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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. | |
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 | |
41 | frames are visible in X Windows, each frame has a cursor which appears | |
42 | in the frame's selected window. The cursor in the selected frame is | |
43 | solid; the cursor in other frames is a hollow box. | |
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 | |
48 | such as @kbd{C-x b} to change the selected buffer in the selected window; | |
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 | |
104 | @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in the mode line or the scroll bar. The line of | |
105 | splitting goes through the place where you click: if you click on the | |
106 | mode line, the new scroll bar goes above the spot; if you click in the | |
107 | scroll bar, the mode line of the split window is side by side with your | |
108 | click. | |
109 | ||
110 | @vindex truncate-partial-width-windows | |
111 | When a window is less than the full width, text lines too long to fit are | |
112 | frequent. Continuing all those lines might be confusing. The variable | |
113 | @code{truncate-partial-width-windows} can be set non-@code{nil} to force | |
114 | truncation in all windows less than the full width of the screen, | |
115 | independent of the buffer being displayed and its value for | |
116 | @code{truncate-lines}. @xref{Continuation Lines}.@refill | |
117 | ||
118 | Horizontal scrolling is often used in side-by-side windows. | |
119 | @xref{Display}. | |
120 | ||
121 | @vindex split-window-keep-point | |
122 | If @code{split-window-keep-point} is non-@code{nil}, the default, both | |
123 | of the windows resulting from @kbd{C-x 2} inherit the value of point | |
124 | from the window that was split. This means that scrolling is | |
125 | inevitable. If this variable is @code{nil}, then @kbd{C-x 2} tries to | |
126 | avoid shifting any text the screen, by putting point in each window at a | |
127 | position already visible in the window. It also selects whichever | |
128 | window contain the screen line that the cursor was previously on. Some | |
129 | users prefer the latter mode on slow terminals. | |
130 | ||
131 | @node Other Window | |
132 | @section Using Other Windows | |
133 | ||
134 | @table @kbd | |
135 | @item C-x o | |
136 | Select another window (@code{other-window}). That is @kbd{o}, not zero. | |
137 | @item C-M-v | |
138 | Scroll the next window (@code{scroll-other-window}). | |
139 | @item M-x compare-windows | |
140 | Find next place where the text in the selected window does not match | |
141 | the text in the next window. | |
142 | @item Mouse-1 | |
143 | @kbd{Mouse-1}, in a window's mode line, selects that window | |
144 | but does not move point in it (@code{mouse-select-window}). | |
145 | @end table | |
146 | ||
147 | @kindex C-x o | |
148 | @findex other-window | |
149 | To select a different window, click with @kbd{Mouse-1} on its mode | |
150 | line. With the keyboard, you can switch windows by typing @kbd{C-x o} | |
151 | (@code{other-window}). That is an @kbd{o}, for `other', not a zero. | |
152 | When there are more than two windows, this command moves through all the | |
153 | windows in a cyclic order, generally top to bottom and left to right. | |
154 | After the rightmost and bottommost window, it goes back to the one at | |
155 | the upper left corner. A numeric argument means to move several steps | |
156 | in the cyclic order of windows. A negative argument moves around the | |
157 | cycle in the opposite order. When the minibuffer is active, the | |
158 | minibuffer is the last window in the cycle; you can switch from the | |
159 | minibuffer window to one of the other windows, and later switch back and | |
160 | finish supplying the minibuffer argument that is requested. | |
161 | @xref{Minibuffer Edit}. | |
162 | ||
163 | @kindex C-M-v | |
164 | @findex scroll-other-window | |
165 | The usual scrolling commands (@pxref{Display}) apply to the selected | |
166 | window only, but there is one command to scroll the next window. | |
167 | @kbd{C-M-v} (@code{scroll-other-window}) scrolls the window that | |
