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1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1987, 1993-1995, 1997, 2001-2012
3 @c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node X Resources, Antinews, Emacs Invocation, Top
6 @appendix X Options and Resources
7
8 You can customize some X-related aspects of Emacs behavior using X
9 resources, as is usual for programs that use X. On MS-Windows, you
10 can customize some of the same aspects using the system registry.
11 @xref{MS-Windows Registry}.
12
13 When Emacs is built using an ``X toolkit'', such as Lucid or
14 LessTif, you need to use X resources to customize the appearance of
15 the widgets, including the menu-bar, scroll-bar, and dialog boxes.
16 This is because the libraries that implement these don't provide for
17 customization through Emacs. GTK+ widgets use a separate system of
18 @ifnottex
19 ``GTK resources'', which we will also describe.
20 @end ifnottex
21 @iftex
22 ``GTK resources.'' In this chapter we describe the most commonly used
23 resource specifications. For full documentation, see the online
24 manual.
25
26 @c Add xref for LessTif/Motif menu resources.
27 @end iftex
28
29
30 @menu
31 * Resources:: Using X resources with Emacs (in general).
32 * Table of Resources:: Table of specific X resources that affect Emacs.
33 * Face Resources:: X resources for customizing faces.
34 * Lucid Resources:: X resources for Lucid menus.
35 * LessTif Resources:: X resources for LessTif and Motif menus.
36 * GTK resources:: Resources for GTK widgets.
37 @end menu
38
39 @node Resources
40 @appendixsec X Resources
41 @cindex resources
42 @cindex X resources
43 @cindex @file{~/.Xdefaults} file
44 @cindex @file{~/.Xresources} file
45
46 Programs running under the X Window System organize their user
47 options under a hierarchy of classes and resources. You can specify
48 default values for these options in your @dfn{X resource file},
49 usually named @file{~/.Xdefaults} or @file{~/.Xresources}. Changes in
50 this file do not take effect immediately, because the X server stores
51 its own list of resources; to update it, use the command
52 @command{xrdb}---for instance, @samp{xrdb ~/.Xdefaults}.
53
54 @cindex Registry (MS-Windows)
55 (MS-Windows systems do not support X resource files; on Windows,
56 Emacs looks for X resources in the Windows Registry, first under the
57 key @samp{HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\GNU\Emacs} and then under the key
58 @samp{HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\GNU\Emacs}. The menu and scroll
59 bars are native widgets on MS-Windows, so they are only customizable
60 via the system-wide settings in the Display Control Panel. You can
61 also set resources using the @samp{-xrm} command line option, as
62 explained below.)
63
64 Each line in the X resource file specifies a value for one option or
65 for a collection of related options. Each resource specification
66 consists of a @dfn{program name} and a @dfn{resource name}. Case
67 distinctions are significant in each of these names. Here is an
68 example:
69
70 @example
71 emacs.borderWidth: 2
72 @end example
73
74 @ifnottex
75 The program name is the name of the executable file to which the
76 resource applies. For Emacs, this is normally @samp{emacs}. To
77 specify a definition that applies to all instances of Emacs,
78 regardless of the name of the Emacs executable, use @samp{Emacs}.
79
80 The resource name is the name of a program setting. For instance,
81 Emacs recognizes a @samp{borderWidth} resource that controls the width
82 of the external border for graphical frames.
83
84 Resources are grouped into named classes. For instance, the
85 @samp{BorderWidth} class contains both the @samp{borderWidth} resource
86 (which we just described), as well as the @samp{internalBorder}
87 resource, which controls the width of the internal border for
88 graphical frames. Instead of using a resource name, you can use a
89 class name to specify the same value for all resources in that class.
90 Here's an example:
91
92 @example
93 emacs.BorderWidth: 2
94 @end example
95
96 If you specify a value for a class, it becomes the default for all
97 resources in that class. You can specify values for individual
98 resources as well; these override the class value, for those
99 particular resources. The following example specifies 2 as the
100 default width for all borders, but overrides this value with 4 for the
101 external border:
102
103 @example
104 emacs.BorderWidth: 2
105 emacs.borderWidth: 4
106 @end example
107 @end ifnottex
108
109 The order in which the lines appear in the file does not matter.
110 One way to experiment with the effect of different resource settings
111 is to use the @code{editres} program. See the @code{editres} man page
112 for more details.
113
114 Emacs does not process X resources at all if you set the variable
115 @code{inhibit-x-resources} to a non-@code{nil} value, or if you
116 specify the @samp{-Q} (or @samp{--quick}) command-line argument
117 (@pxref{Initial Options}). (The @samp{-Q} argument automatically sets
118 @code{inhibit-x-resources} to @code{t}.)
119
120 @ifnottex
121 In addition, you can use the following command-line options to
122 override the X resources file:
123
124 @table @samp
125 @item -name @var{name}
126 @opindex --name
127 @itemx --name=@var{name}
128 @cindex resource name, command-line argument
129 This option sets the program name of the initial Emacs frame to
130 @var{name}. It also sets the title of the initial frame to
131 @var{name}. This option does not affect subsequent frames.
132
133 If you don't specify this option, the default is to use the Emacs
134 executable's name as the program name.
135
136 For consistency, @samp{-name} also specifies the name to use for other
137 resource values that do not belong to any particular frame.
138
139 The resources that name Emacs invocations also belong to a class,
140 named @samp{Emacs}. If you write @samp{Emacs} instead of
141 @samp{emacs}, the resource applies to all frames in all Emacs jobs,
142 regardless of frame titles and regardless of the name of the
143 executable file.
144
145 @item -xrm @var{resource-values}
146 @opindex --xrm
147 @itemx --xrm=@var{resource-values}
148 @cindex resource values, command-line argument
149 This option specifies X resource values for the present Emacs job.
150
151 @var{resource-values} should have the same format that you would use
152 inside a file of X resources. To include multiple resource
153 specifications in @var{resource-values}, put a newline between them,
154 just as you would in a file. You can also use @samp{#include
155 "@var{filename}"} to include a file full of resource specifications.
