1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 99, 2000, 2001, 2004
3 @c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node Frames, International, Windows, Top
6 @chapter Frames and X Windows
9 When using the X Window System, you can create multiple windows at the
10 X level in a single Emacs session. Each X window that belongs to Emacs
11 displays a @dfn{frame} which can contain one or several Emacs windows.
12 A frame initially contains a single general-purpose Emacs window which
13 you can subdivide vertically or horizontally into smaller windows. A
14 frame normally contains its own echo area and minibuffer, but you can
15 make frames that don't have these---they use the echo area and
16 minibuffer of another frame.
18 Editing you do in one frame also affects the other frames. For
19 instance, if you put text in the kill ring in one frame, you can yank it
20 in another frame. If you exit Emacs through @kbd{C-x C-c} in one frame,
21 it terminates all the frames. To delete just one frame, use @kbd{C-x 5
22 0} (that is zero, not @kbd{o}).
24 To avoid confusion, we reserve the word ``window'' for the
25 subdivisions that Emacs implements, and never use it to refer to a
28 Emacs compiled for MS-DOS emulates some aspects of the window system
29 so that you can use many of the features described in this chapter.
30 @xref{MS-DOS Mouse}, for more information.
33 * Mouse Commands:: Moving, cutting, and pasting, with the mouse.
34 * Secondary Selection:: Cutting without altering point and mark.
35 * Clipboard:: Using the clipboard for selections.
36 * Mouse References:: Using the mouse to select an item from a list.
37 * Menu Mouse Clicks:: Mouse clicks that bring up menus.
38 * Mode Line Mouse:: Mouse clicks on the mode line.
39 * Creating Frames:: Creating additional Emacs frames with various contents.
40 * Frame Commands:: Iconifying, deleting, and switching frames.
41 * Speedbar:: How to make and use a speedbar frame.
42 * Multiple Displays:: How one Emacs job can talk to several displays.
43 * Special Buffer Frames:: You can make certain buffers have their own frames.
44 * Frame Parameters:: Changing the colors and other modes of frames.
45 * Scroll Bars:: How to enable and disable scroll bars; how to use them.
46 * Wheeled Mice:: Using mouse wheels for scrolling.
47 * Drag and Drop:: Using drag and drop to open files and insert text.
48 * Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
49 * Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
50 * Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
51 * Tooltips:: Showing "tooltips", AKA "balloon help" for active text.
52 * Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
53 * Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
54 * XTerm Mouse:: Using the mouse in an XTerm terminal emulator.
58 @section Mouse Commands for Editing
59 @cindex mouse buttons (what they do)
61 The mouse commands for selecting and copying a region are mostly
62 compatible with the @code{xterm} program. You can use the same mouse
63 commands for copying between Emacs and other window-based programs.
64 Most of these commands also work in Emacs when you run it under an
65 @code{xterm} terminal.
67 @kindex DELETE @r{(and mouse selection)}
68 If you select a region with any of these mouse commands, and then
69 immediately afterward type the @key{DELETE} function key, it deletes the
70 region that you selected. The @key{BACKSPACE} function key and the
71 @acronym{ASCII} character @key{DEL} do not do this; if you type any other key
72 in between the mouse command and @key{DELETE}, it does not do this.
74 @findex mouse-set-region
75 @findex mouse-set-point
76 @findex mouse-yank-at-click
77 @findex mouse-save-then-click
83 Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
84 This is normally the left button.
87 Set the region to the text you select by dragging, and copy it to the
88 kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}). You can specify both ends of the
89 region with this single command.
91 @vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
92 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
93 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
94 back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
95 entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
96 on how far away from the window edge the mouse has gone; the variable
97 @code{mouse-scroll-min-lines} specifies a minimum step size.
100 Yank the last killed text, where you click (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
101 This is normally the middle button.
104 This command, @code{mouse-save-then-kill}, has several functions
105 depending on where you click and the status of the region.
