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1 | @c This is part of the Emacs manual. |
2 | @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc. | |
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. | |
23 | @end menu | |
24 | ||
25 | @node Basic Window | |
26 | @section Concepts of Emacs Windows | |
27 | ||
28 | Each Emacs window displays one Emacs buffer at any time. A single | |
29 | buffer may appear in more than one window; if it does, any changes in | |
30 | its text are displayed in all the windows where it appears. But the | |
31 | windows showing the same buffer can show different parts of it, because | |
32 | each window has its own value of point. | |
33 | ||
34 | @cindex selected window | |
35 | At any time, one of the windows is the @dfn{selected window}; the | |
36 | buffer this window is displaying is the current buffer. The terminal's | |
37 | cursor shows the location of point in this window. Each other window | |
38 | has a location of point as well, but since the terminal has only one | |
39 | cursor there is no way to show where those locations are. When multiple | |
40 | frames are visible in X Windows, each frame has a cursor which appears | |
41 | in the frame's selected window. The cursor in the selected frame is | |
42 | solid; the cursor in other frames is a hollow box. | |
43 | ||
44 | Commands to move point affect the value of point for the selected Emacs | |
45 | window only. They do not change the value of point in any other Emacs | |
46 | window, even one showing the same buffer. The same is true for commands | |
47 | such as @kbd{C-x b} to change the selected buffer in the selected window; | |
48 | they do not affect other windows at all. However, there are other commands | |
49 | such as @kbd{C-x 4 b} that select a different window and switch buffers in | |
50 | it. Also, all commands that display information in a window, including | |
51 | (for example) @kbd{C-h f} (@code{describe-function}) and @kbd{C-x C-b} | |
52 | (@code{list-buffers}), work by switching buffers in a nonselected window | |
53 | without affecting the selected window. | |
54 | ||
55 | When multiple windows show the same buffer, they can have different | |
56 | regions, because they can have different values of point. However, | |
57 | they all have the same value for the mark, because each buffer has | |
58 | only one mark position. | |
59 | ||
60 | Each window has its own mode line, which displays the buffer name, | |
61 | modification status and major and minor modes of the buffer that is | |
62 | displayed in the window. @xref{Mode Line}, for full details on the mode | |
63 | line. | |
64 | ||
65 | @iftex | |
66 | @break | |
67 | @end iftex | |
68 | ||
69 | @node Split Window | |
70 | @section Splitting Windows | |
71 | ||
72 | @table @kbd | |
73 | @item C-x 2 | |
74 | Split the selected window into two windows, one above the other | |
75 | (@code{split-window-vertically}). | |
76 | @item C-x 3 | |
77 | Split the selected window into two windows positioned side by side | |
78 | (@code{split-window-horizontally}). | |
79 | @item C-Mouse-2 | |
80 | In the mode line or scroll bar of a window, split that window. | |
81 | @end table | |
82 | ||
83 | @kindex C-x 2 | |
84 | @findex split-window-vertically | |
85 | The command @kbd{C-x 2} (@code{split-window-vertically}) breaks the | |
86 | selected window into two windows, one above the other. Both windows start | |
87 | out displaying the same buffer, with the same value of point. By default | |
88 | the two windows each get half the height of the window that was split; a | |
89 | numeric argument specifies how many lines to give to the top window. | |
90 | ||
91 | @kindex C-x 3 | |
92 | @findex split-window-horizontally | |
93 | @kbd{C-x 3} (@code{split-window-horizontally}) breaks the selected | |
94 | window into two side-by-side windows. A numeric argument specifies how | |
95 | many columns to give the one on the left. A line of vertical bars | |
96 | separates the two windows. Windows that are not the full width of the | |
97 | screen have mode lines, but they are truncated. On terminals where | |
98 | Emacs does not support highlighting, truncated mode lines sometimes do | |
99 | not appear in inverse video. | |
100 | ||
101 | @kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)} | |
102 | You can split a window horizontally or vertically by clicking | |
103 | @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in the mode line or the scroll bar. The line of | |