156 Resource values specified with @samp{-xrm} take precedence over all
157 other resource specifications.
158 @end table
159 @end ifnottex
160
161 @node Table of Resources
162 @appendixsec Table of X Resources for Emacs
163
164 This table lists the resource names that designate options for
165 Emacs, not counting those for the appearance of the menu bar, each
166 with the class that it belongs to:
167
168 @table @asis
169 @item @code{background} (class @code{Background})
170 Background color name.
171
172 @item @code{bitmapIcon} (class @code{BitmapIcon})
173 Tell the window manager to display the Emacs icon if @samp{on}; don't
174 do so if @samp{off}. (The icon is usually shown in the ``taskbar'' on
175 a graphical desktop.)
176
177 @item @code{borderColor} (class @code{BorderColor})
178 Color name for the external border.
179
180 @ifnottex
181 @item @code{borderWidth} (class @code{BorderWidth})
182 Width in pixels of the external border.
183 @end ifnottex
184
185 @item @code{cursorColor} (class @code{Foreground})
186 Color name for text cursor (point).
187
188 @ifnottex
189 @item @code{cursorBlink} (class @code{CursorBlink})
190 Specifies whether to make the cursor blink. The default is @samp{on}. Use
191 @samp{off} or @samp{false} to turn cursor blinking off.
192 @end ifnottex
193
194 @item @code{font} (class @code{Font})
195 Font name for the @code{default} font. @xref{Fonts}. You can also
196 specify a fontset name (@pxref{Fontsets}).
197
198 @item @code{fontBackend} (class @code{FontBackend})
199 The backend(s) to use for drawing fonts; if multiple backends are
200 specified, they must be comma-delimited and given in order of
201 precedence. On X, for instance, the value @samp{x,xft} tells Emacs to
202 draw fonts using the X core font driver, falling back on the Xft font
203 driver if that fails. Normally, you can leave this resource unset, in
204 which case Emacs tries using all font backends available on your
205 graphical device.
206
207 @item @code{foreground} (class @code{Foreground})
208 Color name for text.
209
210 @item @code{geometry} (class @code{Geometry})
211 Window size and position. Be careful not to specify this resource as
212 @samp{emacs*geometry}, because that may affect individual menus as well
213 as the Emacs frame itself.
214
215 If this resource specifies a position, that position applies only to the
216 initial Emacs frame (or, in the case of a resource for a specific frame
217 name, only that frame). However, the size, if specified here, applies to
218 all frames.
219
220 @ifnottex
221 @item @code{fullscreen} (class @code{Fullscreen})
222 The desired fullscreen size. The value can be one of @code{fullboth},
223 @code{maximized}, @code{fullwidth} or @code{fullheight}, which correspond to
224 the command-line options @samp{-fs}, @samp{-mm}, @samp{-fw}, and @samp{-fh}
225 (@pxref{Window Size X}).
226
227 Note that this applies to the initial frame only.
228 @end ifnottex
229
230 @item @code{iconName} (class @code{Title})
231 Name to display in the icon.
232
233 @item @code{internalBorder} (class @code{BorderWidth})
234 Width in pixels of the internal border.
235
236 @item @code{lineSpacing} (class @code{LineSpacing})
237 @cindex line spacing
238 @cindex leading
239 Additional space (@dfn{leading}) between lines, in pixels.
240
241 @item @code{menuBar} (class @code{MenuBar})
242 @cindex menu bar
243 Give frames menu bars if @samp{on}; don't have menu bars if @samp{off}.
244 @ifnottex
245 @xref{Lucid Resources}, and @ref{LessTif Resources},
246 @end ifnottex
247 @iftex
248 @xref{Lucid Resources},
249 @end iftex
250 for how to control the appearance of the menu bar if you have one.
251
252 @ifnottex
253 @item @code{minibuffer} (class @code{Minibuffer})
254 If @samp{none}, don't make a minibuffer in this frame.
255 It will use a separate minibuffer frame instead.
256
257 @item @code{paneFont} (class @code{Font})
258 @cindex font for menus
259 Font name for menu pane titles, in non-toolkit versions of Emacs.
260 @end ifnottex
261
262 @item @code{pointerColor} (class @code{Foreground})
263 Color of the mouse cursor.
264
265 @ifnottex
266 @item @code{privateColormap} (class @code{PrivateColormap})
267 If @samp{on}, use a private color map, in the case where the ``default
268 visual'' of class PseudoColor and Emacs is using it.
269
270 @item @code{reverseVideo} (class @code{ReverseVideo})
271 Switch foreground and background default colors if @samp{on}, use colors as
272 specified if @samp{off}.
273 @end ifnottex
274
275 @item @code{screenGamma} (class @code{ScreenGamma})
276 @cindex gamma correction
277 Gamma correction for colors, equivalent to the frame parameter
278 @code{screen-gamma}.
279
280 @item @code{scrollBarWidth} (class @code{ScrollBarWidth})
281 @cindex scrollbar width
282 The scroll bar width in pixels, equivalent to the frame parameter
283 @code{scroll-bar-width}.
284
285 @ifnottex
286 @item @code{selectionFont} (class @code{SelectionFont})
287 Font name for pop-up menu items, in non-toolkit versions of Emacs. (For
288 toolkit versions, see @ref{Lucid Resources}, also see @ref{LessTif
289 Resources}.)
290
291 @item @code{selectionTimeout} (class @code{SelectionTimeout})
292 Number of milliseconds to wait for a selection reply.
293 If the selection owner doesn't reply in this time, we give up.
294 A value of 0 means wait as long as necessary.
295
296 @item @code{synchronous} (class @code{Synchronous})
297 @cindex debugging X problems
298 @cindex synchronous X mode
299 Run Emacs in synchronous mode if @samp{on}. Synchronous mode is
300 useful for debugging X problems.
