Don't say just "option" when talking about variables.
[bpt/emacs.git] / man / frames.texi
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6bf7aab6 1@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
779bc800 2@c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 99, 2000, 2001, 2004
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.
54900736 51* Drag and drop:: Using drag and drop to open files and insert text.
6bf7aab6 52* Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
2beab0db 53* Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
70c88b57 54* Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
47d7776c 55* Tooltips:: Showing "tooltips", AKA "balloon help" for active text.
43391ff3 56* Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
6bf7aab6 57* Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
70c88b57 58* XTerm Mouse:: Using the mouse in an XTerm terminal emulator.
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59@end menu
60
61@node Mouse Commands
62@section Mouse Commands for Editing
63@cindex mouse buttons (what they do)
64
65 The mouse commands for selecting and copying a region are mostly
66compatible with the @code{xterm} program. You can use the same mouse
67commands for copying between Emacs and other X client programs.
68
0e824f4f 69@kindex DELETE @r{(and mouse selection)}
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70 If you select a region with any of these mouse commands, and then
71immediately afterward type the @key{DELETE} function key, it deletes the
72region that you selected. The @key{BACKSPACE} function key and the
76dd3692 73@acronym{ASCII} character @key{DEL} do not do this; if you type any other key
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74in between the mouse command and @key{DELETE}, it does not do this.
75
76@findex mouse-set-region
77@findex mouse-set-point
78@findex mouse-yank-at-click
79@findex mouse-save-then-click
80@kindex Mouse-1
81@kindex Mouse-2
82@kindex Mouse-3
83@table @kbd
84@item Mouse-1
85Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
86This is normally the left button.
87
88@item Drag-Mouse-1
89Set the region to the text you select by dragging, and copy it to the
90kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}). You can specify both ends of the
91region with this single command.
92
93@vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
94If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
95dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
96back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
97entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
98on how far away from the window edge the mouse has gone; the variable
99@code{mouse-scroll-min-lines} specifies a minimum step size.
100
101@item Mouse-2
102Yank the last killed text, where you click (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
103This is normally the middle button.
104
105@item Mouse-3
106This command, @code{mouse-save-then-kill}, has several functions
107depending on where you click and the status of the region.
108
109The most basic case is when you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in one place and
110then @kbd{Mouse-3} in another. This selects the text between those two
111positions as the region. It also copies the new region to the kill
112ring, so that you can copy it to someplace else.
113
114If you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in the text, scroll with the scroll bar, and
115then click @kbd{Mouse-3}, it remembers where point was before scrolling
116(where you put it with @kbd{Mouse-1}), and uses that position as the
117other end of the region. This is so that you can select a region that
118doesn't fit entirely on the screen.
119
120More generally, if you do not have a highlighted region, @kbd{Mouse-3}
121selects the text between point and the click position as the region. It
122does this by setting the mark where point was, and moving point to where
123you click.
124
125If you have a highlighted region, or if the region was set just before
126by dragging button 1, @kbd{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end of the region
127by moving it to where you click. The adjusted region's text also
128replaces the old region's text in the kill ring.
129
130If you originally specified the region using a double or triple
131@kbd{Mouse-1}, so that the region is defined to consist of entire words
132or lines, then adjusting the region with @kbd{Mouse-3} also proceeds by
133entire words or lines.
134
135If you use @kbd{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same place,
136that kills the region already selected.
137
138@item Double-Mouse-1
139This key sets the region around the word which you click on. If you
140click on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as underscore, in C
141mode), it sets the region around the symbol surrounding that character.
142
143If you click on a character with open-parenthesis or close-parenthesis
57d28ead 144syntax, it sets the region around the parenthetical grouping
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145which that character starts or ends. If you click on a character with
146string-delimiter syntax (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C), it
147sets the region around the string constant (using heuristics to figure
148out whether that character is the beginning or the end of it).
149
150@item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
151This key selects a region made up of the words you drag across.
152
153@item Triple-Mouse-1
154This key sets the region around the line you click on.
