Terminology cleanup.
[bpt/emacs.git] / doc / emacs / frames.texi
1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000,
3 @c 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node Frames, International, Windows, Top
6 @chapter Frames and Graphical Displays
7 @cindex frames
8
9 When using a graphical display, you can create multiple windows at
10 the system in a single Emacs session. Each system-level window that
11 belongs to Emacs displays a @dfn{frame} which can contain one or
12 several Emacs windows. A frame initially contains a single
13 general-purpose Emacs window which you can subdivide vertically or
14 horizontally into smaller windows. A frame normally contains its own
15 echo area and minibuffer, but you can make frames that don't have
16 these---they use the echo area and minibuffer of another frame.
17
18 To avoid confusion, we reserve the word ``window'' for the
19 subdivisions that Emacs implements, and never use it to refer to a
20 frame.
21
22 Editing you do in one frame affects the other frames. For
23 instance, if you put text in the kill ring in one frame, you can yank it
24 in another frame. If you exit Emacs through @kbd{C-x C-c} in one frame,
25 it terminates all the frames. To delete just one frame, use @kbd{C-x 5
26 0} (that is zero, not @kbd{o}).
27
28 Emacs compiled for MS-DOS emulates some windowing functionality,
29 so that you can use many of the features described in this chapter.
30 @iftex
31 @xref{MS-DOS Mouse,,,emacs-xtra,Specialized Emacs Features}.
32 @end iftex
33 @ifnottex
34 @xref{MS-DOS Mouse}.
35 @end ifnottex
36
37 @menu
38 * Cut and Paste:: Mouse commands for cut and paste.
39 * Mouse References:: Using the mouse to select an item from a list.
40 * Menu Mouse Clicks:: Mouse clicks that bring up menus.
41 * Mode Line Mouse:: Mouse clicks on the mode line.
42 * Creating Frames:: Creating additional Emacs frames with various contents.
43 * Frame Commands:: Iconifying, deleting, and switching frames.
44 * Speedbar:: How to make and use a speedbar frame.
45 * Multiple Displays:: How one Emacs job can talk to several displays.
46 * Special Buffer Frames:: You can make certain buffers have their own frames.
47 * Frame Parameters:: Changing the colors and other modes of frames.
48 * Scroll Bars:: How to enable and disable scroll bars; how to use them.
49 * Wheeled Mice:: Using mouse wheels for scrolling.
50 * Drag and Drop:: Using drag and drop to open files and insert text.
51 * Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
52 * Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
53 * Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
54 * Tooltips:: Displaying information at the current mouse position.
55 * Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
56 * Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
57 * Text-Only Mouse:: Using the mouse in text-only terminals.
58 @end menu
59
60 @node Cut and Paste
61 @section Killing and Yanking on Graphical Displays
62
63 This section describes facilities for selecting a region, killing,
64 and yanking using the mouse.
65
66 @menu
67 * Mouse Commands:: Moving, cutting, and pasting, with the mouse.
68 * Cut/Paste Other App:: Transfering text between Emacs and other apps.
69 * Word and Line Mouse:: Mouse commands for selecting whole words or lines.
70 * Secondary Selection:: Cutting without altering point and mark.
71 * Clipboard:: Using the clipboard for selections.
72 @end menu
73
74 @node Mouse Commands
75 @subsection Mouse Commands for Editing
76 @cindex mouse buttons (what they do)
77
78 The mouse commands for selecting and copying a region are mostly
79 compatible with the @code{xterm} program. You can use the same mouse
80 commands for copying between Emacs and other window-based programs.
81 Most of these commands also work in Emacs when you run it under an
82 @code{xterm} terminal.
83
84 @kindex DELETE @r{(and mouse selection)}
85 If you select a region with any of these mouse commands, and then
86 immediately afterward type the @key{DELETE} function key, it deletes the
87 region that you selected. The @key{BACKSPACE} function key and the
88 @acronym{ASCII} character @key{DEL} do not do this; if you type any other key
89 in between the mouse command and @key{DELETE}, it does not do this.
90
91 @findex mouse-set-region
92 @findex mouse-set-point
93 @findex mouse-yank-at-click
94 @findex mouse-save-then-click
95 @kindex Mouse-1
96 @kindex Mouse-2
97 @kindex Mouse-3
98 @table @kbd
99 @item Mouse-1
100 Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
101 This is normally the left button.
102
103 @vindex x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position
104 Normally, Emacs does not distinguish between ordinary mouse clicks and
105 clicks that select a frame. When you click on a frame to select it,
106 that also changes the selected window and cursor position according to
107 the mouse click position. On the X window system, you can change this
108 behavior by setting the variable
109 @code{x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position} to @code{t}. Then the
110 first click selects the frame, but does not affect the selected window
111 or cursor position. If you click again in the same place, since that
112 click will be in the selected frame, it will change the window or
113 cursor position.
