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6bf7aab6 | 1 | @c This is part of the Emacs manual. |
d683704c | 2 | @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
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3 | @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. |
4 | @node Windows, Frames, Buffers, Top | |
5 | @chapter Multiple Windows | |
6 | @cindex windows in Emacs | |
7 | @cindex multiple windows in Emacs | |
8 | ||
9 | Emacs can split a frame into two or many windows. Multiple windows | |
10 | can display parts of different buffers, or different parts of one | |
11 | buffer. Multiple frames always imply multiple windows, because each | |
12 | frame has its own set of windows. Each window belongs to one and only | |
13 | one frame. | |
14 | ||
15 | @menu | |
16 | * Basic Window:: Introduction to Emacs windows. | |
17 | * Split Window:: New windows are made by splitting existing windows. | |
18 | * Other Window:: Moving to another window or doing something to it. | |
19 | * Pop Up Window:: Finding a file or buffer in another window. | |
20 | * Force Same Window:: Forcing certain buffers to appear in the selected | |
21 | window rather than in another window. | |
22 | * Change Window:: Deleting windows and changing their sizes. | |
88968b11 | 23 | * Window Convenience:: Convenience functions for window handling. |
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24 | @end menu |
25 | ||
26 | @node Basic Window | |
27 | @section Concepts of Emacs Windows | |
28 | ||
29 | Each Emacs window displays one Emacs buffer at any time. A single | |
30 | buffer may appear in more than one window; if it does, any changes in | |
31 | its text are displayed in all the windows where it appears. But the | |
32 | windows showing the same buffer can show different parts of it, because | |
33 | each window has its own value of point. | |
34 | ||
35 | @cindex selected window | |
36 | At any time, one of the windows is the @dfn{selected window}; the | |
37 | buffer this window is displaying is the current buffer. The terminal's | |
38 | cursor shows the location of point in this window. Each other window | |
39 | has a location of point as well, but since the terminal has only one | |
40 | cursor there is no way to show where those locations are. When multiple | |
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41 | frames are visible in X, each frame has a cursor which appears in the |
42 | frame's selected window. The cursor in the selected frame is solid; the | |
43 | cursor in other frames is a hollow box. | |
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44 | |
45 | Commands to move point affect the value of point for the selected Emacs | |
46 | window only. They do not change the value of point in any other Emacs | |
47 | window, even one showing the same buffer. The same is true for commands | |
66e46e19 | 48 | such as @kbd{C-x b} to change the current buffer in the selected window; |
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49 | they do not affect other windows at all. However, there are other commands |
50 | such as @kbd{C-x 4 b} that select a different window and switch buffers in | |
51 | it. Also, all commands that display information in a window, including | |
52 | (for example) @kbd{C-h f} (@code{describe-function}) and @kbd{C-x C-b} | |
53 | (@code{list-buffers}), work by switching buffers in a nonselected window | |
54 | without affecting the selected window. | |
55 | ||
56 | When multiple windows show the same buffer, they can have different | |
57 | regions, because they can have different values of point. However, | |
58 | they all have the same value for the mark, because each buffer has | |
59 | only one mark position. | |
60 | ||
61 | Each window has its own mode line, which displays the buffer name, | |
62 | modification status and major and minor modes of the buffer that is | |
63 | displayed in the window. @xref{Mode Line}, for full details on the mode | |
64 | line. | |
65 | ||
66 | @iftex | |
67 | @break | |
68 | @end iftex | |
69 | ||
70 | @node Split Window | |
71 | @section Splitting Windows | |
72 | ||
73 | @table @kbd | |
74 | @item C-x 2 | |
75 | Split the selected window into two windows, one above the other | |
76 | (@code{split-window-vertically}). | |
77 | @item C-x 3 | |
78 | Split the selected window into two windows positioned side by side | |
79 | (@code{split-window-horizontally}). | |
80 | @item C-Mouse-2 | |