104 | splitting goes through the place where you click: if you click on the | |
105 | mode line, the new scroll bar goes above the spot; if you click in the | |
106 | scroll bar, the mode line of the split window is side by side with your | |
107 | click. | |
108 | ||
109 | @vindex truncate-partial-width-windows | |
110 | When a window is less than the full width, text lines too long to fit are | |
111 | frequent. Continuing all those lines might be confusing. The variable | |
112 | @code{truncate-partial-width-windows} can be set non-@code{nil} to force | |
113 | truncation in all windows less than the full width of the screen, | |
114 | independent of the buffer being displayed and its value for | |
115 | @code{truncate-lines}. @xref{Continuation Lines}.@refill | |
116 | ||
117 | Horizontal scrolling is often used in side-by-side windows. | |
118 | @xref{Display}. | |
119 | ||
120 | @vindex split-window-keep-point | |
121 | If @code{split-window-keep-point} is non-@code{nil}, the default, both | |
122 | of the windows resulting from @kbd{C-x 2} inherit the value of point | |
123 | from the window that was split. This means that scrolling is | |
124 | inevitable. If this variable is @code{nil}, then @kbd{C-x 2} tries to | |
125 | avoid shifting any text the screen, by putting point in each window at a | |
126 | position already visible in the window. It also selects whichever | |
127 | window contain the screen line that the cursor was previously on. Some | |
128 | users prefer the latter mode on slow terminals. | |
129 | ||
130 | @node Other Window | |
131 | @section Using Other Windows | |
132 | ||
133 | @table @kbd | |
134 | @item C-x o | |
135 | Select another window (@code{other-window}). That is @kbd{o}, not zero. | |
136 | @item C-M-v | |
137 | Scroll the next window (@code{scroll-other-window}). | |
138 | @item M-x compare-windows | |
139 | Find next place where the text in the selected window does not match | |
140 | the text in the next window. | |
141 | @item Mouse-1 | |
142 | @kbd{Mouse-1}, in a window's mode line, selects that window | |
143 | but does not move point in it (@code{mouse-select-window}). | |
144 | @end table | |
145 | ||
146 | @kindex C-x o | |
147 | @findex other-window | |
148 | To select a different window, click with @kbd{Mouse-1} on its mode | |
149 | line. With the keyboard, you can switch windows by typing @kbd{C-x o} | |
150 | (@code{other-window}). That is an @kbd{o}, for `other', not a zero. | |
151 | When there are more than two windows, this command moves through all the | |
152 | windows in a cyclic order, generally top to bottom and left to right. | |
153 | After the rightmost and bottommost window, it goes back to the one at | |
154 | the upper left corner. A numeric argument means to move several steps | |
155 | in the cyclic order of windows. A negative argument moves around the | |
156 | cycle in the opposite order. When the minibuffer is active, the | |
157 | minibuffer is the last window in the cycle; you can switch from the | |
158 | minibuffer window to one of the other windows, and later switch back and | |
159 | finish supplying the minibuffer argument that is requested. | |
160 | @xref{Minibuffer Edit}. | |
161 | ||
162 | @kindex C-M-v | |
163 | @findex scroll-other-window | |
164 | The usual scrolling commands (@pxref{Display}) apply to the selected | |
165 | window only, but there is one command to scroll the next window. | |
166 | @kbd{C-M-v} (@code{scroll-other-window}) scrolls the window that | |
167 | @kbd{C-x o} would select. It takes arguments, positive and negative, | |
168 | like @kbd{C-v}. (In the minibuffer, @kbd{C-M-v} scrolls the window | |
169 | that contains the minibuffer help display, if any, rather than the | |
170 | next window in the standard cyclic order.) | |
171 | ||
172 | The command @kbd{M-x compare-windows} lets you compare two files or | |
173 | buffers visible in two windows, by moving through them to the next | |
174 | mismatch. @xref{Comparing Files}, for details. | |
175 | ||
176 | @node Pop Up Window | |
177 | @section Displaying in Another Window | |
178 | ||
179 | @cindex selecting buffers in other windows | |
180 | @kindex C-x 4 | |
181 | @kbd{C-x 4} is a prefix key for commands that select another window | |
182 | (splitting the window if there is only one) and select a buffer in that | |
183 | window. Different @kbd{C-x 4} commands have different ways of finding the | |
