515name is also used (instead of the name of the Emacs executable) when
516looking up X resources for the frame.
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517@end table
518
519@node Position Parameters
520@subsubsection Position Parameters
521
522 Position parameters' values are normally measured in pixels, but on
523text-only terminals they count characters or lines instead.
524
525@table @code
526@item left
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527The position, in pixels, of the left (or right) edge of the frame with
528respect to the left (or right) edge of the screen. The value may be:
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529
530@table @asis
531@item an integer
532A positive integer relates the left edge of the frame to the left edge
533of the screen. A negative integer relates the right frame edge to the
534right screen edge.
535
536@item @code{(+ @var{pos})}
537This specifies the position of the left frame edge relative to the left
538screen edge. The integer @var{pos} may be positive or negative; a
539negative value specifies a position outside the screen.
540
541@item @code{(- @var{pos})}
542This specifies the position of the right frame edge relative to the right
543screen edge. The integer @var{pos} may be positive or negative; a
544negative value specifies a position outside the screen.
545@end table
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546
547Some window managers ignore program-specified positions. If you want to
548be sure the position you specify is not ignored, specify a
549non-@code{nil} value for the @code{user-position} parameter as well.
550
551@item top
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552The screen position of the top (or bottom) edge, in pixels, with respect
553to the top (or bottom) edge of the screen. It works just like
554@code{left}, except vertically instead of horizontally.
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555
556@item icon-left
557The screen position of the left edge @emph{of the frame's icon}, in
558pixels, counting from the left edge of the screen. This takes effect if
559and when the frame is iconified.
560
561If you specify a value for this parameter, then you must also specify
562a value for @code{icon-top} and vice versa. The window manager may
563ignore these two parameters.
564
565@item icon-top
566The screen position of the top edge @emph{of the frame's icon}, in
567pixels, counting from the top edge of the screen. This takes effect if
568and when the frame is iconified.
569
570@item user-position
571When you create a frame and specify its screen position with the
572@code{left} and @code{top} parameters, use this parameter to say whether
573the specified position was user-specified (explicitly requested in some
574way by a human user) or merely program-specified (chosen by a program).
575A non-@code{nil} value says the position was user-specified.
576
577Window managers generally heed user-specified positions, and some heed
578program-specified positions too. But many ignore program-specified
579positions, placing the window in a default fashion or letting the user
580place it with the mouse. Some window managers, including @code{twm},
581let the user specify whether to obey program-specified positions or
582ignore them.
583
584When you call @code{make-frame}, you should specify a non-@code{nil}
585value for this parameter if the values of the @code{left} and @code{top}
586parameters represent the user's stated preference; otherwise, use
587@code{nil}.
588@end table
589
590@node Size Parameters
591@subsubsection Size Parameters
592
593 Size parameters' values are normally measured in pixels, but on
594text-only terminals they count characters or lines instead.
595
596@table @code
597@item height
598The height of the frame contents, in characters. (To get the height in
599pixels, call @code{frame-pixel-height}; see @ref{Size and Position}.)
600
601@item width
101a6cea 602The width of the frame contents, in characters. (To get the width in
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603pixels, call @code{frame-pixel-width}; see @ref{Size and Position}.)
604
605@item user-size
606This does for the size parameters @code{height} and @code{width} what
607the @code{user-position} parameter (see above) does for the position
608parameters @code{top} and @code{left}.
609
610@item fullscreen
611Specify that width, height or both shall be set to the size of the screen.
612The value @code{fullwidth} specifies that width shall be the size of the
613screen. The value @code{fullheight} specifies that height shall be the
614size of the screen. The value @code{fullboth} specifies that both the
615width and the height shall be set to the size of the screen.
616@end table
617
618@node Layout Parameters
619@subsubsection Layout Parameters
620
621 These frame parameters enable or disable various parts of the
622frame, or control their sizes.
623
624@table @code
625@item border-width
626The width in pixels of the frame's border.
627
628@item internal-border-width
629The distance in pixels between text (or fringe) and the frame's border.
630
631@item vertical-scroll-bars
632Whether the frame has scroll bars for vertical scrolling, and which side
633of the frame they should be on. The possible values are @code{left},
634@code{right}, and @code{nil} for no scroll bars.
635
636@ignore
637@item horizontal-scroll-bars
638Whether the frame has scroll bars for horizontal scrolling
639(non-@code{nil} means yes). Horizontal scroll bars are not currently
640implemented.
641@end ignore
642
643@item scroll-bar-width
644The width of vertical scroll bars, in pixels, or @code{nil} meaning to
645use the default width.
646
647@item left-fringe
648@itemx right-fringe
649The default width of the left and right fringes of windows in this
650frame (@pxref{Fringes}). If either of these is zero, that effectively
651removes the corresponding fringe. A value of @code{nil} stands for
652the standard fringe width, which is the width needed to display the
653fringe bitmaps.
654
655The combined fringe widths must add up to an integral number of
656columns, so the actual default fringe widths for the frame may be
657larger than the specified values. The extra width needed to reach an
658acceptable total is distributed evenly between the left and right
659fringe. However, you can force one fringe or the other to a precise
660width by specifying that width as a negative integer. If both widths are
661negative, only the left fringe gets the specified width.
662
663@item menu-bar-lines
664The number of lines to allocate at the top of the frame for a menu
665bar. The default is 1. A value of @code{nil} means don't display a
666menu bar. @xref{Menu Bar}. (The X toolkit and GTK allow at most one
667menu bar line; they treat larger values as 1.)
668
669@item tool-bar-lines
670The number of lines to use for the tool bar. A value of @code{nil}
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671means don't display a tool bar. (GTK and Nextstep allow at most one
672tool bar line; they treat larger values as 1.)
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673
674@item line-spacing
675Additional space to leave below each text line, in pixels (a positive
676integer). @xref{Line Height}, for more information.
677@end table
678
679@node Buffer Parameters
680@subsubsection Buffer Parameters
681
682 These frame parameters, meaningful on all kinds of terminals, deal
683with which buffers have been, or should, be displayed in the frame.
684
685@table @code
686@item minibuffer
687Whether this frame has its own minibuffer. The value @code{t} means
688yes, @code{nil} means no, @code{only} means this frame is just a
689minibuffer. If the value is a minibuffer window (in some other frame),
690the new frame uses that minibuffer.
691
692@item buffer-predicate
693The buffer-predicate function for this frame. The function
694@code{other-buffer} uses this predicate (from the selected frame) to
695decide which buffers it should consider, if the predicate is not
696@code{nil}. It calls the predicate with one argument, a buffer, once for
697each buffer; if the predicate returns a non-@code{nil} value, it
698considers that buffer.
699
700@item buffer-list
701A list of buffers that have been selected in this frame,
702ordered most-recently-selected first.
703
704@item unsplittable
705If non-@code{nil}, this frame's window is never split automatically.
706@end table
707
708@node Management Parameters
709@subsubsection Window Management Parameters
710@cindex window manager, and frame parameters
711
712 These frame parameters, meaningful only on window system displays,
713interact with the window manager.
714
715@table @code
716@item visibility
717The state of visibility of the frame. There are three possibilities:
718@code{nil} for invisible, @code{t} for visible, and @code{icon} for
719iconified. @xref{Visibility of Frames}.
720
721@item auto-raise
722Whether selecting the frame raises it (non-@code{nil} means yes).
723
724@item auto-lower
725Whether deselecting the frame lowers it (non-@code{nil} means yes).
726
727@item icon-type
728The type of icon to use for this frame when it is iconified. If the
729value is a string, that specifies a file containing a bitmap to use.
730Any other non-@code{nil} value specifies the default bitmap icon (a
731picture of a gnu); @code{nil} specifies a text icon.
732
733@item icon-name
734The name to use in the icon for this frame, when and if the icon
735appears. If this is @code{nil}, the frame's title is used.
736
737@item window-id
738The number of the window-system window used by the frame
739to contain the actual Emacs windows.
740
741@item outer-window-id
742The number of the outermost window-system window used for the whole frame.
743
744@item wait-for-wm
745If non-@code{nil}, tell Xt to wait for the window manager to confirm
746geometry changes. Some window managers, including versions of Fvwm2
747and KDE, fail to confirm, so Xt hangs. Set this to @code{nil} to
748prevent hanging with those window managers.
749
750@ignore
751@item parent-id
752@c ??? Not yet working.
753The X window number of the window that should be the parent of this one.
754Specifying this lets you create an Emacs window inside some other
755application's window. (It is not certain this will be implemented; try
756it and see if it works.)
757@end ignore
758@end table
759
760@node Cursor Parameters
761@subsubsection Cursor Parameters
762
763 This frame parameter controls the way the cursor looks.
764
765@table @code
766@item cursor-type
767How to display the cursor. Legitimate values are:
768
769@table @code
770@item box
771Display a filled box. (This is the default.)
772@item hollow
773Display a hollow box.
774@item nil
775Don't display a cursor.
776@item bar
777Display a vertical bar between characters.
778@item (bar . @var{width})
779Display a vertical bar @var{width} pixels wide between characters.
780@item hbar
781Display a horizontal bar.
782@item (hbar . @var{height})
783Display a horizontal bar @var{height} pixels high.