155
156@item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
157This key selects a region made up of the lines you drag across.
158@end table
159
160 The simplest way to kill text with the mouse is to press @kbd{Mouse-1}
161at one end, then press @kbd{Mouse-3} twice at the other end.
162@xref{Killing}. To copy the text into the kill ring without deleting it
163from the buffer, press @kbd{Mouse-3} just once---or just drag across the
164text with @kbd{Mouse-1}. Then you can copy it elsewhere by yanking it.
165
166@vindex mouse-yank-at-point
167 To yank the killed or copied text somewhere else, move the mouse there
168and press @kbd{Mouse-2}. @xref{Yanking}. However, if
169@code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{Mouse-2} yanks at
170point. Then it does not matter where you click, or even which of the
171frame's windows you click on. The default value is @code{nil}. This
172variable also affects yanking the secondary selection.
173
174@cindex cutting and X
175@cindex pasting and X
176@cindex X cutting and pasting
177 To copy text to another X window, kill it or save it in the kill ring.
178Under X, this also sets the @dfn{primary selection}. Then use the
179``paste'' or ``yank'' command of the program operating the other window
180to insert the text from the selection.
181
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182 To copy text from another X window, use the ``cut'' or ``copy''
183command of the program operating the other window, to select the text
184you want. Then yank it in Emacs with @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
185
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186 The standard coding system for X selections is
187@code{compound-text-with-extensions}. To specify another coding
188system for X selections, use @kbd{C-x @key{RET} x} or @kbd{C-x
189@key{RET} X}. @xref{Specify Coding}.
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190
191 These cutting and pasting commands also work on MS-Windows.
192
193@cindex primary selection
194@cindex cut buffer
195@cindex selection, primary
196@vindex x-cut-buffer-max
197 When Emacs puts text into the kill ring, or rotates text to the front
198of the kill ring, it sets the @dfn{primary selection} in the X server.
199This is how other X clients can access the text. Emacs also stores the
200text in the cut buffer, but only if the text is short enough
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201(the value of @code{x-cut-buffer-max} specifies the maximum number of
202characters); putting long strings in the cut buffer can be slow.
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203
204 The commands to yank the first entry in the kill ring actually check
205first for a primary selection in another program; after that, they check
206for text in the cut buffer. If neither of those sources provides text
207to yank, the kill ring contents are used.
208
209@node Secondary Selection
210@section Secondary Selection
211@cindex secondary selection
212
213 The @dfn{secondary selection} is another way of selecting text using
214X. It does not use point or the mark, so you can use it to kill text
215without setting point or the mark.
216
217@table @kbd
218@findex mouse-set-secondary
219@kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
220@item M-Drag-Mouse-1
221Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
222down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
223(@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The highlighting appears and changes as
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224you drag. You can control the appearance of the highlighting by
225customizing the @code{secondary-selection} face (@pxref{Face
226Customization}).
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227
228If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
229dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
230back into the window. This way, you can mark regions that don't fit
231entirely on the screen.
232
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233This way of setting the secondary selection does not alter the kill ring.
234
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235@findex mouse-start-secondary
236@kindex M-Mouse-1
237@item M-Mouse-1
238Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
239(@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
240
241@findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
242@kindex M-Mouse-3
243@item M-Mouse-3
244Make a secondary selection, using the place specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
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245as the other end (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). This also
246puts the selected text in the kill ring. A second click at the same
247place kills the secondary selection just made.
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248
249@findex mouse-yank-secondary
250@kindex M-Mouse-2
251@item M-Mouse-2
252Insert the secondary selection where you click
253(@code{mouse-yank-secondary}). This places point at the end of the
254yanked text.
255@end table
256
257Double or triple clicking of @kbd{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
258lines, much like @kbd{Mouse-1}.