301 @end ifnottex
302
303 @item @code{title} (class @code{Title})
304 Name to display in the title bar of the initial Emacs frame.
305
306 @item @code{toolBar} (class @code{ToolBar})
307 @cindex tool bar
308 Number of lines to reserve for the tool bar. A zero value suppresses
309 the tool bar. For the Emacs tool bar (i.e.@: not Gtk+), if the value
310 is non-zero and @code{auto-resize-tool-bars} is non-@code{nil}, the
311 tool bar's size will be changed automatically so that all tool bar
312 items are visible. If the value of @code{auto-resize-tool-bars} is
313 @code{grow-only}, the tool bar expands automatically, but does not
314 contract automatically. To contract the tool bar, you must redraw the
315 frame by entering @kbd{C-l}. For the Gtk+ tool bar, any non-zero
316 value means on and @code{auto-resize-tool-bars} has no effect.
317
318 @item @code{useXIM} (class @code{UseXIM})
319 @cindex XIM
320 @cindex X input methods
321 @cindex input methods, X
322 Turn off use of X input methods (XIM) if @samp{false} or @samp{off}.
323 This is only relevant if your Emacs is actually built with XIM
324 support. It is potentially useful to turn off XIM for efficiency,
325 especially slow X client/server links.
326
327 @item @code{verticalScrollBars} (class @code{ScrollBars})
328 Give frames scroll bars if @samp{on}; don't have scroll bars if
329 @samp{off}.
330
331 @ifnottex
332 @item @code{visualClass} (class @code{VisualClass})
333 Specify the ``visual'' that X should use. This tells X how to handle
334 colors.
335
336 The value should start with one of @samp{TrueColor},
337 @samp{PseudoColor}, @samp{DirectColor}, @samp{StaticColor},
338 @samp{GrayScale}, and @samp{StaticGray}, followed by
339 @samp{-@var{depth}}, where @var{depth} is the number of color planes.
340 Most terminals only allow a few ``visuals,'' and the @samp{dpyinfo}
341 program outputs information saying which ones.
342 @end ifnottex
343 @end table
344
345 @node Face Resources
346 @appendixsec X Resources for Faces
347
348 You can use resources to customize the appearance of particular
349 faces (@pxref{Faces}):
350
351 @table @code
352 @item @var{face}.attributeForeground
353 Foreground color for face @var{face}.
354 @item @var{face}.attributeBackground
355 Background color for face @var{face}.
356 @item @var{face}.attributeUnderline
357 Underline flag for face @var{face}. Use @samp{on} or @samp{true} for
358 yes.
359 @item @var{face}.attributeStrikeThrough
360 @itemx @var{face}.attributeOverline
361 @itemx @var{face}.attributeBox
362 @itemx @var{face}.attributeInverse
363 Likewise, for other boolean font attributes.
364 @item @var{face}.attributeStipple
365 The name of a pixmap data file to use for the stipple pattern, or
366 @code{false} to not use stipple for the face @var{face}.
367 @item @var{face}.attributeBackgroundPixmap
368 The background pixmap for the face @var{face}. Should be a name of a
369 pixmap file or @code{false}.
370 @item @var{face}.attributeFont
371 Font name (full XFD name or valid X abbreviation) for face @var{face}.
372 Instead of this, you can specify the font through separate attributes.
373 @end table
374
375 Instead of using @code{attributeFont} to specify a font name, you can
376 select a font through these separate attributes:
377
378 @table @code
379 @item @var{face}.attributeFamily
380 Font family for face @var{face}.
381 @item @var{face}.attributeHeight
382 Height of the font to use for face @var{face}: either an integer
383 specifying the height in units of 1/10@dmn{pt}, or a floating point
384 number that specifies a scale factor to scale the underlying face's
385 default font, or a function to be called with the default height which
386 will return a new height.
387 @item @var{face}.attributeWidth
388 @itemx @var{face}.attributeWeight
389 @itemx @var{face}.attributeSlant
390 Each of these resources corresponds to a like-named font attribute,
391 and you write the resource value the same as the symbol you would use
392 for the font attribute value.
393 @item @var{face}.attributeBold
394 Bold flag for face @var{face}---instead of @code{attributeWeight}. Use @samp{on} or @samp{true} for
395 yes.
396 @item @var{face}.attributeItalic
397 Italic flag for face @var{face}---instead of @code{attributeSlant}.
398 @end table
399
400 @node Lucid Resources
401 @appendixsec Lucid Menu And Dialog X Resources
402 @cindex Menu X Resources (Lucid widgets)
403 @cindex Dialog X Resources (Lucid widgets)
404 @cindex Lucid Widget X Resources
405
406 @ifnottex
407 If the Emacs installed at your site was built to use the X toolkit
408 with the Lucid menu widgets, then the menu bar is a separate widget and
409 has its own resources. The resource names contain @samp{pane.menubar}
410 (following, as always, the name of the Emacs invocation, or @samp{Emacs},
411 which stands for all Emacs invocations). Specify them like this:
412
413 @example
414 Emacs.pane.menubar.@var{resource}: @var{value}
415 @end example
416
417 @noindent
418 For example, to specify the font @samp{Courier-12} for the menu-bar items,
419 write this:
420 @end ifnottex
421 @iftex
422 If the Emacs installed at your site was built to use the X toolkit
423 with the Lucid menu widgets, then the menu bar is a separate widget
424 and has its own resources. The resource specifications start with
425 @samp{Emacs.pane.menubar}---for instance, to specify the font
426 @samp{Courier-12} for the menu-bar items, write this:
427 @end iftex
428
429 @example
430 Emacs.pane.menubar.font: Courier-12
431 @end example
432
433 @noindent
434 To specify a font, use fontconfig font names as values to the @code{font}
435 resource, or old style names:
436
437 @example
438 Emacs.pane.menubar.font: lucidasanstypewriter-10
439 @end example
440
441 @noindent
442 Emacs first tries to open the font as an old style font, and if that fails
443 as an fontconfig font. In rare cases, Emacs might do the wrong thing.
