* abbrevs.texi (Abbrev Mode): abbrev-mode is an option.
[bpt/emacs.git] / doc / lispref / frames.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
01f17ae2 401@defopt initial-frame-alist
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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.
01f17ae2 429@end defopt
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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
01f17ae2 435@defopt minibuffer-frame-alist
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436This variable's value is an alist of parameter values used when
437creating an initial minibuffer-only frame. This is the
438minibuffer-only frame that Emacs creates if @code{initial-frame-alist}
439specifies a frame with no minibuffer.
01f17ae2 440@end defopt
b8d4c8d0 441
01f17ae2 442@defopt default-frame-alist
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443This is an alist specifying default values of frame parameters for all
444Emacs frames---the first frame, and subsequent frames. When using the X
445Window System, you can get the same results by means of X resources
446in many cases.
447
448Setting this variable does not affect existing frames.
01f17ae2 449@end defopt
b8d4c8d0 450
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451Functions that display a buffer in a separate frame can override the
452default parameters by supplying their own parameters. @xref{Definition
453of special-display-frame-alist}.
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454
455If you use options that specify window appearance when you invoke Emacs,
456they take effect by adding elements to @code{default-frame-alist}. One
457exception is @samp{-geometry}, which adds the specified position to
458@code{initial-frame-alist} instead. @xref{Emacs Invocation,, Command
459Line Arguments for Emacs Invocation, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
460
461@node Window Frame Parameters
462@subsection Window Frame Parameters
463
464 Just what parameters a frame has depends on what display mechanism
465it uses. This section describes the parameters that have special
466meanings on some or all kinds of terminals. Of these, @code{name},
467@code{title}, @code{height}, @code{width}, @code{buffer-list} and
468@code{buffer-predicate} provide meaningful information in terminal
469frames, and @code{tty-color-mode} is meaningful @emph{only} in
470terminal frames.
471
472@menu
473* Basic Parameters:: Parameters that are fundamental.
474* Position Parameters:: The position of the frame on the screen.
475* Size Parameters:: Frame's size.
476* Layout Parameters:: Size of parts of the frame, and
477 enabling or disabling some parts.
478* Buffer Parameters:: Which buffers have been or should be shown.
479* Management Parameters:: Communicating with the window manager.
480* Cursor Parameters:: Controlling the cursor appearance.
80be4dd7 481* Font and Color Parameters:: Fonts and colors for the frame text.
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482@end menu
483
484@node Basic Parameters
485@subsubsection Basic Parameters
486
487 These frame parameters give the most basic information about the
488frame. @code{title} and @code{name} are meaningful on all terminals.
489
490@table @code
491@item display
492The display on which to open this frame. It should be a string of the
493form @code{"@var{host}:@var{dpy}.@var{screen}"}, just like the
494@code{DISPLAY} environment variable.
495
496@item display-type
497This parameter describes the range of possible colors that can be used
498in this frame. Its value is @code{color}, @code{grayscale} or
499@code{mono}.
500
501@item title
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502If a frame has a non-@code{nil} title, it appears in the window
503system's title bar at the top of the frame, and also in the mode line
504of windows in that frame if @code{mode-line-frame-identification} uses
505@samp{%F} (@pxref{%-Constructs}). This is normally the case when
506Emacs is not using a window system, and can only display one frame at
507a time. @xref{Frame Titles}.
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508
509@item name
510The name of the frame. The frame name serves as a default for the frame
511title, if the @code{title} parameter is unspecified or @code{nil}. If
512you don't specify a name, Emacs sets the frame name automatically
513(@pxref{Frame Titles}).
514
515If you specify the frame name explicitly when you create the frame, the
516name is also used (instead of the name of the Emacs executable) when
517looking up X resources for the frame.
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518@end table
519
520@node Position Parameters
521@subsubsection Position Parameters
522
523 Position parameters' values are normally measured in pixels, but on
524text-only terminals they count characters or lines instead.
525
526@table @code
527@item left
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528The position, in pixels, of the left (or right) edge of the frame with
529respect to the left (or right) edge of the screen. The value may be:
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530
531@table @asis
532@item an integer
533A positive integer relates the left edge of the frame to the left edge
534of the screen. A negative integer relates the right frame edge to the
535right screen edge.
536
537@item @code{(+ @var{pos})}
538This specifies the position of the left frame edge relative to the left
539screen edge. The integer @var{pos} may be positive or negative; a
540negative value specifies a position outside the screen.
541
542@item @code{(- @var{pos})}
543This specifies the position of the right frame edge relative to the right
544screen edge. The integer @var{pos} may be positive or negative; a
545negative value specifies a position outside the screen.
546@end table
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547
548Some window managers ignore program-specified positions. If you want to
549be sure the position you specify is not ignored, specify a
550non-@code{nil} value for the @code{user-position} parameter as well.
551
552@item top
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553The screen position of the top (or bottom) edge, in pixels, with respect
554to the top (or bottom) edge of the screen. It works just like
555@code{left}, except vertically instead of horizontally.
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556
557@item icon-left
558The screen position of the left edge @emph{of the frame's icon}, in
559pixels, counting from the left edge of the screen. This takes effect if
560and when the frame is iconified.
561
562If you specify a value for this parameter, then you must also specify
563a value for @code{icon-top} and vice versa. The window manager may
564ignore these two parameters.
565
566@item icon-top
567The screen position of the top edge @emph{of the frame's icon}, in
568pixels, counting from the top edge of the screen. This takes effect if
569and when the frame is iconified.
570
571@item user-position
572When you create a frame and specify its screen position with the
573@code{left} and @code{top} parameters, use this parameter to say whether
574the specified position was user-specified (explicitly requested in some
575way by a human user) or merely program-specified (chosen by a program).
576A non-@code{nil} value says the position was user-specified.
577
578Window managers generally heed user-specified positions, and some heed
579program-specified positions too. But many ignore program-specified
580positions, placing the window in a default fashion or letting the user
581place it with the mouse. Some window managers, including @code{twm},
582let the user specify whether to obey program-specified positions or
583ignore them.
584
585When you call @code{make-frame}, you should specify a non-@code{nil}
586value for this parameter if the values of the @code{left} and @code{top}
587parameters represent the user's stated preference; otherwise, use
588@code{nil}.
589@end table
590
591@node Size Parameters
592@subsubsection Size Parameters
593
594 Size parameters' values are normally measured in pixels, but on
595text-only terminals they count characters or lines instead.
596
597@table @code
598@item height
599The height of the frame contents, in characters. (To get the height in
600pixels, call @code{frame-pixel-height}; see @ref{Size and Position}.)
601
602@item width
101a6cea 603The width of the frame contents, in characters. (To get the width in
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604pixels, call @code{frame-pixel-width}; see @ref{Size and Position}.)
605
606@item user-size
607This does for the size parameters @code{height} and @code{width} what
608the @code{user-position} parameter (see above) does for the position
609parameters @code{top} and @code{left}.
610
611@item fullscreen
612Specify that width, height or both shall be set to the size of the screen.
613The value @code{fullwidth} specifies that width shall be the size of the
614screen. The value @code{fullheight} specifies that height shall be the
615size of the screen. The value @code{fullboth} specifies that both the
616width and the height shall be set to the size of the screen.
617@end table
618
619@node Layout Parameters
620@subsubsection Layout Parameters
621
622 These frame parameters enable or disable various parts of the
623frame, or control their sizes.
624
625@table @code
626@item border-width
627The width in pixels of the frame's border.
628
629@item internal-border-width
630The distance in pixels between text (or fringe) and the frame's border.
631
632@item vertical-scroll-bars
633Whether the frame has scroll bars for vertical scrolling, and which side
634of the frame they should be on. The possible values are @code{left},
635@code{right}, and @code{nil} for no scroll bars.
636
637@ignore
638@item horizontal-scroll-bars
639Whether the frame has scroll bars for horizontal scrolling
640(non-@code{nil} means yes). Horizontal scroll bars are not currently
641implemented.
642@end ignore
643
644@item scroll-bar-width
645The width of vertical scroll bars, in pixels, or @code{nil} meaning to
646use the default width.
647
648@item left-fringe
649@itemx right-fringe
650The default width of the left and right fringes of windows in this
651frame (@pxref{Fringes}). If either of these is zero, that effectively
652removes the corresponding fringe. A value of @code{nil} stands for
653the standard fringe width, which is the width needed to display the
654fringe bitmaps.
655
656The combined fringe widths must add up to an integral number of
657columns, so the actual default fringe widths for the frame may be
658larger than the specified values. The extra width needed to reach an
659acceptable total is distributed evenly between the left and right
660fringe. However, you can force one fringe or the other to a precise
661width by specifying that width as a negative integer. If both widths are
662negative, only the left fringe gets the specified width.
663
664@item menu-bar-lines
665The number of lines to allocate at the top of the frame for a menu
666bar. The default is 1. A value of @code{nil} means don't display a
667menu bar. @xref{Menu Bar}. (The X toolkit and GTK allow at most one
668menu bar line; they treat larger values as 1.)
669
670@item tool-bar-lines
671The number of lines to use for the tool bar. A value of @code{nil}
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672means don't display a tool bar. (GTK and Nextstep allow at most one
673tool bar line; they treat larger values as 1.)
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674
675@item line-spacing
676Additional space to leave below each text line, in pixels (a positive
677integer). @xref{Line Height}, for more information.
678@end table
679
680@node Buffer Parameters
681@subsubsection Buffer Parameters
682
683 These frame parameters, meaningful on all kinds of terminals, deal
684with which buffers have been, or should, be displayed in the frame.