784@end table
785@end table
786
787@vindex cursor-type
788The buffer-local variable @code{cursor-type} overrides the value of
789the @code{cursor-type} frame parameter, but if it is @code{t}, that
790means to use the cursor specified for the frame.
791
792@defvar blink-cursor-alist
793This variable specifies how to blink the cursor. Each element has the
794form @code{(@var{on-state} . @var{off-state})}. Whenever the cursor
795type equals @var{on-state} (comparing using @code{equal}), the
796corresponding @var{off-state} specifies what the cursor looks like
797when it blinks ``off.'' Both @var{on-state} and @var{off-state}
798should be suitable values for the @code{cursor-type} frame parameter.
799
800There are various defaults for how to blink each type of cursor, if
801the type is not mentioned as an @var{on-state} here. Changes in this
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802variable do not take effect immediately, only when you specify the
803@code{cursor-type} frame parameter.
804@end defvar
805
806@defvar cursor-in-non-selected-windows
807This variable controls how the cursor looks in a window that is not
808selected. It supports the same values as the @code{cursor-type} frame
809parameter; also, @code{nil} means don't display a cursor in
810nonselected windows, and @code{t} (the default) means use a standard
811modificatoin of the usual cursor type (solid box becomes hollow box,
812and bar becomes a narrower bar).
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813@end defvar
814
815@node Color Parameters
816@subsubsection Color Parameters
817
818 These frame parameters control the use of colors.
819
820@table @code
821@item background-mode
822This parameter is either @code{dark} or @code{light}, according
823to whether the background color is a light one or a dark one.
824
825@item tty-color-mode
826@cindex standard colors for character terminals
827This parameter overrides the terminal's color support as given by the
828system's terminal capabilities database in that this parameter's value
829specifies the color mode to use in terminal frames. The value can be
830either a symbol or a number. A number specifies the number of colors
831to use (and, indirectly, what commands to issue to produce each
832color). For example, @code{(tty-color-mode . 8)} specifies use of the
833ANSI escape sequences for 8 standard text colors. A value of -1 turns
834off color support.
835
836If the parameter's value is a symbol, it specifies a number through
837the value of @code{tty-color-mode-alist}, and the associated number is
838used instead.
839
840@item screen-gamma
841@cindex gamma correction
842If this is a number, Emacs performs ``gamma correction'' which adjusts
843the brightness of all colors. The value should be the screen gamma of
844your display, a floating point number.
845
846Usual PC monitors have a screen gamma of 2.2, so color values in
847Emacs, and in X windows generally, are calibrated to display properly
848on a monitor with that gamma value. If you specify 2.2 for
849@code{screen-gamma}, that means no correction is needed. Other values
850request correction, designed to make the corrected colors appear on
851your screen the way they would have appeared without correction on an
852ordinary monitor with a gamma value of 2.2.
853
854If your monitor displays colors too light, you should specify a
855@code{screen-gamma} value smaller than 2.2. This requests correction
856that makes colors darker. A screen gamma value of 1.5 may give good
857results for LCD color displays.
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858
859@item alpha
860@cindex opacity, frame
861@cindex transparency, frame
862@vindex frame-alpha-lower-limit
863This parameter specifies the opacity of the frame, on graphical
864displays that support variable opacity. It should be an integer
865between 0 and 100, where 0 means completely transparent and 100 means
866completely opaque. It can also have a @code{nil} value, which tells
867Emacs not to set the frame opacity (leaving it to the window manager).
868
869To prevent the frame from disappearing completely from view, the
3ec61d4e 870variable @code{frame-alpha-lower-limit} defines a lower opacity limit.
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871If the value of the frame parameter is less than the value of this
872variable, Emacs uses the latter. By default,
3ec61d4e 873@code{frame-alpha-lower-limit} is 20.
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874
875The @code{alpha} frame parameter can also be a cons cell
876@code{(@samp{active} . @samp{inactive})}, where @samp{active} is the
877opacity of the frame when it is selected, and @samp{inactive} is the
878opactity when it is not selected.
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879@end table
880
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881The following frame parameters are semi-obsolete in that they are
882automatically equivalent to particular face attributes of particular
883faces (@pxref{Standard Faces,,, emacs, The Emacs Manual}):
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884
885@table @code
886@item font
887The name of the font for displaying text in the frame. This is a
888string, either a valid font name for your system or the name of an Emacs
889fontset (@pxref{Fontsets}). It is equivalent to the @code{font}
890attribute of the @code{default} face.
891
892@item foreground-color
893The color to use for the image of a character. It is equivalent to
894the @code{:foreground} attribute of the @code{default} face.
895
896@item background-color
897The color to use for the background of characters. It is equivalent to
898the @code{:background} attribute of the @code{default} face.
899
900@item mouse-color
901The color for the mouse pointer. It is equivalent to the @code{:background}
902attribute of the @code{mouse} face.
903
904@item cursor-color
905The color for the cursor that shows point. It is equivalent to the
906@code{:background} attribute of the @code{cursor} face.
907
908@item border-color
909The color for the border of the frame. It is equivalent to the
910@code{:background} attribute of the @code{border} face.
911
912@item scroll-bar-foreground
913If non-@code{nil}, the color for the foreground of scroll bars. It is
914equivalent to the @code{:foreground} attribute of the
915@code{scroll-bar} face.
916
917@item scroll-bar-background
918If non-@code{nil}, the color for the background of scroll bars. It is
919equivalent to the @code{:background} attribute of the
920@code{scroll-bar} face.
921@end table
922
923@node Size and Position
924@subsection Frame Size And Position
925@cindex size of frame
926@cindex screen size
927@cindex frame size
928@cindex resize frame
929
930 You can read or change the size and position of a frame using the
931frame parameters @code{left}, @code{top}, @code{height}, and
932@code{width}. Whatever geometry parameters you don't specify are chosen
933by the window manager in its usual fashion.
934
935 Here are some special features for working with sizes and positions.
936(For the precise meaning of ``selected frame'' used by these functions,
937see @ref{Input Focus}.)
938
939@defun set-frame-position frame left top
940This function sets the position of the top left corner of @var{frame} to
941@var{left} and @var{top}. These arguments are measured in pixels, and
942normally count from the top left corner of the screen.
943
944Negative parameter values position the bottom edge of the window up from
945the bottom edge of the screen, or the right window edge to the left of
946the right edge of the screen. It would probably be better if the values
947were always counted from the left and top, so that negative arguments
948would position the frame partly off the top or left edge of the screen,
949but it seems inadvisable to change that now.
950@end defun
951
952@defun frame-height &optional frame
953@defunx frame-width &optional frame
954These functions return the height and width of @var{frame}, measured in
955lines and columns. If you don't supply @var{frame}, they use the
956selected frame.
957@end defun
958
959@defun screen-height
960@defunx screen-width
961These functions are old aliases for @code{frame-height} and
962@code{frame-width}. When you are using a non-window terminal, the size
963of the frame is normally the same as the size of the terminal screen.
964@end defun
965
966@defun frame-pixel-height &optional frame
967@defunx frame-pixel-width &optional frame
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968These functions return the height and width of the main display area
969of @var{frame}, measured in pixels. If you don't supply @var{frame},
970they use the selected frame.
971
972These values include the internal borders, and windows' scroll bars
973and fringes (which belong to individual windows, not to the frame
974itself), but do not include menu bars or tool bars (except when using
975X without an X toolkit).
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976@end defun
977
978@defun frame-char-height &optional frame
979@defunx frame-char-width &optional frame
980These functions return the height and width of a character in
981@var{frame}, measured in pixels. The values depend on the choice of
982font. If you don't supply @var{frame}, these functions use the selected
983frame.
984@end defun
985
986@defun set-frame-size frame cols rows
987This function sets the size of @var{frame}, measured in characters;
988@var{cols} and @var{rows} specify the new width and height.
989
990To set the size based on values measured in pixels, use
991@code{frame-char-height} and @code{frame-char-width} to convert
992them to units of characters.
993@end defun
994
995@defun set-frame-height frame lines &optional pretend
996This function resizes @var{frame} to a height of @var{lines} lines. The
997sizes of existing windows in @var{frame} are altered proportionally to
998fit.
999
1000If @var{pretend} is non-@code{nil}, then Emacs displays @var{lines}
1001lines of output in @var{frame}, but does not change its value for the
1002actual height of the frame. This is only useful for a terminal frame.
1003Using a smaller height than the terminal actually implements may be
1004useful to reproduce behavior observed on a smaller screen, or if the
1005terminal malfunctions when using its whole screen. Setting the frame
1006height ``for real'' does not always work, because knowing the correct
1007actual size may be necessary for correct cursor positioning on a
1008terminal frame.
1009@end defun
1010
1011@defun set-frame-width frame width &optional pretend
1012This function sets the width of @var{frame}, measured in characters.
1013The argument @var{pretend} has the same meaning as in
1014@code{set-frame-height}.
1015@end defun
1016
1017@findex set-screen-height
1018@findex set-screen-width
1019 The older functions @code{set-screen-height} and
1020@code{set-screen-width} were used to specify the height and width of the
1021screen, in Emacs versions that did not support multiple frames. They
1022are semi-obsolete, but still work; they apply to the selected frame.