168 | @kbd{C-x o} would select. It takes arguments, positive and negative, | |
169 | like @kbd{C-v}. (In the minibuffer, @kbd{C-M-v} scrolls the window | |
170 | that contains the minibuffer help display, if any, rather than the | |
171 | next window in the standard cyclic order.) | |
172 | ||
173 | The command @kbd{M-x compare-windows} lets you compare two files or | |
174 | buffers visible in two windows, by moving through them to the next | |
175 | mismatch. @xref{Comparing Files}, for details. | |
176 | ||
177 | @node Pop Up Window | |
178 | @section Displaying in Another Window | |
179 | ||
180 | @cindex selecting buffers in other windows | |
181 | @kindex C-x 4 | |
182 | @kbd{C-x 4} is a prefix key for commands that select another window | |
183 | (splitting the window if there is only one) and select a buffer in that | |
184 | window. Different @kbd{C-x 4} commands have different ways of finding the | |
185 | buffer to select. | |
186 | ||
187 | @table @kbd | |
188 | @item C-x 4 b @var{bufname} @key{RET} | |
189 | Select buffer @var{bufname} in another window. This runs | |
190 | @code{switch-to-buffer-other-window}. | |
191 | @item C-x 4 C-o @var{bufname} @key{RET} | |
192 | Display buffer @var{bufname} in another window, but | |
193 | don't select that buffer or that window. This runs | |
194 | @code{display-buffer}. | |
195 | @item C-x 4 f @var{filename} @key{RET} | |
196 | Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another window. This | |
197 | runs @code{find-file-other-window}. @xref{Visiting}. | |
198 | @item C-x 4 d @var{directory} @key{RET} | |
199 | Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another window. | |
200 | This runs @code{dired-other-window}. @xref{Dired}. | |
201 | @item C-x 4 m | |
202 | Start composing a mail message in another window. This runs | |
203 | @code{mail-other-window}; its same-window analogue is @kbd{C-x m} | |
204 | (@pxref{Sending Mail}). | |
205 | @item C-x 4 . | |
206 | Find a tag in the current tags table, in another window. This runs | |
207 | @code{find-tag-other-window}, the multiple-window variant of @kbd{M-.} | |
208 | (@pxref{Tags}). | |
209 | @item C-x 4 r @var{filename} @key{RET} | |
210 | Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another | |
211 | window. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-window}. | |
212 | @xref{Visiting}. | |
213 | @end table | |
214 | ||
215 | @node Force Same Window | |
216 | @section Forcing Display in the Same Window | |
217 | ||
218 | Certain Emacs commands switch to a specific buffer with special | |
219 | contents. For example, @kbd{M-x shell} switches to a buffer named | |
220 | @samp{*Shell*}. By convention, all these commands are written to pop up | |
221 | the buffer in a separate window. But you can specify that certain of | |
222 | these buffers should appear in the selected window. | |
223 | ||
224 | @vindex same-window-buffer-names | |
225 | If you add a buffer name to the list @code{same-window-buffer-names}, | |
226 | the effect is that such commands display that particular buffer by | |
227 | switching to it in the selected window. For example, if you add the | |
228 | element @code{"*grep*"} to the list, the @code{grep} command will | |
229 | display its output buffer in the selected window. | |
230 | ||
231 | The default value of @code{same-window-buffer-names} is not | |
232 | @code{nil}: it specifies buffer names @samp{*info*}, @samp{*mail*} and | |
233 | @samp{*shell*} (as well as others used by more obscure Emacs packages). | |
234 | This is why @kbd{M-x shell} normally switches to the @samp{*shell*} | |
235 | buffer in the selected window. If you delete this element from the | |
236 | value of @code{same-window-buffer-names}, the behavior of @kbd{M-x | |
237 | shell} will change---it will pop up the buffer in another window | |
238 | instead. | |
239 | ||
240 | @vindex same-window-regexps | |
241 | You can specify these buffers more generally with the variable | |
242 | @code{same-window-regexps}. Set it to a list of regular expressions; | |
243 | then any buffer whose name matches one of those regular expressions is | |
244 | displayed by switching to it in the selected window. (Once again, this | |