107 The most basic case is when you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in one place and
108 then @kbd{Mouse-3} in another. This selects the text between those two
109 positions as the region. It also copies the new region to the kill
110 ring, so that you can copy it to someplace else.
112 If you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in the text, scroll with the scroll bar, and
113 then click @kbd{Mouse-3}, it remembers where point was before scrolling
114 (where you put it with @kbd{Mouse-1}), and uses that position as the
115 other end of the region. This is so that you can select a region that
116 doesn't fit entirely on the screen.
118 More generally, if you do not have a highlighted region, @kbd{Mouse-3}
119 selects the text between point and the click position as the region. It
120 does this by setting the mark where point was, and moving point to where
123 If you have a highlighted region, or if the region was set just before
124 by dragging button 1, @kbd{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end of the region
125 by moving it to where you click. The adjusted region's text also
126 replaces the old region's text in the kill ring.
128 If you originally specified the region using a double or triple
129 @kbd{Mouse-1}, so that the region is defined to consist of entire words
130 or lines, then adjusting the region with @kbd{Mouse-3} also proceeds by
131 entire words or lines.
133 If you use @kbd{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same place,
134 that kills the region already selected.
137 This key sets the region around the word which you click on. If you
138 click on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as underscore, in C
139 mode), it sets the region around the symbol surrounding that character.
141 If you click on a character with open-parenthesis or close-parenthesis
142 syntax, it sets the region around the parenthetical grouping
143 which that character starts or ends. If you click on a character with
144 string-delimiter syntax (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C), it
145 sets the region around the string constant (using heuristics to figure
146 out whether that character is the beginning or the end of it).
148 @item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
149 This key selects a region made up of the words you drag across.
152 This key sets the region around the line you click on.
154 @item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
155 This key selects a region made up of the lines you drag across.
158 The simplest way to kill text with the mouse is to press @kbd{Mouse-1}
159 at one end, then press @kbd{Mouse-3} twice at the other end.
160 @xref{Killing}. To copy the text into the kill ring without deleting it
161 from the buffer, press @kbd{Mouse-3} just once---or just drag across the
162 text with @kbd{Mouse-1}. Then you can copy it elsewhere by yanking it.
164 @vindex mouse-yank-at-point
165 To yank the killed or copied text somewhere else, move the mouse there
166 and press @kbd{Mouse-2}. @xref{Yanking}. However, if
167 @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{Mouse-2} yanks at
168 point. Then it does not matter where you click, or even which of the
169 frame's windows you click on. The default value is @code{nil}. This
170 variable also affects yanking the secondary selection.
172 @cindex cutting and X
173 @cindex pasting and X
174 @cindex X cutting and pasting
175 To copy text to another X window, kill it or save it in the kill ring.
176 Under X, this also sets the @dfn{primary selection}. Then use the
177 ``paste'' or ``yank'' command of the program operating the other window
178 to insert the text from the selection.
180 To copy text from another X window, use the ``cut'' or ``copy''
181 command of the program operating the other window, to select the text
182 you want. Then yank it in Emacs with @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
184 The standard coding system for X selections is
185 @code{compound-text-with-extensions}. To specify another coding
186 system for X selections, use @kbd{C-x @key{RET} x} or @kbd{C-x
187 @key{RET} X}. @xref{Specify Coding}.
189 @cindex primary selection
191 @cindex selection, primary
192 @vindex x-cut-buffer-max
193 When Emacs puts text into the kill ring, or rotates text to the front
194 of the kill ring, it sets the @dfn{primary selection} in the X server.
195 This is how other X clients can access the text. Emacs also stores the
196 text in the cut buffer, but only if the text is short enough
197 (the value of @code{x-cut-buffer-max} specifies the maximum number of
198 characters); putting long strings in the cut buffer can be slow.
200 The commands to yank the first entry in the kill ring actually check
201 first for a primary selection in another program; after that, they check
202 for text in the cut buffer. If neither of those sources provides text
203 to yank, the kill ring contents are used.
