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[bpt/emacs.git] / man / frames.texi
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6bf7aab6 1@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
34359f61 2@c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 99, 2000, 2001
6ca0edfe 3@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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4@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5@node Frames, International, Windows, Top
6@chapter Frames and X Windows
7@cindex frames
8
9 When using the X Window System, you can create multiple windows at the
10X level in a single Emacs session. Each X window that belongs to Emacs
11displays a @dfn{frame} which can contain one or several Emacs windows.
12A frame initially contains a single general-purpose Emacs window which
13you can subdivide vertically or horizontally into smaller windows. A
14frame normally contains its own echo area and minibuffer, but you can
15make frames that don't have these---they use the echo area and
16minibuffer of another frame.
17
18 Editing you do in one frame also affects the other frames. For
19instance, if you put text in the kill ring in one frame, you can yank it
20in another frame. If you exit Emacs through @kbd{C-x C-c} in one frame,
21it terminates all the frames. To delete just one frame, use @kbd{C-x 5
85d6c6e7 220} (that is zero, not @kbd{o}).
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23
24 To avoid confusion, we reserve the word ``window'' for the
25subdivisions that Emacs implements, and never use it to refer to a
26frame.
27
28 Emacs compiled for MS-DOS emulates some aspects of the window system
29so that you can use many of the features described in this chapter.
30@xref{MS-DOS Input}, for more information.
31
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32@cindex MS Windows
33 Emacs compiled for MS Windows mostly supports the same features as
7db7f7ba 34under X.
70c88b57 35
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36@menu
37* Mouse Commands:: Moving, cutting, and pasting, with the mouse.
38* Secondary Selection:: Cutting without altering point and mark.
d235b2db 39* Clipboard:: Using the clipboard for selections.
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40* Mouse References:: Using the mouse to select an item from a list.
41* Menu Mouse Clicks:: Mouse clicks that bring up menus.
42* Mode Line Mouse:: Mouse clicks on the mode line.
6bf7aab6 43* Creating Frames:: Creating additional Emacs frames with various contents.
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44* Frame Commands:: Iconifying, deleting, and switching frames.
45* Speedbar:: How to make and use a speedbar frame.
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46* Multiple Displays:: How one Emacs job can talk to several displays.
47* Special Buffer Frames:: You can make certain buffers have their own frames.
48* Frame Parameters:: Changing the colors and other modes of frames.
49* Scroll Bars:: How to enable and disable scroll bars; how to use them.
70c88b57 50* Wheeled Mice:: Using mouse wheels for scrolling.
6bf7aab6 51* Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
2beab0db 52* Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
70c88b57 53* Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
47d7776c 54* Tooltips:: Showing "tooltips", AKA "balloon help" for active text.
43391ff3 55* Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
6bf7aab6 56* Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
70c88b57 57* XTerm Mouse:: Using the mouse in an XTerm terminal emulator.
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58@end menu
59
60@node Mouse Commands
61@section Mouse Commands for Editing
62@cindex mouse buttons (what they do)
63
64 The mouse commands for selecting and copying a region are mostly
65compatible with the @code{xterm} program. You can use the same mouse
66commands for copying between Emacs and other X client programs.
67
0e824f4f 68@kindex DELETE @r{(and mouse selection)}
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69 If you select a region with any of these mouse commands, and then
70immediately afterward type the @key{DELETE} function key, it deletes the
71region that you selected. The @key{BACKSPACE} function key and the
72ASCII character @key{DEL} do not do this; if you type any other key
73in between the mouse command and @key{DELETE}, it does not do this.
74
75@findex mouse-set-region
76@findex mouse-set-point
77@findex mouse-yank-at-click
78@findex mouse-save-then-click
79@kindex Mouse-1
80@kindex Mouse-2
81@kindex Mouse-3
82@table @kbd
83@item Mouse-1
84Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
85This is normally the left button.
86
87@item Drag-Mouse-1
88Set the region to the text you select by dragging, and copy it to the
89kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}). You can specify both ends of the
90region with this single command.
91
92@vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
93If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
94dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
95back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
96entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
97on how far away from the window edge the mouse has gone; the variable
98@code{mouse-scroll-min-lines} specifies a minimum step size.
99
100@item Mouse-2
101Yank the last killed text, where you click (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
102This is normally the middle button.
103
104@item Mouse-3
105This command, @code{mouse-save-then-kill}, has several functions
106depending on where you click and the status of the region.