685
686@table @code
687@item minibuffer
688Whether this frame has its own minibuffer. The value @code{t} means
689yes, @code{nil} means no, @code{only} means this frame is just a
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690minibuffer. If the value is a minibuffer window (in some other
691frame), the frame uses that minibuffer.
692
693This frame parameter takes effect when the frame is created, and can
694not be changed afterwards.
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695
696@item buffer-predicate
697The buffer-predicate function for this frame. The function
698@code{other-buffer} uses this predicate (from the selected frame) to
699decide which buffers it should consider, if the predicate is not
700@code{nil}. It calls the predicate with one argument, a buffer, once for
701each buffer; if the predicate returns a non-@code{nil} value, it
702considers that buffer.
703
704@item buffer-list
705A list of buffers that have been selected in this frame,
706ordered most-recently-selected first.
707
708@item unsplittable
709If non-@code{nil}, this frame's window is never split automatically.
710@end table
711
712@node Management Parameters
713@subsubsection Window Management Parameters
714@cindex window manager, and frame parameters
715
716 These frame parameters, meaningful only on window system displays,
717interact with the window manager.
718
719@table @code
720@item visibility
721The state of visibility of the frame. There are three possibilities:
722@code{nil} for invisible, @code{t} for visible, and @code{icon} for
723iconified. @xref{Visibility of Frames}.
724
725@item auto-raise
726Whether selecting the frame raises it (non-@code{nil} means yes).
727
728@item auto-lower
729Whether deselecting the frame lowers it (non-@code{nil} means yes).
730
731@item icon-type
732The type of icon to use for this frame when it is iconified. If the
733value is a string, that specifies a file containing a bitmap to use.
734Any other non-@code{nil} value specifies the default bitmap icon (a
735picture of a gnu); @code{nil} specifies a text icon.
736
737@item icon-name
738The name to use in the icon for this frame, when and if the icon
739appears. If this is @code{nil}, the frame's title is used.
740
741@item window-id
742The number of the window-system window used by the frame
743to contain the actual Emacs windows.
744
745@item outer-window-id
746The number of the outermost window-system window used for the whole frame.
747
748@item wait-for-wm
749If non-@code{nil}, tell Xt to wait for the window manager to confirm
750geometry changes. Some window managers, including versions of Fvwm2
751and KDE, fail to confirm, so Xt hangs. Set this to @code{nil} to
752prevent hanging with those window managers.
753
754@ignore
755@item parent-id
756@c ??? Not yet working.
757The X window number of the window that should be the parent of this one.
758Specifying this lets you create an Emacs window inside some other
759application's window. (It is not certain this will be implemented; try
760it and see if it works.)
761@end ignore
762@end table
763
764@node Cursor Parameters
765@subsubsection Cursor Parameters
766
767 This frame parameter controls the way the cursor looks.
768
769@table @code
770@item cursor-type
771How to display the cursor. Legitimate values are:
772
773@table @code
774@item box
775Display a filled box. (This is the default.)
776@item hollow
777Display a hollow box.
778@item nil
779Don't display a cursor.
780@item bar
781Display a vertical bar between characters.
782@item (bar . @var{width})
783Display a vertical bar @var{width} pixels wide between characters.
784@item hbar
785Display a horizontal bar.
786@item (hbar . @var{height})
787Display a horizontal bar @var{height} pixels high.
788@end table
789@end table
790
791@vindex cursor-type
792The buffer-local variable @code{cursor-type} overrides the value of
793the @code{cursor-type} frame parameter, but if it is @code{t}, that
794means to use the cursor specified for the frame.
795
01f17ae2 796@defopt blink-cursor-alist
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797This variable specifies how to blink the cursor. Each element has the
798form @code{(@var{on-state} . @var{off-state})}. Whenever the cursor
799type equals @var{on-state} (comparing using @code{equal}), the
800corresponding @var{off-state} specifies what the cursor looks like
801when it blinks ``off.'' Both @var{on-state} and @var{off-state}
802should be suitable values for the @code{cursor-type} frame parameter.
803
804There are various defaults for how to blink each type of cursor, if
805the type is not mentioned as an @var{on-state} here. Changes in this
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806variable do not take effect immediately, only when you specify the
807@code{cursor-type} frame parameter.
01f17ae2 808@end defopt
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01f17ae2 810@defopt cursor-in-non-selected-windows
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811This variable controls how the cursor looks in a window that is not
812selected. It supports the same values as the @code{cursor-type} frame
813parameter; also, @code{nil} means don't display a cursor in
814nonselected windows, and @code{t} (the default) means use a standard
815modificatoin of the usual cursor type (solid box becomes hollow box,
816and bar becomes a narrower bar).
01f17ae2 817@end defopt
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819@node Font and Color Parameters
820@subsubsection Font and Color Parameters
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80be4dd7 822 These frame parameters control the use of fonts and colors.
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823
824@table @code
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825@item font-backend
826A list of symbols, specifying the @dfn{font backends} to use for
827drawing fonts in the frame, in order of priority. On X, there are
828currently two available font backends: @code{x} (the X core font
829driver) and @code{xft} (the Xft font driver). On other systems, there
830is only one available font backend, so it does not make sense to
831modify this frame parameter.
832
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833@item background-mode
834This parameter is either @code{dark} or @code{light}, according
835to whether the background color is a light one or a dark one.
836
837@item tty-color-mode
838@cindex standard colors for character terminals
839This parameter overrides the terminal's color support as given by the
840system's terminal capabilities database in that this parameter's value
841specifies the color mode to use in terminal frames. The value can be
842either a symbol or a number. A number specifies the number of colors
843to use (and, indirectly, what commands to issue to produce each
844color). For example, @code{(tty-color-mode . 8)} specifies use of the
845ANSI escape sequences for 8 standard text colors. A value of -1 turns
846off color support.
847
848If the parameter's value is a symbol, it specifies a number through
849the value of @code{tty-color-mode-alist}, and the associated number is
850used instead.
851
852@item screen-gamma
853@cindex gamma correction
854If this is a number, Emacs performs ``gamma correction'' which adjusts
855the brightness of all colors. The value should be the screen gamma of
856your display, a floating point number.
857
858Usual PC monitors have a screen gamma of 2.2, so color values in
859Emacs, and in X windows generally, are calibrated to display properly
860on a monitor with that gamma value. If you specify 2.2 for
861@code{screen-gamma}, that means no correction is needed. Other values
862request correction, designed to make the corrected colors appear on
863your screen the way they would have appeared without correction on an
864ordinary monitor with a gamma value of 2.2.
865
866If your monitor displays colors too light, you should specify a
867@code{screen-gamma} value smaller than 2.2. This requests correction
868that makes colors darker. A screen gamma value of 1.5 may give good
869results for LCD color displays.
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870
871@item alpha
872@cindex opacity, frame
873@cindex transparency, frame
874@vindex frame-alpha-lower-limit
875This parameter specifies the opacity of the frame, on graphical
876displays that support variable opacity. It should be an integer
877between 0 and 100, where 0 means completely transparent and 100 means
878completely opaque. It can also have a @code{nil} value, which tells
879Emacs not to set the frame opacity (leaving it to the window manager).
880
881To prevent the frame from disappearing completely from view, the
3ec61d4e 882variable @code{frame-alpha-lower-limit} defines a lower opacity limit.
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883If the value of the frame parameter is less than the value of this
884variable, Emacs uses the latter. By default,
3ec61d4e 885@code{frame-alpha-lower-limit} is 20.
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886
887The @code{alpha} frame parameter can also be a cons cell
888@code{(@samp{active} . @samp{inactive})}, where @samp{active} is the
889opacity of the frame when it is selected, and @samp{inactive} is the
890opactity when it is not selected.
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891@end table
892
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893The following frame parameters are semi-obsolete in that they are
894automatically equivalent to particular face attributes of particular
895faces (@pxref{Standard Faces,,, emacs, The Emacs Manual}):
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896
897@table @code
898@item font
899The name of the font for displaying text in the frame. This is a
900string, either a valid font name for your system or the name of an Emacs
901fontset (@pxref{Fontsets}). It is equivalent to the @code{font}
902attribute of the @code{default} face.
903
904@item foreground-color
905The color to use for the image of a character. It is equivalent to
906the @code{:foreground} attribute of the @code{default} face.
907
908@item background-color
909The color to use for the background of characters. It is equivalent to
910the @code{:background} attribute of the @code{default} face.
911
912@item mouse-color
913The color for the mouse pointer. It is equivalent to the @code{:background}
914attribute of the @code{mouse} face.
915
916@item cursor-color
917The color for the cursor that shows point. It is equivalent to the
918@code{:background} attribute of the @code{cursor} face.
919
920@item border-color
921The color for the border of the frame. It is equivalent to the
922@code{:background} attribute of the @code{border} face.
923
924@item scroll-bar-foreground
925If non-@code{nil}, the color for the foreground of scroll bars. It is
926equivalent to the @code{:foreground} attribute of the
927@code{scroll-bar} face.
928
929@item scroll-bar-background
930If non-@code{nil}, the color for the background of scroll bars. It is
931equivalent to the @code{:background} attribute of the
932@code{scroll-bar} face.
933@end table
934
935@node Size and Position
936@subsection Frame Size And Position
937@cindex size of frame
938@cindex screen size
939@cindex frame size
940@cindex resize frame
941
942 You can read or change the size and position of a frame using the
943frame parameters @code{left}, @code{top}, @code{height}, and
944@code{width}. Whatever geometry parameters you don't specify are chosen
945by the window manager in its usual fashion.
946
947 Here are some special features for working with sizes and positions.
948(For the precise meaning of ``selected frame'' used by these functions,
949see @ref{Input Focus}.)
950
951@defun set-frame-position frame left top
952This function sets the position of the top left corner of @var{frame} to
953@var{left} and @var{top}. These arguments are measured in pixels, and
954normally count from the top left corner of the screen.