205 @node Secondary Selection
206 @section Secondary Selection
207 @cindex secondary selection
209 The @dfn{secondary selection} is another way of selecting text using
210 X. It does not use point or the mark, so you can use it to kill text
211 without setting point or the mark.
214 @findex mouse-set-secondary
215 @kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
217 Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
218 down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
219 (@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The highlighting appears and changes as
220 you drag. You can control the appearance of the highlighting by
221 customizing the @code{secondary-selection} face (@pxref{Face
224 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
225 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
226 back into the window. This way, you can mark regions that don't fit
227 entirely on the screen.
229 This way of setting the secondary selection does not alter the kill ring.
231 @findex mouse-start-secondary
234 Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
235 (@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
237 @findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
240 Make a secondary selection, using the place specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
241 as the other end (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). This also
242 puts the selected text in the kill ring. A second click at the same
243 place kills the secondary selection just made.
245 @findex mouse-yank-secondary
248 Insert the secondary selection where you click
249 (@code{mouse-yank-secondary}). This places point at the end of the
253 Double or triple clicking of @kbd{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
254 lines, much like @kbd{Mouse-1}.
256 If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{M-Mouse-2}
257 yanks at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click; all
258 that matters is which window you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
261 @section Using the Clipboard
264 @vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
265 @findex menu-bar-enable-clipboard
269 Apart from the primary and secondary selection types, X supports a
270 @dfn{clipboard} selection type which is used by some applications,
271 particularly under OpenWindows and Gnome.
273 The command @kbd{M-x menu-bar-enable-clipboard} makes the @code{Cut},
274 @code{Paste} and @code{Copy} menu items, as well as the keys of the same
275 names, all use the clipboard.
277 You can customize the variable @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to make
278 the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
279 selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
280 well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not access the
281 clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on MS-Windows,
284 @node Mouse References
285 @section Following References with the Mouse
286 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(selection)}
287 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
289 Some read-only Emacs buffers include references you can follow, or
290 commands you can activate. These include names of files, of buffers,
291 of possible completions, of matches for a pattern, as well as the
292 buttons in Help buffers and customization buffers. You can follow the
293 reference or activate the command by moving point to it and typing
294 @key{RET}. You can also do this with the mouse, using either
295 @kbd{Mouse-1} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
297 Since yanking text into a read-only buffer is not allowed, these
298 buffers generally define @kbd{Mouse-2} to follow a reference or
299 activate a command. For example, if you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a file
300 name in a Dired buffer, you visit that file. If you click
301 @kbd{Mouse-2} on an error message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer,
302 you go to the source code for that error message. If you click
303 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a completion in the @samp{*Completions*} buffer, you
304 choose that completion.
306 @vindex mouse-1-click-follows-link
307 However, most applications use @kbd{Mouse-1} to do this sort of
308 thing, so Emacs implements this too. If you click @kbd{Mouse-1}
309 quickly on a reference or button, it follows or activates. If you
310 click slowly, it moves point as usual. Dragging, meaning moving the
311 mouse while it is held down, also has its usual behavior of setting
312 the region. The variable @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link} controls
313 whether @kbd{Mouse-1} has this behavior.
315 @vindex mouse-1-click-follows-link
316 Normally, the @kbd{Mouse-1} click behavior is performed on links in
317 any window. The variable @code{mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows}
318 controls whether @kbd{Mouse-1} has this behavior even in non-selected
319 windows, or only in the selected window.