245 | applies only to buffers that normally get displayed for you in a | |
246 | separate window.) The default value of this variable specifies Telnet | |
247 | and rlogin buffers. | |
248 | ||
249 | An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be | |
250 | displayed in their own individual frames. @xref{Special Buffer Frames}. | |
251 | ||
252 | @node Change Window | |
253 | @section Deleting and Rearranging Windows | |
254 | ||
255 | @table @kbd | |
256 | @item C-x 0 | |
257 | Delete the selected window (@code{delete-window}). The last character | |
258 | in this key sequence is a zero. | |
259 | @item C-x 1 | |
260 | Delete all windows in the selected frame except the selected window | |
261 | (@code{delete-other-windows}). | |
262 | @item C-x 4 0 | |
263 | Delete the selected window and kill the buffer that was showing in it | |
264 | (@code{kill-buffer-and-window}). The last character in this key | |
265 | sequence is a zero. | |
266 | @item C-x ^ | |
267 | Make selected window taller (@code{enlarge-window}). | |
268 | @item C-x @} | |
269 | Make selected window wider (@code{enlarge-window-horizontally}). | |
270 | @item C-x @{ | |
271 | Make selected window narrower (@code{shrink-window-horizontally}). | |
272 | @item C-x - | |
273 | Shrink this window if its buffer doesn't need so many lines | |
274 | (@code{shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer}). | |
275 | @item C-x + | |
276 | Make all windows the same height (@code{balance-windows}). | |
277 | @item Drag-Mouse-1 | |
278 | Dragging a window's mode line up or down with @kbd{Mouse-1} changes | |
279 | window heights. | |
280 | @item Mouse-2 | |
281 | @kbd{Mouse-2} in a window's mode line deletes all other windows in the frame | |
282 | (@code{mouse-delete-other-windows}). | |
283 | @item Mouse-3 | |
284 | @kbd{Mouse-3} in a window's mode line deletes that window | |
285 | (@code{mouse-delete-window}). | |
286 | @end table | |
287 | ||
288 | @kindex C-x 0 | |
289 | @findex delete-window | |
290 | To delete a window, type @kbd{C-x 0} (@code{delete-window}). (That is | |
291 | a zero.) The space occupied by the deleted window is given to an | |
292 | adjacent window (but not the minibuffer window, even if that is active | |
293 | at the time). Once a window is deleted, its attributes are forgotten; | |
294 | only restoring a window configuration can bring it back. Deleting the | |
295 | window has no effect on the buffer it used to display; the buffer | |
296 | continues to exist, and you can select it in any window with @kbd{C-x | |
297 | b}. | |
298 | ||
299 | @findex kill-buffer-and-window | |
300 | @kindex C-x 4 0 | |
301 | @kbd{C-x 4 0} (@code{kill-buffer-and-window}) is a stronger command | |
302 | than @kbd{C-x 0}; it kills the current buffer and then deletes the | |
303 | selected window. | |
304 | ||
305 | @kindex C-x 1 | |
306 | @findex delete-other-windows | |
307 | @kbd{C-x 1} (@code{delete-other-windows}) is more powerful in a | |
308 | different way; it deletes all the windows except the selected one (and | |
309 | the minibuffer); the selected window expands to use the whole frame | |
310 | except for the echo area. | |
311 | ||
312 | You can also delete a window by clicking on its mode line with | |
313 | @kbd{Mouse-2}, and delete all the windows in a frame except one window | |
314 | by clicking on that window's mode line with @kbd{Mouse-3}. | |
315 | ||
316 | The easiest way to adjust window heights is with a mouse. If you | |
317 | press @kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line, you can drag that mode line up or | |
318 | down, changing the heights of the windows above and below it. | |
319 | ||
320 | @kindex C-x ^ | |
321 | @findex enlarge-window | |
322 | @kindex C-x @} | |
323 | @findex enlarge-window-horizontally | |
324 | @vindex window-min-height | |
325 | @vindex window-min-width | |
326 | To readjust the division of space among vertically adjacent windows, | |
327 | use @kbd{C-x ^} (@code{enlarge-window}). It makes the currently | |
328 | selected window get one line bigger, or as many lines as is specified | |
329 | with a numeric argument. With a negative argument, it makes the | |