955
956Negative parameter values position the bottom edge of the window up from
957the bottom edge of the screen, or the right window edge to the left of
958the right edge of the screen. It would probably be better if the values
959were always counted from the left and top, so that negative arguments
960would position the frame partly off the top or left edge of the screen,
961but it seems inadvisable to change that now.
962@end defun
963
964@defun frame-height &optional frame
965@defunx frame-width &optional frame
966These functions return the height and width of @var{frame}, measured in
967lines and columns. If you don't supply @var{frame}, they use the
968selected frame.
969@end defun
970
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971@defun frame-pixel-height &optional frame
972@defunx frame-pixel-width &optional frame
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973These functions return the height and width of the main display area
974of @var{frame}, measured in pixels. If you don't supply @var{frame},
975they use the selected frame.
976
977These values include the internal borders, and windows' scroll bars
978and fringes (which belong to individual windows, not to the frame
979itself), but do not include menu bars or tool bars (except when using
980X without an X toolkit).
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981@end defun
982
983@defun frame-char-height &optional frame
984@defunx frame-char-width &optional frame
985These functions return the height and width of a character in
986@var{frame}, measured in pixels. The values depend on the choice of
987font. If you don't supply @var{frame}, these functions use the selected
988frame.
989@end defun
990
991@defun set-frame-size frame cols rows
992This function sets the size of @var{frame}, measured in characters;
993@var{cols} and @var{rows} specify the new width and height.
994
995To set the size based on values measured in pixels, use
996@code{frame-char-height} and @code{frame-char-width} to convert
997them to units of characters.
998@end defun
999
1000@defun set-frame-height frame lines &optional pretend
1001This function resizes @var{frame} to a height of @var{lines} lines. The
1002sizes of existing windows in @var{frame} are altered proportionally to
1003fit.
1004
1005If @var{pretend} is non-@code{nil}, then Emacs displays @var{lines}
1006lines of output in @var{frame}, but does not change its value for the
1007actual height of the frame. This is only useful for a terminal frame.
1008Using a smaller height than the terminal actually implements may be
1009useful to reproduce behavior observed on a smaller screen, or if the
1010terminal malfunctions when using its whole screen. Setting the frame
1011height ``for real'' does not always work, because knowing the correct
1012actual size may be necessary for correct cursor positioning on a
1013terminal frame.
1014@end defun
1015
1016@defun set-frame-width frame width &optional pretend
1017This function sets the width of @var{frame}, measured in characters.
1018The argument @var{pretend} has the same meaning as in
1019@code{set-frame-height}.
1020@end defun
1021
1022@findex set-screen-height
1023@findex set-screen-width
1024 The older functions @code{set-screen-height} and
1025@code{set-screen-width} were used to specify the height and width of the
1026screen, in Emacs versions that did not support multiple frames. They
1027are semi-obsolete, but still work; they apply to the selected frame.
1028
1029@node Geometry
1030@subsection Geometry
1031
1032 Here's how to examine the data in an X-style window geometry
1033specification:
1034
1035@defun x-parse-geometry geom
1036@cindex geometry specification
1037The function @code{x-parse-geometry} converts a standard X window
1038geometry string to an alist that you can use as part of the argument to
1039@code{make-frame}.
1040
1041The alist describes which parameters were specified in @var{geom}, and
1042gives the values specified for them. Each element looks like
1043@code{(@var{parameter} . @var{value})}. The possible @var{parameter}
1044values are @code{left}, @code{top}, @code{width}, and @code{height}.
1045
1046For the size parameters, the value must be an integer. The position
1047parameter names @code{left} and @code{top} are not totally accurate,
1048because some values indicate the position of the right or bottom edges
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1049instead. The @var{value} possibilities for the position parameters are:
1050an integer, a list @code{(+ @var{pos})}, or a list @code{(- @var{pos})};
1051as previously described (@pxref{Position Parameters}).
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1052
1053Here is an example:
1054
1055@example
1056(x-parse-geometry "35x70+0-0")
1057 @result{} ((height . 70) (width . 35)
1058 (top - 0) (left . 0))
1059@end example
1060@end defun
1061
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1062@node Terminal Parameters
1063@section Terminal Parameters
1064@cindex terminal parameters
1065
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1066 Each terminal has a list of associated parameters. These
1067@dfn{terminal parameters} are mostly a convenient way of storage for
1068terminal-local variables, but some terminal parameters have a special
1069meaning.
1070
1071 This section describes functions to read and change the parameter values
1072of a terminal. They all accept as their argument either a terminal or
1073a frame; the latter means use that frame's terminal. An argument of
1074@code{nil} means the selected frame's terminal.
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1075
1076@defun terminal-parameters &optional terminal
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1077This function returns an alist listing all the parameters of
1078@var{terminal} and their values.
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1079@end defun
1080
1081@defun terminal-parameter terminal parameter
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1082This function returns the value of the parameter @var{parameter} (a
1083symbol) of @var{terminal}. If @var{terminal} has no setting for
1084@var{parameter}, this function returns @code{nil}.
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1085@end defun
1086
1087@defun set-terminal-parameter terminal parameter value
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1088This function sets the parameter @var{parm} of @var{terminal} to the
1089specified @var{value}, and returns the previous value of that
1090parameter.
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1091@end defun
1092
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1093Here's a list of a few terminal parameters that have a special
1094meaning:
1095
1096@table @code
1097@item background-mode
1098The classification of the terminal's background color, either
1099@code{light} or @code{dark}.
1100@item normal-erase-is-backspace
1101Value is either 1 or 0, depending on whether
1102@code{normal-erase-is-backspace-mode} is turned on or off on this
1103terminal. @xref{DEL Does Not Delete,,, emacs, The Emacs Manual}.
1104@item terminal-initted
1105After the terminal is initialized, this is set to the
1106terminal-specific initialization function.
1107@end table
1108
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1109@node Frame Titles
1110@section Frame Titles
1111@cindex frame title
1112
1113 Every frame has a @code{name} parameter; this serves as the default
1114for the frame title which window systems typically display at the top of
1115the frame. You can specify a name explicitly by setting the @code{name}
1116frame property.
1117
1118 Normally you don't specify the name explicitly, and Emacs computes the
1119frame name automatically based on a template stored in the variable
1120@code{frame-title-format}. Emacs recomputes the name each time the
1121frame is redisplayed.
1122
1123@defvar frame-title-format
1124This variable specifies how to compute a name for a frame when you have
1125not explicitly specified one. The variable's value is actually a mode
1126line construct, just like @code{mode-line-format}, except that the
1127@samp{%c} and @samp{%l} constructs are ignored. @xref{Mode Line
1128Data}.
1129@end defvar
1130
1131@defvar icon-title-format
1132This variable specifies how to compute the name for an iconified frame,
1133when you have not explicitly specified the frame title. This title
1134appears in the icon itself.
1135@end defvar
1136
1137@defvar multiple-frames
1138This variable is set automatically by Emacs. Its value is @code{t} when
1139there are two or more frames (not counting minibuffer-only frames or
1140invisible frames). The default value of @code{frame-title-format} uses
1141@code{multiple-frames} so as to put the buffer name in the frame title
1142only when there is more than one frame.
1143
1144The value of this variable is not guaranteed to be accurate except
1145while processing @code{frame-title-format} or
1146@code{icon-title-format}.
1147@end defvar
1148
1149@node Deleting Frames
1150@section Deleting Frames
1151@cindex deleting frames
1152
1153Frames remain potentially visible until you explicitly @dfn{delete}
1154them. A deleted frame cannot appear on the screen, but continues to
1155exist as a Lisp object until there are no references to it.
1156
1157@deffn Command delete-frame &optional frame force
1158@vindex delete-frame-functions
1159This function deletes the frame @var{frame}. Unless @var{frame} is a
1160tooltip, it first runs the hook @code{delete-frame-functions} (each
1161function gets one argument, @var{frame}). By default, @var{frame} is
1162the selected frame.
1163
1164A frame cannot be deleted if its minibuffer is used by other frames.
1165Normally, you cannot delete a frame if all other frames are invisible,
6a4cfb0c 1166but if @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, then you are allowed to do so.
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1167@end deffn
1168
1169@defun frame-live-p frame
1170The function @code{frame-live-p} returns non-@code{nil} if the frame
1171@var{frame} has not been deleted. The possible non-@code{nil} return
1172values are like those of @code{framep}. @xref{Frames}.
1173@end defun
1174
1175 Some window managers provide a command to delete a window. These work
1176by sending a special message to the program that operates the window.
1177When Emacs gets one of these commands, it generates a
1178@code{delete-frame} event, whose normal definition is a command that
1179calls the function @code{delete-frame}. @xref{Misc Events}.
1180
1181@node Finding All Frames
1182@section Finding All Frames
1183@cindex frames, scanning all
1184
1185@defun frame-list
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1186The function @code{frame-list} returns a list of all the live frames,
1187i.e.@: those that have not been deleted. It is analogous to
1188@code{buffer-list} for buffers, and includes frames on all terminals.
1189The list that you get is newly created, so modifying the list doesn't
1190have any effect on the internals of Emacs.
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1191@end defun
1192
1193@defun visible-frame-list
1194This function returns a list of just the currently visible frames.
1195@xref{Visibility of Frames}. (Terminal frames always count as
1196``visible,'' even though only the selected one is actually displayed.)
1197@end defun
1198
1199@defun next-frame &optional frame minibuf
1200The function @code{next-frame} lets you cycle conveniently through all
1201the frames on the current display from an arbitrary starting point. It
1202returns the ``next'' frame after @var{frame} in the cycle. If
1203@var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to the selected frame
1204(@pxref{Input Focus}).