444
445 @noindent
446 The Lucid menus can display multilingual text in your locale with old style
447 fonts. For more information about fontsets see the man page for
448 @code{XCreateFontSet}. To enable multilingual menu text you specify a
449 @code{fontSet} resource instead of the font resource. If both
450 @code{font} and @code{fontSet} resources are specified, the
451 @code{fontSet} resource is used.
452
453 @noindent
454 Resources for @emph{non-menubar} toolkit pop-up menus have
455 @samp{menu*} instead of @samp{pane.menubar}. For example, to specify
456 the font @samp{8x16} for the pop-up menu items, write this:
457
458 @example
459 Emacs.menu*.font: 8x16
460 @end example
461
462 @noindent
463 For dialog boxes, use @samp{dialog*}:
464
465 @example
466 Emacs.dialog*.font: Sans-12
467 @end example
468
469 Here is a list of the specific resources for menu bars and pop-up menus:
470
471 @table @code
472 @item font
473 Font for menu item text.
474 @item fontSet
475 Fontset for menu item text.
476 @item foreground
477 Color of the foreground.
478 @item background
479 Color of the background.
480 @item buttonForeground
481 In the menu bar, the color of the foreground for a selected item.
482 @ifnottex
483 @item horizontalSpacing
484 Horizontal spacing in pixels between items. Default is 3.
485 @item verticalSpacing
486 Vertical spacing in pixels between items. Default is 2.
487 @item arrowSpacing
488 Horizontal spacing between the arrow (which indicates a submenu) and
489 the associated text. Default is 10.
490 @item shadowThickness
491 Thickness of shadow line around the widget. Default is 1.
492
493 Also determines the thickness of shadow lines around other objects,
494 for instance 3D buttons and arrows. If you have the impression that
495 the arrows in the menus do not stand out clearly enough or that the
496 difference between ``in'' and ``out'' buttons is difficult to see, set
497 this to 2. If you have no problems with visibility, the default
498 probably looks better. The background color may also have some effect
499 on the contrast.
500 @end ifnottex
501 @item margin
502 The margin of the menu bar, in characters. Default is 1.
503 @end table
504
505 @ifnottex
506 @node LessTif Resources
507 @appendixsec LessTif Menu X Resources
508 @cindex Menu X Resources (LessTif widgets)
509 @cindex LessTif Widget X Resources
510
511 If the Emacs installed at your site was built to use the X toolkit
512 with the LessTif or Motif widgets, then the menu bar, the dialog
513 boxes, the pop-up menus, and the file-selection box are separate
514 widgets and have their own resources.
515
516 The resource names for the menu bar contain @samp{pane.menubar}
517 (following, as always, the name of the Emacs invocation, or
518 @samp{Emacs}, which stands for all Emacs invocations). Specify them
519 like this:
520
521 @smallexample
522 Emacs.pane.menubar.@var{subwidget}.@var{resource}: @var{value}
523 @end smallexample
524
525 Each individual string in the menu bar is a subwidget; the subwidget's
526 name is the same as the menu item string. For example, the word
527 @samp{File} in the menu bar is part of a subwidget named
528 @samp{emacs.pane.menubar.File}. Most likely, you want to specify the
529 same resources for the whole menu bar. To do this, use @samp{*} instead
530 of a specific subwidget name. For example, to specify the font
531 @samp{8x16} for the menu-bar items, write this:
532
533 @smallexample
534 Emacs.pane.menubar.*.fontList: 8x16
535 @end smallexample
536
537 @noindent
538 This also specifies the resource value for submenus.
539
540 Each item in a submenu in the menu bar also has its own name for X
541 resources; for example, the @samp{File} submenu has an item named
542 @samp{Save (current buffer)}. A resource specification for a submenu
543 item looks like this:
544
545 @smallexample
546 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.@var{menu}.@var{item}.@var{resource}: @var{value}
547 @end smallexample
548
549 @noindent
550 For example, here's how to specify the font for the @samp{Save (current
551 buffer)} item:
552
553 @smallexample
554 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.File.Save (current buffer).fontList: 8x16
555 @end smallexample
556
557 @noindent
558 For an item in a second-level submenu, such as @samp{Complete Word}
559 under @samp{Spell Checking} under @samp{Tools}, the resource fits this
560 template:
561
562 @smallexample
563 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.popup_*.@var{menu}.@var{resource}: @var{value}
564 @end smallexample
565
566 @noindent
567 For example,
568
569 @smallexample
570 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.popup_*.Spell Checking.Complete Word: @var{value}
571 @end smallexample
572
573 @noindent
574 (This should be one long line.)
575
576 It's impossible to specify a resource for all the menu-bar items
577 without also specifying it for the submenus as well. So if you want the
578 submenu items to look different from the menu bar itself, you must ask
579 for that in two steps. First, specify the resource for all of them;
580 then, override the value for submenus alone. Here is an example:
581
582 @smallexample
583 Emacs.pane.menubar.*.fontList: 8x16
584 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.fontList: 8x16
585 @end smallexample
586
587 @noindent
588 For LessTif pop-up menus, use @samp{menu*} instead of
589 @samp{pane.menubar}. For example, to specify the font @samp{8x16} for
590 the pop-up menu items, write this:
591
592 @smallexample
593 Emacs.menu*.fontList: 8x16
594 @end smallexample
595
596 @noindent
597 For LessTif dialog boxes, use @samp{dialog} instead of @samp{menu}:
598
599 @example
600 Emacs.dialog*.fontList: 8x16
601 Emacs.dialog*.foreground: hotpink
602 @end example
603
604 To specify resources for the LessTif file-selection box, use
605 @samp{fsb*}, like this:
606
607 @example
608 Emacs.fsb*.fontList: 8x16
609 @end example
610
611 @iftex
612 @medbreak
613 @end iftex
614 Here is a list of the specific resources for LessTif menu bars and
615 pop-up menus:
616
617 @table @code
618 @item armColor
619 The color to show in an armed button.
620 @item fontList
621 The font to use.
622 @item marginBottom
623 @itemx marginHeight
624 @itemx marginLeft
625 @itemx marginRight
626 @itemx marginTop
627 @itemx marginWidth
628 Amount of space to leave around the item, within the border.
629 @item borderWidth
630 The width of the border around the menu item, on all sides.
631 @item shadowThickness
632 The width of the border shadow.
633 @item bottomShadowColor
634 The color for the border shadow, on the bottom and the right.
635 @item topShadowColor
636 The color for the border shadow, on the top and the left.
637 @end table
638 @end ifnottex
639
640
641 @node GTK resources
642 @appendixsec GTK resources
643 @iftex
644 The most common way to customize the GTK widgets Emacs uses (menus,
645 dialogs tool bars and scroll bars) is by choosing an appropriate
646 theme, for example with the GNOME theme selector.
647
648 You can also do Emacs specific customization by inserting GTK style
649 directives in the file @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}, but only if you have a
650 Gtk+ version earlier than 3 (i.e.@: 2). Some GTK themes ignore
651 customizations in @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc} so not everything works with
652 all themes. To customize Emacs font, background, faces, etc., use the
653 normal X resources (@pxref{Resources}). We will present some examples
654 of customizations here, but for a more detailed description, see the
655 online manual
656
657 The first example is just one line. It changes the font on all GTK widgets
658 to courier with size 12:
659
660 @smallexample
661 gtk-font-name = "courier 12"
662 @end smallexample
663
664 The thing to note is that the font name is not an X font name, but a
665 Pango font name. A Pango font name is basically of the format "family
666 style size", where the style is optional as in the case above. A name
667 with a style could be for example:
668
669 @smallexample
670 gtk-font-name = "helvetica bold 10"
671 @end smallexample
672
673 To customize widgets you first define a style and then apply the style to
674 the widgets. Here is an example that sets the font for menus, but not
675 for other widgets:
676
677 @smallexample
678 # @r{Define the style @samp{menufont}.}
679 style "menufont"
680 @{
681 font_name = "helvetica bold 14" # This is a Pango font name
682 @}
683
684 # @r{Specify that widget type @samp{*emacs-menuitem*} uses @samp{menufont}.}
685 widget "*emacs-menuitem*" style "menufont"
686 @end smallexample
687
688 The widget name in this example contains wildcards, so the style will be
689 applied to all widgets that match "*emacs-menuitem*". The widgets are
690 named by the way they are contained, from the outer widget to the inner widget.
691 So to apply the style "my_style" (not shown) with the full, absolute name, for
692 the menubar and the scroll bar in Emacs we use:
693
694 @smallexample
695 widget "Emacs.pane.menubar" style "my_style"
696 widget "Emacs.pane.emacs.verticalScrollBar" style "my_style"
697 @end smallexample
698
699 But to avoid having to type it all, wildcards are often used. @samp{*}
700 matches zero or more characters and @samp{?} matches one character. So "*"
701 matches all widgets.
702
703 Each widget has a class (for example GtkMenuItem) and a name (emacs-menuitem).
704 You can assign styles by name or by class. In this example we have used the
705 class:
706
707 @smallexample
708 style "menufont"
709 @{
710 font_name = "helvetica bold 14"
711 @}
712
713 widget_class "*GtkMenuBar" style "menufont"
714 @end smallexample
715
716 @noindent
717 The names and classes for the GTK widgets Emacs uses are:
718
719 @multitable {@code{verticalScrollbar plus}} {@code{GtkFileSelection} and some}
720 @item @code{emacs-filedialog}
721 @tab @code{GtkFileSelection}
722 @item @code{emacs-dialog}
723 @tab @code{GtkDialog}
724 @item @code{Emacs}
725 @tab @code{GtkWindow}
726 @item @code{pane}
727 @tab @code{GtkVHbox}
728 @item @code{emacs}
729 @tab @code{GtkFixed}
730 @item @code{verticalScrollBar}
731 @tab @code{GtkVScrollbar}
732 @item @code{emacs-toolbar}
733 @tab @code{GtkToolbar}
734 @item @code{menubar}
735 @tab @code{GtkMenuBar}
736 @item @code{emacs-menuitem}
737 @tab anything in menus
738 @end multitable
739
740 GTK absolute names are quite strange when it comes to menus
741 and dialogs. The names do not start with @samp{Emacs}, as they are
742 free-standing windows and not contained (in the GTK sense) by the
743 Emacs GtkWindow. To customize the dialogs and menus, use wildcards like this:
744
745 @smallexample
746 widget "*emacs-dialog*" style "my_dialog_style"
747 widget "*emacs-filedialog* style "my_file_style"
748 widget "*emacs-menuitem* style "my_menu_style"
749 @end smallexample
750
751 If you specify a customization in @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}, then it
752 automatically applies only to Emacs, since other programs don't read
753 that file. For example, the drop down menu in the file dialog can not
754 be customized by any absolute widget name, only by an absolute class
755 name. This is because the widgets in the drop down menu do not
756 have names and the menu is not contained in the Emacs GtkWindow. To
757 have all menus in Emacs look the same, use this in
758 @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}:
759
760 @smallexample
761 widget_class "*Menu*" style "my_menu_style"
762 @end smallexample
763
764 Here is a more elaborate example, showing how to change the parts of
765 the scroll bar:
766
767 @smallexample
768 style "scroll"
769 @{
770 fg[NORMAL] = "red"@ @ @ @ @ # @r{The arrow color.}
771 bg[NORMAL] = "yellow"@ @ # @r{The thumb and background around the arrow.}
772 bg[ACTIVE] = "blue"@ @ @ @ # @r{The trough color.}
773 bg[PRELIGHT] = "white"@ # @r{The thumb color when the mouse is over it.}
774 @}
775
776 widget "*verticalScrollBar*" style "scroll"
777 @end smallexample
778 @end iftex
779
780 @ifnottex
781 @cindex GTK resources and customization
782 @cindex resource files for GTK
783 @cindex @file{~/.gtkrc-2.0} file
784 @cindex @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc} file
785
786 If Emacs was built to use the GTK widget set, then the menu bar, tool bar,
787 scroll bar and the dialogs are customized with the standard GTK
788 customization file, @file{~/.gtkrc-2.0}, or with the Emacs specific
789 file @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}. We recommend that you use
790 @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc} for customizations, since @file{~/.gtkrc-2.0}
791 seems to be ignored when running GConf with GNOME. These files apply
792 only to GTK widget features. To customize Emacs font, background,
793 faces, etc., use the normal X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
794
795 Some GTK themes override these mechanisms, which means that using
796 these mechanisms will not work to customize them.