107
108The most basic case is when you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in one place and
109then @kbd{Mouse-3} in another. This selects the text between those two
110positions as the region. It also copies the new region to the kill
111ring, so that you can copy it to someplace else.
112
113If you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in the text, scroll with the scroll bar, and
114then click @kbd{Mouse-3}, it remembers where point was before scrolling
115(where you put it with @kbd{Mouse-1}), and uses that position as the
116other end of the region. This is so that you can select a region that
117doesn't fit entirely on the screen.
118
119More generally, if you do not have a highlighted region, @kbd{Mouse-3}
120selects the text between point and the click position as the region. It
121does this by setting the mark where point was, and moving point to where
122you click.
123
124If you have a highlighted region, or if the region was set just before
125by dragging button 1, @kbd{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end of the region
126by moving it to where you click. The adjusted region's text also
127replaces the old region's text in the kill ring.
128
129If you originally specified the region using a double or triple
130@kbd{Mouse-1}, so that the region is defined to consist of entire words
131or lines, then adjusting the region with @kbd{Mouse-3} also proceeds by
132entire words or lines.
133
134If you use @kbd{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same place,
135that kills the region already selected.
136
137@item Double-Mouse-1
138This key sets the region around the word which you click on. If you
139click on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as underscore, in C
140mode), it sets the region around the symbol surrounding that character.
141
142If you click on a character with open-parenthesis or close-parenthesis
57d28ead 143syntax, it sets the region around the parenthetical grouping
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144which that character starts or ends. If you click on a character with
145string-delimiter syntax (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C), it
146sets the region around the string constant (using heuristics to figure
147out whether that character is the beginning or the end of it).
148
149@item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
150This key selects a region made up of the words you drag across.
151
152@item Triple-Mouse-1
153This key sets the region around the line you click on.
154
155@item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
156This key selects a region made up of the lines you drag across.
157@end table
158
159 The simplest way to kill text with the mouse is to press @kbd{Mouse-1}
160at one end, then press @kbd{Mouse-3} twice at the other end.
161@xref{Killing}. To copy the text into the kill ring without deleting it
162from the buffer, press @kbd{Mouse-3} just once---or just drag across the
163text with @kbd{Mouse-1}. Then you can copy it elsewhere by yanking it.
164
165@vindex mouse-yank-at-point
166 To yank the killed or copied text somewhere else, move the mouse there
167and press @kbd{Mouse-2}. @xref{Yanking}. However, if
168@code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{Mouse-2} yanks at
169point. Then it does not matter where you click, or even which of the
170frame's windows you click on. The default value is @code{nil}. This
171variable also affects yanking the secondary selection.
172
173@cindex cutting and X
174@cindex pasting and X
175@cindex X cutting and pasting
176 To copy text to another X window, kill it or save it in the kill ring.
177Under X, this also sets the @dfn{primary selection}. Then use the
178``paste'' or ``yank'' command of the program operating the other window
179to insert the text from the selection.
180
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181 To copy text from another X window, use the ``cut'' or ``copy''
182command of the program operating the other window, to select the text
183you want. Then yank it in Emacs with @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
184
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185 The standard coding system for X selections is
186@code{compound-text-with-extensions}. To specify another coding
187system for X selections, use @kbd{C-x @key{RET} x} or @kbd{C-x
188@key{RET} X}. @xref{Specify Coding}.
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189
190 These cutting and pasting commands also work on MS-Windows.
191
192@cindex primary selection
193@cindex cut buffer
194@cindex selection, primary
195@vindex x-cut-buffer-max
196 When Emacs puts text into the kill ring, or rotates text to the front
197of the kill ring, it sets the @dfn{primary selection} in the X server.
198This is how other X clients can access the text. Emacs also stores the
199text in the cut buffer, but only if the text is short enough
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200(the value of @code{x-cut-buffer-max} specifies the maximum number of
201characters); putting long strings in the cut buffer can be slow.
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202
203 The commands to yank the first entry in the kill ring actually check
204first for a primary selection in another program; after that, they check
205for text in the cut buffer. If neither of those sources provides text
206to yank, the kill ring contents are used.
207
208@node Secondary Selection
209@section Secondary Selection
210@cindex secondary selection
211
212 The @dfn{secondary selection} is another way of selecting text using
213X. It does not use point or the mark, so you can use it to kill text
214without setting point or the mark.