1205
1206The second argument, @var{minibuf}, says which frames to consider:
1207
1208@table @asis
1209@item @code{nil}
1210Exclude minibuffer-only frames.
1211@item @code{visible}
1212Consider all visible frames.
1213@item 0
1214Consider all visible or iconified frames.
1215@item a window
1216Consider only the frames using that particular window as their
1217minibuffer.
1218@item anything else
1219Consider all frames.
1220@end table
1221@end defun
1222
1223@defun previous-frame &optional frame minibuf
1224Like @code{next-frame}, but cycles through all frames in the opposite
1225direction.
1226@end defun
1227
1228 See also @code{next-window} and @code{previous-window}, in @ref{Cyclic
1229Window Ordering}.
1230
1231@node Frames and Windows
1232@section Frames and Windows
1233
6a4cfb0c 1234 Each window is part of one and only one frame; you can get that frame
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1235with @code{window-frame}.
1236
1237@defun window-frame window
1238This function returns the frame that @var{window} is on.
1239@end defun
1240
1241 All the non-minibuffer windows in a frame are arranged in a cyclic
1242order. The order runs from the frame's top window, which is at the
1243upper left corner, down and to the right, until it reaches the window at
1244the lower right corner (always the minibuffer window, if the frame has
1245one), and then it moves back to the top. @xref{Cyclic Window Ordering}.
1246
1247@defun frame-first-window &optional frame
1248This returns the topmost, leftmost window of frame @var{frame}.
1249If omitted or @code{nil}, @var{frame} defaults to the selected frame.
1250@end defun
1251
1252At any time, exactly one window on any frame is @dfn{selected within the
1253frame}. The significance of this designation is that selecting the
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1254frame also selects this window. Conversely, selecting a window for
1255Emacs with @code{select-window} also makes that window selected within
1256its frame. @xref{Selecting Windows}.
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1257
1258@defun frame-selected-window &optional frame
1259This function returns the window on @var{frame} that is selected
1260within @var{frame}. If omitted or @code{nil}, @var{frame} defaults to
1261the selected frame.
1262@end defun
1263
6a4cfb0c 1264@defun set-frame-selected-window frame window &optional norecord
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1265This sets the selected window of frame @var{frame} to @var{window}.
1266If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it operates on the selected frame. If
1267@var{frame} is the selected frame, this makes @var{window} the
1268selected window. This function returns @var{window}.
b8d4c8d0 1269
6a4cfb0c
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1270Optional argument @var{norecord} non-@code{nil} means to neither change
1271the order of recently selected windows nor the buffer list (@pxref{The
1272Buffer List}).
1273@end defun
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1274
1275 Another function that (usually) returns one of the windows in a given
1276frame is @code{minibuffer-window}. @xref{Definition of minibuffer-window}.
1277
1278@node Minibuffers and Frames
1279@section Minibuffers and Frames
1280
1281Normally, each frame has its own minibuffer window at the bottom, which
1282is used whenever that frame is selected. If the frame has a minibuffer,
1283you can get it with @code{minibuffer-window} (@pxref{Definition of
1284minibuffer-window}).
1285
1286However, you can also create a frame with no minibuffer. Such a frame
1287must use the minibuffer window of some other frame. When you create the
1288frame, you can specify explicitly the minibuffer window to use (in some
1289other frame). If you don't, then the minibuffer is found in the frame
1290which is the value of the variable @code{default-minibuffer-frame}. Its
1291value should be a frame that does have a minibuffer.
1292
1293If you use a minibuffer-only frame, you might want that frame to raise
1294when you enter the minibuffer. If so, set the variable
1295@code{minibuffer-auto-raise} to @code{t}. @xref{Raising and Lowering}.
1296
1297@defvar default-minibuffer-frame
1298This variable specifies the frame to use for the minibuffer window, by
1299default. It does not affect existing frames. It is always local to
1300the current terminal and cannot be buffer-local. @xref{Multiple
3ec61d4e 1301Terminals}.
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1302@end defvar
1303
1304@node Input Focus
1305@section Input Focus
1306@cindex input focus
1307@c @cindex selected frame Duplicates selected-frame
1308
1309At any time, one frame in Emacs is the @dfn{selected frame}. The selected
1310window always resides on the selected frame.
1311
1312When Emacs displays its frames on several terminals (@pxref{Multiple
3ec61d4e
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1313Terminals}), each terminal has its own selected frame. But only one
1314of these is ``@emph{the} selected frame'': it's the frame that belongs
1315to the terminal from which the most recent input came. That is, when
1316Emacs runs a command that came from a certain terminal, the selected
1317frame is the one of that terminal. Since Emacs runs only a single
1318command at any given time, it needs to consider only one selected
1319frame at a time; this frame is what we call @dfn{the selected frame}
1320in this manual. The display on which the selected frame is shown is
1321the @dfn{selected frame's display}.
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1322
1323@defun selected-frame
1324This function returns the selected frame.
1325@end defun
1326
1327Some window systems and window managers direct keyboard input to the
1328window object that the mouse is in; others require explicit clicks or
1329commands to @dfn{shift the focus} to various window objects. Either
1330way, Emacs automatically keeps track of which frame has the focus. To
6a4cfb0c 1331explicitly switch to a different frame from a Lisp function, call
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1332@code{select-frame-set-input-focus}.
1333
1334Lisp programs can also switch frames ``temporarily'' by calling the
1335function @code{select-frame}. This does not alter the window system's
1336concept of focus; rather, it escapes from the window manager's control
1337until that control is somehow reasserted.
1338
1339When using a text-only terminal, only one frame can be displayed at a
1340time on the terminal, so after a call to @code{select-frame}, the next
1341redisplay actually displays the newly selected frame. This frame
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1342remains selected until a subsequent call to @code{select-frame}. Each
1343terminal frame has a number which appears in the mode line before the
1344buffer name (@pxref{Mode Line Variables}).
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1345
1346@defun select-frame-set-input-focus frame
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1347This function selects @var{frame}, raises it (should it happen to be
1348obscured by other frames) and tries to give it the X server's focus. On
1349a text-only terminal, the next redisplay displays the new frame on the
1350entire terminal screen. The return value of this function is not
1351significant.
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1352@end defun
1353
1354@c ??? This is not yet implemented properly.
6a4cfb0c 1355@defun select-frame frame &optional norecord
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1356This function selects frame @var{frame}, temporarily disregarding the
1357focus of the X server if any. The selection of @var{frame} lasts until
1358the next time the user does something to select a different frame, or
1359until the next time this function is called. (If you are using a
1360window system, the previously selected frame may be restored as the
1361selected frame after return to the command loop, because it still may
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MR
1362have the window system's input focus.)
1363
1364The specified @var{frame} becomes the selected frame, as explained
1365above, and the terminal that @var{frame} is on becomes the selected
1366terminal. The window selected within @var{frame} becomes the selected
1367window. This function returns @var{frame}, or @code{nil} if @var{frame}
1368has been deleted.
1369
1370Optional argument @var{norecord} non-@code{nil} means to neither change
1371the order of recently selected windows nor the buffer list. @xref{The
1372Buffer List}.
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1373
1374In general, you should never use @code{select-frame} in a way that could
1375switch to a different terminal without switching back when you're done.
1376@end defun
1377
1378Emacs cooperates with the window system by arranging to select frames as
1379the server and window manager request. It does so by generating a
1380special kind of input event, called a @dfn{focus} event, when
1381appropriate. The command loop handles a focus event by calling
1382@code{handle-switch-frame}. @xref{Focus Events}.
1383
1384@deffn Command handle-switch-frame frame
1385This function handles a focus event by selecting frame @var{frame}.
1386
1387Focus events normally do their job by invoking this command.
1388Don't call it for any other reason.
1389@end deffn
1390
1391@defun redirect-frame-focus frame &optional focus-frame
1392This function redirects focus from @var{frame} to @var{focus-frame}.
1393This means that @var{focus-frame} will receive subsequent keystrokes and
1394events intended for @var{frame}. After such an event, the value of
1395@code{last-event-frame} will be @var{focus-frame}. Also, switch-frame
1396events specifying @var{frame} will instead select @var{focus-frame}.
1397
1398If @var{focus-frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, that cancels any existing
1399redirection for @var{frame}, which therefore once again receives its own
1400events.
1401
1402One use of focus redirection is for frames that don't have minibuffers.
1403These frames use minibuffers on other frames. Activating a minibuffer
1404on another frame redirects focus to that frame. This puts the focus on
1405the minibuffer's frame, where it belongs, even though the mouse remains
1406in the frame that activated the minibuffer.
1407
1408Selecting a frame can also change focus redirections. Selecting frame
1409@code{bar}, when @code{foo} had been selected, changes any redirections
1410pointing to @code{foo} so that they point to @code{bar} instead. This
1411allows focus redirection to work properly when the user switches from
1412one frame to another using @code{select-window}.
1413
1414This means that a frame whose focus is redirected to itself is treated
1415differently from a frame whose focus is not redirected.
1416@code{select-frame} affects the former but not the latter.
1417
1418The redirection lasts until @code{redirect-frame-focus} is called to
1419change it.
1420@end defun
1421
1422@defopt focus-follows-mouse
1423This option is how you inform Emacs whether the window manager transfers
1424focus when the user moves the mouse. Non-@code{nil} says that it does.
1425When this is so, the command @code{other-frame} moves the mouse to a
6a4cfb0c 1426position consistent with the new selected frame.