321 @vindex mouse-highlight
322 You can usually tell when @kbd{Mouse-1} and @kbd{Mouse-2} have this
323 special sort of meaning because the sensitive text highlights when you
324 move the mouse over it. The variable @code{mouse-highlight} controls
325 whether to do this highlighting always (even when such text appears
326 where the mouse already is), never, or only immediately after you move
329 @node Menu Mouse Clicks
330 @section Mouse Clicks for Menus
332 Mouse clicks modified with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} keys
338 This menu is for selecting a buffer.
340 The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
341 menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
345 This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
346 for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
350 This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on,
351 this menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus
352 put together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
353 button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
354 menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
355 @kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision
356 to use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu. To use @kbd{Mouse-3} instead,
357 do @code{(global-set-key [mouse-3] 'mouse-popup-menubar-stuff)}.} If
358 Menu-bar mode is off, this menu contains all the items which would be
359 present in the menu bar---not just the mode-specific ones---so that
360 you can access them without having to display the menu bar.
363 This menu is for specifying the frame's principal font.
366 @node Mode Line Mouse
367 @section Mode Line Mouse Commands
368 @cindex mode line, mouse
369 @cindex mouse on mode line
371 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
376 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
377 @kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window it belongs to. By
378 dragging @kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus
379 changing the height of the windows above and below.
382 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
383 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
386 @kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
387 @kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window it belongs to. If the
388 frame has only one window, it buries the current buffer instead, and
389 switches to another buffer.
392 @kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
393 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
394 horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
397 @kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
398 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
399 vertically. @xref{Split Window}.
401 The commands above apply to areas of the mode line which do not have
402 special mouse bindings of their own. Some areas, such as the buffer
403 name and the major mode name, have their own special mouse bindings.
404 Emacs displays information about these bindings when you hold the
405 mouse over such a place (@pxref{Tooltips}).
407 @node Creating Frames
408 @section Creating Frames
409 @cindex creating frames
412 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
413 subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
414 frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
415 Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
416 the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
417 raising or deiconifying as necessary.
419 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
425 @findex make-frame-command
426 Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
427 @item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
428 Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
429 @code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
430 @item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
431 Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
432 runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
433 @item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
434 Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
435 This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
437 Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
438 @code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
441 Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
442 @code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
444 @item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
446 @findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
447 Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
448 frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
452 @cindex default-frame-alist
453 @cindex initial-frame-alist
454 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
455 frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
456 variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
457 only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
458 Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
460 @cindex font (default)
461 The easiest way to specify the principal font for all your Emacs
462 frames is with an X resource (@pxref{Font X}), but you can also do it by
463 modifying @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the @code{font}
464 parameter, as shown here:
467 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
471 Here's a similar example for specifying a foreground color:
474 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(background-color . "blue"))
479 @section Frame Commands
481 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
485 @kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
486 @findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
487 Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
488 The normal meaning of @kbd{C-z}, to suspend Emacs, is not useful under a
489 window system, so it has a different binding in that case.
491 If you type this command on an Emacs frame's icon, it deiconifies the frame.
496 Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed if
497 there is only one frame.
502 Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it so that it
503 stays selected. If you repeat this command, it cycles through all the
504 frames on your terminal.
508 @findex delete-other-frames
509 Delete all frames except the selected one.
512 @vindex focus-follows-mouse
513 To make the command @kbd{C-x 5 o} work properly, you must tell Emacs
514 how the system (or the window manager) generally handles
515 focus-switching between windows. There are two possibilities: either
516 simply moving the mouse onto a window selects it (gives it focus), or
517 you have to click on it in a suitable way to do so. Unfortunately
518 there is no way Emacs can find out automatically which way the system
519 handles this, so you have to explicitly say, by setting the variable
520 @code{focus-follows-mouse}. If just moving the mouse onto a window
521 selects it, that variable should be @code{t}; if a click is necessary,
522 the variable should be @code{nil}.