81 | In the mode line or scroll bar of a window, split that window. | |
82 | @end table | |
83 | ||
84 | @kindex C-x 2 | |
85 | @findex split-window-vertically | |
86 | The command @kbd{C-x 2} (@code{split-window-vertically}) breaks the | |
87 | selected window into two windows, one above the other. Both windows start | |
88 | out displaying the same buffer, with the same value of point. By default | |
89 | the two windows each get half the height of the window that was split; a | |
90 | numeric argument specifies how many lines to give to the top window. | |
91 | ||
92 | @kindex C-x 3 | |
93 | @findex split-window-horizontally | |
94 | @kbd{C-x 3} (@code{split-window-horizontally}) breaks the selected | |
95 | window into two side-by-side windows. A numeric argument specifies how | |
96 | many columns to give the one on the left. A line of vertical bars | |
97 | separates the two windows. Windows that are not the full width of the | |
98 | screen have mode lines, but they are truncated. On terminals where | |
99 | Emacs does not support highlighting, truncated mode lines sometimes do | |
100 | not appear in inverse video. | |
101 | ||
102 | @kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)} | |
103 | You can split a window horizontally or vertically by clicking | |
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104 | @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in the mode line or the scroll bar. (This does not |
105 | work in scroll bars implemented by X toolkits.) The line of splitting | |
106 | goes through the place where you click: if you click on the mode line, | |
107 | the new scroll bar goes above the spot; if you click in the scroll | |
108 | bar, the mode line of the split window is side by side with your | |
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109 | click. |
110 | ||
111 | @vindex truncate-partial-width-windows | |
112 | When a window is less than the full width, text lines too long to fit are | |
113 | frequent. Continuing all those lines might be confusing. The variable | |
114 | @code{truncate-partial-width-windows} can be set non-@code{nil} to force | |
115 | truncation in all windows less than the full width of the screen, | |
116 | independent of the buffer being displayed and its value for | |
117 | @code{truncate-lines}. @xref{Continuation Lines}.@refill | |
118 | ||
119 | Horizontal scrolling is often used in side-by-side windows. | |
120 | @xref{Display}. | |
121 | ||
122 | @vindex split-window-keep-point | |
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123 | If @code{split-window-keep-point} is non-@code{nil}, the default, |
124 | both of the windows resulting from @kbd{C-x 2} inherit the value of | |
125 | point from the window that was split. This means that scrolling is | |
6bf7aab6 | 126 | inevitable. If this variable is @code{nil}, then @kbd{C-x 2} tries to |
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127 | avoid scrolling the text currently visible on the screen, by putting |
128 | point in each window at a position already visible in the window. It | |
129 | also selects whichever window contain the screen line that the cursor | |
130 | was previously on. Some users prefer the latter mode on slow | |
131 | terminals. | |
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132 | |
133 | @node Other Window | |
134 | @section Using Other Windows | |
135 | ||
136 | @table @kbd | |
137 | @item C-x o | |
138 | Select another window (@code{other-window}). That is @kbd{o}, not zero. | |
139 | @item C-M-v | |
140 | Scroll the next window (@code{scroll-other-window}). | |
141 | @item M-x compare-windows | |
142 | Find next place where the text in the selected window does not match | |
143 | the text in the next window. | |
144 | @item Mouse-1 | |
145 | @kbd{Mouse-1}, in a window's mode line, selects that window | |
146 | but does not move point in it (@code{mouse-select-window}). | |
147 | @end table | |
148 | ||
149 | @kindex C-x o | |
150 | @findex other-window | |
151 | To select a different window, click with @kbd{Mouse-1} on its mode | |
152 | line. With the keyboard, you can switch windows by typing @kbd{C-x o} | |
2684ed46 | 153 | (@code{other-window}). That is an @kbd{o}, for ``other,'' not a zero. |
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154 | When there are more than two windows, this command moves through all the |
155 | windows in a cyclic order, generally top to bottom and left to right. | |
156 | After the rightmost and bottommost window, it goes back to the one at | |