259
260If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{M-Mouse-2}
261yanks at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click; all
262that matters is which window you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
263
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264@node Clipboard
265@section Using the Clipboard
266@cindex X clipboard
267@cindex clipboard
268@vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
269@findex menu-bar-enable-clipboard
270@cindex OpenWindows
271@cindex Gnome
272
099bfef9 273 As well as the primary and secondary selection types, X supports a
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274@dfn{clipboard} selection type which is used by some applications,
275particularly under OpenWindows and Gnome.
276
099bfef9 277 The command @kbd{M-x menu-bar-enable-clipboard} makes the @code{Cut},
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278@code{Paste} and @code{Copy} menu items, as well as the keys of the same
279names, all use the clipboard.
177c0ea7 280
19b2c4ca 281 You can customize the variable @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to make
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282the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
283selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
284well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not access the
285clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on MS-Windows,
286unlike most systems.
287
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288@node Mouse References
289@section Following References with the Mouse
290@kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
291
292 Some Emacs buffers display lists of various sorts. These include
293lists of files, of buffers, of possible completions, of matches for
294a pattern, and so on.
295
296 Since yanking text into these buffers is not very useful, most of them
297define @kbd{Mouse-2} specially, as a command to use or view the item you
298click on.
299
300 For example, if you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a file name in a Dired
301buffer, you visit that file. If you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on an error
302message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer, you go to the source code
303for that error message. If you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a completion in
304the @samp{*Completions*} buffer, you choose that completion.
305
922bc663 306@vindex mouse-highlight
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307 You can usually tell when @kbd{Mouse-2} has this special sort of
308meaning because the sensitive text highlights when you move the mouse
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309over it. The variable @code{mouse-highlight} controls whether to do
310this highlighting always (even when such text appears where the mouse
311already is), never, or only immediately after you move the mouse.
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312
313@node Menu Mouse Clicks
314@section Mouse Clicks for Menus
315
316 Mouse clicks modified with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} keys
317bring up menus.
318
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319@table @kbd
320@item C-Mouse-1
239e21e2 321@kindex C-Mouse-1
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322This menu is for selecting a buffer.
323
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324The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
325menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
239e21e2 326
6bf7aab6 327@item C-Mouse-2
239e21e2 328@kindex C-Mouse-2
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329This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
330for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
331
332@item C-Mouse-3
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333@kindex C-Mouse-3
334This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on, this
335menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus put
336together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
337button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
338menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
339@kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision to
340use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu.} If Menu-bar mode is off, this menu
341contains all the items which would be present in the menu bar---not just
342the mode-specific ones---so that you can access them without having to
343display the menu bar.
6bf7aab6 344
099bfef9 345@item S-Mouse-1
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346This menu is for specifying the frame's principal font.
347@end table
348
349@node Mode Line Mouse
350@section Mode Line Mouse Commands
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351@cindex mode line, mouse
352@cindex mouse on mode line
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353
354 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
355windows.
356
357@table @kbd
358@item Mouse-1
099bfef9 359@kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
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360@kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window above. By dragging
361@kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus changing the
362height of the windows above and below.
363
364@item Mouse-2
099bfef9 365@kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
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366@kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
367
368@item Mouse-3
099bfef9 369@kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
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370@kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window above. If the frame has
371only one window, it buries the current buffer instead and switches to
372another buffer.
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373
374@item C-Mouse-2
099bfef9 375@kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
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376@kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
377horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
378@end table
379
099bfef9 380@kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
6bf7aab6 381 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
779bc800 382vertically. @xref{Split Window}.
6bf7aab6 383
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384 The commands above apply to areas of the mode line which do not have
385special mouse bindings of their own. Some areas, such as the buffer
386name and the major mode name, have their own special mouse bindings.
387Emacs displays information about these bindings when you hold the
85d6c6e7 388mouse over such a place (@pxref{Tooltips}).
70c88b57 389
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390@node Creating Frames
391@section Creating Frames
392@cindex creating frames
393
394@kindex C-x 5
395 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
396subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
397frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
398Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
399the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
177c0ea7 400raising or deiconifying as necessary.