114
115 @item Drag-Mouse-1
116 Set the region to the text you select by dragging, and copy it to the
117 kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}). You can specify both ends of the
118 region with this single command.
119
120 @vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
121 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
122 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
123 back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
124 entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
125 on how far away from the window edge the mouse has gone; the variable
126 @code{mouse-scroll-min-lines} specifies a minimum step size.
127
128 @vindex mouse-drag-copy-region
129 If the variable @code{mouse-drag-copy-region} is @code{nil}, this
130 mouse command does not copy the selected region into the kill ring.
131
132 @item Mouse-2
133 Yank the last killed text, where you click (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
134 This is normally the middle button.
135
136 @item Mouse-3
137 This command, @code{mouse-save-then-kill}, has several functions
138 depending on where you click and the status of the region.
139
140 The most basic case is when you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in one place and
141 then @kbd{Mouse-3} in another. This selects the text between those two
142 positions as the region. It also copies the new region to the kill
143 ring, so that you can copy it to someplace else.
144
145 If you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in the text, scroll with the scroll bar, and
146 then click @kbd{Mouse-3}, it remembers where point was before scrolling
147 (where you put it with @kbd{Mouse-1}), and uses that position as the
148 other end of the region. This is so that you can select a region that
149 doesn't fit entirely on the screen.
150
151 More generally, if you do not have a highlighted region, @kbd{Mouse-3}
152 selects the text between point and the click position as the region. It
153 does this by setting the mark where point was, and moving point to where
154 you click.
155
156 If you have a highlighted region, or if the region was set just before
157 by dragging button 1, @kbd{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end of the region
158 by moving it to where you click. The adjusted region's text also
159 replaces the old region's text in the kill ring.
160
161 If you originally specified the region using a double or triple
162 @kbd{Mouse-1}, so that the region is defined to consist of entire words
163 or lines, then adjusting the region with @kbd{Mouse-3} also proceeds by
164 entire words or lines.
165
166 If you use @kbd{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same place,
167 that kills the region already selected.
168 @end table
169
170 The simplest way to kill text with the mouse is to press @kbd{Mouse-1}
171 at one end, then press @kbd{Mouse-3} twice at the other end.
172 @xref{Killing}. To copy the text into the kill ring without deleting it
173 from the buffer, press @kbd{Mouse-3} just once---or just drag across the
174 text with @kbd{Mouse-1}. Then you can copy it elsewhere by yanking it.
175
176 @vindex mouse-yank-at-point
177 To yank the killed or copied text somewhere else, move the mouse there
178 and press @kbd{Mouse-2}. @xref{Yanking}. However, if
179 @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{Mouse-2} yanks at
180 point. Then it does not matter where you click, or even which of the
181 frame's windows you click on. The default value is @code{nil}. This
182 variable also affects yanking the secondary selection.
183
184 @cindex Delete Selection mode
185 @cindex mode, Delete Selection
186 @findex delete-selection-mode
187 Many graphical applications follow the convention that insertion while text
188 is selected deletes the selected text. You can make Emacs behave this
189 way by enabling Delete Selection mode---with @kbd{M-x
190 delete-selection-mode} or using Custom. Another effect of this mode
191 is that @key{DEL}, @kbd{C-d} and some other keys, when a selection
192 exists, will kill the whole selection. It also enables Transient Mark
193 mode (@pxref{Transient Mark}).
194
195 @node Cut/Paste Other App
196 @subsection Cut and Paste with Other Window Applications
197
198 @cindex cutting
199 @cindex pasting
200 @cindex X cutting and pasting
201 To copy text to another windowing application, kill it or save it in
202 the kill ring. Then use the ``paste'' or ``yank'' command of the
203 other application to insert the text.
204
205 To copy text from another windowing application, use its ``cut'' or
206 ``copy'' command to select the text you want. Then yank it in Emacs
207 with @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
208
209 @cindex primary selection
210 @cindex cut buffer
211 @cindex selection, primary
212 @vindex x-cut-buffer-max
213 When Emacs puts text into the kill ring, or rotates text to the
214 front of the kill ring, it sets the @dfn{primary selection} in the
215 window system. This is how other windowing applications can access
216 the text. On the X Window System, emacs also stores the text in the
217 cut buffer, but only if the text is short enough (the value of
218 @code{x-cut-buffer-max} specifies the maximum number of characters);
219 putting long strings in the cut buffer can be slow.
220
221 The commands to yank the first entry in the kill ring actually check
222 first for a primary selection in another program; after that, they check
223 for text in the cut buffer. If neither of those sources provides text
224 to yank, the kill ring contents are used.