1023
1024@node Geometry
1025@subsection Geometry
1026
1027 Here's how to examine the data in an X-style window geometry
1028specification:
1029
1030@defun x-parse-geometry geom
1031@cindex geometry specification
1032The function @code{x-parse-geometry} converts a standard X window
1033geometry string to an alist that you can use as part of the argument to
1034@code{make-frame}.
1035
1036The alist describes which parameters were specified in @var{geom}, and
1037gives the values specified for them. Each element looks like
1038@code{(@var{parameter} . @var{value})}. The possible @var{parameter}
1039values are @code{left}, @code{top}, @code{width}, and @code{height}.
1040
1041For the size parameters, the value must be an integer. The position
1042parameter names @code{left} and @code{top} are not totally accurate,
1043because some values indicate the position of the right or bottom edges
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1044instead. The @var{value} possibilities for the position parameters are:
1045an integer, a list @code{(+ @var{pos})}, or a list @code{(- @var{pos})};
1046as previously described (@pxref{Position Parameters}).
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1047
1048Here is an example:
1049
1050@example
1051(x-parse-geometry "35x70+0-0")
1052 @result{} ((height . 70) (width . 35)
1053 (top - 0) (left . 0))
1054@end example
1055@end defun
1056
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1057@node Terminal Parameters
1058@section Terminal Parameters
1059@cindex terminal parameters
1060
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1061 Each terminal has a list of associated parameters. These
1062@dfn{terminal parameters} are mostly a convenient way of storage for
1063terminal-local variables, but some terminal parameters have a special
1064meaning.
1065
1066 This section describes functions to read and change the parameter values
1067of a terminal. They all accept as their argument either a terminal or
1068a frame; the latter means use that frame's terminal. An argument of
1069@code{nil} means the selected frame's terminal.
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1070
1071@defun terminal-parameters &optional terminal
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1072This function returns an alist listing all the parameters of
1073@var{terminal} and their values.
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1074@end defun
1075
1076@defun terminal-parameter terminal parameter
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1077This function returns the value of the parameter @var{parameter} (a
1078symbol) of @var{terminal}. If @var{terminal} has no setting for
1079@var{parameter}, this function returns @code{nil}.
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1080@end defun
1081
1082@defun set-terminal-parameter terminal parameter value
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1083This function sets the parameter @var{parm} of @var{terminal} to the
1084specified @var{value}, and returns the previous value of that
1085parameter.
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1086@end defun
1087
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1088Here's a list of a few terminal parameters that have a special
1089meaning:
1090
1091@table @code
1092@item background-mode
1093The classification of the terminal's background color, either
1094@code{light} or @code{dark}.
1095@item normal-erase-is-backspace
1096Value is either 1 or 0, depending on whether
1097@code{normal-erase-is-backspace-mode} is turned on or off on this
1098terminal. @xref{DEL Does Not Delete,,, emacs, The Emacs Manual}.
1099@item terminal-initted
1100After the terminal is initialized, this is set to the
1101terminal-specific initialization function.
1102@end table
1103
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1104@node Frame Titles
1105@section Frame Titles
1106@cindex frame title
1107
1108 Every frame has a @code{name} parameter; this serves as the default
1109for the frame title which window systems typically display at the top of
1110the frame. You can specify a name explicitly by setting the @code{name}
1111frame property.
1112
1113 Normally you don't specify the name explicitly, and Emacs computes the
1114frame name automatically based on a template stored in the variable
1115@code{frame-title-format}. Emacs recomputes the name each time the
1116frame is redisplayed.
1117
1118@defvar frame-title-format
1119This variable specifies how to compute a name for a frame when you have
1120not explicitly specified one. The variable's value is actually a mode
1121line construct, just like @code{mode-line-format}, except that the
1122@samp{%c} and @samp{%l} constructs are ignored. @xref{Mode Line
1123Data}.
1124@end defvar
1125
1126@defvar icon-title-format
1127This variable specifies how to compute the name for an iconified frame,
1128when you have not explicitly specified the frame title. This title
1129appears in the icon itself.
1130@end defvar
1131
1132@defvar multiple-frames
1133This variable is set automatically by Emacs. Its value is @code{t} when
1134there are two or more frames (not counting minibuffer-only frames or
1135invisible frames). The default value of @code{frame-title-format} uses
1136@code{multiple-frames} so as to put the buffer name in the frame title
1137only when there is more than one frame.
1138
1139The value of this variable is not guaranteed to be accurate except
1140while processing @code{frame-title-format} or
1141@code{icon-title-format}.
1142@end defvar
1143
1144@node Deleting Frames
1145@section Deleting Frames
1146@cindex deleting frames
1147
1148Frames remain potentially visible until you explicitly @dfn{delete}
1149them. A deleted frame cannot appear on the screen, but continues to
1150exist as a Lisp object until there are no references to it.
1151
1152@deffn Command delete-frame &optional frame force
1153@vindex delete-frame-functions
1154This function deletes the frame @var{frame}. Unless @var{frame} is a
1155tooltip, it first runs the hook @code{delete-frame-functions} (each
1156function gets one argument, @var{frame}). By default, @var{frame} is
1157the selected frame.
1158
1159A frame cannot be deleted if its minibuffer is used by other frames.
1160Normally, you cannot delete a frame if all other frames are invisible,
6a4cfb0c 1161but if @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, then you are allowed to do so.
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1162@end deffn
1163
1164@defun frame-live-p frame
1165The function @code{frame-live-p} returns non-@code{nil} if the frame
1166@var{frame} has not been deleted. The possible non-@code{nil} return
1167values are like those of @code{framep}. @xref{Frames}.
1168@end defun
1169
1170 Some window managers provide a command to delete a window. These work
1171by sending a special message to the program that operates the window.
1172When Emacs gets one of these commands, it generates a
1173@code{delete-frame} event, whose normal definition is a command that
1174calls the function @code{delete-frame}. @xref{Misc Events}.
1175
1176@node Finding All Frames
1177@section Finding All Frames
1178@cindex frames, scanning all
1179
1180@defun frame-list
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1181The function @code{frame-list} returns a list of all the live frames,
1182i.e.@: those that have not been deleted. It is analogous to
1183@code{buffer-list} for buffers, and includes frames on all terminals.
1184The list that you get is newly created, so modifying the list doesn't
1185have any effect on the internals of Emacs.
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1186@end defun
1187
1188@defun visible-frame-list
1189This function returns a list of just the currently visible frames.
1190@xref{Visibility of Frames}. (Terminal frames always count as
1191``visible,'' even though only the selected one is actually displayed.)
1192@end defun
1193
1194@defun next-frame &optional frame minibuf
1195The function @code{next-frame} lets you cycle conveniently through all
1196the frames on the current display from an arbitrary starting point. It
1197returns the ``next'' frame after @var{frame} in the cycle. If
1198@var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to the selected frame
1199(@pxref{Input Focus}).
1200
1201The second argument, @var{minibuf}, says which frames to consider:
1202
1203@table @asis
1204@item @code{nil}
1205Exclude minibuffer-only frames.
1206@item @code{visible}
1207Consider all visible frames.
1208@item 0
1209Consider all visible or iconified frames.
1210@item a window
1211Consider only the frames using that particular window as their
1212minibuffer.
1213@item anything else
1214Consider all frames.
1215@end table
1216@end defun
1217
1218@defun previous-frame &optional frame minibuf
1219Like @code{next-frame}, but cycles through all frames in the opposite
1220direction.
1221@end defun
1222
1223 See also @code{next-window} and @code{previous-window}, in @ref{Cyclic
1224Window Ordering}.
1225
1226@node Frames and Windows
1227@section Frames and Windows
1228
6a4cfb0c 1229 Each window is part of one and only one frame; you can get that frame
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1230with @code{window-frame}.
1231
1232@defun window-frame window
1233This function returns the frame that @var{window} is on.
1234@end defun
1235
1236 All the non-minibuffer windows in a frame are arranged in a cyclic
1237order. The order runs from the frame's top window, which is at the
1238upper left corner, down and to the right, until it reaches the window at
1239the lower right corner (always the minibuffer window, if the frame has
1240one), and then it moves back to the top. @xref{Cyclic Window Ordering}.
1241
1242@defun frame-first-window &optional frame
1243This returns the topmost, leftmost window of frame @var{frame}.
1244If omitted or @code{nil}, @var{frame} defaults to the selected frame.
1245@end defun
1246
1247At any time, exactly one window on any frame is @dfn{selected within the
1248frame}. The significance of this designation is that selecting the
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1249frame also selects this window. Conversely, selecting a window for
1250Emacs with @code{select-window} also makes that window selected within
1251its frame. @xref{Selecting Windows}.
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1252
1253@defun frame-selected-window &optional frame
1254This function returns the window on @var{frame} that is selected
1255within @var{frame}. If omitted or @code{nil}, @var{frame} defaults to
1256the selected frame.
1257@end defun
1258
6a4cfb0c 1259@defun set-frame-selected-window frame window &optional norecord
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1260This sets the selected window of frame @var{frame} to @var{window}.