157 | the upper left corner. A numeric argument means to move several steps | |
158 | in the cyclic order of windows. A negative argument moves around the | |
159 | cycle in the opposite order. When the minibuffer is active, the | |
160 | minibuffer is the last window in the cycle; you can switch from the | |
161 | minibuffer window to one of the other windows, and later switch back and | |
162 | finish supplying the minibuffer argument that is requested. | |
163 | @xref{Minibuffer Edit}. | |
164 | ||
165 | @kindex C-M-v | |
166 | @findex scroll-other-window | |
167 | The usual scrolling commands (@pxref{Display}) apply to the selected | |
168 | window only, but there is one command to scroll the next window. | |
169 | @kbd{C-M-v} (@code{scroll-other-window}) scrolls the window that | |
170 | @kbd{C-x o} would select. It takes arguments, positive and negative, | |
171 | like @kbd{C-v}. (In the minibuffer, @kbd{C-M-v} scrolls the window | |
172 | that contains the minibuffer help display, if any, rather than the | |
173 | next window in the standard cyclic order.) | |
174 | ||
175 | The command @kbd{M-x compare-windows} lets you compare two files or | |
176 | buffers visible in two windows, by moving through them to the next | |
177 | mismatch. @xref{Comparing Files}, for details. | |
178 | ||
179 | @node Pop Up Window | |
180 | @section Displaying in Another Window | |
181 | ||
182 | @cindex selecting buffers in other windows | |
183 | @kindex C-x 4 | |
184 | @kbd{C-x 4} is a prefix key for commands that select another window | |
185 | (splitting the window if there is only one) and select a buffer in that | |
186 | window. Different @kbd{C-x 4} commands have different ways of finding the | |
187 | buffer to select. | |
188 | ||
189 | @table @kbd | |
190 | @item C-x 4 b @var{bufname} @key{RET} | |
191 | Select buffer @var{bufname} in another window. This runs | |
192 | @code{switch-to-buffer-other-window}. | |
193 | @item C-x 4 C-o @var{bufname} @key{RET} | |
194 | Display buffer @var{bufname} in another window, but | |
195 | don't select that buffer or that window. This runs | |
196 | @code{display-buffer}. | |
197 | @item C-x 4 f @var{filename} @key{RET} | |
198 | Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another window. This | |
199 | runs @code{find-file-other-window}. @xref{Visiting}. | |
200 | @item C-x 4 d @var{directory} @key{RET} | |
201 | Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another window. | |
202 | This runs @code{dired-other-window}. @xref{Dired}. | |
203 | @item C-x 4 m | |
204 | Start composing a mail message in another window. This runs | |
205 | @code{mail-other-window}; its same-window analogue is @kbd{C-x m} | |
206 | (@pxref{Sending Mail}). | |
207 | @item C-x 4 . | |
208 | Find a tag in the current tags table, in another window. This runs | |
209 | @code{find-tag-other-window}, the multiple-window variant of @kbd{M-.} | |
210 | (@pxref{Tags}). | |
211 | @item C-x 4 r @var{filename} @key{RET} | |
212 | Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another | |
213 | window. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-window}. | |
214 | @xref{Visiting}. | |
215 | @end table | |
216 | ||
217 | @node Force Same Window | |
218 | @section Forcing Display in the Same Window | |
219 | ||
220 | Certain Emacs commands switch to a specific buffer with special | |
221 | contents. For example, @kbd{M-x shell} switches to a buffer named | |
222 | @samp{*Shell*}. By convention, all these commands are written to pop up | |
223 | the buffer in a separate window. But you can specify that certain of | |
224 | these buffers should appear in the selected window. | |
225 | ||
226 | @vindex same-window-buffer-names | |
227 | If you add a buffer name to the list @code{same-window-buffer-names}, | |
228 | the effect is that such commands display that particular buffer by | |
229 | switching to it in the selected window. For example, if you add the | |
230 | element @code{"*grep*"} to the list, the @code{grep} command will | |
231 | display its output buffer in the selected window. | |
232 | ||
233 | The default value of @code{same-window-buffer-names} is not | |
234 | @code{nil}: it specifies buffer names @samp{*info*}, @samp{*mail*} and | |
235 | @samp{*shell*} (as well as others used by more obscure Emacs packages). | |
236 | This is why @kbd{M-x shell} normally switches to the @samp{*shell*} | |
237 | buffer in the selected window. If you delete this element from the | |