225
226 The standard coding system for X Window System selections is
227 @code{compound-text-with-extensions}. To specify another coding
228 system for selections, use @kbd{C-x @key{RET} x} or @kbd{C-x @key{RET}
229 X}. @xref{Communication Coding}.
230
231 @node Word and Line Mouse
232 @subsection Mouse Commands for Words and Lines
233
234 These variants of @kbd{Mouse-1} select entire words or lines at a time.
235
236 @table @kbd
237 @item Double-Mouse-1
238 This key sets the region around the word which you click on. If you
239 click on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as underscore, in C
240 mode), it sets the region around the symbol surrounding that character.
241
242 If you click on a character with open-parenthesis or close-parenthesis
243 syntax, it sets the region around the parenthetical grouping
244 which that character starts or ends. If you click on a character with
245 string-delimiter syntax (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C), it
246 sets the region around the string constant (using heuristics to figure
247 out whether that character is the beginning or the end of it).
248
249 @item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
250 This key selects a region made up of the words you drag across.
251
252 @item Triple-Mouse-1
253 This key sets the region around the line you click on.
254
255 @item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
256 This key selects a region made up of the lines you drag across.
257 @end table
258
259 @node Secondary Selection
260 @subsection Secondary Selection
261 @cindex secondary selection
262
263 The @dfn{secondary selection} is another way of selecting text using
264 the X Window System. It does not use point or the mark, so you can
265 use it to kill text without setting point or the mark.
266
267 @table @kbd
268 @findex mouse-set-secondary
269 @kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
270 @item M-Drag-Mouse-1
271 Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
272 down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
273 (@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The highlighting appears and changes as
274 you drag. You can control the appearance of the highlighting by
275 customizing the @code{secondary-selection} face (@pxref{Face
276 Customization}).
277
278 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
279 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
280 back into the window. This way, you can mark regions that don't fit
281 entirely on the screen.
282
283 This way of setting the secondary selection does not alter the kill ring.
284
285 @findex mouse-start-secondary
286 @kindex M-Mouse-1
287 @item M-Mouse-1
288 Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
289 (@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
290
291 @findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
292 @kindex M-Mouse-3
293 @item M-Mouse-3
294 Make a secondary selection, using the place specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
295 as the other end (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). This also
296 puts the selected text in the kill ring. A second click at the same
297 place kills the secondary selection just made.
298
299 @findex mouse-yank-secondary
300 @kindex M-Mouse-2
301 @item M-Mouse-2
302 Insert the secondary selection where you click
303 (@code{mouse-yank-secondary}). This places point at the end of the
304 yanked text.
305 @end table
306
307 Double or triple clicking of @kbd{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
308 lines, much like @kbd{Mouse-1}.
309
310 If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{M-Mouse-2} yanks
311 at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click, or even
312 which of the frame's windows you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
313
314 @node Clipboard
315 @subsection Using the Clipboard
316 @cindex clipboard
317 @vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
318 @findex menu-bar-enable-clipboard
319 @cindex OpenWindows
320 @cindex Gnome
321
322 Apart from the primary and secondary selection types, Emacs can
323 handle the @dfn{clipboard} selection type which is used by some
324 applications, particularly under OpenWindows and Gnome.
325
326 The command @kbd{M-x menu-bar-enable-clipboard} makes the @code{Cut},
327 @code{Paste} and @code{Copy} menu items, as well as the keys of the same
328 names, all use the clipboard.
329
330 You can customize the variable @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to make
331 the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
332 selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
333 well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not access the
334 clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on MS-Windows and Mac,
335 but not on other systems.
336
337 @node Mouse References
338 @section Following References with the Mouse
339 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(selection)}
340 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
341
342 Some read-only Emacs buffers include references you can follow, or
343 commands you can activate. These include names of files, of buffers,
344 of possible completions, of matches for a pattern, as well as the
345 buttons in Help buffers and customization buffers. You can follow the
346 reference or activate the command by moving point to it and typing
347 @key{RET}. You can also do this with the mouse, using either
348 @kbd{Mouse-1} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
349
350 Since yanking text into a read-only buffer is not allowed, these
351 buffers generally define @kbd{Mouse-2} to follow a reference or
352 activate a command. For example, if you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a file
353 name in a Dired buffer, you visit that file. If you click
354 @kbd{Mouse-2} on an error message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer,
355 you go to the source code for that error message. If you click
356 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a completion in the @samp{*Completions*} buffer, you
357 choose that completion.
358
359 However, most applications use @kbd{Mouse-1} to do this sort of
360 thing, so Emacs implements this too. If you click @kbd{Mouse-1}
361 quickly on a reference or button, it follows or activates. If you
362 click slowly, it moves point as usual. Dragging, meaning moving the
363 mouse while it is held down, also has its usual behavior of setting
364 the region.
365
366 @vindex mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows
367 Normally, the @kbd{Mouse-1} click behavior is performed on links in
368 any window. The variable @code{mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows}
369 controls whether @kbd{Mouse-1} has this behavior even in non-selected
370 windows, or only in the selected window.