215
216@table @kbd
217@findex mouse-set-secondary
218@kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
219@item M-Drag-Mouse-1
220Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
221down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
222(@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The highlighting appears and changes as
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223you drag. You can control the appearance of the highlighting by
224customizing the @code{secondary-selection} face (@pxref{Face
225Customization}).
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226
227If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
228dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
229back into the window. This way, you can mark regions that don't fit
230entirely on the screen.
231
232@findex mouse-start-secondary
233@kindex M-Mouse-1
234@item M-Mouse-1
235Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
236(@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
237
238@findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
239@kindex M-Mouse-3
240@item M-Mouse-3
241Make a secondary selection, using the place specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
242as the other end (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). A second click
243at the same place kills the secondary selection just made.
244
245@findex mouse-yank-secondary
246@kindex M-Mouse-2
247@item M-Mouse-2
248Insert the secondary selection where you click
249(@code{mouse-yank-secondary}). This places point at the end of the
250yanked text.
251@end table
252
253Double or triple clicking of @kbd{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
254lines, much like @kbd{Mouse-1}.
255
256If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{M-Mouse-2}
257yanks at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click; all
258that matters is which window you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
259
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260@node Clipboard
261@section Using the Clipboard
262@cindex X clipboard
263@cindex clipboard
264@vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
265@findex menu-bar-enable-clipboard
266@cindex OpenWindows
267@cindex Gnome
268
099bfef9 269 As well as the primary and secondary selection types, X supports a
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270@dfn{clipboard} selection type which is used by some applications,
271particularly under OpenWindows and Gnome.
272
099bfef9 273 The command @kbd{M-x menu-bar-enable-clipboard} makes the @code{Cut},
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274@code{Paste} and @code{Copy} menu items, as well as the keys of the same
275names, all use the clipboard.
177c0ea7 276
099bfef9 277 You can customize the option @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to make
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278the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
279selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
280well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not access the
281clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on MS-Windows,
282unlike most systems.
283
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284@node Mouse References
285@section Following References with the Mouse
286@kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
287
288 Some Emacs buffers display lists of various sorts. These include
289lists of files, of buffers, of possible completions, of matches for
290a pattern, and so on.
291
292 Since yanking text into these buffers is not very useful, most of them
293define @kbd{Mouse-2} specially, as a command to use or view the item you
294click on.
295
296 For example, if you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a file name in a Dired
297buffer, you visit that file. If you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on an error
298message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer, you go to the source code
299for that error message. If you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a completion in
300the @samp{*Completions*} buffer, you choose that completion.
301
922bc663 302@vindex mouse-highlight
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303 You can usually tell when @kbd{Mouse-2} has this special sort of
304meaning because the sensitive text highlights when you move the mouse
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305over it. The variable @code{mouse-highlight} controls whether to do
306this highlighting always (even when such text appears where the mouse
307already is), never, or only immediately after you move the mouse.
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308
309@node Menu Mouse Clicks
310@section Mouse Clicks for Menus
311
312 Mouse clicks modified with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} keys
313bring up menus.
314
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315@table @kbd
316@item C-Mouse-1
239e21e2 317@kindex C-Mouse-1
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318This menu is for selecting a buffer.
319
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320The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
321menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
239e21e2 322
6bf7aab6 323@item C-Mouse-2
239e21e2 324@kindex C-Mouse-2
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325This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
326for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
327
328@item C-Mouse-3
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329@kindex C-Mouse-3
330This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on, this
331menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus put
332together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
333button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
334menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
335@kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision to
336use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu.} If Menu-bar mode is off, this menu
337contains all the items which would be present in the menu bar---not just
338the mode-specific ones---so that you can access them without having to
339display the menu bar.
6bf7aab6 340
099bfef9 341@item S-Mouse-1
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342This menu is for specifying the frame's principal font.
343@end table
344
345@node Mode Line Mouse
346@section Mode Line Mouse Commands
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347@cindex mode line, mouse
348@cindex mouse on mode line
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349
350 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
351windows.
352
353@table @kbd
354@item Mouse-1
099bfef9 355@kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
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356@kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window above. By dragging
357@kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus changing the
358height of the windows above and below.
359
360@item Mouse-2
099bfef9 361@kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
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362@kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
363
364@item Mouse-3
099bfef9 365@kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
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366@kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window above. If the frame has
367only one window, it buries the current buffer instead and switches to
368another buffer.