184 | buffer to select. | |
185 | ||
186 | @table @kbd | |
187 | @item C-x 4 b @var{bufname} @key{RET} | |
188 | Select buffer @var{bufname} in another window. This runs | |
189 | @code{switch-to-buffer-other-window}. | |
190 | @item C-x 4 C-o @var{bufname} @key{RET} | |
191 | Display buffer @var{bufname} in another window, but | |
192 | don't select that buffer or that window. This runs | |
193 | @code{display-buffer}. | |
194 | @item C-x 4 f @var{filename} @key{RET} | |
195 | Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another window. This | |
196 | runs @code{find-file-other-window}. @xref{Visiting}. | |
197 | @item C-x 4 d @var{directory} @key{RET} | |
198 | Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another window. | |
199 | This runs @code{dired-other-window}. @xref{Dired}. | |
200 | @item C-x 4 m | |
201 | Start composing a mail message in another window. This runs | |
202 | @code{mail-other-window}; its same-window analogue is @kbd{C-x m} | |
203 | (@pxref{Sending Mail}). | |
204 | @item C-x 4 . | |
205 | Find a tag in the current tags table, in another window. This runs | |
206 | @code{find-tag-other-window}, the multiple-window variant of @kbd{M-.} | |
207 | (@pxref{Tags}). | |
208 | @item C-x 4 r @var{filename} @key{RET} | |
209 | Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another | |
210 | window. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-window}. | |
211 | @xref{Visiting}. | |
212 | @end table | |
213 | ||
214 | @node Force Same Window | |
215 | @section Forcing Display in the Same Window | |
216 | ||
217 | Certain Emacs commands switch to a specific buffer with special | |
218 | contents. For example, @kbd{M-x shell} switches to a buffer named | |
219 | @samp{*Shell*}. By convention, all these commands are written to pop up | |
220 | the buffer in a separate window. But you can specify that certain of | |
221 | these buffers should appear in the selected window. | |
222 | ||
223 | @vindex same-window-buffer-names | |
224 | If you add a buffer name to the list @code{same-window-buffer-names}, | |
225 | the effect is that such commands display that particular buffer by | |
226 | switching to it in the selected window. For example, if you add the | |
227 | element @code{"*grep*"} to the list, the @code{grep} command will | |
228 | display its output buffer in the selected window. | |
229 | ||
230 | The default value of @code{same-window-buffer-names} is not | |
231 | @code{nil}: it specifies buffer names @samp{*info*}, @samp{*mail*} and | |
232 | @samp{*shell*} (as well as others used by more obscure Emacs packages). | |
233 | This is why @kbd{M-x shell} normally switches to the @samp{*shell*} | |
234 | buffer in the selected window. If you delete this element from the | |
235 | value of @code{same-window-buffer-names}, the behavior of @kbd{M-x | |
236 | shell} will change---it will pop up the buffer in another window | |
237 | instead. | |
238 | ||
239 | @vindex same-window-regexps | |
240 | You can specify these buffers more generally with the variable | |
241 | @code{same-window-regexps}. Set it to a list of regular expressions; | |
242 | then any buffer whose name matches one of those regular expressions is | |
243 | displayed by switching to it in the selected window. (Once again, this | |
244 | applies only to buffers that normally get displayed for you in a | |
245 | separate window.) The default value of this variable specifies Telnet | |
246 | and rlogin buffers. | |
247 | ||
248 | An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be | |
249 | displayed in their own individual frames. @xref{Special Buffer Frames}. | |
250 | ||
251 | @node Change Window | |
252 | @section Deleting and Rearranging Windows | |
253 | ||
254 | @table @kbd | |
255 | @item C-x 0 | |
256 | Delete the selected window (@code{delete-window}). The last character | |
257 | in this key sequence is a zero. | |
258 | @item C-x 1 | |
259 | Delete all windows in the selected frame except the selected window | |
260 | (@code{delete-other-windows}). | |
261 | @item C-x 4 0 | |
262 | Delete the selected window and kill the buffer that was showing in it | |
263 | (@code{kill-buffer-and-window}). The last character in this key | |
264 | sequence is a zero. | |
265 | @item C-x ^ | |
266 | Make selected window taller (@code{enlarge-window}). | |
267 | @item C-x @} | |
268 | Make selected window wider (@code{enlarge-window-horizontally}). | |
269 | @item C-x @{ | |