371
372 @vindex mouse-highlight
373 You can usually tell when @kbd{Mouse-1} and @kbd{Mouse-2} have this
374 special sort of meaning because the sensitive text highlights when you
375 move the mouse over it. The variable @code{mouse-highlight} controls
376 whether to do this highlighting always (even when such text appears
377 where the mouse already is), never, or only immediately after you move
378 the mouse.
379
380 @vindex mouse-1-click-follows-link
381 In Emacs versions before 22, only @kbd{Mouse-2} follows links and
382 @kbd{Mouse-1} always sets point. If you prefer this older behavior,
383 set the variable @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link} to @code{nil}.
384 This variable also lets you choose various other alternatives for
385 following links with the mouse. Type @kbd{C-h v
386 mouse-1-click-follows-link @key{RET}} for more details.
387
388 @node Menu Mouse Clicks
389 @section Mouse Clicks for Menus
390
391 Several mouse clicks with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} modifiers
392 bring up menus.
393
394 @table @kbd
395 @item C-Mouse-1
396 @kindex C-Mouse-1
397 This menu is for selecting a buffer.
398
399 The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
400 menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
401
402 @item C-Mouse-2
403 @kindex C-Mouse-2
404 This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
405 for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
406
407 @item C-Mouse-3
408 @kindex C-Mouse-3
409 This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on,
410 this menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus
411 put together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
412 button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
413 menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
414 @kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision
415 to use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu. To use @kbd{Mouse-3} instead,
416 do @code{(global-set-key [mouse-3] 'mouse-popup-menubar-stuff)}.} If
417 Menu-bar mode is off, this menu contains all the items which would be
418 present in the menu bar---not just the mode-specific ones---so that
419 you can access them without having to display the menu bar.
420
421 @item S-Mouse-1
422 This menu is for specifying the frame's default font.
423 @end table
424
425 @node Mode Line Mouse
426 @section Mode Line Mouse Commands
427 @cindex mode line, mouse
428 @cindex mouse on mode line
429
430 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
431 windows.
432
433 Some areas of the mode line, such as the buffer name and the major
434 mode name, have their own special mouse bindings. These areas are
435 highlighted when you hold the mouse over them, and information about
436 the special bindings will be displayed (@pxref{Tooltips}). This
437 section's commands do not apply in those areas.
438
439 @table @kbd
440 @item Mouse-1
441 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
442 @kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window it belongs to. By
443 dragging @kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus
444 changing the height of the windows above and below. Changing heights
445 with the mouse in this way never deletes windows, it just refuses to
446 make any window smaller than the minimum height.
447
448 @item Mouse-2
449 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
450 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
451
452 @item Mouse-3
453 @kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
454 @kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window it belongs to. If the
455 frame has only one window, it buries the current buffer instead, and
456 switches to another buffer.
457
458 @item C-Mouse-2
459 @kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
460 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
461 horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
462 @end table
463
464 @kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
465 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(scroll bar)}
466 Using @kbd{Mouse-1} on the divider between two side-by-side mode
467 lines, you can move the vertical boundary left or right. Using
468 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
469 vertically. @xref{Split Window}.
470
471 @node Creating Frames
472 @section Creating Frames
473 @cindex creating frames
474
475 @kindex C-x 5
476 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
477 subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
478 frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
479 Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
480 the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
481 raising or deiconifying as necessary.
482
483 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
484 buffer to select:
485
486 @table @kbd
487 @item C-x 5 2
488 @kindex C-x 5 2
489 @findex make-frame-command
490 Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
491 @item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
492 Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
493 @code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
494 @item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
495 Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
496 runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
497 @item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
498 Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
499 This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
500 @item C-x 5 m
501 Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
502 @code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
503 @xref{Sending Mail}.
504 @item C-x 5 .
505 Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
506 @code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
507 @xref{Tags}.
508 @item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
509 @kindex C-x 5 r
510 @findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
511 Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
512 frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
513 @xref{Visiting}.
514 @end table
515
516 @cindex default-frame-alist
517 @cindex initial-frame-alist
518 @cindex face customization, in @file{~/.emacs}
519 @cindex color customization, in @file{~/.emacs}
520 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
521 frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
522 variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
523 only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
524 Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
525
526 @cindex font (default)
527 The easiest way to specify the principal font for all your Emacs
528 frames is with an X resource (@pxref{Font X}), but you can also do it by
529 modifying @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the @code{font}
530 parameter, as shown here:
531
532 @example
533 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
534 @end example
535
536 @noindent
537 Here's a similar example for specifying a foreground color:
538
539 @example
540 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(foreground-color . "blue"))
541 @end example
542
543 @noindent
544 By putting such customizations in your @file{~/.emacs} init file, you
545 can control the appearance of all the frames Emacs creates, including
546 the initial one.