1261If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it operates on the selected frame. If
1262@var{frame} is the selected frame, this makes @var{window} the
1263selected window. This function returns @var{window}.
b8d4c8d0 1264
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1265Optional argument @var{norecord} non-@code{nil} means to neither change
1266the order of recently selected windows nor the buffer list (@pxref{The
1267Buffer List}).
1268@end defun
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1269
1270 Another function that (usually) returns one of the windows in a given
1271frame is @code{minibuffer-window}. @xref{Definition of minibuffer-window}.
1272
1273@node Minibuffers and Frames
1274@section Minibuffers and Frames
1275
1276Normally, each frame has its own minibuffer window at the bottom, which
1277is used whenever that frame is selected. If the frame has a minibuffer,
1278you can get it with @code{minibuffer-window} (@pxref{Definition of
1279minibuffer-window}).
1280
1281However, you can also create a frame with no minibuffer. Such a frame
1282must use the minibuffer window of some other frame. When you create the
1283frame, you can specify explicitly the minibuffer window to use (in some
1284other frame). If you don't, then the minibuffer is found in the frame
1285which is the value of the variable @code{default-minibuffer-frame}. Its
1286value should be a frame that does have a minibuffer.
1287
1288If you use a minibuffer-only frame, you might want that frame to raise
1289when you enter the minibuffer. If so, set the variable
1290@code{minibuffer-auto-raise} to @code{t}. @xref{Raising and Lowering}.
1291
1292@defvar default-minibuffer-frame
1293This variable specifies the frame to use for the minibuffer window, by
1294default. It does not affect existing frames. It is always local to
1295the current terminal and cannot be buffer-local. @xref{Multiple
3ec61d4e 1296Terminals}.
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1297@end defvar
1298
1299@node Input Focus
1300@section Input Focus
1301@cindex input focus
1302@c @cindex selected frame Duplicates selected-frame
1303
1304At any time, one frame in Emacs is the @dfn{selected frame}. The selected
1305window always resides on the selected frame.
1306
1307When Emacs displays its frames on several terminals (@pxref{Multiple
3ec61d4e
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1308Terminals}), each terminal has its own selected frame. But only one
1309of these is ``@emph{the} selected frame'': it's the frame that belongs
1310to the terminal from which the most recent input came. That is, when
1311Emacs runs a command that came from a certain terminal, the selected
1312frame is the one of that terminal. Since Emacs runs only a single
1313command at any given time, it needs to consider only one selected
1314frame at a time; this frame is what we call @dfn{the selected frame}
1315in this manual. The display on which the selected frame is shown is
1316the @dfn{selected frame's display}.
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1317
1318@defun selected-frame
1319This function returns the selected frame.
1320@end defun
1321
1322Some window systems and window managers direct keyboard input to the
1323window object that the mouse is in; others require explicit clicks or
1324commands to @dfn{shift the focus} to various window objects. Either
1325way, Emacs automatically keeps track of which frame has the focus. To
6a4cfb0c 1326explicitly switch to a different frame from a Lisp function, call
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1327@code{select-frame-set-input-focus}.
1328
1329Lisp programs can also switch frames ``temporarily'' by calling the
1330function @code{select-frame}. This does not alter the window system's
1331concept of focus; rather, it escapes from the window manager's control
1332until that control is somehow reasserted.
1333
1334When using a text-only terminal, only one frame can be displayed at a
1335time on the terminal, so after a call to @code{select-frame}, the next
1336redisplay actually displays the newly selected frame. This frame
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1337remains selected until a subsequent call to @code{select-frame}. Each
1338terminal frame has a number which appears in the mode line before the
1339buffer name (@pxref{Mode Line Variables}).
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1340
1341@defun select-frame-set-input-focus frame
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1342This function selects @var{frame}, raises it (should it happen to be
1343obscured by other frames) and tries to give it the X server's focus. On
1344a text-only terminal, the next redisplay displays the new frame on the
1345entire terminal screen. The return value of this function is not
1346significant.
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1347@end defun
1348
1349@c ??? This is not yet implemented properly.
6a4cfb0c 1350@defun select-frame frame &optional norecord
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1351This function selects frame @var{frame}, temporarily disregarding the
1352focus of the X server if any. The selection of @var{frame} lasts until
1353the next time the user does something to select a different frame, or
1354until the next time this function is called. (If you are using a
1355window system, the previously selected frame may be restored as the
1356selected frame after return to the command loop, because it still may
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1357have the window system's input focus.)
1358
1359The specified @var{frame} becomes the selected frame, as explained
1360above, and the terminal that @var{frame} is on becomes the selected
1361terminal. The window selected within @var{frame} becomes the selected
1362window. This function returns @var{frame}, or @code{nil} if @var{frame}
1363has been deleted.
1364
1365Optional argument @var{norecord} non-@code{nil} means to neither change
1366the order of recently selected windows nor the buffer list. @xref{The
1367Buffer List}.
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1368
1369In general, you should never use @code{select-frame} in a way that could
1370switch to a different terminal without switching back when you're done.
1371@end defun
1372
1373Emacs cooperates with the window system by arranging to select frames as
1374the server and window manager request. It does so by generating a
1375special kind of input event, called a @dfn{focus} event, when
1376appropriate. The command loop handles a focus event by calling
1377@code{handle-switch-frame}. @xref{Focus Events}.
1378
1379@deffn Command handle-switch-frame frame
1380This function handles a focus event by selecting frame @var{frame}.
1381
1382Focus events normally do their job by invoking this command.
1383Don't call it for any other reason.
1384@end deffn
1385
1386@defun redirect-frame-focus frame &optional focus-frame
1387This function redirects focus from @var{frame} to @var{focus-frame}.
1388This means that @var{focus-frame} will receive subsequent keystrokes and
1389events intended for @var{frame}. After such an event, the value of
1390@code{last-event-frame} will be @var{focus-frame}. Also, switch-frame
1391events specifying @var{frame} will instead select @var{focus-frame}.
1392
1393If @var{focus-frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, that cancels any existing
1394redirection for @var{frame}, which therefore once again receives its own
1395events.
1396
1397One use of focus redirection is for frames that don't have minibuffers.
1398These frames use minibuffers on other frames. Activating a minibuffer
1399on another frame redirects focus to that frame. This puts the focus on
1400the minibuffer's frame, where it belongs, even though the mouse remains
1401in the frame that activated the minibuffer.
1402
1403Selecting a frame can also change focus redirections. Selecting frame
1404@code{bar}, when @code{foo} had been selected, changes any redirections
1405pointing to @code{foo} so that they point to @code{bar} instead. This
1406allows focus redirection to work properly when the user switches from
1407one frame to another using @code{select-window}.
1408
1409This means that a frame whose focus is redirected to itself is treated
1410differently from a frame whose focus is not redirected.
1411@code{select-frame} affects the former but not the latter.
1412
1413The redirection lasts until @code{redirect-frame-focus} is called to
1414change it.
1415@end defun
1416
1417@defopt focus-follows-mouse
1418This option is how you inform Emacs whether the window manager transfers
1419focus when the user moves the mouse. Non-@code{nil} says that it does.
1420When this is so, the command @code{other-frame} moves the mouse to a
6a4cfb0c 1421position consistent with the new selected frame.
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1422@end defopt
1423
1424@node Visibility of Frames
1425@section Visibility of Frames
1426@cindex visible frame
1427@cindex invisible frame
1428@cindex iconified frame
1429@cindex frame visibility
1430
1431A window frame may be @dfn{visible}, @dfn{invisible}, or
1432@dfn{iconified}. If it is visible, you can see its contents, unless
1433other windows cover it. If it is iconified, the frame's contents do
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1434not appear on the screen, but an icon does. (Note: because of the
1435way in which some window managers implement the concept of multiple
1436workspaces, or desktops, all frames on other workspaces may appear to
1437Emacs to be iconified.) If the frame is invisible, it doesn't show on
1438the screen, not even as an icon.
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1439
1440Visibility is meaningless for terminal frames, since only the selected
1441one is actually displayed in any case.
1442
1443@deffn Command make-frame-visible &optional frame
1444This function makes frame @var{frame} visible. If you omit
1445@var{frame}, it makes the selected frame visible. This does not raise
1446the frame, but you can do that with @code{raise-frame} if you wish
1447(@pxref{Raising and Lowering}).
1448@end deffn
1449
1450@deffn Command make-frame-invisible &optional frame force
1451This function makes frame @var{frame} invisible. If you omit
1452@var{frame}, it makes the selected frame invisible.
1453
1454Unless @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, this function refuses to make
1455@var{frame} invisible if all other frames are invisible..
1456@end deffn
1457
1458@deffn Command iconify-frame &optional frame
1459This function iconifies frame @var{frame}. If you omit @var{frame}, it
1460iconifies the selected frame.
1461@end deffn
1462
1463@defun frame-visible-p frame
1464This returns the visibility status of frame @var{frame}. The value is
1465@code{t} if @var{frame} is visible, @code{nil} if it is invisible, and
1466@code{icon} if it is iconified.
1467
1468On a text-only terminal, all frames are considered visible, whether
1469they are currently being displayed or not, and this function returns
1470@code{t} for all frames.
1471@end defun
1472
1473 The visibility status of a frame is also available as a frame
1474parameter. You can read or change it as such. @xref{Management
1475Parameters}.