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369
370@item C-Mouse-2
099bfef9 371@kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
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372@kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
373horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
374@end table
375
099bfef9 376@kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
6bf7aab6 377 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
85d6c6e7 378vertically, unless you are using an X toolkit's implementation of
099bfef9 379scroll bars. @xref{Split Window}.
6bf7aab6 380
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381 The commands above apply to areas of the mode line which do not have
382special mouse bindings of their own. Some areas, such as the buffer
383name and the major mode name, have their own special mouse bindings.
384Emacs displays information about these bindings when you hold the
85d6c6e7 385mouse over such a place (@pxref{Tooltips}).
70c88b57 386
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387@node Creating Frames
388@section Creating Frames
389@cindex creating frames
390
391@kindex C-x 5
392 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
393subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
394frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
395Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
396the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
177c0ea7 397raising or deiconifying as necessary.
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398
399 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
400buffer to select:
401
402@table @kbd
403@item C-x 5 2
404@kindex C-x 5 2
405@findex make-frame-command
406Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
407@item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
408Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
409@code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
410@item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
411Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
412runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
413@item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
414Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
415This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
416@item C-x 5 m
417Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
418@code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
419@xref{Sending Mail}.
420@item C-x 5 .
421Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
422@code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
423@xref{Tags}.
424@item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
425@kindex C-x 5 r
426@findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
427Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
428frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
429@xref{Visiting}.
430@end table
431
432@cindex default-frame-alist
433@cindex initial-frame-alist
434 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
435frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
436variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
437only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
438Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
439
440@cindex font (default)
441 The easiest way to specify the principal font for all your Emacs
442frames is with an X resource (@pxref{Font X}), but you can also do it by
443modifying @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the @code{font}
444parameter, as shown here:
445
446@example
447(add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
448@end example
449
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450@noindent
451Here's a similar example for specifying a foreground color:
452
453@example
454(add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(background-color . "blue"))
455@end example
456
457
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458@node Frame Commands
459@section Frame Commands
460
461 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
462
463@table @kbd
464@item C-z
465@kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
466@findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
467Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
468The normal meaning of @kbd{C-z}, to suspend Emacs, is not useful under a
469window system, so it has a different binding in that case.
470
471If you type this command on an Emacs frame's icon, it deiconifies the frame.
472
473@item C-x 5 0
474@kindex C-x 5 0
475@findex delete-frame
476Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed if
477there is only one frame.
478
479@item C-x 5 o
480@kindex C-x 5 o
481@findex other-frame
482Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it so that it
483stays selected. If you repeat this command, it cycles through all the
484frames on your terminal.
485
486@item C-x 5 1
487@kindex C-x 5 1
488@findex delete-other-frames
489Delete all frames except the selected one.
490@end table
491
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492@vindex focus-follows-mouse
493 To make the command @kbd{C-x 5 o} work properly, you must tell Emacs
494how the system (or the window manager) generally handles
495focus-switching between windows. There are two possibilities: either
496simply moving the mouse onto a window selects it (gives it focus), or
497you have to click on it in a suitable way to do so. Unfortunately
498there is no way Emacs can find out automatically which way the system
499handles this, so you have to explicitly say, by setting the variable
500@code{focus-follows-mouse}. If just moving the mouse onto a window
501selects it, that variable should be @code{t}; if a click is necessary,
502the variable should be @code{nil}.
503
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504@node Speedbar
505@section Making and Using a Speedbar Frame
506@cindex speedbar
507
508 An Emacs frame can have a @dfn{speedbar}, which is a vertical window
509that serves as a scrollable menu of files you could visit and tags
510within those files. To create a speedbar, type @kbd{M-x speedbar}; this
511creates a speedbar window for the selected frame. From then on, you can
512click on a file name in the speedbar to visit that file in the
513corresponding Emacs frame, or click on a tag name to jump to that tag in
514the Emacs frame.
515
516 Initially the speedbar lists the immediate contents of the current
517directory, one file per line. Each line also has a box, @samp{[+]} or
518@samp{<+>}, that you can click on with @kbd{Mouse-2} to ``open up'' the
519contents of that item. If the line names a directory, opening it adds
520the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
521directory's own line. If the line lists an ordinary file, opening it up
522adds a list of the tags in that file to the speedbar display. When a
523file is opened up, the @samp{[+]} changes to @samp{[-]}; you can click
524on that box to ``close up'' that file (hide its contents).