797
798 In these files you first define a style and say what it means; then
799 you specify to apply the style to various widget types (@pxref{GTK
800 widget names}). Here is an example of how to change the font for
801 Emacs menus:
802
803 @smallexample
804 # @r{Define the style @samp{menufont}.}
805 style "menufont"
806 @{
807 font_name = "helvetica bold 14" # This is a Pango font name
808 @}
809
810 # @r{Specify that widget type @samp{*emacs-menuitem*} uses @samp{menufont}.}
811 widget "*emacs-menuitem*" style "menufont"
812 @end smallexample
813
814 Here is a more elaborate example, showing how to change the parts of
815 the scroll bar:
816
817 @smallexample
818 style "scroll"
819 @{
820 fg[NORMAL] = "red"@ @ @ @ @ # @r{The arrow color.}
821 bg[NORMAL] = "yellow"@ @ # @r{The thumb and background around the arrow.}
822 bg[ACTIVE] = "blue"@ @ @ @ # @r{The trough color.}
823 bg[PRELIGHT] = "white"@ # @r{The thumb color when the mouse is over it.}
824 @}
825
826 widget "*verticalScrollBar*" style "scroll"
827 @end smallexample
828
829 There are also parameters that affect GTK as a whole. For example,
830 the property @code{gtk-font-name} sets the default font for GTK. You
831 must use Pango font names (@pxref{GTK styles}). A GTK resources file
832 that just sets a default font looks like this:
833
834 @smallexample
835 gtk-font-name = "courier 12"
836 @end smallexample
837
838 The GTK resources file is fully described in the GTK API document.
839 This can be found in
840 @file{@var{prefix}/share/gtk-doc/html/gtk/gtk-resource-files.html},
841 where @file{prefix} is the directory in which the GTK libraries were
842 installed (usually @file{/usr} or @file{/usr/local}). You can also
843 find the document online, at
844 @uref{http://developer.gnome.org/doc/API/2.0/gtk/gtk-Resource-Files.html}.
845
846 @menu
847 * GTK widget names:: How widgets in GTK are named in general.
848 * GTK Names in Emacs:: GTK widget names in Emacs.
849 * GTK styles:: What can be customized in a GTK widget.
850 @end menu
851
852 @node GTK widget names
853 @appendixsubsec GTK widget names
854 @cindex GTK widget names
855
856 A GTK widget is specified by its @dfn{widget class} and
857 @dfn{widget name}. The widget class is the type of the widget: for
858 example, @code{GtkMenuBar}. The widget name is the name given to a
859 specific widget. A widget always has a class, but need not have a
860 name.
861
862 @dfn{Absolute names} are sequences of widget names or widget
863 classes, corresponding to hierarchies of widgets embedded within
864 other widgets. For example, if a @code{GtkWindow} named @code{top}
865 contains a @code{GtkVBox} named @code{box}, which in turn contains
866 a @code{GtkMenuBar} called @code{menubar}, the absolute class name
867 of the menu-bar widget is @code{GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar}, and
868 its absolute widget name is @code{top.box.menubar}.
869
870 When assigning a style to a widget, you can use the absolute class
871 name or the absolute widget name.
872
873 There are two commands to specify changes for widgets:
874
875 @table @asis
876 @item @code{widget_class}
877 specifies a style for widgets based on the absolute class name.
878
879 @item @code{widget}
880 specifies a style for widgets based on the absolute class name,
881 or just the class.
882 @end table
883
884 @noindent
885 You must specify the class and the style in double-quotes, and put
886 these commands at the top level in the GTK customization file, like
887 this:
888
889 @smallexample
890 style "menufont"
891 @{
892 font_name = "helvetica bold 14"
893 @}
894
895 widget "top.box.menubar" style "menufont"
896 widget_class "GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar" style "menufont"
897 @end smallexample
898
899 Matching of absolute names uses shell wildcard syntax: @samp{*}
900 matches zero or more characters and @samp{?} matches one character.