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1427@end defopt
1428
1429@node Visibility of Frames
1430@section Visibility of Frames
1431@cindex visible frame
1432@cindex invisible frame
1433@cindex iconified frame
1434@cindex frame visibility
1435
1436A window frame may be @dfn{visible}, @dfn{invisible}, or
1437@dfn{iconified}. If it is visible, you can see its contents, unless
1438other windows cover it. If it is iconified, the frame's contents do
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1439not appear on the screen, but an icon does. (Note: because of the
1440way in which some window managers implement the concept of multiple
1441workspaces, or desktops, all frames on other workspaces may appear to
1442Emacs to be iconified.) If the frame is invisible, it doesn't show on
1443the screen, not even as an icon.
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1444
1445Visibility is meaningless for terminal frames, since only the selected
1446one is actually displayed in any case.
1447
1448@deffn Command make-frame-visible &optional frame
1449This function makes frame @var{frame} visible. If you omit
1450@var{frame}, it makes the selected frame visible. This does not raise
1451the frame, but you can do that with @code{raise-frame} if you wish
1452(@pxref{Raising and Lowering}).
1453@end deffn
1454
1455@deffn Command make-frame-invisible &optional frame force
1456This function makes frame @var{frame} invisible. If you omit
1457@var{frame}, it makes the selected frame invisible.
1458
1459Unless @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, this function refuses to make
1460@var{frame} invisible if all other frames are invisible..
1461@end deffn
1462
1463@deffn Command iconify-frame &optional frame
1464This function iconifies frame @var{frame}. If you omit @var{frame}, it
1465iconifies the selected frame.
1466@end deffn
1467
1468@defun frame-visible-p frame
1469This returns the visibility status of frame @var{frame}. The value is
1470@code{t} if @var{frame} is visible, @code{nil} if it is invisible, and
1471@code{icon} if it is iconified.
1472
1473On a text-only terminal, all frames are considered visible, whether
1474they are currently being displayed or not, and this function returns
1475@code{t} for all frames.
1476@end defun
1477
1478 The visibility status of a frame is also available as a frame
1479parameter. You can read or change it as such. @xref{Management
1480Parameters}.
1481
1482 The user can iconify and deiconify frames with the window manager.
1483This happens below the level at which Emacs can exert any control, but
1484Emacs does provide events that you can use to keep track of such
1485changes. @xref{Misc Events}.
1486
1487@node Raising and Lowering
1488@section Raising and Lowering Frames
1489
1490 Most window systems use a desktop metaphor. Part of this metaphor is
1491the idea that windows are stacked in a notional third dimension
1492perpendicular to the screen surface, and thus ordered from ``highest''
1493to ``lowest.'' Where two windows overlap, the one higher up covers
1494the one underneath. Even a window at the bottom of the stack can be
1495seen if no other window overlaps it.
1496
1497@c @cindex raising a frame redundant with raise-frame
1498@cindex lowering a frame
1499 A window's place in this ordering is not fixed; in fact, users tend
1500to change the order frequently. @dfn{Raising} a window means moving
1501it ``up,'' to the top of the stack. @dfn{Lowering} a window means
1502moving it to the bottom of the stack. This motion is in the notional
1503third dimension only, and does not change the position of the window
1504on the screen.
1505
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MR
1506 With Emacs, frames constitute the windows in the metaphor sketched
1507above. You can raise and lower frames using these functions:
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1508
1509@deffn Command raise-frame &optional frame
1510This function raises frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
1511If @var{frame} is invisible or iconified, this makes it visible.
1512@end deffn
1513
1514@deffn Command lower-frame &optional frame
1515This function lowers frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
1516@end deffn
1517
1518@defopt minibuffer-auto-raise
1519If this is non-@code{nil}, activation of the minibuffer raises the frame
1520that the minibuffer window is in.
1521@end defopt
1522
1523You can also enable auto-raise (raising automatically when a frame is
1524selected) or auto-lower (lowering automatically when it is deselected)
1525for any frame using frame parameters. @xref{Management Parameters}.
1526
1527@node Frame Configurations
1528@section Frame Configurations
1529@cindex frame configuration
1530
1531 A @dfn{frame configuration} records the current arrangement of frames,
1532all their properties, and the window configuration of each one.
1533(@xref{Window Configurations}.)
1534
1535@defun current-frame-configuration
1536This function returns a frame configuration list that describes
1537the current arrangement of frames and their contents.
1538@end defun
1539
1540@defun set-frame-configuration configuration &optional nodelete
1541This function restores the state of frames described in
1542@var{configuration}. However, this function does not restore deleted
1543frames.
1544
1545Ordinarily, this function deletes all existing frames not listed in
1546@var{configuration}. But if @var{nodelete} is non-@code{nil}, the
1547unwanted frames are iconified instead.
1548@end defun
1549
1550@node Mouse Tracking
1551@section Mouse Tracking
1552@cindex mouse tracking
1553@c @cindex tracking the mouse Duplicates track-mouse
1554
1555 Sometimes it is useful to @dfn{track} the mouse, which means to display
1556something to indicate where the mouse is and move the indicator as the
1557mouse moves. For efficient mouse tracking, you need a way to wait until
1558the mouse actually moves.
1559
1560 The convenient way to track the mouse is to ask for events to represent
1561mouse motion. Then you can wait for motion by waiting for an event. In
1562addition, you can easily handle any other sorts of events that may
1563occur. That is useful, because normally you don't want to track the
1564mouse forever---only until some other event, such as the release of a
1565button.
1566
1567@defspec track-mouse body@dots{}
1568This special form executes @var{body}, with generation of mouse motion
6a4cfb0c 1569events enabled. Typically, @var{body} would use @code{read-event} to
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1570read the motion events and modify the display accordingly. @xref{Motion
1571Events}, for the format of mouse motion events.
1572
1573The value of @code{track-mouse} is that of the last form in @var{body}.
1574You should design @var{body} to return when it sees the up-event that
1575indicates the release of the button, or whatever kind of event means
1576it is time to stop tracking.
1577@end defspec
1578
1579The usual purpose of tracking mouse motion is to indicate on the screen
1580the consequences of pushing or releasing a button at the current
1581position.
1582
1583In many cases, you can avoid the need to track the mouse by using
1584the @code{mouse-face} text property (@pxref{Special Properties}).
1585That works at a much lower level and runs more smoothly than
1586Lisp-level mouse tracking.
1587
1588@ignore
1589@c These are not implemented yet.
1590
1591These functions change the screen appearance instantaneously. The
1592effect is transient, only until the next ordinary Emacs redisplay. That
1593is OK for mouse tracking, since it doesn't make sense for mouse tracking
1594to change the text, and the body of @code{track-mouse} normally reads
1595the events itself and does not do redisplay.
1596
1597@defun x-contour-region window beg end
1598This function draws lines to make a box around the text from @var{beg}
1599to @var{end}, in window @var{window}.
1600@end defun
1601
1602@defun x-uncontour-region window beg end
1603This function erases the lines that would make a box around the text
1604from @var{beg} to @var{end}, in window @var{window}. Use it to remove
1605a contour that you previously made by calling @code{x-contour-region}.
1606@end defun
1607
1608@defun x-draw-rectangle frame left top right bottom
1609This function draws a hollow rectangle on frame @var{frame} with the
1610specified edge coordinates, all measured in pixels from the inside top
1611left corner. It uses the cursor color, the one used for indicating the
1612location of point.
1613@end defun
1614
1615@defun x-erase-rectangle frame left top right bottom
1616This function erases a hollow rectangle on frame @var{frame} with the
1617specified edge coordinates, all measured in pixels from the inside top
1618left corner. Erasure means redrawing the text and background that
1619normally belong in the specified rectangle.
1620@end defun
1621@end ignore
1622
1623@node Mouse Position
1624@section Mouse Position
1625@cindex mouse position
1626@cindex position of mouse
1627
1628 The functions @code{mouse-position} and @code{set-mouse-position}
1629give access to the current position of the mouse.
1630
1631@defun mouse-position
1632This function returns a description of the position of the mouse. The
1633value looks like @code{(@var{frame} @var{x} . @var{y})}, where @var{x}
1634and @var{y} are integers giving the position in characters relative to
1635the top left corner of the inside of @var{frame}.
1636@end defun
1637
1638@defvar mouse-position-function
1639If non-@code{nil}, the value of this variable is a function for
1640@code{mouse-position} to call. @code{mouse-position} calls this
1641function just before returning, with its normal return value as the
1642sole argument, and it returns whatever this function returns to it.
1643
1644This abnormal hook exists for the benefit of packages like
1645@file{xt-mouse.el} that need to do mouse handling at the Lisp level.
1646@end defvar
1647
1648@defun set-mouse-position frame x y
1649This function @dfn{warps the mouse} to position @var{x}, @var{y} in
1650frame @var{frame}. The arguments @var{x} and @var{y} are integers,
1651giving the position in characters relative to the top left corner of the
1652inside of @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is not visible, this function
1653does nothing. The return value is not significant.
1654@end defun
1655
1656@defun mouse-pixel-position
1657This function is like @code{mouse-position} except that it returns
1658coordinates in units of pixels rather than units of characters.
1659@end defun
1660
1661@defun set-mouse-pixel-position frame x y
1662This function warps the mouse like @code{set-mouse-position} except that
1663@var{x} and @var{y} are in units of pixels rather than units of
1664characters. These coordinates are not required to be within the frame.
1665
1666If @var{frame} is not visible, this function does nothing. The return
1667value is not significant.
1668@end defun
1669
1670@need 3000
1671
1672@node Pop-Up Menus
1673@section Pop-Up Menus
1674
1675 When using a window system, a Lisp program can pop up a menu so that
1676the user can choose an alternative with the mouse.
1677
1678@defun x-popup-menu position menu
1679This function displays a pop-up menu and returns an indication of
1680what selection the user makes.