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401
402 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
403buffer to select:
404
405@table @kbd
406@item C-x 5 2
407@kindex C-x 5 2
408@findex make-frame-command
409Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
410@item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
411Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
412@code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
413@item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
414Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
415runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
416@item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
417Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
418This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
419@item C-x 5 m
420Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
421@code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
422@xref{Sending Mail}.
423@item C-x 5 .
424Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
425@code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
426@xref{Tags}.
427@item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
428@kindex C-x 5 r
429@findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
430Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
431frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
432@xref{Visiting}.
433@end table
434
435@cindex default-frame-alist
436@cindex initial-frame-alist
437 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
438frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
439variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
440only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
441Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
442
443@cindex font (default)
444 The easiest way to specify the principal font for all your Emacs
445frames is with an X resource (@pxref{Font X}), but you can also do it by
446modifying @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the @code{font}
447parameter, as shown here:
448
449@example
450(add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
451@end example
452
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453@noindent
454Here's a similar example for specifying a foreground color:
455
456@example
457(add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(background-color . "blue"))
458@end example
459
460
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461@node Frame Commands
462@section Frame Commands
463
464 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
465
466@table @kbd
467@item C-z
468@kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
469@findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
470Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
471The normal meaning of @kbd{C-z}, to suspend Emacs, is not useful under a
472window system, so it has a different binding in that case.
473
474If you type this command on an Emacs frame's icon, it deiconifies the frame.
475
476@item C-x 5 0
477@kindex C-x 5 0
478@findex delete-frame
479Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed if
480there is only one frame.
481
482@item C-x 5 o
483@kindex C-x 5 o
484@findex other-frame
485Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it so that it
486stays selected. If you repeat this command, it cycles through all the
487frames on your terminal.
488
489@item C-x 5 1
490@kindex C-x 5 1
491@findex delete-other-frames
492Delete all frames except the selected one.
493@end table
494
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495@vindex focus-follows-mouse
496 To make the command @kbd{C-x 5 o} work properly, you must tell Emacs
497how the system (or the window manager) generally handles
498focus-switching between windows. There are two possibilities: either
499simply moving the mouse onto a window selects it (gives it focus), or
500you have to click on it in a suitable way to do so. Unfortunately
501there is no way Emacs can find out automatically which way the system
502handles this, so you have to explicitly say, by setting the variable
503@code{focus-follows-mouse}. If just moving the mouse onto a window
504selects it, that variable should be @code{t}; if a click is necessary,
505the variable should be @code{nil}.
506
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507@node Speedbar
508@section Making and Using a Speedbar Frame
509@cindex speedbar
510
511 An Emacs frame can have a @dfn{speedbar}, which is a vertical window
512that serves as a scrollable menu of files you could visit and tags
513within those files. To create a speedbar, type @kbd{M-x speedbar}; this
514creates a speedbar window for the selected frame. From then on, you can
515click on a file name in the speedbar to visit that file in the
516corresponding Emacs frame, or click on a tag name to jump to that tag in
517the Emacs frame.
518
519 Initially the speedbar lists the immediate contents of the current
520directory, one file per line. Each line also has a box, @samp{[+]} or
521@samp{<+>}, that you can click on with @kbd{Mouse-2} to ``open up'' the
522contents of that item. If the line names a directory, opening it adds
523the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
524directory's own line. If the line lists an ordinary file, opening it up
525adds a list of the tags in that file to the speedbar display. When a
526file is opened up, the @samp{[+]} changes to @samp{[-]}; you can click
527on that box to ``close up'' that file (hide its contents).
528
529 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
530specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
531select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
532files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
533clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
534
535 A speedbar belongs to one Emacs frame, and always operates on that
536frame. If you use multiple frames, you can make a speedbar for some or
537all of the frames; type @kbd{M-x speedbar} in any given frame to make a
538speedbar for it.
539
540@node Multiple Displays
541@section Multiple Displays
542@cindex multiple displays
543
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544 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
545uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
546environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
547Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
548@code{make-frame-on-display}:
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549
550@findex make-frame-on-display
551@table @kbd
552@item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
553Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
554@end table
555
556 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
557frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
558single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
559screens as a single stream of input.