525 @section Making and Using a Speedbar Frame
528 An Emacs frame can have a @dfn{speedbar}, which is a vertical window
529 that serves as a scrollable menu of files you could visit and tags
530 within those files. To create a speedbar, type @kbd{M-x speedbar}; this
531 creates a speedbar window for the selected frame. From then on, you can
532 click on a file name in the speedbar to visit that file in the
533 corresponding Emacs frame, or click on a tag name to jump to that tag in
536 Initially the speedbar lists the immediate contents of the current
537 directory, one file per line. Each line also has a box, @samp{[+]} or
538 @samp{<+>}, that you can click on with @kbd{Mouse-2} to ``open up'' the
539 contents of that item. If the line names a directory, opening it adds
540 the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
541 directory's own line. If the line lists an ordinary file, opening it up
542 adds a list of the tags in that file to the speedbar display. When a
543 file is opened up, the @samp{[+]} changes to @samp{[-]}; you can click
544 on that box to ``close up'' that file (hide its contents).
546 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
547 specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
548 select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
549 files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
550 clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
552 A speedbar belongs to one Emacs frame, and always operates on that
553 frame. If you use multiple frames, you can make a speedbar for some or
554 all of the frames; type @kbd{M-x speedbar} in any given frame to make a
557 @node Multiple Displays
558 @section Multiple Displays
559 @cindex multiple displays
561 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
562 uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
563 environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
564 Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
565 @code{make-frame-on-display}:
567 @findex make-frame-on-display
569 @item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
570 Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
573 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
574 frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
575 single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
576 screens as a single stream of input.
578 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
579 input stream for each server. This way, two users can type
580 simultaneously on the two displays, and Emacs will not garble their
581 input. Each server also has its own selected frame. The commands you
582 enter with a particular X server apply to that server's selected frame.
584 Despite these features, people using the same Emacs job from different
585 displays can still interfere with each other if they are not careful.
586 For example, if any one types @kbd{C-x C-c}, that exits the Emacs job
589 @node Special Buffer Frames
590 @section Special Buffer Frames
592 @vindex special-display-buffer-names
593 You can make certain chosen buffers, for which Emacs normally creates
594 a second window when you have just one window, appear in special frames
595 of their own. To do this, set the variable
596 @code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list of buffer names; any
597 buffer whose name is in that list automatically gets a special frame,
598 when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in another window.''
600 For example, if you set the variable this way,
603 (setq special-display-buffer-names
604 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
608 then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
609 buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
610 windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
611 buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
612 unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
615 @vindex special-display-regexps
616 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
617 of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
618 matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
619 to buffers that normally get displayed for you in a separate window.)
621 @vindex special-display-frame-alist
622 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
623 parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
626 For those who know Lisp, an element of
627 @code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
628 can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
629 regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
630 frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter
631 values; these values take precedence over parameter values specified
632 in @code{special-display-frame-alist}. If you specify the symbol
633 @code{same-window} as a ``frame parameter'' in this list, with a
634 non-@code{nil} value, that means to use the selected window if
635 possible. If you use the symbol @code{same-frame} as a ``frame
636 parameter'' in this list, with a non-@code{nil} value, that means to
637 use the selected frame if possible.
639 Alternatively, the value can have this form:
642 (@var{function} @var{args}...)
646 where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
647 calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
648 remaining arguments are @var{args}.
650 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
651 displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
652 same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
653 therefore, if you add a buffer name to
654 @code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
655 whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
657 @node Frame Parameters
658 @section Setting Frame Parameters
659 @cindex Auto-Raise mode
660 @cindex Auto-Lower mode
662 This section describes commands for altering the display style and
663 window management behavior of the selected frame.
665 @findex set-foreground-color
666 @findex set-background-color
667 @findex set-cursor-color
668 @findex set-mouse-color
669 @findex set-border-color
670 @findex auto-raise-mode
671 @findex auto-lower-mode
674 @item M-x set-foreground-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
675 Specify color @var{color} for the foreground of the selected frame.
676 (This also changes the foreground color of the default face.) You can
677 specify @var{color} either by its symbolic name or by its RGB
678 numerical specification@footnote{
679 See the X Window System documentation for more details. On a typical
680 GNU or Unix system, the command @kbd{man 7 X} or @kbd{man -s 7 X} will
681 display the X manual page that explains how to specify colors.}.