1681
1682The argument @var{position} specifies where on the screen to put the
1683top left corner of the menu. It can be either a mouse button event
1684(which says to put the menu where the user actuated the button) or a
1685list of this form:
1686
1687@example
1688((@var{xoffset} @var{yoffset}) @var{window})
1689@end example
1690
1691@noindent
1692where @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} are coordinates, measured in
1693pixels, counting from the top left corner of @var{window}. @var{window}
1694may be a window or a frame.
1695
1696If @var{position} is @code{t}, it means to use the current mouse
1697position. If @var{position} is @code{nil}, it means to precompute the
1698key binding equivalents for the keymaps specified in @var{menu},
1699without actually displaying or popping up the menu.
1700
1701The argument @var{menu} says what to display in the menu. It can be a
1702keymap or a list of keymaps (@pxref{Menu Keymaps}). In this case, the
1703return value is the list of events corresponding to the user's choice.
1704(This list has more than one element if the choice occurred in a
1705submenu.) Note that @code{x-popup-menu} does not actually execute the
1706command bound to that sequence of events.
1707
1708Alternatively, @var{menu} can have the following form:
1709
1710@example
1711(@var{title} @var{pane1} @var{pane2}...)
1712@end example
1713
1714@noindent
1715where each pane is a list of form
1716
1717@example
1718(@var{title} @var{item1} @var{item2}...)
1719@end example
1720
1721Each item should normally be a cons cell @code{(@var{line} . @var{value})},
1722where @var{line} is a string, and @var{value} is the value to return if
1723that @var{line} is chosen. An item can also be a string; this makes a
1724non-selectable line in the menu.
1725
1726If the user gets rid of the menu without making a valid choice, for
1727instance by clicking the mouse away from a valid choice or by typing
1728keyboard input, then this normally results in a quit and
1729@code{x-popup-menu} does not return. But if @var{position} is a mouse
1730button event (indicating that the user invoked the menu with the
1731mouse) then no quit occurs and @code{x-popup-menu} returns @code{nil}.
1732@end defun
1733
1734 @strong{Usage note:} Don't use @code{x-popup-menu} to display a menu
1735if you could do the job with a prefix key defined with a menu keymap.
1736If you use a menu keymap to implement a menu, @kbd{C-h c} and @kbd{C-h
1737a} can see the individual items in that menu and provide help for them.
1738If instead you implement the menu by defining a command that calls
1739@code{x-popup-menu}, the help facilities cannot know what happens inside
1740that command, so they cannot give any help for the menu's items.
1741
1742 The menu bar mechanism, which lets you switch between submenus by
1743moving the mouse, cannot look within the definition of a command to see
1744that it calls @code{x-popup-menu}. Therefore, if you try to implement a
1745submenu using @code{x-popup-menu}, it cannot work with the menu bar in
1746an integrated fashion. This is why all menu bar submenus are
1747implemented with menu keymaps within the parent menu, and never with
1748@code{x-popup-menu}. @xref{Menu Bar}.
1749
1750 If you want a menu bar submenu to have contents that vary, you should
1751still use a menu keymap to implement it. To make the contents vary, add
1752a hook function to @code{menu-bar-update-hook} to update the contents of
1753the menu keymap as necessary.
1754
1755@node Dialog Boxes
1756@section Dialog Boxes
1757@cindex dialog boxes
1758
1759 A dialog box is a variant of a pop-up menu---it looks a little
1760different, it always appears in the center of a frame, and it has just
1761one level and one or more buttons. The main use of dialog boxes is
1762for asking questions that the user can answer with ``yes,'' ``no,''
1763and a few other alternatives. With a single button, they can also
1764force the user to acknowledge important information. The functions
1765@code{y-or-n-p} and @code{yes-or-no-p} use dialog boxes instead of the
1766keyboard, when called from commands invoked by mouse clicks.
1767
1768@defun x-popup-dialog position contents &optional header
1769This function displays a pop-up dialog box and returns an indication of
1770what selection the user makes. The argument @var{contents} specifies
1771the alternatives to offer; it has this format:
1772
1773@example
1774(@var{title} (@var{string} . @var{value})@dots{})
1775@end example
1776
1777@noindent
1778which looks like the list that specifies a single pane for
1779@code{x-popup-menu}.
1780
1781The return value is @var{value} from the chosen alternative.
1782
1783As for @code{x-popup-menu}, an element of the list may be just a
1784string instead of a cons cell @code{(@var{string} . @var{value})}.
1785That makes a box that cannot be selected.
1786
1787If @code{nil} appears in the list, it separates the left-hand items from
1788the right-hand items; items that precede the @code{nil} appear on the
1789left, and items that follow the @code{nil} appear on the right. If you
1790don't include a @code{nil} in the list, then approximately half the
1791items appear on each side.
1792
1793Dialog boxes always appear in the center of a frame; the argument
1794@var{position} specifies which frame. The possible values are as in
1795@code{x-popup-menu}, but the precise coordinates or the individual
1796window don't matter; only the frame matters.
1797
1798If @var{header} is non-@code{nil}, the frame title for the box is
1799@samp{Information}, otherwise it is @samp{Question}. The former is used
1800for @code{message-box} (@pxref{message-box}).
1801
1802In some configurations, Emacs cannot display a real dialog box; so
1803instead it displays the same items in a pop-up menu in the center of the
1804frame.
1805
1806If the user gets rid of the dialog box without making a valid choice,
1807for instance using the window manager, then this produces a quit and
1808@code{x-popup-dialog} does not return.
1809@end defun
1810
1811@node Pointer Shape
1812@section Pointer Shape
1813@cindex pointer shape
1814@cindex mouse pointer shape
1815
1816 You can specify the mouse pointer style for particular text or
1817images using the @code{pointer} text property, and for images with the
1818@code{:pointer} and @code{:map} image properties. The values you can
1819use in these properties are @code{text} (or @code{nil}), @code{arrow},
1820@code{hand}, @code{vdrag}, @code{hdrag}, @code{modeline}, and
1821@code{hourglass}. @code{text} stands for the usual mouse pointer
1822style used over text.
1823
1824 Over void parts of the window (parts that do not correspond to any
1825of the buffer contents), the mouse pointer usually uses the
1826@code{arrow} style, but you can specify a different style (one of
1827those above) by setting @code{void-text-area-pointer}.
1828
1829@defvar void-text-area-pointer
1830This variable specifies the mouse pointer style for void text areas.
1831These include the areas after the end of a line or below the last line
1832in the buffer. The default is to use the @code{arrow} (non-text)
1833pointer style.
1834@end defvar
1835
3568e767
JR
1836 When using X, you can specify what the @code{text} pointer style
1837really looks like by setting the variable @code{x-pointer-shape}.
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1838
1839@defvar x-pointer-shape
1840This variable specifies the pointer shape to use ordinarily in the
1841Emacs frame, for the @code{text} pointer style.
1842@end defvar
1843
1844@defvar x-sensitive-text-pointer-shape
1845This variable specifies the pointer shape to use when the mouse
1846is over mouse-sensitive text.
1847@end defvar
1848
1849 These variables affect newly created frames. They do not normally
1850affect existing frames; however, if you set the mouse color of a
1851frame, that also installs the current value of those two variables.
80be4dd7 1852@xref{Font and Color Parameters}.
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1853
1854 The values you can use, to specify either of these pointer shapes, are
1855defined in the file @file{lisp/term/x-win.el}. Use @kbd{M-x apropos
1856@key{RET} x-pointer @key{RET}} to see a list of them.
1857
1858@node Window System Selections
1859@section Window System Selections
1860@cindex selection (for window systems)
1861
1862The X server records a set of @dfn{selections} which permit transfer of
1863data between application programs. The various selections are
1864distinguished by @dfn{selection types}, represented in Emacs by
1865symbols. X clients including Emacs can read or set the selection for
1866any given type.
1867
1868@deffn Command x-set-selection type data
1869This function sets a ``selection'' in the X server. It takes two
1870arguments: a selection type @var{type}, and the value to assign to it,
1871@var{data}. If @var{data} is @code{nil}, it means to clear out the
1872selection. Otherwise, @var{data} may be a string, a symbol, an integer
1873(or a cons of two integers or list of two integers), an overlay, or a
1874cons of two markers pointing to the same buffer. An overlay or a pair
1875of markers stands for text in the overlay or between the markers.
1876
1877The argument @var{data} may also be a vector of valid non-vector
1878selection values.
1879
1880Each possible @var{type} has its own selection value, which changes
1881independently. The usual values of @var{type} are @code{PRIMARY},
1882@code{SECONDARY} and @code{CLIPBOARD}; these are symbols with upper-case
1883names, in accord with X Window System conventions. If @var{type} is
1884@code{nil}, that stands for @code{PRIMARY}.
1885
1886This function returns @var{data}.
1887@end deffn
1888
1889@defun x-get-selection &optional type data-type
1890This function accesses selections set up by Emacs or by other X
1891clients. It takes two optional arguments, @var{type} and
1892@var{data-type}. The default for @var{type}, the selection type, is
1893@code{PRIMARY}.
1894
1895The @var{data-type} argument specifies the form of data conversion to
1896use, to convert the raw data obtained from another X client into Lisp
1897data. Meaningful values include @code{TEXT}, @code{STRING},
1898@code{UTF8_STRING}, @code{TARGETS}, @code{LENGTH}, @code{DELETE},
1899@code{FILE_NAME}, @code{CHARACTER_POSITION}, @code{NAME},
1900@code{LINE_NUMBER}, @code{COLUMN_NUMBER}, @code{OWNER_OS},
1901@code{HOST_NAME}, @code{USER}, @code{CLASS}, @code{ATOM}, and
1902@code{INTEGER}. (These are symbols with upper-case names in accord
1903with X conventions.) The default for @var{data-type} is
1904@code{STRING}.