560
561 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
562input stream for each server. This way, two users can type
563simultaneously on the two displays, and Emacs will not garble their
564input. Each server also has its own selected frame. The commands you
565enter with a particular X server apply to that server's selected frame.
566
567 Despite these features, people using the same Emacs job from different
568displays can still interfere with each other if they are not careful.
569For example, if any one types @kbd{C-x C-c}, that exits the Emacs job
570for all of them!
571
572@node Special Buffer Frames
573@section Special Buffer Frames
574
575@vindex special-display-buffer-names
576 You can make certain chosen buffers, for which Emacs normally creates
577a second window when you have just one window, appear in special frames
578of their own. To do this, set the variable
579@code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list of buffer names; any
580buffer whose name is in that list automatically gets a special frame,
581when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in another window.''
582
583 For example, if you set the variable this way,
584
585@example
586(setq special-display-buffer-names
587 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
588@end example
589
590@noindent
591then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
592buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
593windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
594buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
595unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
596frame automatically.
597
598@vindex special-display-regexps
599 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
600of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
601matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
602to buffers that normally get displayed for you in a separate window.)
603
604@vindex special-display-frame-alist
605 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
606parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
607to set it.
608
609 For those who know Lisp, an element of
610@code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
611can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
612regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
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613frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter
614values; these values take precedence over parameter values specified
615in @code{special-display-frame-alist}. If you specify the symbol
616@code{same-window} as a ``frame parameter'' in this list, with a
617non-@code{nil} value, that means to use the selected window if
618possible. If you use the symbol @code{same-frame} as a ``frame
619parameter'' in this list, with a non-@code{nil} value, that means to
620use the selected frame if possible.
621
622 Alternatively, the value can have this form:
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623
624@example
625(@var{function} @var{args}...)
626@end example
627
628@noindent
629where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
630calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
631remaining arguments are @var{args}.
632
633 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
634displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
635same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
636therefore, if you add a buffer name to
637@code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
638whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
639
640@node Frame Parameters
641@section Setting Frame Parameters
642@cindex colors
643@cindex Auto-Raise mode
644@cindex Auto-Lower mode
645
646 This section describes commands for altering the display style and
647window management behavior of the selected frame.
648
649@findex set-foreground-color
650@findex set-background-color
651@findex set-cursor-color
652@findex set-mouse-color
653@findex set-border-color
654@findex auto-raise-mode
655@findex auto-lower-mode
656@table @kbd
657@item M-x set-foreground-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
658Specify color @var{color} for the foreground of the selected frame.
659(This also changes the foreground color of the default face.)
660
661@item M-x set-background-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
662Specify color @var{color} for the background of the selected frame.
663(This also changes the background color of the default face.)
664
665@item M-x set-cursor-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
666Specify color @var{color} for the cursor of the selected frame.
667
668@item M-x set-mouse-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
669Specify color @var{color} for the mouse cursor when it is over the
670selected frame.
671
672@item M-x set-border-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
673Specify color @var{color} for the border of the selected frame.
674
675@item M-x list-colors-display
676Display the defined color names and show what the colors look like.
677This command is somewhat slow.
678
679@item M-x auto-raise-mode
680Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
681means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
682frame.
683
684Note that this auto-raise feature is implemented by Emacs itself. Some
685window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable auto-raise for
686Emacs frames in your X window manager, it should work, but it is beyond
687Emacs's control and therefore @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect on
688it.
689
690@item M-x auto-lower-mode
691Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
692Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
693the frame moves to the bottom of the stack of X windows.
694
695The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
696implemented by the X window manager. To control that, you must use
697the appropriate window manager features.
698
699@findex set-frame-font
700@item M-x set-frame-font @key{RET} @var{font} @key{RET}
701@cindex font (principal)
702Specify font @var{font} as the principal font for the selected frame.