1476
1477 The user can iconify and deiconify frames with the window manager.
1478This happens below the level at which Emacs can exert any control, but
1479Emacs does provide events that you can use to keep track of such
1480changes. @xref{Misc Events}.
1481
1482@node Raising and Lowering
1483@section Raising and Lowering Frames
1484
1485 Most window systems use a desktop metaphor. Part of this metaphor is
1486the idea that windows are stacked in a notional third dimension
1487perpendicular to the screen surface, and thus ordered from ``highest''
1488to ``lowest.'' Where two windows overlap, the one higher up covers
1489the one underneath. Even a window at the bottom of the stack can be
1490seen if no other window overlaps it.
1491
1492@c @cindex raising a frame redundant with raise-frame
1493@cindex lowering a frame
1494 A window's place in this ordering is not fixed; in fact, users tend
1495to change the order frequently. @dfn{Raising} a window means moving
1496it ``up,'' to the top of the stack. @dfn{Lowering} a window means
1497moving it to the bottom of the stack. This motion is in the notional
1498third dimension only, and does not change the position of the window
1499on the screen.
1500
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1501 With Emacs, frames constitute the windows in the metaphor sketched
1502above. You can raise and lower frames using these functions:
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1503
1504@deffn Command raise-frame &optional frame
1505This function raises frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
1506If @var{frame} is invisible or iconified, this makes it visible.
1507@end deffn
1508
1509@deffn Command lower-frame &optional frame
1510This function lowers frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
1511@end deffn
1512
1513@defopt minibuffer-auto-raise
1514If this is non-@code{nil}, activation of the minibuffer raises the frame
1515that the minibuffer window is in.
1516@end defopt
1517
1518You can also enable auto-raise (raising automatically when a frame is
1519selected) or auto-lower (lowering automatically when it is deselected)
1520for any frame using frame parameters. @xref{Management Parameters}.
1521
1522@node Frame Configurations
1523@section Frame Configurations
1524@cindex frame configuration
1525
1526 A @dfn{frame configuration} records the current arrangement of frames,
1527all their properties, and the window configuration of each one.
1528(@xref{Window Configurations}.)
1529
1530@defun current-frame-configuration
1531This function returns a frame configuration list that describes
1532the current arrangement of frames and their contents.
1533@end defun
1534
1535@defun set-frame-configuration configuration &optional nodelete
1536This function restores the state of frames described in
1537@var{configuration}. However, this function does not restore deleted
1538frames.
1539
1540Ordinarily, this function deletes all existing frames not listed in
1541@var{configuration}. But if @var{nodelete} is non-@code{nil}, the
1542unwanted frames are iconified instead.
1543@end defun
1544
1545@node Mouse Tracking
1546@section Mouse Tracking
1547@cindex mouse tracking
1548@c @cindex tracking the mouse Duplicates track-mouse
1549
1550 Sometimes it is useful to @dfn{track} the mouse, which means to display
1551something to indicate where the mouse is and move the indicator as the
1552mouse moves. For efficient mouse tracking, you need a way to wait until
1553the mouse actually moves.
1554
1555 The convenient way to track the mouse is to ask for events to represent
1556mouse motion. Then you can wait for motion by waiting for an event. In
1557addition, you can easily handle any other sorts of events that may
1558occur. That is useful, because normally you don't want to track the
1559mouse forever---only until some other event, such as the release of a
1560button.
1561
1562@defspec track-mouse body@dots{}
1563This special form executes @var{body}, with generation of mouse motion
6a4cfb0c 1564events enabled. Typically, @var{body} would use @code{read-event} to
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GM
1565read the motion events and modify the display accordingly. @xref{Motion
1566Events}, for the format of mouse motion events.
1567
1568The value of @code{track-mouse} is that of the last form in @var{body}.
1569You should design @var{body} to return when it sees the up-event that
1570indicates the release of the button, or whatever kind of event means
1571it is time to stop tracking.
1572@end defspec
1573
1574The usual purpose of tracking mouse motion is to indicate on the screen
1575the consequences of pushing or releasing a button at the current
1576position.
1577
1578In many cases, you can avoid the need to track the mouse by using
1579the @code{mouse-face} text property (@pxref{Special Properties}).
1580That works at a much lower level and runs more smoothly than
1581Lisp-level mouse tracking.
1582
1583@ignore
1584@c These are not implemented yet.
1585
1586These functions change the screen appearance instantaneously. The
1587effect is transient, only until the next ordinary Emacs redisplay. That
1588is OK for mouse tracking, since it doesn't make sense for mouse tracking
1589to change the text, and the body of @code{track-mouse} normally reads
1590the events itself and does not do redisplay.
1591
1592@defun x-contour-region window beg end
1593This function draws lines to make a box around the text from @var{beg}
1594to @var{end}, in window @var{window}.
1595@end defun
1596
1597@defun x-uncontour-region window beg end
1598This function erases the lines that would make a box around the text
1599from @var{beg} to @var{end}, in window @var{window}. Use it to remove
1600a contour that you previously made by calling @code{x-contour-region}.
1601@end defun
1602
1603@defun x-draw-rectangle frame left top right bottom
1604This function draws a hollow rectangle on frame @var{frame} with the
1605specified edge coordinates, all measured in pixels from the inside top
1606left corner. It uses the cursor color, the one used for indicating the
1607location of point.
1608@end defun
1609
1610@defun x-erase-rectangle frame left top right bottom
1611This function erases a hollow rectangle on frame @var{frame} with the
1612specified edge coordinates, all measured in pixels from the inside top
1613left corner. Erasure means redrawing the text and background that
1614normally belong in the specified rectangle.
1615@end defun
1616@end ignore
1617
1618@node Mouse Position
1619@section Mouse Position
1620@cindex mouse position
1621@cindex position of mouse
1622
1623 The functions @code{mouse-position} and @code{set-mouse-position}
1624give access to the current position of the mouse.
1625
1626@defun mouse-position
1627This function returns a description of the position of the mouse. The
1628value looks like @code{(@var{frame} @var{x} . @var{y})}, where @var{x}
1629and @var{y} are integers giving the position in characters relative to
1630the top left corner of the inside of @var{frame}.
1631@end defun
1632
1633@defvar mouse-position-function
1634If non-@code{nil}, the value of this variable is a function for
1635@code{mouse-position} to call. @code{mouse-position} calls this
1636function just before returning, with its normal return value as the
1637sole argument, and it returns whatever this function returns to it.
1638
1639This abnormal hook exists for the benefit of packages like
1640@file{xt-mouse.el} that need to do mouse handling at the Lisp level.
1641@end defvar
1642
1643@defun set-mouse-position frame x y
1644This function @dfn{warps the mouse} to position @var{x}, @var{y} in
1645frame @var{frame}. The arguments @var{x} and @var{y} are integers,
1646giving the position in characters relative to the top left corner of the
1647inside of @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is not visible, this function
1648does nothing. The return value is not significant.
1649@end defun
1650
1651@defun mouse-pixel-position
1652This function is like @code{mouse-position} except that it returns
1653coordinates in units of pixels rather than units of characters.
1654@end defun
1655
1656@defun set-mouse-pixel-position frame x y
1657This function warps the mouse like @code{set-mouse-position} except that
1658@var{x} and @var{y} are in units of pixels rather than units of
1659characters. These coordinates are not required to be within the frame.
1660
1661If @var{frame} is not visible, this function does nothing. The return
1662value is not significant.
1663@end defun
1664
1665@need 3000
1666
1667@node Pop-Up Menus
1668@section Pop-Up Menus
1669
1670 When using a window system, a Lisp program can pop up a menu so that
1671the user can choose an alternative with the mouse.
1672
1673@defun x-popup-menu position menu
1674This function displays a pop-up menu and returns an indication of
1675what selection the user makes.
1676
1677The argument @var{position} specifies where on the screen to put the
1678top left corner of the menu. It can be either a mouse button event
1679(which says to put the menu where the user actuated the button) or a
1680list of this form:
1681
1682@example
1683((@var{xoffset} @var{yoffset}) @var{window})
1684@end example
1685
1686@noindent
1687where @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} are coordinates, measured in
1688pixels, counting from the top left corner of @var{window}. @var{window}
1689may be a window or a frame.
1690
1691If @var{position} is @code{t}, it means to use the current mouse
1692position. If @var{position} is @code{nil}, it means to precompute the
1693key binding equivalents for the keymaps specified in @var{menu},
1694without actually displaying or popping up the menu.
1695
1696The argument @var{menu} says what to display in the menu. It can be a
1697keymap or a list of keymaps (@pxref{Menu Keymaps}). In this case, the
1698return value is the list of events corresponding to the user's choice.
1699(This list has more than one element if the choice occurred in a
1700submenu.) Note that @code{x-popup-menu} does not actually execute the
1701command bound to that sequence of events.
1702
1703Alternatively, @var{menu} can have the following form:
1704
1705@example
1706(@var{title} @var{pane1} @var{pane2}...)
1707@end example
1708
1709@noindent
1710where each pane is a list of form
1711
1712@example
1713(@var{title} @var{item1} @var{item2}...)