1905@end defun
1906
1907@cindex cut buffer
1908The X server also has a set of eight numbered @dfn{cut buffers} which can
1909store text or other data being moved between applications. Cut buffers
1910are considered obsolete, but Emacs supports them for the sake of X
1911clients that still use them. Cut buffers are numbered from 0 to 7.
1912
1913@defun x-get-cut-buffer &optional n
1914This function returns the contents of cut buffer number @var{n}.
1915If omitted @var{n} defaults to 0.
1916@end defun
1917
1918@defun x-set-cut-buffer string &optional push
1919@anchor{Definition of x-set-cut-buffer}
1920This function stores @var{string} into the first cut buffer (cut buffer
19210). If @var{push} is @code{nil}, only the first cut buffer is changed.
1922If @var{push} is non-@code{nil}, that says to move the values down
1923through the series of cut buffers, much like the way successive kills in
1924Emacs move down the kill ring. In other words, the previous value of
1925the first cut buffer moves into the second cut buffer, and the second to
1926the third, and so on through all eight cut buffers.
1927@end defun
1928
01f17ae2 1929@defopt selection-coding-system
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GM
1930This variable specifies the coding system to use when reading and
1931writing selections or the clipboard. @xref{Coding
1932Systems}. The default is @code{compound-text-with-extensions}, which
1933converts to the text representation that X11 normally uses.
01f17ae2 1934@end defopt
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1935
1936@cindex clipboard support (for MS-Windows)
1937When Emacs runs on MS-Windows, it does not implement X selections in
1938general, but it does support the clipboard. @code{x-get-selection}
1939and @code{x-set-selection} on MS-Windows support the text data type
1940only; if the clipboard holds other types of data, Emacs treats the
1941clipboard as empty.
1942
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1943@defopt x-select-enable-clipboard
1944If this is non-@code{nil}, the Emacs yank functions consult the
1945clipboard before the primary selection, and the kill functions store in
1946the clipboard as well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not
1947access the clipboard at all. The default is @code{nil} on most systems,
9e2a2647 1948but @code{t} on MS-Windows.
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1949@end defopt
1950
1951@node Drag and Drop
1952@section Drag and Drop
1953
1954@vindex x-dnd-test-function
1955@vindex x-dnd-known-types
1956 When a user drags something from another application over Emacs, that other
1957application expects Emacs to tell it if Emacs can handle the data that is
1958dragged. The variable @code{x-dnd-test-function} is used by Emacs to determine
1959what to reply. The default value is @code{x-dnd-default-test-function}
1960which accepts drops if the type of the data to be dropped is present in
1961@code{x-dnd-known-types}. You can customize @code{x-dnd-test-function} and/or
1962@code{x-dnd-known-types} if you want Emacs to accept or reject drops based
1963on some other criteria.
1964
1965@vindex x-dnd-types-alist
1966 If you want to change the way Emacs handles drop of different types
1967or add a new type, customize @code{x-dnd-types-alist}. This requires
1968detailed knowledge of what types other applications use for drag and
1969drop.
1970
1971@vindex dnd-protocol-alist
1972 When an URL is dropped on Emacs it may be a file, but it may also be
1973another URL type (ftp, http, etc.). Emacs first checks
1974@code{dnd-protocol-alist} to determine what to do with the URL. If
1975there is no match there and if @code{browse-url-browser-function} is
1976an alist, Emacs looks for a match there. If no match is found the
1977text for the URL is inserted. If you want to alter Emacs behavior,
1978you can customize these variables.
1979
1980@node Color Names
1981@section Color Names
1982
1983@cindex color names
1984@cindex specify color
1985@cindex numerical RGB color specification
1986 A color name is text (usually in a string) that specifies a color.
1987Symbolic names such as @samp{black}, @samp{white}, @samp{red}, etc.,
1988are allowed; use @kbd{M-x list-colors-display} to see a list of
1989defined names. You can also specify colors numerically in forms such
1990as @samp{#@var{rgb}} and @samp{RGB:@var{r}/@var{g}/@var{b}}, where
1991@var{r} specifies the red level, @var{g} specifies the green level,
1992and @var{b} specifies the blue level. You can use either one, two,
1993three, or four hex digits for @var{r}; then you must use the same
1994number of hex digits for all @var{g} and @var{b} as well, making
1995either 3, 6, 9 or 12 hex digits in all. (See the documentation of the
1996X Window System for more details about numerical RGB specification of
1997colors.)
1998
1999 These functions provide a way to determine which color names are
2000valid, and what they look like. In some cases, the value depends on the
2001@dfn{selected frame}, as described below; see @ref{Input Focus}, for the
2002meaning of the term ``selected frame.''
2003
73b7530a
EZ
2004 To read user input of color names with completion, use
2005@code{read-color} (@pxref{High-Level Completion, read-color}).
2006
b8d4c8d0
GM
2007@defun color-defined-p color &optional frame
2008This function reports whether a color name is meaningful. It returns
2009@code{t} if so; otherwise, @code{nil}. The argument @var{frame} says
2010which frame's display to ask about; if @var{frame} is omitted or
2011@code{nil}, the selected frame is used.
2012
2013Note that this does not tell you whether the display you are using
2014really supports that color. When using X, you can ask for any defined
2015color on any kind of display, and you will get some result---typically,
2016the closest it can do. To determine whether a frame can really display
2017a certain color, use @code{color-supported-p} (see below).
2018
2019@findex x-color-defined-p
2020This function used to be called @code{x-color-defined-p},
2021and that name is still supported as an alias.
2022@end defun
2023
2024@defun defined-colors &optional frame
2025This function returns a list of the color names that are defined
2026and supported on frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
2027If @var{frame} does not support colors, the value is @code{nil}.
2028
2029@findex x-defined-colors
2030This function used to be called @code{x-defined-colors},
2031and that name is still supported as an alias.
2032@end defun
2033
2034@defun color-supported-p color &optional frame background-p
2035This returns @code{t} if @var{frame} can really display the color
2036@var{color} (or at least something close to it). If @var{frame} is
2037omitted or @code{nil}, the question applies to the selected frame.
2038
2039Some terminals support a different set of colors for foreground and
2040background. If @var{background-p} is non-@code{nil}, that means you are
2041asking whether @var{color} can be used as a background; otherwise you
2042are asking whether it can be used as a foreground.
2043
2044The argument @var{color} must be a valid color name.
2045@end defun
2046
2047@defun color-gray-p color &optional frame
2048This returns @code{t} if @var{color} is a shade of gray, as defined on
2049@var{frame}'s display. If @var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, the
2050question applies to the selected frame. If @var{color} is not a valid
2051color name, this function returns @code{nil}.
2052@end defun
2053
2054@defun color-values color &optional frame
2055@cindex rgb value
2056This function returns a value that describes what @var{color} should
2057ideally look like on @var{frame}. If @var{color} is defined, the
2058value is a list of three integers, which give the amount of red, the
2059amount of green, and the amount of blue. Each integer ranges in
2060principle from 0 to 65535, but some displays may not use the full
2061range. This three-element list is called the @dfn{rgb values} of the
2062color.
2063
2064If @var{color} is not defined, the value is @code{nil}.
2065
2066@example
2067(color-values "black")
2068 @result{} (0 0 0)
2069(color-values "white")
2070 @result{} (65280 65280 65280)
2071(color-values "red")
2072 @result{} (65280 0 0)
2073(color-values "pink")
2074 @result{} (65280 49152 51968)
2075(color-values "hungry")
2076 @result{} nil
2077@end example
2078
2079The color values are returned for @var{frame}'s display. If
2080@var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, the information is returned for
2081the selected frame's display. If the frame cannot display colors, the
2082value is @code{nil}.
2083
2084@findex x-color-values
2085This function used to be called @code{x-color-values},
2086and that name is still supported as an alias.
2087@end defun
2088
2089@node Text Terminal Colors
2090@section Text Terminal Colors
2091@cindex colors on text-only terminals
2092
2093 Text-only terminals usually support only a small number of colors,
2094and the computer uses small integers to select colors on the terminal.
2095This means that the computer cannot reliably tell what the selected
2096color looks like; instead, you have to inform your application which
2097small integers correspond to which colors. However, Emacs does know
2098the standard set of colors and will try to use them automatically.
2099
2100 The functions described in this section control how terminal colors
2101are used by Emacs.
2102
2103 Several of these functions use or return @dfn{rgb values}, described
2104in @ref{Color Names}.
2105
2106 These functions accept a display (either a frame or the name of a
2107terminal) as an optional argument. We hope in the future to make Emacs
2108support more than one text-only terminal at one time; then this argument
2109will specify which terminal to operate on (the default being the
2110selected frame's terminal; @pxref{Input Focus}). At present, though,
2111the @var{frame} argument has no effect.
2112
2113@defun tty-color-define name number &optional rgb frame
2114This function associates the color name @var{name} with
2115color number @var{number} on the terminal.
2116
2117The optional argument @var{rgb}, if specified, is an rgb value, a list
2118of three numbers that specify what the color actually looks like.
2119If you do not specify @var{rgb}, then this color cannot be used by
2120@code{tty-color-approximate} to approximate other colors, because
2121Emacs will not know what it looks like.
2122@end defun
2123
2124@defun tty-color-clear &optional frame
2125This function clears the table of defined colors for a text-only terminal.
2126@end defun
2127
2128@defun tty-color-alist &optional frame
2129This function returns an alist recording the known colors supported by a
2130text-only terminal.
2131
2132Each element has the form @code{(@var{name} @var{number} . @var{rgb})}
2133or @code{(@var{name} @var{number})}. Here, @var{name} is the color
2134name, @var{number} is the number used to specify it to the terminal.