703The principal font controls several face attributes of the
704@code{default} face (@pxref{Faces}). For example, if the principal font
705has a height of 12 pt, all text will be drawn in 12 pt fonts, unless you
706use another face that specifies a different height. @xref{Font X}, for
707ways to list the available fonts on your system.
708
709@kindex S-Mouse-1
710You can also set a frame's principal font through a pop-up menu.
711Press @kbd{S-Mouse-1} to activate this menu.
712@end table
713
714 In Emacs versions that use an X toolkit, the color-setting and
715font-setting functions don't affect menus and the menu bar, since they
716are displayed by their own widget classes. To change the appearance of
186e9bcc 717the menus and menu bar, you must use X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
89c8e752 718@xref{Colors}, regarding colors. @xref{Font X}, regarding choice of
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719font.
720
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721 Colors, fonts, and other attributes of the frame's display can also
722be customized by setting frame parameters in the variable
723@code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Creating Frames}). For a detailed
724description of frame parameters and customization, see @ref{Frame
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725Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
726
727@node Scroll Bars
728@section Scroll Bars
729@cindex Scroll Bar mode
730@cindex mode, Scroll Bar
731
732 When using X, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at the left of
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733each Emacs window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is usually more
734useful with overlapping frames with text starting at the left margin.}
735The scroll bar runs the height of the window, and shows a moving
736rectangular inner box which represents the portion of the buffer
737currently displayed. The entire height of the scroll bar represents the
738entire length of the buffer.
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739
740 You can use @kbd{Mouse-2} (normally, the middle button) in the scroll
741bar to move or drag the inner box up and down. If you move it to the
742top of the scroll bar, you see the top of the buffer. If you move it to
743the bottom of the scroll bar, you see the bottom of the buffer.
744
745 The left and right buttons in the scroll bar scroll by controlled
746increments. @kbd{Mouse-1} (normally, the left button) moves the line at
747the level where you click up to the top of the window. @kbd{Mouse-3}
748(normally, the right button) moves the line at the top of the window
749down to the level where you click. By clicking repeatedly in the same
750place, you can scroll by the same distance over and over.
751
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752 You can also click @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in the scroll bar to split a
753window vertically. The split occurs on the line where you click.
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754
755@findex scroll-bar-mode
70c88b57 756@vindex scroll-bar-mode
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757 You can enable or disable Scroll Bar mode with the command @kbd{M-x
758scroll-bar-mode}. With no argument, it toggles the use of scroll bars.
759With an argument, it turns use of scroll bars on if and only if the
760argument is positive. This command applies to all frames, including
19b2c4ca 761frames yet to be created. Customize the variable @code{scroll-bar-mode}
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762to control the use of scroll bars at startup. You can use it to specify
763that they are placed at the right of windows if you prefer that. You
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764have to set this variable through the @samp{Customize} interface
765(@pxref{Easy Customization}). Otherwise, it will not work properly.
766You can use the X resource @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control the
767initial setting of Scroll Bar mode similarly. @xref{Resources}.
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768
769@findex toggle-scroll-bar
770 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
eca274b1 771command @kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar}.
6bf7aab6 772
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773@vindex scroll-bar-width
774@cindex width of the scroll bar
775 You can control the scroll bar width by changing the value of the
776@code{scroll-bar-width} frame parameter.
777
70c88b57 778@node Wheeled Mice
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779@section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
780
781@cindex mouse wheel
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782@cindex wheel, mouse
783@findex mouse-wheel-mode
784@cindex Mouse Wheel minor mode
785@cindex mode, Mouse Wheel
786 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can
787usually click the wheel to act as either @kbd{Mouse-2} or
788@kbd{Mouse-3}, depending on the setup. You can also use the wheel to
099bfef9 789scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
1b122be2 790To do so, turn on Mouse Wheel global minor mode with the command
19b2c4ca 791@kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-mode} or by customizing the variable
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792@code{mouse-wheel-mode}. Support for the wheel depends on the system
793generating appropriate events for Emacs.
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794
795@vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
796@vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
099bfef9 797 The variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
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798@code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
799buffers are scrolled.