1714@end example
1715
1716Each item should normally be a cons cell @code{(@var{line} . @var{value})},
1717where @var{line} is a string, and @var{value} is the value to return if
1718that @var{line} is chosen. An item can also be a string; this makes a
1719non-selectable line in the menu.
1720
1721If the user gets rid of the menu without making a valid choice, for
1722instance by clicking the mouse away from a valid choice or by typing
1723keyboard input, then this normally results in a quit and
1724@code{x-popup-menu} does not return. But if @var{position} is a mouse
1725button event (indicating that the user invoked the menu with the
1726mouse) then no quit occurs and @code{x-popup-menu} returns @code{nil}.
1727@end defun
1728
1729 @strong{Usage note:} Don't use @code{x-popup-menu} to display a menu
1730if you could do the job with a prefix key defined with a menu keymap.
1731If you use a menu keymap to implement a menu, @kbd{C-h c} and @kbd{C-h
1732a} can see the individual items in that menu and provide help for them.
1733If instead you implement the menu by defining a command that calls
1734@code{x-popup-menu}, the help facilities cannot know what happens inside
1735that command, so they cannot give any help for the menu's items.
1736
1737 The menu bar mechanism, which lets you switch between submenus by
1738moving the mouse, cannot look within the definition of a command to see
1739that it calls @code{x-popup-menu}. Therefore, if you try to implement a
1740submenu using @code{x-popup-menu}, it cannot work with the menu bar in
1741an integrated fashion. This is why all menu bar submenus are
1742implemented with menu keymaps within the parent menu, and never with
1743@code{x-popup-menu}. @xref{Menu Bar}.
1744
1745 If you want a menu bar submenu to have contents that vary, you should
1746still use a menu keymap to implement it. To make the contents vary, add
1747a hook function to @code{menu-bar-update-hook} to update the contents of
1748the menu keymap as necessary.
1749
1750@node Dialog Boxes
1751@section Dialog Boxes
1752@cindex dialog boxes
1753
1754 A dialog box is a variant of a pop-up menu---it looks a little
1755different, it always appears in the center of a frame, and it has just
1756one level and one or more buttons. The main use of dialog boxes is
1757for asking questions that the user can answer with ``yes,'' ``no,''
1758and a few other alternatives. With a single button, they can also
1759force the user to acknowledge important information. The functions
1760@code{y-or-n-p} and @code{yes-or-no-p} use dialog boxes instead of the
1761keyboard, when called from commands invoked by mouse clicks.
1762
1763@defun x-popup-dialog position contents &optional header
1764This function displays a pop-up dialog box and returns an indication of
1765what selection the user makes. The argument @var{contents} specifies
1766the alternatives to offer; it has this format:
1767
1768@example
1769(@var{title} (@var{string} . @var{value})@dots{})
1770@end example
1771
1772@noindent
1773which looks like the list that specifies a single pane for
1774@code{x-popup-menu}.
1775
1776The return value is @var{value} from the chosen alternative.
1777
1778As for @code{x-popup-menu}, an element of the list may be just a
1779string instead of a cons cell @code{(@var{string} . @var{value})}.
1780That makes a box that cannot be selected.
1781
1782If @code{nil} appears in the list, it separates the left-hand items from
1783the right-hand items; items that precede the @code{nil} appear on the
1784left, and items that follow the @code{nil} appear on the right. If you
1785don't include a @code{nil} in the list, then approximately half the
1786items appear on each side.
1787
1788Dialog boxes always appear in the center of a frame; the argument
1789@var{position} specifies which frame. The possible values are as in
1790@code{x-popup-menu}, but the precise coordinates or the individual
1791window don't matter; only the frame matters.
1792
1793If @var{header} is non-@code{nil}, the frame title for the box is
1794@samp{Information}, otherwise it is @samp{Question}. The former is used
1795for @code{message-box} (@pxref{message-box}).
1796
1797In some configurations, Emacs cannot display a real dialog box; so
1798instead it displays the same items in a pop-up menu in the center of the
1799frame.
1800
1801If the user gets rid of the dialog box without making a valid choice,
1802for instance using the window manager, then this produces a quit and
1803@code{x-popup-dialog} does not return.
1804@end defun
1805
1806@node Pointer Shape
1807@section Pointer Shape
1808@cindex pointer shape
1809@cindex mouse pointer shape
1810
1811 You can specify the mouse pointer style for particular text or
1812images using the @code{pointer} text property, and for images with the
1813@code{:pointer} and @code{:map} image properties. The values you can
1814use in these properties are @code{text} (or @code{nil}), @code{arrow},
1815@code{hand}, @code{vdrag}, @code{hdrag}, @code{modeline}, and
1816@code{hourglass}. @code{text} stands for the usual mouse pointer
1817style used over text.
1818
1819 Over void parts of the window (parts that do not correspond to any
1820of the buffer contents), the mouse pointer usually uses the
1821@code{arrow} style, but you can specify a different style (one of
1822those above) by setting @code{void-text-area-pointer}.
1823
1824@defvar void-text-area-pointer
1825This variable specifies the mouse pointer style for void text areas.
1826These include the areas after the end of a line or below the last line
1827in the buffer. The default is to use the @code{arrow} (non-text)
1828pointer style.
1829@end defvar
1830
3568e767
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1831 When using X, you can specify what the @code{text} pointer style
1832really looks like by setting the variable @code{x-pointer-shape}.
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1833
1834@defvar x-pointer-shape
1835This variable specifies the pointer shape to use ordinarily in the
1836Emacs frame, for the @code{text} pointer style.
1837@end defvar
1838
1839@defvar x-sensitive-text-pointer-shape
1840This variable specifies the pointer shape to use when the mouse
1841is over mouse-sensitive text.
1842@end defvar
1843
1844 These variables affect newly created frames. They do not normally
1845affect existing frames; however, if you set the mouse color of a
1846frame, that also installs the current value of those two variables.
1847@xref{Color Parameters}.
1848
1849 The values you can use, to specify either of these pointer shapes, are
1850defined in the file @file{lisp/term/x-win.el}. Use @kbd{M-x apropos
1851@key{RET} x-pointer @key{RET}} to see a list of them.
1852
1853@node Window System Selections
1854@section Window System Selections
1855@cindex selection (for window systems)
1856
1857The X server records a set of @dfn{selections} which permit transfer of
1858data between application programs. The various selections are
1859distinguished by @dfn{selection types}, represented in Emacs by
1860symbols. X clients including Emacs can read or set the selection for
1861any given type.
1862
1863@deffn Command x-set-selection type data
1864This function sets a ``selection'' in the X server. It takes two
1865arguments: a selection type @var{type}, and the value to assign to it,
1866@var{data}. If @var{data} is @code{nil}, it means to clear out the
1867selection. Otherwise, @var{data} may be a string, a symbol, an integer
1868(or a cons of two integers or list of two integers), an overlay, or a
1869cons of two markers pointing to the same buffer. An overlay or a pair
1870of markers stands for text in the overlay or between the markers.
1871
1872The argument @var{data} may also be a vector of valid non-vector
1873selection values.
1874
1875Each possible @var{type} has its own selection value, which changes
1876independently. The usual values of @var{type} are @code{PRIMARY},
1877@code{SECONDARY} and @code{CLIPBOARD}; these are symbols with upper-case
1878names, in accord with X Window System conventions. If @var{type} is
1879@code{nil}, that stands for @code{PRIMARY}.
1880
1881This function returns @var{data}.
1882@end deffn
1883
1884@defun x-get-selection &optional type data-type
1885This function accesses selections set up by Emacs or by other X
1886clients. It takes two optional arguments, @var{type} and
1887@var{data-type}. The default for @var{type}, the selection type, is
1888@code{PRIMARY}.
1889
1890The @var{data-type} argument specifies the form of data conversion to
1891use, to convert the raw data obtained from another X client into Lisp
1892data. Meaningful values include @code{TEXT}, @code{STRING},
1893@code{UTF8_STRING}, @code{TARGETS}, @code{LENGTH}, @code{DELETE},
1894@code{FILE_NAME}, @code{CHARACTER_POSITION}, @code{NAME},
1895@code{LINE_NUMBER}, @code{COLUMN_NUMBER}, @code{OWNER_OS},
1896@code{HOST_NAME}, @code{USER}, @code{CLASS}, @code{ATOM}, and
1897@code{INTEGER}. (These are symbols with upper-case names in accord
1898with X conventions.) The default for @var{data-type} is
1899@code{STRING}.
1900@end defun
1901
1902@cindex cut buffer
1903The X server also has a set of eight numbered @dfn{cut buffers} which can
1904store text or other data being moved between applications. Cut buffers
1905are considered obsolete, but Emacs supports them for the sake of X
1906clients that still use them. Cut buffers are numbered from 0 to 7.
1907
1908@defun x-get-cut-buffer &optional n
1909This function returns the contents of cut buffer number @var{n}.
1910If omitted @var{n} defaults to 0.
1911@end defun
1912
1913@defun x-set-cut-buffer string &optional push
1914@anchor{Definition of x-set-cut-buffer}
1915This function stores @var{string} into the first cut buffer (cut buffer
19160). If @var{push} is @code{nil}, only the first cut buffer is changed.