270 | Make selected window narrower (@code{shrink-window-horizontally}). | |
271 | @item C-x - | |
272 | Shrink this window if its buffer doesn't need so many lines | |
273 | (@code{shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer}). | |
274 | @item C-x + | |
275 | Make all windows the same height (@code{balance-windows}). | |
276 | @item Drag-Mouse-1 | |
277 | Dragging a window's mode line up or down with @kbd{Mouse-1} changes | |
278 | window heights. | |
279 | @item Mouse-2 | |
280 | @kbd{Mouse-2} in a window's mode line deletes all other windows in the frame | |
281 | (@code{mouse-delete-other-windows}). | |
282 | @item Mouse-3 | |
283 | @kbd{Mouse-3} in a window's mode line deletes that window | |
284 | (@code{mouse-delete-window}). | |
285 | @end table | |
286 | ||
287 | @kindex C-x 0 | |
288 | @findex delete-window | |
289 | To delete a window, type @kbd{C-x 0} (@code{delete-window}). (That is | |
290 | a zero.) The space occupied by the deleted window is given to an | |
291 | adjacent window (but not the minibuffer window, even if that is active | |
292 | at the time). Once a window is deleted, its attributes are forgotten; | |
293 | only restoring a window configuration can bring it back. Deleting the | |
294 | window has no effect on the buffer it used to display; the buffer | |
295 | continues to exist, and you can select it in any window with @kbd{C-x | |
296 | b}. | |
297 | ||
298 | @findex kill-buffer-and-window | |
299 | @kindex C-x 4 0 | |
300 | @kbd{C-x 4 0} (@code{kill-buffer-and-window}) is a stronger command | |
301 | than @kbd{C-x 0}; it kills the current buffer and then deletes the | |
302 | selected window. | |
303 | ||
304 | @kindex C-x 1 | |
305 | @findex delete-other-windows | |
306 | @kbd{C-x 1} (@code{delete-other-windows}) is more powerful in a | |
307 | different way; it deletes all the windows except the selected one (and | |
308 | the minibuffer); the selected window expands to use the whole frame | |
309 | except for the echo area. | |
310 | ||
311 | You can also delete a window by clicking on its mode line with | |
312 | @kbd{Mouse-2}, and delete all the windows in a frame except one window | |
313 | by clicking on that window's mode line with @kbd{Mouse-3}. | |
314 | ||
315 | The easiest way to adjust window heights is with a mouse. If you | |
316 | press @kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line, you can drag that mode line up or | |
317 | down, changing the heights of the windows above and below it. | |
318 | ||
319 | @kindex C-x ^ | |
320 | @findex enlarge-window | |
321 | @kindex C-x @} | |
322 | @findex enlarge-window-horizontally | |
323 | @vindex window-min-height | |
324 | @vindex window-min-width | |
325 | To readjust the division of space among vertically adjacent windows, | |
326 | use @kbd{C-x ^} (@code{enlarge-window}). It makes the currently | |
327 | selected window get one line bigger, or as many lines as is specified | |
328 | with a numeric argument. With a negative argument, it makes the | |
329 | selected window smaller. @kbd{C-x @}} | |
330 | (@code{enlarge-window-horizontally}) makes the selected window wider by | |
331 | the specified number of columns. @kbd{C-x @{} | |
332 | (@code{shrink-window-horizontally}) makes the selected window narrower | |
333 | by the specified number of columns. | |
334 | ||
335 | When you make a window bigger, the space comes from one of its | |
336 | neighbors. If this makes any window too small, it is deleted and its | |
337 | space is given to an adjacent window. The minimum size is specified by | |
338 | the variables @code{window-min-height} and @code{window-min-width}. | |
339 | ||
340 | @kindex C-x - | |
341 | @findex shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer | |
342 | The command @kbd{C-x -} (@code{shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer}) | |
343 | reduces the height of the selected window, if it is taller than | |
344 | necessary to show the whole text of the buffer it is displaying. It | |
345 | gives the extra lines to other windows in the frame. | |
346 | ||
347 | @kindex C-x + | |
348 | @findex balance-windows | |
349 | You can also use @kbd{C-x +} (@code{balance-windows}) to even out the | |
350 | heights of all the windows in the selected frame. | |
351 | ||
352 | @xref{Minibuffer Edit}, for information about the Resize-Minibuffer | |
353 | mode, which automatically changes the size of the minibuffer window to | |
354 | fit the text in the minibuffer. |