525
526 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
527specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
528select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
529files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
530clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
531
532 A speedbar belongs to one Emacs frame, and always operates on that
533frame. If you use multiple frames, you can make a speedbar for some or
534all of the frames; type @kbd{M-x speedbar} in any given frame to make a
535speedbar for it.
536
537@node Multiple Displays
538@section Multiple Displays
539@cindex multiple displays
540
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541 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
542uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
543environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
544Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
545@code{make-frame-on-display}:
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546
547@findex make-frame-on-display
548@table @kbd
549@item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
550Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
551@end table
552
553 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
554frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
555single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
556screens as a single stream of input.
557
558 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
559input stream for each server. This way, two users can type
560simultaneously on the two displays, and Emacs will not garble their
561input. Each server also has its own selected frame. The commands you
562enter with a particular X server apply to that server's selected frame.
563
564 Despite these features, people using the same Emacs job from different
565displays can still interfere with each other if they are not careful.
566For example, if any one types @kbd{C-x C-c}, that exits the Emacs job
567for all of them!
568
569@node Special Buffer Frames
570@section Special Buffer Frames
571
572@vindex special-display-buffer-names
573 You can make certain chosen buffers, for which Emacs normally creates
574a second window when you have just one window, appear in special frames
575of their own. To do this, set the variable
576@code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list of buffer names; any
577buffer whose name is in that list automatically gets a special frame,
578when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in another window.''
579
580 For example, if you set the variable this way,
581
582@example
583(setq special-display-buffer-names
584 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
585@end example
586
587@noindent
588then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
589buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
590windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
591buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
592unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
593frame automatically.
594
595@vindex special-display-regexps
596 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
597of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
598matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
599to buffers that normally get displayed for you in a separate window.)
600
601@vindex special-display-frame-alist
602 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
603parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
604to set it.
605
606 For those who know Lisp, an element of
607@code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
608can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
609regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
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610frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter
611values; these values take precedence over parameter values specified
612in @code{special-display-frame-alist}. If you specify the symbol
613@code{same-window} as a ``frame parameter'' in this list, with a
614non-@code{nil} value, that means to use the selected window if
615possible. If you use the symbol @code{same-frame} as a ``frame
616parameter'' in this list, with a non-@code{nil} value, that means to
617use the selected frame if possible.
618
619 Alternatively, the value can have this form:
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620
621@example
622(@var{function} @var{args}...)
623@end example
624
625@noindent
626where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
627calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
628remaining arguments are @var{args}.
629
630 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
631displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
632same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
633therefore, if you add a buffer name to
634@code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
635whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
636
637@node Frame Parameters
638@section Setting Frame Parameters
639@cindex colors
640@cindex Auto-Raise mode
641@cindex Auto-Lower mode
642
643 This section describes commands for altering the display style and
644window management behavior of the selected frame.
645
646@findex set-foreground-color
647@findex set-background-color
648@findex set-cursor-color
649@findex set-mouse-color
650@findex set-border-color
651@findex auto-raise-mode
652@findex auto-lower-mode
653@table @kbd
654@item M-x set-foreground-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
655Specify color @var{color} for the foreground of the selected frame.
656(This also changes the foreground color of the default face.)
657
658@item M-x set-background-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
659Specify color @var{color} for the background of the selected frame.
660(This also changes the background color of the default face.)
661
662@item M-x set-cursor-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
663Specify color @var{color} for the cursor of the selected frame.
664
665@item M-x set-mouse-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
666Specify color @var{color} for the mouse cursor when it is over the
667selected frame.
668
669@item M-x set-border-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
670Specify color @var{color} for the border of the selected frame.
671
672@item M-x list-colors-display
673Display the defined color names and show what the colors look like.
674This command is somewhat slow.
675
676@item M-x auto-raise-mode
677Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
678means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
679frame.
680
681Note that this auto-raise feature is implemented by Emacs itself. Some
682window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable auto-raise for
683Emacs frames in your X window manager, it should work, but it is beyond
684Emacs's control and therefore @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect on
685it.
686
687@item M-x auto-lower-mode
688Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
689Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
690the frame moves to the bottom of the stack of X windows.
691
692The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
693implemented by the X window manager. To control that, you must use
694the appropriate window manager features.