1917If @var{push} is non-@code{nil}, that says to move the values down
1918through the series of cut buffers, much like the way successive kills in
1919Emacs move down the kill ring. In other words, the previous value of
1920the first cut buffer moves into the second cut buffer, and the second to
1921the third, and so on through all eight cut buffers.
1922@end defun
1923
1924@defvar selection-coding-system
1925This variable specifies the coding system to use when reading and
1926writing selections or the clipboard. @xref{Coding
1927Systems}. The default is @code{compound-text-with-extensions}, which
1928converts to the text representation that X11 normally uses.
1929@end defvar
1930
1931@cindex clipboard support (for MS-Windows)
1932When Emacs runs on MS-Windows, it does not implement X selections in
1933general, but it does support the clipboard. @code{x-get-selection}
1934and @code{x-set-selection} on MS-Windows support the text data type
1935only; if the clipboard holds other types of data, Emacs treats the
1936clipboard as empty.
1937
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1938@defopt x-select-enable-clipboard
1939If this is non-@code{nil}, the Emacs yank functions consult the
1940clipboard before the primary selection, and the kill functions store in
1941the clipboard as well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not
1942access the clipboard at all. The default is @code{nil} on most systems,
9e2a2647 1943but @code{t} on MS-Windows.
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1944@end defopt
1945
1946@node Drag and Drop
1947@section Drag and Drop
1948
1949@vindex x-dnd-test-function
1950@vindex x-dnd-known-types
1951 When a user drags something from another application over Emacs, that other
1952application expects Emacs to tell it if Emacs can handle the data that is
1953dragged. The variable @code{x-dnd-test-function} is used by Emacs to determine
1954what to reply. The default value is @code{x-dnd-default-test-function}
1955which accepts drops if the type of the data to be dropped is present in
1956@code{x-dnd-known-types}. You can customize @code{x-dnd-test-function} and/or
1957@code{x-dnd-known-types} if you want Emacs to accept or reject drops based
1958on some other criteria.
1959
1960@vindex x-dnd-types-alist
1961 If you want to change the way Emacs handles drop of different types
1962or add a new type, customize @code{x-dnd-types-alist}. This requires
1963detailed knowledge of what types other applications use for drag and
1964drop.
1965
1966@vindex dnd-protocol-alist
1967 When an URL is dropped on Emacs it may be a file, but it may also be
1968another URL type (ftp, http, etc.). Emacs first checks
1969@code{dnd-protocol-alist} to determine what to do with the URL. If
1970there is no match there and if @code{browse-url-browser-function} is
1971an alist, Emacs looks for a match there. If no match is found the
1972text for the URL is inserted. If you want to alter Emacs behavior,
1973you can customize these variables.
1974
1975@node Color Names
1976@section Color Names
1977
1978@cindex color names
1979@cindex specify color
1980@cindex numerical RGB color specification
1981 A color name is text (usually in a string) that specifies a color.
1982Symbolic names such as @samp{black}, @samp{white}, @samp{red}, etc.,
1983are allowed; use @kbd{M-x list-colors-display} to see a list of
1984defined names. You can also specify colors numerically in forms such
1985as @samp{#@var{rgb}} and @samp{RGB:@var{r}/@var{g}/@var{b}}, where
1986@var{r} specifies the red level, @var{g} specifies the green level,
1987and @var{b} specifies the blue level. You can use either one, two,
1988three, or four hex digits for @var{r}; then you must use the same
1989number of hex digits for all @var{g} and @var{b} as well, making
1990either 3, 6, 9 or 12 hex digits in all. (See the documentation of the
1991X Window System for more details about numerical RGB specification of
1992colors.)
1993
1994 These functions provide a way to determine which color names are
1995valid, and what they look like. In some cases, the value depends on the
1996@dfn{selected frame}, as described below; see @ref{Input Focus}, for the
1997meaning of the term ``selected frame.''
1998
73b7530a
EZ
1999 To read user input of color names with completion, use
2000@code{read-color} (@pxref{High-Level Completion, read-color}).
2001
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2002@defun color-defined-p color &optional frame
2003This function reports whether a color name is meaningful. It returns
2004@code{t} if so; otherwise, @code{nil}. The argument @var{frame} says
2005which frame's display to ask about; if @var{frame} is omitted or
2006@code{nil}, the selected frame is used.
2007
2008Note that this does not tell you whether the display you are using
2009really supports that color. When using X, you can ask for any defined
2010color on any kind of display, and you will get some result---typically,
2011the closest it can do. To determine whether a frame can really display
2012a certain color, use @code{color-supported-p} (see below).
2013
2014@findex x-color-defined-p
2015This function used to be called @code{x-color-defined-p},
2016and that name is still supported as an alias.
2017@end defun
2018
2019@defun defined-colors &optional frame
2020This function returns a list of the color names that are defined
2021and supported on frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
2022If @var{frame} does not support colors, the value is @code{nil}.
2023
2024@findex x-defined-colors
2025This function used to be called @code{x-defined-colors},
2026and that name is still supported as an alias.
2027@end defun
2028
2029@defun color-supported-p color &optional frame background-p
2030This returns @code{t} if @var{frame} can really display the color
2031@var{color} (or at least something close to it). If @var{frame} is
2032omitted or @code{nil}, the question applies to the selected frame.
2033
2034Some terminals support a different set of colors for foreground and
2035background. If @var{background-p} is non-@code{nil}, that means you are
2036asking whether @var{color} can be used as a background; otherwise you
2037are asking whether it can be used as a foreground.
2038
2039The argument @var{color} must be a valid color name.
2040@end defun
2041
2042@defun color-gray-p color &optional frame
2043This returns @code{t} if @var{color} is a shade of gray, as defined on
2044@var{frame}'s display. If @var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, the
2045question applies to the selected frame. If @var{color} is not a valid
2046color name, this function returns @code{nil}.
2047@end defun
2048
2049@defun color-values color &optional frame
2050@cindex rgb value
2051This function returns a value that describes what @var{color} should
2052ideally look like on @var{frame}. If @var{color} is defined, the
2053value is a list of three integers, which give the amount of red, the
2054amount of green, and the amount of blue. Each integer ranges in
2055principle from 0 to 65535, but some displays may not use the full
2056range. This three-element list is called the @dfn{rgb values} of the
2057color.
2058
2059If @var{color} is not defined, the value is @code{nil}.
2060
2061@example
2062(color-values "black")
2063 @result{} (0 0 0)
2064(color-values "white")
2065 @result{} (65280 65280 65280)
2066(color-values "red")
2067 @result{} (65280 0 0)
2068(color-values "pink")
2069 @result{} (65280 49152 51968)
2070(color-values "hungry")
2071 @result{} nil
2072@end example
2073
2074The color values are returned for @var{frame}'s display. If
2075@var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, the information is returned for
2076the selected frame's display. If the frame cannot display colors, the
2077value is @code{nil}.
2078
2079@findex x-color-values
2080This function used to be called @code{x-color-values},
2081and that name is still supported as an alias.
2082@end defun
2083
2084@node Text Terminal Colors
2085@section Text Terminal Colors
2086@cindex colors on text-only terminals
2087
2088 Text-only terminals usually support only a small number of colors,
2089and the computer uses small integers to select colors on the terminal.
2090This means that the computer cannot reliably tell what the selected
2091color looks like; instead, you have to inform your application which
2092small integers correspond to which colors. However, Emacs does know
2093the standard set of colors and will try to use them automatically.
2094
2095 The functions described in this section control how terminal colors
2096are used by Emacs.
2097
2098 Several of these functions use or return @dfn{rgb values}, described
2099in @ref{Color Names}.
2100
2101 These functions accept a display (either a frame or the name of a
2102terminal) as an optional argument. We hope in the future to make Emacs
2103support more than one text-only terminal at one time; then this argument
2104will specify which terminal to operate on (the default being the
2105selected frame's terminal; @pxref{Input Focus}). At present, though,
2106the @var{frame} argument has no effect.
2107
2108@defun tty-color-define name number &optional rgb frame
2109This function associates the color name @var{name} with
2110color number @var{number} on the terminal.
2111
2112The optional argument @var{rgb}, if specified, is an rgb value, a list
2113of three numbers that specify what the color actually looks like.
2114If you do not specify @var{rgb}, then this color cannot be used by
2115@code{tty-color-approximate} to approximate other colors, because
2116Emacs will not know what it looks like.
2117@end defun
2118
2119@defun tty-color-clear &optional frame
2120This function clears the table of defined colors for a text-only terminal.
2121@end defun
2122
2123@defun tty-color-alist &optional frame
2124This function returns an alist recording the known colors supported by a
2125text-only terminal.
2126
2127Each element has the form @code{(@var{name} @var{number} . @var{rgb})}
2128or @code{(@var{name} @var{number})}. Here, @var{name} is the color
2129name, @var{number} is the number used to specify it to the terminal.
2130If present, @var{rgb} is a list of three color values (for red, green,
2131and blue) that says what the color actually looks like.
2132@end defun
2133
2134@defun tty-color-approximate rgb &optional frame
2135This function finds the closest color, among the known colors
2136supported for @var{display}, to that described by the rgb value
2137@var{rgb} (a list of color values). The return value is an element of
2138@code{tty-color-alist}.