330 | selected window smaller. @kbd{C-x @}} | |
331 | (@code{enlarge-window-horizontally}) makes the selected window wider by | |
332 | the specified number of columns. @kbd{C-x @{} | |
333 | (@code{shrink-window-horizontally}) makes the selected window narrower | |
334 | by the specified number of columns. | |
335 | ||
336 | When you make a window bigger, the space comes from one of its | |
337 | neighbors. If this makes any window too small, it is deleted and its | |
338 | space is given to an adjacent window. The minimum size is specified by | |
339 | the variables @code{window-min-height} and @code{window-min-width}. | |
340 | ||
341 | @kindex C-x - | |
342 | @findex shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer | |
343 | The command @kbd{C-x -} (@code{shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer}) | |
344 | reduces the height of the selected window, if it is taller than | |
345 | necessary to show the whole text of the buffer it is displaying. It | |
346 | gives the extra lines to other windows in the frame. | |
347 | ||
348 | @kindex C-x + | |
349 | @findex balance-windows | |
350 | You can also use @kbd{C-x +} (@code{balance-windows}) to even out the | |
351 | heights of all the windows in the selected frame. | |
352 | ||
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353 | @node Window Convenience |
354 | @section Window Handling Convenience Features and Customization | |
355 | ||
356 | @findex winner-mode | |
357 | @vindex winner-mode | |
358 | @cindex undoing window configuration changes | |
359 | @cindex window configuration changes, undoing | |
360 | @kbd{M-x winner-mode} provides a global minor mode that records the | |
361 | changes in the window configuration (i.e. how the frames are partitioned | |
362 | into windows) so that the changes can be `undone' using the command | |
363 | @kbd{M-x winner-undo}, bound to @kbd{C-x left} by default. If you | |
364 | change your mind (while undoing), you can use @kbd{M-x winner-redo} | |
365 | (@kbd{C-x right}). You can also turn on Winner mode by customizing | |
366 | @code{winner-mode}. | |
367 | ||
368 | @vindex scroll-all-mode | |
369 | @findex scroll-all-mode | |
370 | @cindex scrolling windows together | |
371 | @kbd{M-x scroll-all-mode} provides commands to scroll all visible | |
372 | windows together as in CRiSP/Brief emulation (@pxref{Emulation}). You | |
373 | can also turn it on by customizing @code{scroll-all-mode}. The commands | |
374 | provided are @kbd{M-x scroll-all-scroll-down-all}, @kbd{M-x | |
375 | scroll-all-page-down-all} and their `up' equivalents. You would | |
376 | probably want to bind these to appropriate keys. | |
377 | ||
378 | @cindex Windmove package | |
379 | @cindex directional window selection | |
380 | The Windmove package provides commands to move directionally between | |
381 | neighbouring windows in a frame. @kbd{M-x windmove-right} selects the | |
382 | window immediately to the right of the currently-selected one and | |
383 | similarly for the `left', `up' and `down' counterparts. @kbd{M-x | |
384 | windmove-default-keybindings} binds these commands to @kbd{S-right} | |
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385 | etc. (These bindings will only work if your terminal supports shifted |
386 | arrow keys.) | |
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387 | |
388 | @cindex Follow mode | |
389 | @cindex windows, synchronizing | |
390 | @cindex synchronizing windows | |
391 | Follow minor mode (@kbd{M-x follow-mode}) synchronizes several windows | |
392 | on the same buffer so that they always display adjacent sections of that | |
393 | buffer. Also if point moves outside a window, another window displaying | |
394 | that point is selected if possible, so that you can move between windows | |
395 | with normal movement commands. You can use this facility, for instance, | |
396 | to operate effectively with double the number of lines of a file visible | |
397 | in a given screen height using side-by-side windows on the same buffer: | |
398 | split the window with @kbd{C-x 3} and then use @kbd{M-x follow-mode} to | |
399 | synchronize the windows. |