70c88b57 800
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801@node Drag and drop
802@section Drag and drop in Emacs.
803
804@cindex drag and drop
779bc800 805 Emacs supports drag and drop so that dropping of files and text is handled.
a4a46c64 806Currently supported drag and drop protocols are XDND, Motif and the old
779bc800 807KDE 1.x protocol. There is no drag support yet.
bd5bbffe 808When text is dropped on Emacs, Emacs inserts the text where it is dropped.
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809When a file is dragged from a file manager to Emacs, Emacs opens that file.
810As a special case, if a file is dropped on a dired buffer the file is
811copied or moved (depends on exactly how it is dragged and the application
bd5bbffe 812it was dragged from) to the directory the dired buffer is displaying.
54900736 813
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814@vindex x-dnd-test-function
815@vindex x-dnd-known-types
816 When a user drags something from another application over Emacs, that other
817application expects Emacs to tell it if Emacs can handle the data that is
818dragged. The variable @code{x-dnd-test-function} is used by Emacs to determine
819what to reply. The default value is @code{x-dnd-default-test-function}
820which accepts drops if the type of the data to be dropped is present in
821@code{x-dnd-known-types}. You can customize @code{x-dnd-test-function} and/or
822@code{x-dnd-known-types} if you want Emacs to accept or reject drops based
823on some other criteria.
824
f94fda5c 825@vindex x-dnd-open-file-other-window
54900736 826 A file is normally opened in the window it is dropped on, but if you
bd5bbffe 827prefer the file to be opened in a new window you can customize the variable
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828@code{x-dnd-open-file-other-window}.
829
830@vindex x-dnd-types-alist
bd5bbffe 831 If you want to change the way Emacs handles drop of different types
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832or add a new type, you shall customize @code{x-dnd-types-alist}. This
833requires detailed knowledge of what types other applications use
834for drag and drop.
835
836@vindex x-dnd-protocol-alist
bd5bbffe 837 When an URL is dropped on Emacs it may be a file, but it may also be
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838another URL type (ftp, http, etc.). Emacs first checks
839@code{x-dnd-protocol-alist} to determine what to do with the URL. If there
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840is no match there and if @code{browse-url-browser-function} is an alist,
841Emacs looks for a match there. If no match is found the text for the URL
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842is inserted. If you want to alter Emacs behaviour you can customize these
843variables.
844
845
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846@node Menu Bars
847@section Menu Bars
848@cindex Menu Bar mode
849@cindex mode, Menu Bar
850
851 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
19b2c4ca 852menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the variable @code{menu-bar-mode}.
2beab0db 853With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
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854minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
855argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
856the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
186e9bcc 857Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
2beab0db 858
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859@kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
860 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
861terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
862If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
47d7776c 863with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports pop-up menus.
099bfef9 864@xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
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865
866 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
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867menu bar. @xref{X Resources}, for how to customize the menu bar
868menus.
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870@node Tool Bars
871@section Tool Bars
872@cindex Tool Bar mode
873@cindex mode, Tool Bar
7114be0e 874@cindex icons, toolbar
2beab0db 875
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876The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or multiple lines) of icons at the top
877of the Emacs window. You can click on these icons with the mouse
878to do various jobs.
879
880The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
881define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
882that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
883global tool bar.
943a8bb7 884
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885Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
886XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
887bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
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888
889You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
890tool-bar-mode}.
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891
892@node Dialog Boxes
893@section Using Dialog Boxes
894@cindex dialog boxes
895
896@vindex use-dialog-box
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897 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
898question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
899dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
900invoke the command to begin with.
901
19b2c4ca 902 You can customize the variable @code{use-dialog-box} to suppress the
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903use of dialog boxes. This also controls whether to use file selection
904windows (but those are not supported on all platforms).
70c88b57 905
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906@vindex use-file-dialog
907 A file selection window is a special kind of dialog box for asking for
908file names.