695
696@findex set-frame-font
697@item M-x set-frame-font @key{RET} @var{font} @key{RET}
698@cindex font (principal)
699Specify font @var{font} as the principal font for the selected frame.
700The principal font controls several face attributes of the
701@code{default} face (@pxref{Faces}). For example, if the principal font
702has a height of 12 pt, all text will be drawn in 12 pt fonts, unless you
703use another face that specifies a different height. @xref{Font X}, for
704ways to list the available fonts on your system.
705
706@kindex S-Mouse-1
707You can also set a frame's principal font through a pop-up menu.
708Press @kbd{S-Mouse-1} to activate this menu.
709@end table
710
711 In Emacs versions that use an X toolkit, the color-setting and
712font-setting functions don't affect menus and the menu bar, since they
713are displayed by their own widget classes. To change the appearance of
186e9bcc 714the menus and menu bar, you must use X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
89c8e752 715@xref{Colors}, regarding colors. @xref{Font X}, regarding choice of
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716font.
717
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718 Colors, fonts, and other attributes of the frame's display can also
719be customized by setting frame parameters in the variable
720@code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Creating Frames}). For a detailed
721description of frame parameters and customization, see @ref{Frame
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722Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
723
724@node Scroll Bars
725@section Scroll Bars
726@cindex Scroll Bar mode
727@cindex mode, Scroll Bar
728
729 When using X, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at the left of
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730each Emacs window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is usually more
731useful with overlapping frames with text starting at the left margin.}
732The scroll bar runs the height of the window, and shows a moving
733rectangular inner box which represents the portion of the buffer
734currently displayed. The entire height of the scroll bar represents the
735entire length of the buffer.
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736
737 You can use @kbd{Mouse-2} (normally, the middle button) in the scroll
738bar to move or drag the inner box up and down. If you move it to the
739top of the scroll bar, you see the top of the buffer. If you move it to
740the bottom of the scroll bar, you see the bottom of the buffer.
741
742 The left and right buttons in the scroll bar scroll by controlled
743increments. @kbd{Mouse-1} (normally, the left button) moves the line at
744the level where you click up to the top of the window. @kbd{Mouse-3}
745(normally, the right button) moves the line at the top of the window
746down to the level where you click. By clicking repeatedly in the same
747place, you can scroll by the same distance over and over.
748
70de49cc 749 If you are using Emacs's own implementation of scroll bars, as opposed
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750to scroll bars from an X toolkit, you can also click @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in
751the scroll bar to split a window vertically. The split occurs on the
752line where you click.
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753
754@findex scroll-bar-mode
70c88b57 755@vindex scroll-bar-mode
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756 You can enable or disable Scroll Bar mode with the command @kbd{M-x
757scroll-bar-mode}. With no argument, it toggles the use of scroll bars.
758With an argument, it turns use of scroll bars on if and only if the
759argument is positive. This command applies to all frames, including
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760frames yet to be created. Customize the option @code{scroll-bar-mode}
761to control the use of scroll bars at startup. You can use it to specify
762that they are placed at the right of windows if you prefer that. You
763can use the X resource @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control the initial
186e9bcc 764setting of Scroll Bar mode similarly. @xref{Resources}.
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765
766@findex toggle-scroll-bar
767 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
eca274b1 768command @kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar}.
6bf7aab6 769
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770@vindex scroll-bar-width
771@cindex width of the scroll bar
772 You can control the scroll bar width by changing the value of the
773@code{scroll-bar-width} frame parameter.
774
70c88b57 775@node Wheeled Mice
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776@section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
777
778@cindex mouse wheel
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779@cindex wheel, mouse
780@findex mouse-wheel-mode
781@cindex Mouse Wheel minor mode
782@cindex mode, Mouse Wheel
783 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can
784usually click the wheel to act as either @kbd{Mouse-2} or
785@kbd{Mouse-3}, depending on the setup. You can also use the wheel to
099bfef9 786scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
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787To do so, turn on Mouse Wheel global minor mode with the command
788@kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-mode} or by customizing the option
789@code{mouse-wheel-mode}. Support for the wheel depends on the system
790generating appropriate events for Emacs.
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791
792@vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
793@vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
099bfef9 794 The variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
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795@code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
796buffers are scrolled.