547
548 @node Frame Commands
549 @section Frame Commands
550
551 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
552
553 @table @kbd
554 @item C-z
555 @kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
556 @findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
557 Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
558 When typed on an Emacs frame's icon, deiconify instead.
559
560 The normal meaning of @kbd{C-z}, to suspend Emacs, is not useful under
561 a graphical display that allows multiple applications to operate
562 simultaneously in their own windows, so Emacs gives @kbd{C-z} a
563 different binding in that case.
564
565 @item C-x 5 0
566 @kindex C-x 5 0
567 @findex delete-frame
568 Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed if
569 there is only one frame.
570
571 @item C-x 5 o
572 @kindex C-x 5 o
573 @findex other-frame
574 Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it so that it
575 stays selected. If you repeat this command, it cycles through all the
576 frames on your terminal.
577
578 @item C-x 5 1
579 @kindex C-x 5 1
580 @findex delete-other-frames
581 Delete all frames except the selected one.
582 @end table
583
584 @vindex focus-follows-mouse
585 To make the command @kbd{C-x 5 o} work properly, you must tell Emacs
586 how the system (or the window manager) generally handles
587 focus-switching between windows. There are two possibilities: either
588 simply moving the mouse onto a window selects it (gives it focus), or
589 you have to click on it in a suitable way to do so. On X, this focus
590 policy also affects whether the focus is given to a frame that Emacs
591 raises. Unfortunately there is no way Emacs can find out
592 automatically which way the system handles this, so you have to
593 explicitly say, by setting the variable @code{focus-follows-mouse}.
594 If just moving the mouse onto a window selects it, that variable
595 should be @code{t}; if a click is necessary, the variable should be
596 @code{nil}.
597
598 The window manager that is part of MS-Windows always gives focus to a
599 frame that raises, so this variable has no effect in the native
600 MS-Windows build of Emacs.
601
602 @node Speedbar
603 @section Speedbar Frames
604 @cindex speedbar
605
606 @cindex attached frame (of speedbar)
607 The @dfn{speedbar} is a special frame for conveniently navigating in
608 or operating on another frame. The speedbar, when it exists, is
609 always associated with a specific frame, called its @dfn{attached
610 frame}; all speedbar operations act on that frame.
611
612 Type @kbd{M-x speedbar} to create the speedbar and associate it with
613 the current frame. To dismiss the speedbar, type @kbd{M-x speedbar}
614 again, or select the speedbar and type @kbd{q}. (You can also delete
615 the speedbar frame like any other Emacs frame.) If you wish to
616 associate the speedbar with a different frame, dismiss it and call
617 @kbd{M-x speedbar} from that frame.
618
619 The speedbar can operate in various modes. Its default mode is
620 @dfn{File Display} mode, which shows the files in the current
621 directory of the selected window of the attached frame, one file per
622 line. Clicking on a file name visits that file in the selected window
623 of the attached frame, and clicking on a directory name shows that
624 directory in the speedbar (@pxref{Mouse References}). Each line also
625 has a box, @samp{[+]} or @samp{<+>}, that you can click on to
626 @dfn{expand} the contents of that item. Expanding a directory adds
627 the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
628 directory's own line. Expanding an ordinary file adds a list of the
629 tags in that file to the speedbar display; you can click on a tag name
630 to jump to that tag in the selected window of the attached frame.
631 When a file or directory is expanded, the @samp{[+]} changes to
632 @samp{[-]}; you can click on that box to @dfn{contract} the item,
633 hiding its contents.
634
635 You navigate through the speedbar using the keyboard, too. Typing
636 @kbd{RET} while point is on a line in the speedbar is equivalent to
637 clicking the item on the current line, and @kbd{SPC} expands or
638 contracts the item. @kbd{U} displays the parent directory of the
639 current directory. To copy, delete, or rename the file on the current
640 line, type @kbd{C}, @kbd{D}, and @kbd{R} respectively. To create a
641 new directory, type @kbd{M}.
642
643 Another general-purpose speedbar mode is @dfn{Buffer Display} mode;
644 in this mode, the speedbar displays a list of Emacs buffers. To
645 switch to this mode, type @kbd{b} in the speedbar. To return to File
646 Display mode, type @kbd{f}. You can also change the display mode by
647 clicking @kbd{mouse-3} anywhere in the speedbar window (or
648 @kbd{mouse-1} on the mode-line) and selecting @samp{Displays} in the
649 pop-up menu.
650
651 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
652 specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
653 select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
654 files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
655 clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
656
657 For more details on using and programming the speedbar, @xref{Top,
658 Speedbar,,speedbar, Speedbar Manual}.
659
660 @node Multiple Displays
661 @section Multiple Displays
662 @cindex multiple displays
663
664 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
665 uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
666 environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
667 Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
668 @code{make-frame-on-display}:
669
670 @findex make-frame-on-display
671 @table @kbd
672 @item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
673 Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
674 @end table
675
676 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
677 frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
678 single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
679 screens as a single stream of input.