238 | value of @code{same-window-buffer-names}, the behavior of @kbd{M-x | |
239 | shell} will change---it will pop up the buffer in another window | |
240 | instead. | |
241 | ||
242 | @vindex same-window-regexps | |
243 | You can specify these buffers more generally with the variable | |
244 | @code{same-window-regexps}. Set it to a list of regular expressions; | |
245 | then any buffer whose name matches one of those regular expressions is | |
246 | displayed by switching to it in the selected window. (Once again, this | |
247 | applies only to buffers that normally get displayed for you in a | |
248 | separate window.) The default value of this variable specifies Telnet | |
249 | and rlogin buffers. | |
250 | ||
251 | An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be | |
252 | displayed in their own individual frames. @xref{Special Buffer Frames}. | |
253 | ||
254 | @node Change Window | |
255 | @section Deleting and Rearranging Windows | |
256 | ||
257 | @table @kbd | |
258 | @item C-x 0 | |
259 | Delete the selected window (@code{delete-window}). The last character | |
260 | in this key sequence is a zero. | |
261 | @item C-x 1 | |
262 | Delete all windows in the selected frame except the selected window | |
263 | (@code{delete-other-windows}). | |
264 | @item C-x 4 0 | |
265 | Delete the selected window and kill the buffer that was showing in it | |
266 | (@code{kill-buffer-and-window}). The last character in this key | |
267 | sequence is a zero. | |
268 | @item C-x ^ | |
269 | Make selected window taller (@code{enlarge-window}). | |
270 | @item C-x @} | |
271 | Make selected window wider (@code{enlarge-window-horizontally}). | |
272 | @item C-x @{ | |
273 | Make selected window narrower (@code{shrink-window-horizontally}). | |
274 | @item C-x - | |
275 | Shrink this window if its buffer doesn't need so many lines | |
276 | (@code{shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer}). | |
277 | @item C-x + | |
278 | Make all windows the same height (@code{balance-windows}). | |
279 | @item Drag-Mouse-1 | |
280 | Dragging a window's mode line up or down with @kbd{Mouse-1} changes | |
281 | window heights. | |
282 | @item Mouse-2 | |
283 | @kbd{Mouse-2} in a window's mode line deletes all other windows in the frame | |
284 | (@code{mouse-delete-other-windows}). | |
285 | @item Mouse-3 | |
286 | @kbd{Mouse-3} in a window's mode line deletes that window | |
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287 | (@code{mouse-delete-window}), unless the frame has only one window, in |
288 | which case it buries the current buffer instead and switches to another | |
289 | buffer. | |
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290 | @end table |
291 | ||
292 | @kindex C-x 0 | |
293 | @findex delete-window | |
294 | To delete a window, type @kbd{C-x 0} (@code{delete-window}). (That is | |
295 | a zero.) The space occupied by the deleted window is given to an | |
296 | adjacent window (but not the minibuffer window, even if that is active | |
297 | at the time). Once a window is deleted, its attributes are forgotten; | |
298 | only restoring a window configuration can bring it back. Deleting the | |
299 | window has no effect on the buffer it used to display; the buffer | |
300 | continues to exist, and you can select it in any window with @kbd{C-x | |
301 | b}. | |
302 | ||
303 | @findex kill-buffer-and-window | |
304 | @kindex C-x 4 0 | |
305 | @kbd{C-x 4 0} (@code{kill-buffer-and-window}) is a stronger command | |
306 | than @kbd{C-x 0}; it kills the current buffer and then deletes the | |
307 | selected window. | |
308 | ||
309 | @kindex C-x 1 | |
310 | @findex delete-other-windows | |
311 | @kbd{C-x 1} (@code{delete-other-windows}) is more powerful in a | |
312 | different way; it deletes all the windows except the selected one (and | |
313 | the minibuffer); the selected window expands to use the whole frame | |
314 | except for the echo area. | |
315 | ||
316 | You can also delete a window by clicking on its mode line with | |
317 | @kbd{Mouse-2}, and delete all the windows in a frame except one window | |
318 | by clicking on that window's mode line with @kbd{Mouse-3}. | |
319 | ||
320 | The easiest way to adjust window heights is with a mouse. If you | |
321 | press @kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line, you can drag that mode line up or | |
322 | down, changing the heights of the windows above and below it. | |
323 | ||
324 | @kindex C-x ^ | |