901 This example assigns @code{base_style} to all widgets:
902
903 @smallexample
904 widget "*" style "base_style"
905 @end smallexample
906
907 Given the absolute class name @code{GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar}
908 and the corresponding absolute widget name @code{top.box.menubar}, all
909 these examples specify @code{my_style} for the menu bar:
910
911 @smallexample
912 widget_class "GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar" style "my_style"
913 widget_class "GtkWindow.*.GtkMenuBar" style "my_style"
914 widget_class "*GtkMenuBar" style "my_style"
915 widget "top.box.menubar" style "my_style"
916 widget "*box*menubar" style "my_style"
917 widget "*menubar" style "my_style"
918 widget "*menu*" style "my_style"
919 @end smallexample
920
921 @node GTK Names in Emacs
922 @appendixsubsec GTK Widget Names in Emacs
923 @cindex GTK widget names
924 @cindex GTK widget classes
925
926 In Emacs, the top level widget for a frame is a @code{GtkWindow}
927 that contains a @code{GtkVBox}. The @code{GtkVBox} contains the
928 @code{GtkMenuBar} and a @code{GtkFixed} widget. The vertical scroll
929 bars, @code{GtkVScrollbar}, are contained in the @code{GtkFixed}
930 widget. The text you write in Emacs is drawn in the @code{GtkFixed}
931 widget.
932
933 Dialogs in Emacs are @code{GtkDialog} widgets. The file dialog is a
934 @code{GtkFileSelection} widget.
935
936 @noindent
937 To set a style for the menu bar using the absolute class name, use:
938
939 @smallexample
940 widget_class "GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar" style "my_style"
941 @end smallexample
942
943 @noindent
944 For the scroll bar, the absolute class name is:
945
946 @smallexample
947 widget_class
948 "GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkFixed.GtkVScrollbar"
949 style "my_style"
950 @end smallexample
951
952 @noindent
953 The names for the emacs widgets, and their classes, are:
954
955 @multitable {@code{verticalScrollbar plus}} {@code{GtkFileSelection} and some}
956 @item @code{emacs-filedialog}
957 @tab @code{GtkFileSelection}
958 @item @code{emacs-dialog}
959 @tab @code{GtkDialog}
960 @item @code{Emacs}
961 @tab @code{GtkWindow}
962 @item @code{pane}
963 @tab @code{GtkVHbox}
964 @item @code{emacs}
965 @tab @code{GtkFixed}
966 @item @code{verticalScrollBar}
967 @tab @code{GtkVScrollbar}
968 @item @code{emacs-toolbar}
969 @tab @code{GtkToolbar}
970 @item @code{menubar}
971 @tab @code{GtkMenuBar}
972 @item @code{emacs-menuitem}
973 @tab anything in menus
974 @end multitable
975
976 @noindent
977 Thus, for Emacs you can write the two examples above as:
978
979 @smallexample
980 widget "Emacs.pane.menubar" style "my_style"
981 widget "Emacs.pane.emacs.verticalScrollBar" style "my_style"
982 @end smallexample
983
984 GTK absolute names are quite strange when it comes to menus
985 and dialogs. The names do not start with @samp{Emacs}, as they are
986 free-standing windows and not contained (in the GTK sense) by the
987 Emacs GtkWindow. To customize the dialogs and menus, use wildcards like this:
988
989 @smallexample
990 widget "*emacs-dialog*" style "my_dialog_style"
991 widget "*emacs-filedialog* style "my_file_style"
992 widget "*emacs-menuitem* style "my_menu_style"
993 @end smallexample
994
995 If you specify a customization in @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}, then it
996 automatically applies only to Emacs, since other programs don't read
997 that file. For example, the drop down menu in the file dialog can not
998 be customized by any absolute widget name, only by an absolute class
999 name. This is because the widgets in the drop down menu do not
1000 have names and the menu is not contained in the Emacs GtkWindow. To
1001 have all menus in Emacs look the same, use this in
1002 @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}:
1003
1004 @smallexample
1005 widget_class "*Menu*" style "my_menu_style"
1006 @end smallexample
1007
1008 @node GTK styles
1009 @appendixsubsec GTK styles
1010 @cindex GTK styles
1011
1012 In a GTK style you specify the appearance widgets shall have. You
1013 can specify foreground and background color, background pixmap and
1014 font. The edit widget (where you edit the text) in Emacs is a GTK
1015 widget, but trying to specify a style for the edit widget will have no
1016 effect. This is so that Emacs compiled for GTK is compatible with
1017 Emacs compiled for other X toolkits. The settings for foreground,
1018 background and font for the edit widget is taken from the X resources;
1019 @pxref{Resources}. Here is an example of two style declarations,
1020 @samp{default} and @samp{ruler}:
1021
1022 @smallexample
1023 pixmap_path "/usr/share/pixmaps:/usr/include/X11/pixmaps"
1024
1025 style "default"
1026 @{
1027 font_name = "helvetica 12"
1028
1029 bg[NORMAL] = @{ 0.83, 0.80, 0.73 @}
1030 bg[SELECTED] = @{ 0.0, 0.55, 0.55 @}
1031 bg[INSENSITIVE] = @{ 0.77, 0.77, 0.66 @}
1032 bg[ACTIVE] = @{ 0.0, 0.55, 0.55 @}
1033 bg[PRELIGHT] = @{ 0.0, 0.55, 0.55 @}
1034
1035 fg[NORMAL] = "black"
1036 fg[SELECTED] = @{ 0.9, 0.9, 0.9 @}
1037 fg[ACTIVE] = "black"
1038 fg[PRELIGHT] = @{ 0.9, 0.9, 0.9 @}
1039
1040 base[INSENSITIVE] = "#777766"
1041 text[INSENSITIVE] = @{ 0.60, 0.65, 0.57 @}
1042
1043 bg_pixmap[NORMAL] = "background.xpm"
1044 bg_pixmap[INSENSITIVE] = "background.xpm"
1045 bg_pixmap[ACTIVE] = "background.xpm"
1046 bg_pixmap[PRELIGHT] = "<none>"
1047
1048 @}
1049
1050 style "ruler" = "default"
1051 @{
1052 font_name = "helvetica 8"
1053 @}
1054
1055 @end smallexample
1056
1057 The style @samp{ruler} inherits from @samp{default}. This way you can build
1058 on existing styles. The syntax for fonts and colors is described below.