70c88b57 797
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798@node Menu Bars
799@section Menu Bars
800@cindex Menu Bar mode
801@cindex mode, Menu Bar
802
803 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
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804menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the option @code{menu-bar-mode}.
805With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
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806minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
807argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
808the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
186e9bcc 809Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
2beab0db 810
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811@kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
812 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
813terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
814If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
47d7776c 815with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports pop-up menus.
099bfef9 816@xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
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817
818 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
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819menu bar. @xref{X Resources}, for how to customize the menu bar
820menus.
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822@node Tool Bars
823@section Tool Bars
824@cindex Tool Bar mode
825@cindex mode, Tool Bar
943a8bb7 826@cindex icons, tool bar
2beab0db 827
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828The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or multiple lines) of icons at the top
829of the Emacs window. You can click on these icons with the mouse
830to do various jobs.
831
832The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
833define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
834that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
835global tool bar.
943a8bb7 836
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837Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
838XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
839bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
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840
841You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
842tool-bar-mode}.
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843
844@node Dialog Boxes
845@section Using Dialog Boxes
846@cindex dialog boxes
847
848@vindex use-dialog-box
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849 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
850question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
851dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
852invoke the command to begin with.
853
854 You can customize the option @code{use-dialog-box} to suppress the
855use of dialog boxes. This also controls whether to use file selection
856windows (but those are not supported on all platforms).
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70c88b57 858@node Tooltips
099bfef9 859@section Tooltips (or ``Balloon Help'')
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860
861@cindex balloon help
099bfef9 862 Tooltips are small X windows displaying a help string at the current
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863mouse position, typically over text---including the mode line---which
864can be activated with the mouse or other keys. (This facility is
2684ed46 865sometimes known as @dfn{balloon help}.) Help text may be available for
099bfef9 866menu items too.
d9701e91 867
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868@findex tooltip-mode
869 To use tooltips, enable Tooltip mode with the command @kbd{M-x
870tooltip-mode}. The customization group @code{tooltip} controls
871various aspects of how tooltips work. When Tooltip mode is disabled,
872the help text is displayed in the echo area instead.
70c88b57 873
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874@vindex tooltip-delay
875 The variables @code{tooltip-delay} specifies how long Emacs should
876wait before displaying a tooltip. For additional customization
877options for displaying tooltips, use @kbd{M-x customize-group
878@key{RET} tooltip @key{RET}}. @xref{X Resources}, for information on
879customizing the windows that display tooltips.
9638f5c2 880
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881@node Mouse Avoidance
882@section Mouse Avoidance
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883@cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
884@cindex mouse avoidance
43391ff3 885
099bfef9 886@vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
43391ff3 887Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the window system mouse pointer away from
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888point, to avoid obscuring text. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
889raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the option
890@code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
891move the mouse in several ways:
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892
893@table @code
894@item banish
47d7776c 895Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any key-press;
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896@item exile
897Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
898and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
899@item jump
900If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
901a random distance & direction;
902@item animate
903As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
904@item cat-and-mouse
905The same as @code{animate};
906@item proteus
907As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
908@end table
909
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910@findex mouse-avoidance-mode
911You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
43391ff3 912the mode.
70c88b57 913
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914@node Non-Window Terminals
915@section Non-Window Terminals
916@cindex non-window terminals
917@cindex single-frame terminals
918
919 If your terminal does not have a window system that Emacs supports,
920then it can display only one Emacs frame at a time. However, you can
921still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch between them. Switching
922frames on these terminals is much like switching between different
923window configurations.
924
925 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
9265 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
927the current frame.
928
929 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
930display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
931appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
932@samp{F@var{n}}.
933
934@findex set-frame-name
935@findex select-frame-by-name
936 @samp{F@var{n}} is actually the frame's name. You can also specify a
937different name if you wish, and you can select a frame by its name. Use
938the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to
939specify a new name for the selected frame, and use @kbd{M-x
940select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to select a frame
941according to its name. The name you specify appears in the mode line
942when the frame is selected.
943
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944@node XTerm Mouse
945@section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
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946@cindex xterm, mouse support
947@cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
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948
949Some terminal emulators under X support mouse clicks in the terminal
950window. In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
951you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to enable simple use of the
952mouse---only single clicks are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse
953functionality is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key
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954when you press the mouse button. The Linux console supports this
955mode if it has support for the mouse enabled, e.g.@: using the
956@command{gpm} daemon.