683 @item M-x set-background-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
684 Specify color @var{color} for the background of the selected frame.
685 (This also changes the background color of the default face.)
687 @item M-x set-cursor-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
688 Specify color @var{color} for the cursor of the selected frame.
690 @item M-x set-mouse-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
691 Specify color @var{color} for the mouse cursor when it is over the
694 @item M-x set-border-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
695 Specify color @var{color} for the border of the selected frame.
697 @item M-x list-colors-display
698 Display the defined color names and show what the colors look like.
699 This command is somewhat slow. @xref{Colors, list-colors-display,
700 Display available colors}.
702 @item M-x auto-raise-mode
703 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
704 means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
707 Note that this auto-raise feature is implemented by Emacs itself. Some
708 window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable auto-raise for
709 Emacs frames in your X window manager, it should work, but it is beyond
710 Emacs's control and therefore @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect on
713 @item M-x auto-lower-mode
714 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
715 Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
716 the frame moves to the bottom of the stack of X windows.
718 The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
719 implemented by the X window manager. To control that, you must use
720 the appropriate window manager features.
722 @findex set-frame-font
723 @item M-x set-frame-font @key{RET} @var{font} @key{RET}
724 @cindex font (principal)
725 Specify font @var{font} as the principal font for the selected frame.
726 The principal font controls several face attributes of the
727 @code{default} face (@pxref{Faces}). For example, if the principal font
728 has a height of 12 pt, all text will be drawn in 12 pt fonts, unless you
729 use another face that specifies a different height. @xref{Font X}, for
730 ways to list the available fonts on your system.
733 You can also set a frame's principal font through a pop-up menu.
734 Press @kbd{S-Mouse-1} to activate this menu.
737 In Emacs versions that use an X toolkit, the color-setting and
738 font-setting functions don't affect menus and the menu bar, since they
739 are displayed by their own widget classes. To change the appearance of
740 the menus and menu bar, you must use X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
741 @xref{Colors}, regarding colors. @xref{Font X}, regarding choice of
744 Colors, fonts, and other attributes of the frame's display can also
745 be customized by setting frame parameters in the variable
746 @code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Creating Frames}). For a detailed
747 description of frame parameters and customization, see @ref{Frame
748 Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
752 @cindex Scroll Bar mode
753 @cindex mode, Scroll Bar
755 When using X, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at the left of
756 each Emacs window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is usually more
757 useful with overlapping frames with text starting at the left margin.}
758 The scroll bar runs the height of the window, and shows a moving
759 rectangular inner box which represents the portion of the buffer
760 currently displayed. The entire height of the scroll bar represents the
761 entire length of the buffer.
763 You can use @kbd{Mouse-2} (normally, the middle button) in the scroll
764 bar to move or drag the inner box up and down. If you move it to the
765 top of the scroll bar, you see the top of the buffer. If you move it to
766 the bottom of the scroll bar, you see the bottom of the buffer.
768 The left and right buttons in the scroll bar scroll by controlled
769 increments. @kbd{Mouse-1} (normally, the left button) moves the line at
770 the level where you click up to the top of the window. @kbd{Mouse-3}
771 (normally, the right button) moves the line at the top of the window
772 down to the level where you click. By clicking repeatedly in the same
773 place, you can scroll by the same distance over and over.
775 You can also click @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in the scroll bar to split a
776 window vertically. The split occurs on the line where you click.
778 @findex scroll-bar-mode
779 @vindex scroll-bar-mode
780 You can enable or disable Scroll Bar mode with the command @kbd{M-x
781 scroll-bar-mode}. With no argument, it toggles the use of scroll bars.
782 With an argument, it turns use of scroll bars on if and only if the
783 argument is positive. This command applies to all frames, including
784 frames yet to be created. Customize the variable @code{scroll-bar-mode}
785 to control the use of scroll bars at startup. You can use it to specify
786 that they are placed at the right of windows if you prefer that. You
787 have to set this variable through the @samp{Customize} interface
788 (@pxref{Easy Customization}). Otherwise, it will not work properly.