909
19b2c4ca 910 You can customize the variable @code{use-file-dialog} to suppress the
1394f7f5 911use of file selection windows even if you still want other kinds
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912of dialogs. This variable has no effect if you have suppressed all dialog
913boxes with the variable @code{use-dialog-box}.
1394f7f5 914
3a0ab7ec 915@vindex x-use-old-gtk-file-dialog
e7c55f23 916 For Gtk+ version 2.4 and 2.6, you can make Emacs use the old file dialog
3a0ab7ec 917by setting the variable @code{x-use-old-gtk-file-dialog} to a non-@code{nil}
49e6099b 918value. If Emacs is built with a Gtk+ version that has only one file dialog,
4f0d76fb 919the setting of this variable has no effect.
1394f7f5 920
70c88b57 921@node Tooltips
099bfef9 922@section Tooltips (or ``Balloon Help'')
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923
924@cindex balloon help
099bfef9 925 Tooltips are small X windows displaying a help string at the current
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926mouse position, typically over text---including the mode line---which
927can be activated with the mouse or other keys. (This facility is
2684ed46 928sometimes known as @dfn{balloon help}.) Help text may be available for
099bfef9 929menu items too.
d9701e91 930
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931@findex tooltip-mode
932 To use tooltips, enable Tooltip mode with the command @kbd{M-x
933tooltip-mode}. The customization group @code{tooltip} controls
934various aspects of how tooltips work. When Tooltip mode is disabled,
935the help text is displayed in the echo area instead.
70c88b57 936
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937@vindex tooltip-delay
938 The variables @code{tooltip-delay} specifies how long Emacs should
939wait before displaying a tooltip. For additional customization
940options for displaying tooltips, use @kbd{M-x customize-group
941@key{RET} tooltip @key{RET}}. @xref{X Resources}, for information on
942customizing the windows that display tooltips.
9638f5c2 943
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944@node Mouse Avoidance
945@section Mouse Avoidance
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946@cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
947@cindex mouse avoidance
43391ff3 948
099bfef9 949@vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
43391ff3 950Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the window system mouse pointer away from
099bfef9 951point, to avoid obscuring text. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
19b2c4ca 952raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the variable
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953@code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
954move the mouse in several ways:
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955
956@table @code
957@item banish
47d7776c 958Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any key-press;
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959@item exile
960Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
961and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
962@item jump
963If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
964a random distance & direction;
965@item animate
966As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
967@item cat-and-mouse
968The same as @code{animate};
969@item proteus
970As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
971@end table
972
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973@findex mouse-avoidance-mode
974You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
43391ff3 975the mode.
70c88b57 976
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977@node Non-Window Terminals
978@section Non-Window Terminals
979@cindex non-window terminals
980@cindex single-frame terminals
981
982 If your terminal does not have a window system that Emacs supports,
983then it can display only one Emacs frame at a time. However, you can
984still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch between them. Switching
985frames on these terminals is much like switching between different
986window configurations.
987
988 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
9895 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
990the current frame.
991
992 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
993display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
994appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
995@samp{F@var{n}}.
996
997@findex set-frame-name
998@findex select-frame-by-name
999 @samp{F@var{n}} is actually the frame's name. You can also specify a
1000different name if you wish, and you can select a frame by its name. Use
1001the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to
1002specify a new name for the selected frame, and use @kbd{M-x
1003select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to select a frame
1004according to its name. The name you specify appears in the mode line
1005when the frame is selected.
1006
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1007@node XTerm Mouse
1008@section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
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1009@cindex xterm, mouse support
1010@cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
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1011
1012Some terminal emulators under X support mouse clicks in the terminal
1013window. In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
1014you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to enable simple use of the
1015mouse---only single clicks are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse
1016functionality is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key
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1017when you press the mouse button. The Linux console supports this
1018mode if it has support for the mouse enabled, e.g.@: using the
1019@command{gpm} daemon.
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1020
1021@ignore
1022 arch-tag: 7dcf3a31-a43b-45d4-a900-445b10d77e49
1023@end ignore