680
681 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
682 input stream for each server. This way, two users can type
683 simultaneously on the two displays, and Emacs will not garble their
684 input. Each server also has its own selected frame. The commands you
685 enter with a particular X server apply to that server's selected frame.
686
687 Despite these features, people using the same Emacs job from different
688 displays can still interfere with each other if they are not careful.
689 For example, if any one types @kbd{C-x C-c}, that exits the Emacs job
690 for all of them!
691
692 @node Special Buffer Frames
693 @section Special Buffer Frames
694
695 @vindex special-display-buffer-names
696 You can make certain chosen buffers, which Emacs normally displays
697 in ``another window,'' appear in special frames of their own. To do
698 this, set the variable @code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list
699 of buffer names; any buffer whose name is in that list automatically
700 gets a special frame, when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in
701 another window.''
702
703 For example, if you set the variable this way,
704
705 @example
706 (setq special-display-buffer-names
707 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
708 @end example
709
710 @noindent
711 then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
712 buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
713 windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
714 buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
715 unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
716 frame automatically.
717
718 @vindex special-display-regexps
719 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
720 of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
721 matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
722 to buffers that normally get displayed for you in ``another window.'')
723
724 @vindex special-display-frame-alist
725 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
726 parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
727 to set it.
728
729 For those who know Lisp, an element of
730 @code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
731 can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
732 regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
733 frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter
734 values; these values take precedence over parameter values specified
735 in @code{special-display-frame-alist}. If you specify the symbol
736 @code{same-window} as a ``frame parameter'' in this list, with a
737 non-@code{nil} value, that means to use the selected window if
738 possible. If you use the symbol @code{same-frame} as a ``frame
739 parameter'' in this list, with a non-@code{nil} value, that means to
740 use the selected frame if possible.
741
742 Alternatively, the value can have this form:
743
744 @example
745 (@var{function} @var{args}...)
746 @end example
747
748 @noindent
749 where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
750 calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
751 remaining arguments are @var{args}.
752
753 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
754 displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
755 same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
756 therefore, if you add a buffer name to
757 @code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
758 whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
759
760 @node Frame Parameters
761 @section Setting Frame Parameters
762 @cindex Auto-Raise mode
763 @cindex Auto-Lower mode
764
765 @kindex S-Mouse-1
766 You can specify the font and colors used for text display, and the
767 colors for the frame borders, the cursor, and the mouse cursor, by
768 customizing the faces @code{default}, @code{border}, @code{cursor} and
769 @code{mouse}. @xref{Face Customization}. You can also set a frame's
770 default font through a pop-up menu. Press @kbd{S-Mouse-1} to activate
771 this menu.
772
773 These commands are available for controlling the window management
774 behavior of the selected frame.
775
776 @table @kbd
777 @findex auto-raise-mode
778 @item M-x auto-raise-mode
779 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
780 means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
781 frame.
782
783 Some window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable
784 auto-raise for Emacs frames in your window manager, it will work, but
785 it is beyond Emacs' control, so @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect
786 on it.
787
788 @findex auto-lower-mode
789 @item M-x auto-lower-mode
790 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
791 Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
792 the frame moves to the bottom of the stack on the screen.
793
794 The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
795 implemented by the window manager. To control that, you must use the
796 appropriate window manager features.
797 @end table
798
799 In Emacs versions that use an X toolkit, the color-setting and
800 font-setting functions don't affect menus and the menu bar, since they
801 are displayed by their own widget classes. To change the appearance of
802 the menus and menu bar, you must use X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
803 @xref{Colors}, regarding colors. @xref{Font X}, regarding choice of
804 font.
805
806 Colors, fonts, and other attributes of the frame's display can also
807 be customized by setting frame parameters in the variable
808 @code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Creating Frames}). For a detailed
809 description of frame parameters and customization, see @ref{Frame
810 Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
811
812 @node Scroll Bars
813 @section Scroll Bars
814 @cindex Scroll Bar mode
815 @cindex mode, Scroll Bar
816
817 On graphical displays, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at
818 the left of each Emacs window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is
819 usually more useful with overlapping frames with text starting at the
820 left margin.} The scroll bar runs the height of the window, and shows
821 a moving rectangular inner box which represents the portion of the
822 buffer currently displayed. The entire height of the scroll bar
823 represents the entire length of the buffer.
824
825 You can use @kbd{Mouse-2} (normally, the middle button) in the scroll
826 bar to move or drag the inner box up and down. If you move it to the
827 top of the scroll bar, you see the top of the buffer. If you move it to
828 the bottom of the scroll bar, you see the bottom of the buffer.
829
830 The left and right buttons in the scroll bar scroll by controlled
831 increments. @kbd{Mouse-1} (normally, the left button) moves the line at
832 the level where you click up to the top of the window. @kbd{Mouse-3}
833 (normally, the right button) moves the line at the top of the window
834 down to the level where you click. By clicking repeatedly in the same
835 place, you can scroll by the same distance over and over.