325 | @findex enlarge-window | |
326 | @kindex C-x @} | |
327 | @findex enlarge-window-horizontally | |
328 | @vindex window-min-height | |
329 | @vindex window-min-width | |
330 | To readjust the division of space among vertically adjacent windows, | |
331 | use @kbd{C-x ^} (@code{enlarge-window}). It makes the currently | |
332 | selected window get one line bigger, or as many lines as is specified | |
333 | with a numeric argument. With a negative argument, it makes the | |
334 | selected window smaller. @kbd{C-x @}} | |
335 | (@code{enlarge-window-horizontally}) makes the selected window wider by | |
336 | the specified number of columns. @kbd{C-x @{} | |
337 | (@code{shrink-window-horizontally}) makes the selected window narrower | |
338 | by the specified number of columns. | |
339 | ||
340 | When you make a window bigger, the space comes from one of its | |
341 | neighbors. If this makes any window too small, it is deleted and its | |
342 | space is given to an adjacent window. The minimum size is specified by | |
343 | the variables @code{window-min-height} and @code{window-min-width}. | |
344 | ||
345 | @kindex C-x - | |
346 | @findex shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer | |
347 | The command @kbd{C-x -} (@code{shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer}) | |
348 | reduces the height of the selected window, if it is taller than | |
349 | necessary to show the whole text of the buffer it is displaying. It | |
350 | gives the extra lines to other windows in the frame. | |
351 | ||
352 | @kindex C-x + | |
353 | @findex balance-windows | |
354 | You can also use @kbd{C-x +} (@code{balance-windows}) to even out the | |
355 | heights of all the windows in the selected frame. | |
356 | ||
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357 | @node Window Convenience |
358 | @section Window Handling Convenience Features and Customization | |
359 | ||
360 | @findex winner-mode | |
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361 | @cindex Winner mode |
362 | @cindex mode, Winner | |
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363 | @cindex undoing window configuration changes |
364 | @cindex window configuration changes, undoing | |
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365 | @kbd{M-x winner-mode} is a global minor mode that records the |
366 | changes in the window configuration (i.e. how the frames are | |
367 | partitioned into windows), so that you can ``undo'' them. To undo, | |
368 | use @kbd{C-x left} (@code{winner-undo}). If you change your mind | |
369 | while undoing, you can redo the changes you had undone using @kbd{C-x | |
370 | right} (@code{M-x winner-redo}). Another way to enable Winner mode is | |
371 | by customizing the variable @code{winner-mode}. | |
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372 | |
373 | @cindex Windmove package | |
374 | @cindex directional window selection | |
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375 | @findex windmove-right |
376 | @findex windmove-default-keybindings | |
10886485 | 377 | The Windmove commands move directionally between neighboring windows in |
d683704c | 378 | a frame. @kbd{M-x windmove-right} selects the window immediately to the |
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379 | right of the currently selected one, and similarly for the ``left,'' ``up,'' |
380 | and ``down'' counterparts. @kbd{M-x windmove-default-keybindings} binds | |
381 | these commands to @kbd{S-right} etc. (Not all terminals support shifted | |
382 | arrow keys, however.) | |
88968b11 | 383 | |
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384 | Follow minor mode (@kbd{M-x follow-mode}) synchronizes several |
385 | windows on the same buffer so that they always display adjacent | |
4946337d | 386 | sections of that buffer. @xref{Follow Mode}. |
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387 | |
388 | @vindex scroll-all-mode | |
389 | @cindex scrolling windows together | |
390 | @cindex Scroll-all mode | |
391 | @cindex mode, Scroll-all | |
392 | @kbd{M-x scroll-all-mode} provides commands to scroll all visible | |
393 | windows together. You can also turn it on by customizing the variable | |
394 | @code{scroll-all-mode}. The commands provided are @kbd{M-x | |
395 | scroll-all-scroll-down-all}, @kbd{M-x scroll-all-page-down-all} and | |
396 | their corresponding ``up'' equivalents. To make this mode useful, | |
397 | you should bind these commands to appropriate keys. |