2135If present, @var{rgb} is a list of three color values (for red, green,
2136and blue) that says what the color actually looks like.
2137@end defun
2138
2139@defun tty-color-approximate rgb &optional frame
2140This function finds the closest color, among the known colors
2141supported for @var{display}, to that described by the rgb value
2142@var{rgb} (a list of color values). The return value is an element of
2143@code{tty-color-alist}.
2144@end defun
2145
2146@defun tty-color-translate color &optional frame
2147This function finds the closest color to @var{color} among the known
2148colors supported for @var{display} and returns its index (an integer).
2149If the name @var{color} is not defined, the value is @code{nil}.
2150@end defun
2151
2152@node Resources
2153@section X Resources
2154
2155@defun x-get-resource attribute class &optional component subclass
2156The function @code{x-get-resource} retrieves a resource value from the X
2157Window defaults database.
2158
2159Resources are indexed by a combination of a @dfn{key} and a @dfn{class}.
2160This function searches using a key of the form
2161@samp{@var{instance}.@var{attribute}} (where @var{instance} is the name
2162under which Emacs was invoked), and using @samp{Emacs.@var{class}} as
2163the class.
2164
2165The optional arguments @var{component} and @var{subclass} add to the key
2166and the class, respectively. You must specify both of them or neither.
2167If you specify them, the key is
2168@samp{@var{instance}.@var{component}.@var{attribute}}, and the class is
2169@samp{Emacs.@var{class}.@var{subclass}}.
2170@end defun
2171
2172@defvar x-resource-class
2173This variable specifies the application name that @code{x-get-resource}
2174should look up. The default value is @code{"Emacs"}. You can examine X
2175resources for application names other than ``Emacs'' by binding this
2176variable to some other string, around a call to @code{x-get-resource}.
2177@end defvar
2178
2179@defvar x-resource-name
2180This variable specifies the instance name that @code{x-get-resource}
2181should look up. The default value is the name Emacs was invoked with,
2182or the value specified with the @samp{-name} or @samp{-rn} switches.
2183@end defvar
2184
2185To illustrate some of the above, suppose that you have the line:
2186
2187@example
2188xterm.vt100.background: yellow
2189@end example
2190
2191@noindent
2192in your X resources file (whose name is usually @file{~/.Xdefaults}
2193or @file{~/.Xresources}). Then:
2194
2195@example
2196@group
2197(let ((x-resource-class "XTerm") (x-resource-name "xterm"))
2198 (x-get-resource "vt100.background" "VT100.Background"))
2199 @result{} "yellow"
2200@end group
2201@group
2202(let ((x-resource-class "XTerm") (x-resource-name "xterm"))
2203 (x-get-resource "background" "VT100" "vt100" "Background"))
2204 @result{} "yellow"
2205@end group
2206@end example
2207
2208 @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
2209
2210@node Display Feature Testing
2211@section Display Feature Testing
2212@cindex display feature testing
2213
2214 The functions in this section describe the basic capabilities of a
2215particular display. Lisp programs can use them to adapt their behavior
2216to what the display can do. For example, a program that ordinarily uses
2217a popup menu could use the minibuffer if popup menus are not supported.
2218
2219 The optional argument @var{display} in these functions specifies which
2220display to ask the question about. It can be a display name, a frame
2221(which designates the display that frame is on), or @code{nil} (which
2222refers to the selected frame's display, @pxref{Input Focus}).
2223
2224 @xref{Color Names}, @ref{Text Terminal Colors}, for other functions to
2225obtain information about displays.
2226
2227@defun display-popup-menus-p &optional display
2228This function returns @code{t} if popup menus are supported on
2229@var{display}, @code{nil} if not. Support for popup menus requires that
2230the mouse be available, since the user cannot choose menu items without
2231a mouse.
2232@end defun
2233
2234@defun display-graphic-p &optional display
2235This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} is a graphic display
2236capable of displaying several frames and several different fonts at
2237once. This is true for displays that use a window system such as X, and
2238false for text-only terminals.
2239@end defun
2240
2241@defun display-mouse-p &optional display
2242@cindex mouse, availability
2243This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} has a mouse available,
2244@code{nil} if not.
2245@end defun
2246
2247@defun display-color-p &optional display
2248@findex x-display-color-p
2249This function returns @code{t} if the screen is a color screen.
2250It used to be called @code{x-display-color-p}, and that name
2251is still supported as an alias.
2252@end defun
2253
2254@defun display-grayscale-p &optional display
2255This function returns @code{t} if the screen can display shades of gray.
2256(All color displays can do this.)
2257@end defun
2258
2259@defun display-supports-face-attributes-p attributes &optional display
2260@anchor{Display Face Attribute Testing}
2261This function returns non-@code{nil} if all the face attributes in
2262@var{attributes} are supported (@pxref{Face Attributes}).
2263
2264The definition of `supported' is somewhat heuristic, but basically
2265means that a face containing all the attributes in @var{attributes},
2266when merged with the default face for display, can be represented in a
2267way that's
2268
2269@enumerate
2270@item
2271different in appearance than the default face, and
2272
2273@item
2274`close in spirit' to what the attributes specify, if not exact.
2275@end enumerate
2276
2277Point (2) implies that a @code{:weight black} attribute will be
2278satisfied by any display that can display bold, as will
2279@code{:foreground "yellow"} as long as some yellowish color can be
2280displayed, but @code{:slant italic} will @emph{not} be satisfied by
2281the tty display code's automatic substitution of a `dim' face for
2282italic.
2283@end defun
2284
2285@defun display-selections-p &optional display
2286This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} supports selections.
2287Windowed displays normally support selections, but they may also be
2288supported in some other cases.
2289@end defun
2290
2291@defun display-images-p &optional display
2292This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} can display images.
2293Windowed displays ought in principle to handle images, but some
2294systems lack the support for that. On a display that does not support
2295images, Emacs cannot display a tool bar.
2296@end defun
2297
2298@defun display-screens &optional display
2299This function returns the number of screens associated with the display.
2300@end defun
2301
2302@defun display-pixel-height &optional display
2303This function returns the height of the screen in pixels.
2304On a character terminal, it gives the height in characters.
2305
2306For graphical terminals, note that on ``multi-monitor'' setups this
2307refers to the pixel width for all physical monitors associated with
3ec61d4e 2308@var{display}. @xref{Multiple Terminals}.
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2309@end defun
2310
2311@defun display-pixel-width &optional display
2312This function returns the width of the screen in pixels.
2313On a character terminal, it gives the width in characters.
2314
2315For graphical terminals, note that on ``multi-monitor'' setups this
2316refers to the pixel width for all physical monitors associated with
3ec61d4e 2317@var{display}. @xref{Multiple Terminals}.
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2318@end defun
2319
2320@defun display-mm-height &optional display
2321This function returns the height of the screen in millimeters,
2322or @code{nil} if Emacs cannot get that information.
2323@end defun
2324
2325@defun display-mm-width &optional display
2326This function returns the width of the screen in millimeters,
2327or @code{nil} if Emacs cannot get that information.
2328@end defun
2329
01f17ae2 2330@defopt display-mm-dimensions-alist
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2331This variable allows the user to specify the dimensions of graphical
2332displays returned by @code{display-mm-height} and
2333@code{display-mm-width} in case the system provides incorrect values.
01f17ae2 2334@end defopt
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2335
2336@defun display-backing-store &optional display
2337This function returns the backing store capability of the display.
2338Backing store means recording the pixels of windows (and parts of
2339windows) that are not exposed, so that when exposed they can be
2340displayed very quickly.
2341
2342Values can be the symbols @code{always}, @code{when-mapped}, or
2343@code{not-useful}. The function can also return @code{nil}
2344when the question is inapplicable to a certain kind of display.
2345@end defun
2346
2347@defun display-save-under &optional display
2348This function returns non-@code{nil} if the display supports the
2349SaveUnder feature. That feature is used by pop-up windows
2350to save the pixels they obscure, so that they can pop down
2351quickly.
2352@end defun
2353
2354@defun display-planes &optional display
2355This function returns the number of planes the display supports.
2356This is typically the number of bits per pixel.
2357For a tty display, it is log to base two of the number of colors supported.
2358@end defun
2359
2360@defun display-visual-class &optional display
2361This function returns the visual class for the screen. The value is one
2362of the symbols @code{static-gray}, @code{gray-scale},
2363@code{static-color}, @code{pseudo-color}, @code{true-color}, and
2364@code{direct-color}.
2365@end defun
2366
2367@defun display-color-cells &optional display
2368This function returns the number of color cells the screen supports.
2369@end defun
2370
2371 These functions obtain additional information specifically
2372about X displays.
2373
2374@defun x-server-version &optional display
2375This function returns the list of version numbers of the X server
2376running the display. The value is a list of three integers: the major
2377and minor version numbers of the X protocol, and the
2378distributor-specific release number of the X server software itself.
2379@end defun
2380
2381@defun x-server-vendor &optional display
2382This function returns the ``vendor'' that provided the X server
2383software (as a string). Really this means whoever distributes the X
2384server.
2385
2386When the developers of X labelled software distributors as
2387``vendors,'' they showed their false assumption that no system could
2388ever be developed and distributed noncommercially.
2389@end defun
2390
2391@ignore
2392@defvar x-no-window-manager
2393This variable's value is @code{t} if no X window manager is in use.
2394@end defvar
2395@end ignore
2396
2397@ignore
2398@item
2399The functions @code{x-pixel-width} and @code{x-pixel-height} return the
2400width and height of an X Window frame, measured in pixels.
2401@end ignore
2402
b4022203 2403
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2404@ignore
2405 arch-tag: 94977df6-3dca-4730-b57b-c6329e9282ba
2406@end ignore