836
837 You can also click @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in the scroll bar to split a
838 window vertically. The split occurs on the line where you click.
839
840 @findex scroll-bar-mode
841 @vindex scroll-bar-mode
842 You can enable or disable Scroll Bar mode with the command @kbd{M-x
843 scroll-bar-mode}. With no argument, it toggles the use of scroll
844 bars. With an argument, it turns use of scroll bars on if and only if
845 the argument is positive. This command applies to all frames,
846 including frames yet to be created. Customize the variable
847 @code{scroll-bar-mode} to control the use of scroll bars at startup.
848 You can use it to specify that they are placed at the right of windows
849 if you prefer that. You have to set this variable through the
850 @samp{Customize} interface (@pxref{Easy Customization}), or it will
851 not work properly.
852
853 You can also use the X resource @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control
854 the initial setting of Scroll Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
855
856 @findex toggle-scroll-bar
857 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
858 command @kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar}.
859
860 @vindex scroll-bar-width
861 @cindex width of the scroll bar
862 You can control the scroll bar width by changing the value of the
863 @code{scroll-bar-width} frame parameter.
864
865 @node Wheeled Mice
866 @section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
867
868 @cindex mouse wheel
869 @cindex wheel, mouse
870 @findex mouse-wheel-mode
871 @cindex Mouse Wheel minor mode
872 @cindex mode, Mouse Wheel
873 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can
874 usually click the wheel to act as either @kbd{Mouse-2} or
875 @kbd{Mouse-3}, depending on the setup. You can also use the wheel to
876 scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
877 Mouse wheel support only works if the system generates appropriate
878 events; whenever possible, it is turned on by default. To toggle this
879 feature, use @kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-mode}.
880
881 @vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
882 @vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
883 @vindex mouse-wheel-progressive-speed
884 The two variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
885 @code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
886 buffers are scrolled. The variable
887 @code{mouse-wheel-progressive-speed} determines whether the scroll
888 speed is linked to how fast you move the wheel.
889
890 @node Drag and Drop
891 @section Drag and Drop
892 @cindex drag and drop
893
894 Emacs supports @dfn{drag and drop} using the mouse. For instance,
895 dropping text onto an Emacs frame inserts the text where it is dropped.
896 Dropping a file onto an Emacs frame visits that file. As a special
897 case, dropping the file on a Dired buffer moves or copies the file
898 (according to the conventions of the application it came from) into the
899 directory displayed in that buffer.
900
901 @vindex dnd-open-file-other-window
902 Dropping a file normally visits it in the window you drop it on. If
903 you prefer to visit the file in a new window in such cases, customize
904 the variable @code{dnd-open-file-other-window}.
905
906 The XDND and Motif drag and drop protocols, and the old KDE 1.x
907 protocol, are currently supported.
908
909 @node Menu Bars
910 @section Menu Bars
911 @cindex Menu Bar mode
912 @cindex mode, Menu Bar
913 @findex menu-bar-mode
914 @vindex menu-bar-mode
915
916 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
917 menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the variable @code{menu-bar-mode}.
918 With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
919 minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
920 argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
921 the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
922 Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
923
924 @kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
925 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
926 terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
927 If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
928 with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports pop-up menus.
929 @xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
930
931 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
932 menu bar. @xref{X Resources}, for how to customize the menu bar
933 menus' visual appearance.
934
935 @node Tool Bars
936 @section Tool Bars
937 @cindex Tool Bar mode
938 @cindex mode, Tool Bar
939 @cindex icons, toolbar
940
941 The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or lines) of icons at the top of the
942 Emacs window, just below the menu bar. You can click on these icons
943 with the mouse to do various jobs.
944
945 The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
946 define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
947 that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
948 global tool bar.
949
950 Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
951 XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
952 bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
953
954 @findex tool-bar-mode
955 @vindex tool-bar-mode
956 You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
957 tool-bar-mode} or by customizing the option @code{tool-bar-mode}.
958
959 @node Dialog Boxes
960 @section Using Dialog Boxes
961 @cindex dialog boxes
962
963 @vindex use-dialog-box
964 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
965 question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
966 dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
967 invoke the command to begin with.
968
969 You can customize the variable @code{use-dialog-box} to suppress the
970 use of dialog boxes. This also controls whether to use file selection
971 windows (but those are not supported on all platforms).
972
973 @vindex use-file-dialog
974 A file selection window is a special kind of dialog box for asking
975 for file names. You can customize the variable @code{use-file-dialog}
976 to suppress the use of file selection windows, even if you still want
977 other kinds of dialogs. This variable has no effect if you have
978 suppressed all dialog boxes with the variable @code{use-dialog-box}.