789 You can use the X resource @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control the
790 initial setting of Scroll Bar mode similarly. @xref{Resources}.
792 @findex toggle-scroll-bar
793 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
794 command @kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar}.
796 @vindex scroll-bar-width
797 @cindex width of the scroll bar
798 You can control the scroll bar width by changing the value of the
799 @code{scroll-bar-width} frame parameter.
802 @section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
806 @findex mouse-wheel-mode
807 @cindex Mouse Wheel minor mode
808 @cindex mode, Mouse Wheel
809 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can
810 usually click the wheel to act as either @kbd{Mouse-2} or
811 @kbd{Mouse-3}, depending on the setup. You can also use the wheel to
812 scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
813 Mouse wheel support only works if the system generates appropriate
814 events; whenever possible, it is turned on by default. To toggle this
815 feature, use @kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-mode}.
817 @vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
818 @vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
819 @vindex mouse-wheel-progressive-speed
820 The variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
821 @code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
822 buffers are scrolled. The variable
823 @code{mouse-wheel-progressive-speed} determines whether the the scroll
824 speed is linked to how fast you move the wheel.
827 @section Drag and Drop
828 @cindex drag and drop
830 Emacs supports @dfn{drag and drop} using the mouse. For instance,
831 dropping text onto an Emacs frame inserts the text where it is dropped.
832 Dropping a file onto an Emacs frame visits that file. As a special
833 case, dropping the file on a Dired buffer moves or copies the file
834 (according to the conventions of the application it came from) into the
835 directory displayed in that buffer.
837 @vindex x-dnd-open-file-other-window
838 Dropping a file normally visits it in the window you drop it on. If
839 you prefer to visit the file in a new window in such cases, customize
840 the variable @code{x-dnd-open-file-other-window}.
843 @c ??? To Lisp manual
844 @vindex x-dnd-test-function
845 @vindex x-dnd-known-types
846 When a user drags something from another application over Emacs, that other
847 application expects Emacs to tell it if Emacs can handle the data that is
848 dragged. The variable @code{x-dnd-test-function} is used by Emacs to determine
849 what to reply. The default value is @code{x-dnd-default-test-function}
850 which accepts drops if the type of the data to be dropped is present in
851 @code{x-dnd-known-types}. You can customize @code{x-dnd-test-function} and/or
852 @code{x-dnd-known-types} if you want Emacs to accept or reject drops based
853 on some other criteria.
855 @vindex x-dnd-types-alist
856 If you want to change the way Emacs handles drop of different types
857 or add a new type, customize @code{x-dnd-types-alist}. This requires
858 detailed knowledge of what types other applications use for drag and
861 @vindex x-dnd-protocol-alist
862 When an URL is dropped on Emacs it may be a file, but it may also be
863 another URL type (ftp, http, etc.). Emacs first checks
864 @code{x-dnd-protocol-alist} to determine what to do with the URL. If
865 there is no match there and if @code{browse-url-browser-function} is
866 an alist, Emacs looks for a match there. If no match is found the
867 text for the URL is inserted. If you want to alter Emacs behavior,
868 you can customize these variables.
871 The drag and drop protocols XDND, Motif and the
872 old KDE 1.x protocol are currently supported.
876 @cindex Menu Bar mode
877 @cindex mode, Menu Bar
879 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
880 menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the variable @code{menu-bar-mode}.
881 With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
882 minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
883 argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
884 the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
885 Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
887 @kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
888 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
889 terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
890 If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
891 with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports pop-up menus.
892 @xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
894 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
895 menu bar. @xref{X Resources}, for how to customize the menu bar
900 @cindex Tool Bar mode
901 @cindex mode, Tool Bar
902 @cindex icons, toolbar
904 The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or lines) of icons at the top of the
905 Emacs window, just below the menu bar. You can click on these icons
906 with the mouse to do various jobs.