2139@end defun
2140
2141@defun tty-color-translate color &optional frame
2142This function finds the closest color to @var{color} among the known
2143colors supported for @var{display} and returns its index (an integer).
2144If the name @var{color} is not defined, the value is @code{nil}.
2145@end defun
2146
2147@node Resources
2148@section X Resources
2149
2150@defun x-get-resource attribute class &optional component subclass
2151The function @code{x-get-resource} retrieves a resource value from the X
2152Window defaults database.
2153
2154Resources are indexed by a combination of a @dfn{key} and a @dfn{class}.
2155This function searches using a key of the form
2156@samp{@var{instance}.@var{attribute}} (where @var{instance} is the name
2157under which Emacs was invoked), and using @samp{Emacs.@var{class}} as
2158the class.
2159
2160The optional arguments @var{component} and @var{subclass} add to the key
2161and the class, respectively. You must specify both of them or neither.
2162If you specify them, the key is
2163@samp{@var{instance}.@var{component}.@var{attribute}}, and the class is
2164@samp{Emacs.@var{class}.@var{subclass}}.
2165@end defun
2166
2167@defvar x-resource-class
2168This variable specifies the application name that @code{x-get-resource}
2169should look up. The default value is @code{"Emacs"}. You can examine X
2170resources for application names other than ``Emacs'' by binding this
2171variable to some other string, around a call to @code{x-get-resource}.
2172@end defvar
2173
2174@defvar x-resource-name
2175This variable specifies the instance name that @code{x-get-resource}
2176should look up. The default value is the name Emacs was invoked with,
2177or the value specified with the @samp{-name} or @samp{-rn} switches.
2178@end defvar
2179
2180To illustrate some of the above, suppose that you have the line:
2181
2182@example
2183xterm.vt100.background: yellow
2184@end example
2185
2186@noindent
2187in your X resources file (whose name is usually @file{~/.Xdefaults}
2188or @file{~/.Xresources}). Then:
2189
2190@example
2191@group
2192(let ((x-resource-class "XTerm") (x-resource-name "xterm"))
2193 (x-get-resource "vt100.background" "VT100.Background"))
2194 @result{} "yellow"
2195@end group
2196@group
2197(let ((x-resource-class "XTerm") (x-resource-name "xterm"))
2198 (x-get-resource "background" "VT100" "vt100" "Background"))
2199 @result{} "yellow"
2200@end group
2201@end example
2202
2203 @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
2204
2205@node Display Feature Testing
2206@section Display Feature Testing
2207@cindex display feature testing
2208
2209 The functions in this section describe the basic capabilities of a
2210particular display. Lisp programs can use them to adapt their behavior
2211to what the display can do. For example, a program that ordinarily uses
2212a popup menu could use the minibuffer if popup menus are not supported.
2213
2214 The optional argument @var{display} in these functions specifies which
2215display to ask the question about. It can be a display name, a frame
2216(which designates the display that frame is on), or @code{nil} (which
2217refers to the selected frame's display, @pxref{Input Focus}).
2218
2219 @xref{Color Names}, @ref{Text Terminal Colors}, for other functions to
2220obtain information about displays.
2221
2222@defun display-popup-menus-p &optional display
2223This function returns @code{t} if popup menus are supported on
2224@var{display}, @code{nil} if not. Support for popup menus requires that
2225the mouse be available, since the user cannot choose menu items without
2226a mouse.
2227@end defun
2228
2229@defun display-graphic-p &optional display
2230This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} is a graphic display
2231capable of displaying several frames and several different fonts at
2232once. This is true for displays that use a window system such as X, and
2233false for text-only terminals.
2234@end defun
2235
2236@defun display-mouse-p &optional display
2237@cindex mouse, availability
2238This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} has a mouse available,
2239@code{nil} if not.
2240@end defun
2241
2242@defun display-color-p &optional display
2243@findex x-display-color-p
2244This function returns @code{t} if the screen is a color screen.
2245It used to be called @code{x-display-color-p}, and that name
2246is still supported as an alias.
2247@end defun
2248
2249@defun display-grayscale-p &optional display
2250This function returns @code{t} if the screen can display shades of gray.
2251(All color displays can do this.)
2252@end defun
2253
2254@defun display-supports-face-attributes-p attributes &optional display
2255@anchor{Display Face Attribute Testing}
2256This function returns non-@code{nil} if all the face attributes in
2257@var{attributes} are supported (@pxref{Face Attributes}).
2258
2259The definition of `supported' is somewhat heuristic, but basically
2260means that a face containing all the attributes in @var{attributes},
2261when merged with the default face for display, can be represented in a
2262way that's
2263
2264@enumerate
2265@item
2266different in appearance than the default face, and
2267
2268@item
2269`close in spirit' to what the attributes specify, if not exact.
2270@end enumerate
2271
2272Point (2) implies that a @code{:weight black} attribute will be
2273satisfied by any display that can display bold, as will
2274@code{:foreground "yellow"} as long as some yellowish color can be
2275displayed, but @code{:slant italic} will @emph{not} be satisfied by
2276the tty display code's automatic substitution of a `dim' face for
2277italic.
2278@end defun
2279
2280@defun display-selections-p &optional display
2281This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} supports selections.
2282Windowed displays normally support selections, but they may also be
2283supported in some other cases.
2284@end defun
2285
2286@defun display-images-p &optional display
2287This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} can display images.
2288Windowed displays ought in principle to handle images, but some
2289systems lack the support for that. On a display that does not support
2290images, Emacs cannot display a tool bar.
2291@end defun
2292
2293@defun display-screens &optional display
2294This function returns the number of screens associated with the display.
2295@end defun
2296
2297@defun display-pixel-height &optional display
2298This function returns the height of the screen in pixels.
2299On a character terminal, it gives the height in characters.
2300
2301For graphical terminals, note that on ``multi-monitor'' setups this
2302refers to the pixel width for all physical monitors associated with
3ec61d4e 2303@var{display}. @xref{Multiple Terminals}.
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2304@end defun
2305
2306@defun display-pixel-width &optional display
2307This function returns the width of the screen in pixels.
2308On a character terminal, it gives the width in characters.
2309
2310For graphical terminals, note that on ``multi-monitor'' setups this
2311refers to the pixel width for all physical monitors associated with
3ec61d4e 2312@var{display}. @xref{Multiple Terminals}.
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2313@end defun
2314
2315@defun display-mm-height &optional display
2316This function returns the height of the screen in millimeters,
2317or @code{nil} if Emacs cannot get that information.
2318@end defun
2319
2320@defun display-mm-width &optional display
2321This function returns the width of the screen in millimeters,
2322or @code{nil} if Emacs cannot get that information.
2323@end defun
2324
2325@defvar display-mm-dimensions-alist
2326This variable allows the user to specify the dimensions of graphical
2327displays returned by @code{display-mm-height} and
2328@code{display-mm-width} in case the system provides incorrect values.
2329@end defvar
2330
2331@defun display-backing-store &optional display
2332This function returns the backing store capability of the display.
2333Backing store means recording the pixels of windows (and parts of
2334windows) that are not exposed, so that when exposed they can be
2335displayed very quickly.
2336
2337Values can be the symbols @code{always}, @code{when-mapped}, or
2338@code{not-useful}. The function can also return @code{nil}
2339when the question is inapplicable to a certain kind of display.
2340@end defun
2341
2342@defun display-save-under &optional display
2343This function returns non-@code{nil} if the display supports the
2344SaveUnder feature. That feature is used by pop-up windows
2345to save the pixels they obscure, so that they can pop down
2346quickly.
2347@end defun
2348
2349@defun display-planes &optional display
2350This function returns the number of planes the display supports.
2351This is typically the number of bits per pixel.
2352For a tty display, it is log to base two of the number of colors supported.
2353@end defun
2354
2355@defun display-visual-class &optional display
2356This function returns the visual class for the screen. The value is one
2357of the symbols @code{static-gray}, @code{gray-scale},
2358@code{static-color}, @code{pseudo-color}, @code{true-color}, and
2359@code{direct-color}.
2360@end defun
2361
2362@defun display-color-cells &optional display
2363This function returns the number of color cells the screen supports.
2364@end defun
2365
2366 These functions obtain additional information specifically
2367about X displays.
2368
2369@defun x-server-version &optional display
2370This function returns the list of version numbers of the X server
2371running the display. The value is a list of three integers: the major
2372and minor version numbers of the X protocol, and the
2373distributor-specific release number of the X server software itself.
2374@end defun
2375
2376@defun x-server-vendor &optional display
2377This function returns the ``vendor'' that provided the X server
2378software (as a string). Really this means whoever distributes the X
2379server.
2380
2381When the developers of X labelled software distributors as
2382``vendors,'' they showed their false assumption that no system could
2383ever be developed and distributed noncommercially.
2384@end defun
2385
2386@ignore
2387@defvar x-no-window-manager
2388This variable's value is @code{t} if no X window manager is in use.
2389@end defvar
2390@end ignore
2391
2392@ignore
2393@item
2394The functions @code{x-pixel-width} and @code{x-pixel-height} return the
2395width and height of an X Window frame, measured in pixels.
2396@end ignore
2397
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2399@ignore
2400 arch-tag: 94977df6-3dca-4730-b57b-c6329e9282ba
2401@end ignore