979
980 @vindex x-gtk-show-hidden-files
981 For Gtk+ version 2.4 and newer, Emacs use the Gtk+ file chooser
982 dialog. Emacs adds a toggle button that enables and disables showing
983 of hidden files (files starting with a dot) in that dialog. The
984 variable @code{x-gtk-show-hidden-files} controls whether to show
985 hidden files by default.
986
987 @vindex x-gtk-use-old-file-dialog
988 For Gtk+ versions 2.4 through 2.10, you can select the old file
989 dialog (@code{gtk-file-selector}) by setting the variable
990 @code{x-gtk-use-old-file-dialog} to a non-@code{nil} value. If it is
991 @code{nil}, Emacs uses @code{gtk-file-chooser}. If Emacs is built
992 with a Gtk+ version that has only one file dialog, this variable has
993 no effect.
994
995 @vindex x-gtk-file-dialog-help-text
996 Emacs adds help text to the Gtk+ file chooser dialog. The variable
997 @code{x-gtk-file-dialog-help-text} specifies the text to add; if it is
998 @code{nil}, that disables the added text.
999
1000 @node Tooltips
1001 @section Tooltips
1002 @cindex tooltips
1003
1004 @dfn{Tooltips} are small windows that display text information at the
1005 current mouse position. They activate when there is a pause in mouse
1006 movement. There are two types of tooltip: help tooltips and GUD
1007 tooltips.
1008
1009 @dfn{Help tooltips} typically display over text---including the mode
1010 line---but are also available for other parts of the Emacs frame, such
1011 as the tool bar and menu items.
1012
1013 @findex tooltip-mode
1014 You can toggle display of help tooltips (Tooltip mode) with the
1015 command @kbd{M-x tooltip-mode}. When Tooltip mode is disabled, the
1016 help text is displayed in the echo area instead.
1017
1018 @dfn{GUD tooltips} show values of variables. They are useful when
1019 you are debugging a program. @xref{Debugger Operation}.
1020
1021 @vindex tooltip-delay
1022 The variables @code{tooltip-delay} specifies how long Emacs should
1023 wait before displaying a tooltip. For additional customization
1024 options for displaying tooltips, use @kbd{M-x customize-group
1025 @key{RET} tooltip @key{RET}}. @xref{X Resources}, for information on
1026 customizing the windows that display tooltips.
1027
1028 @node Mouse Avoidance
1029 @section Mouse Avoidance
1030 @cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
1031 @cindex mouse avoidance
1032
1033 @vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
1034 Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the mouse pointer away from point, to avoid
1035 obscuring text you want to edit. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
1036 raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the variable
1037 @code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
1038 move the mouse in several ways:
1039
1040 @table @code
1041 @item banish
1042 Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any key-press;
1043 @item exile
1044 Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
1045 and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
1046 @item jump
1047 If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
1048 a random distance & direction;
1049 @item animate
1050 As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
1051 @item cat-and-mouse
1052 The same as @code{animate};
1053 @item proteus
1054 As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
1055 @end table
1056
1057 @findex mouse-avoidance-mode
1058 You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
1059 the mode.
1060
1061 @node Non-Window Terminals
1062 @section Non-Window Terminals
1063 @cindex non-window terminals
1064 @cindex single-frame terminals
1065
1066 On a text-only terminal, Emacs can display only one Emacs frame at a
1067 time. However, you can still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch
1068 between them. Switching frames on these terminals is much like
1069 switching between different window configurations.
1070
1071 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
1072 5 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
1073 the current frame.
1074
1075 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
1076 display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
1077 appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
1078 @samp{F@var{n}}.
1079
1080 @findex set-frame-name
1081 @findex select-frame-by-name
1082 @samp{F@var{n}} is in fact the frame's initial name. You can give
1083 frames more meaningful names if you wish, and you can select a frame
1084 by its name. Use the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET}
1085 @var{name} @key{RET}} to specify a new name for the selected frame,
1086 and use @kbd{M-x select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}}
1087 to select a frame according to its name. The name you specify appears
1088 in the mode line when the frame is selected.
1089
1090 @node Text-Only Mouse
1091 @section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
1092 @cindex mouse support
1093 @cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
1094
1095 Some terminal emulators support mouse clicks in the terminal window.
1096
1097 @cindex xterm
1098 In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
1099 you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to give Emacs control over
1100 simple use of the mouse---basically, only non-modified single clicks
1101 are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse functionality for such
1102 clicks is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key when you
1103 press the mouse button. Xterm Mouse mode is a global minor mode
1104 (@pxref{Minor Modes}). Repeating the command turns the mode off
1105 again.
1106
1107 In the console on GNU/Linux, you can use @kbd{M-x t-mouse-mode}. You
1108 need to have the gpm package installed and running on your system in
1109 order for this to work.
1110
1111 @ignore
1112 arch-tag: 7dcf3a31-a43b-45d4-a900-445b10d77e49
1113 @end ignore