908 The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
909 define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
910 that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
913 Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
914 XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
915 bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
917 You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
921 @section Using Dialog Boxes
924 @vindex use-dialog-box
925 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
926 question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
927 dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
928 invoke the command to begin with.
930 You can customize the variable @code{use-dialog-box} to suppress the
931 use of dialog boxes. This also controls whether to use file selection
932 windows (but those are not supported on all platforms).
934 @vindex use-file-dialog
935 A file selection window is a special kind of dialog box for asking for
938 You can customize the variable @code{use-file-dialog} to suppress the
939 use of file selection windows even if you still want other kinds
940 of dialogs. This variable has no effect if you have suppressed all dialog
941 boxes with the variable @code{use-dialog-box}.
943 @vindex x-use-old-gtk-file-dialog
944 For Gtk+ version 2.4 and 2.6, you can make Emacs use the old file dialog
945 by setting the variable @code{x-use-old-gtk-file-dialog} to a non-@code{nil}
946 value. If Emacs is built with a Gtk+ version that has only one file dialog,
947 the setting of this variable has no effect.
950 @section Tooltips (or ``Balloon Help'')
953 Tooltips are small X windows displaying a help string at the current
954 mouse position, typically over text---including the mode line---which
955 can be activated with the mouse or other keys. (This facility is
956 sometimes known as @dfn{balloon help}.) Help text may be available for
960 To use tooltips, enable Tooltip mode with the command @kbd{M-x
961 tooltip-mode}. The customization group @code{tooltip} controls
962 various aspects of how tooltips work. When Tooltip mode is disabled,
963 the help text is displayed in the echo area instead.
965 @vindex tooltip-delay
966 The variables @code{tooltip-delay} specifies how long Emacs should
967 wait before displaying a tooltip. For additional customization
968 options for displaying tooltips, use @kbd{M-x customize-group
969 @key{RET} tooltip @key{RET}}. @xref{X Resources}, for information on
970 customizing the windows that display tooltips.
972 @node Mouse Avoidance
973 @section Mouse Avoidance
974 @cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
975 @cindex mouse avoidance
977 @vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
978 Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the window system mouse pointer away from
979 point, to avoid obscuring text. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
980 raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the variable
981 @code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
982 move the mouse in several ways:
986 Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any key-press;
988 Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
989 and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
991 If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
992 a random distance & direction;
994 As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
996 The same as @code{animate};
998 As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
1001 @findex mouse-avoidance-mode
1002 You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
1005 @node Non-Window Terminals
1006 @section Non-Window Terminals
1007 @cindex non-window terminals
1008 @cindex single-frame terminals
1010 If your terminal does not have a window system that Emacs supports,
1011 then it can display only one Emacs frame at a time. However, you can
1012 still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch between them. Switching
1013 frames on these terminals is much like switching between different
1014 window configurations.
1016 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
1017 5 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
1020 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
1021 display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
1022 appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
1025 @findex set-frame-name
1026 @findex select-frame-by-name
1027 @samp{F@var{n}} is actually the frame's name. You can also specify a
1028 different name if you wish, and you can select a frame by its name. Use
1029 the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to
1030 specify a new name for the selected frame, and use @kbd{M-x
1031 select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to select a frame
1032 according to its name. The name you specify appears in the mode line
1033 when the frame is selected.
1036 @section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
1037 @cindex xterm, mouse support
1038 @cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
1040 Some terminal emulators under X support mouse clicks in the terminal
1041 window. In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
1042 you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to enable simple use of the
1043 mouse---only single clicks are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse
1044 functionality is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key
1045 when you press the mouse button. The Linux console supports this
1046 mode if it has support for the mouse enabled, e.g.@: using the
1047 @command{gpm} daemon.
1050 arch-tag: 7dcf3a31-a43b-45d4-a900-445b10d77e49