1059
1060 As this example shows, it is possible to specify several values for
1061 foreground and background depending on the widget's @dfn{state}. The
1062 possible states are:
1063
1064 @table @code
1065 @item NORMAL
1066 This is the default state for widgets.
1067 @item ACTIVE
1068 This is the state for a widget that is ready to do something. It is
1069 also for the trough of a scroll bar, i.e.@: @code{bg[ACTIVE] = "red"}
1070 sets the scroll bar trough to red. Buttons that have been pressed but
1071 not released yet (``armed'') are in this state.
1072 @item PRELIGHT
1073 This is the state for a widget that can be manipulated, when the mouse
1074 pointer is over it---for example when the mouse is over the thumb in
1075 the scroll bar or over a menu item. When the mouse is over a button
1076 that is not pressed, the button is in this state.
1077 @item SELECTED
1078 This is the state for data that has been selected by the user. It can
1079 be selected text or items selected in a list. This state is not used
1080 in Emacs.
1081 @item INSENSITIVE
1082 This is the state for widgets that are visible, but they can not be
1083 manipulated in the usual way---for example, buttons that can't be
1084 pressed, and disabled menu items. To display disabled menu items in
1085 yellow, use @code{fg[INSENSITIVE] = "yellow"}.
1086 @end table
1087
1088 Here are the things that can go in a style declaration:
1089
1090 @table @code
1091 @item bg[@var{state}] = @var{color}
1092 This specifies the background color for the widget. Note that
1093 editable text doesn't use @code{bg}; it uses @code{base} instead.
1094
1095 @item base[@var{state}] = @var{color}
1096 This specifies the background color for editable text. In Emacs, this
1097 color is used for the background of the text fields in the file
1098 dialog.
1099
1100 @item bg_pixmap[@var{state}] = "@var{pixmap}"
1101 This specifies an image background (instead of a background color).
1102 @var{pixmap} should be the image file name. GTK can use a number of
1103 image file formats, including XPM, XBM, GIF, JPEG and PNG. If you
1104 want a widget to use the same image as its parent, use
1105 @samp{<parent>}. If you don't want any image, use @samp{<none>}.
1106 @samp{<none>} is the way to cancel a background image inherited from a
1107 parent style.
1108
1109 You can't specify the file by its absolute file name. GTK looks for
1110 the pixmap file in directories specified in @code{pixmap_path}.
1111 @code{pixmap_path} is a colon-separated list of directories within
1112 double quotes, specified at the top level in a @file{gtkrc} file
1113 (i.e.@: not inside a style definition; see example above):
1114
1115 @smallexample
1116 pixmap_path "/usr/share/pixmaps:/usr/include/X11/pixmaps"
1117 @end smallexample
1118
1119 @item fg[@var{state}] = @var{color}
1120 This specifies the foreground color for widgets to use. It is the
1121 color of text in menus and buttons, and the color for the arrows in
1122 the scroll bar. For editable text, use @code{text}.
1123
1124 @item text[@var{state}] = @var{color}
1125 This is the color for editable text. In Emacs, this color is used for the
1126 text fields in the file dialog.
1127
1128 @item font_name = "@var{font}"
1129 This specifies the font for text in the widget. @var{font} is a
1130 Pango font name, for example @samp{Sans Italic 10}, @samp{Helvetica
1131 Bold 12}, @samp{Courier 14}, @samp{Times 18}. See below for exact
1132 syntax. The names are case insensitive.
1133 @end table
1134
1135 There are three ways to specify a color: a color name, an RGB
1136 triplet, or a GTK-style RGB triplet. @xref{Colors}, for a description
1137 of color names and RGB triplets. Color names should be enclosed with
1138 double quotes, e.g.@: @samp{"red"}. RGB triplets should be written
1139 without double quotes, e.g.@: @samp{#ff0000}. GTK-style RGB triplets
1140 have the form
1141
1142 @smallexample
1143 @code{@{ @var{r}, @var{g}, @var{b} @}}
1144 @end smallexample
1145
1146 @noindent
1147 where @var{r}, @var{g} and @var{b} are either integers in the range
1148 0-65535 or floats in the range 0.0-1.0.
1149
1150 Pango font names have the form ``@var{family-list} @var{style-options}
1151 @var{size}.''
1152 @cindex Pango font name
1153 @noindent
1154 @var{family-list} is a comma separated list of font families optionally
1155 terminated by a comma. This way you can specify several families and the
1156 first one found will be used. @var{family} corresponds to the second part in
1157 an X font name, for example in
1158
1159 @smallexample
1160 -adobe-times-medium-r-normal--12-120-75-75-p-64-iso10646-1
1161 @end smallexample
1162
1163 @noindent
1164 the family name is @samp{times}.
1165
1166 @noindent
1167 @var{style-options} is a whitespace separated list of words where each word
1168 is a style, variant, weight, or stretch. The default value for all of
1169 these is @code{normal}.
1170
1171 @noindent
1172 A `style' corresponds to the fourth part of an X font name. In X font
1173 names it is the character @samp{r}, @samp{i} or @samp{o}; in Pango
1174 font names the corresponding values are @code{normal}, @code{italic},
1175 or @code{oblique}.
1176
1177 @noindent
1178 A `variant' is either @code{normal} or @code{small-caps}.
1179 Small caps is a font with the lower case characters replaced by
1180 smaller variants of the capital characters.
1181
1182 @noindent
1183 Weight describes the ``boldness'' of a font. It corresponds to the third
1184 part of an X font name. It is one of @code{ultra-light}, @code{light},
1185 @code{normal}, @code{bold}, @code{ultra-bold}, or @code{heavy}.
1186
1187 @noindent
1188 Stretch gives the width of the font relative to other designs within a
1189 family. It corresponds to the fifth part of an X font name. It is one of
1190 @code{ultra-condensed}, @code{extra-condensed}, @code{condensed},
1191 @code{semi-condensed}, @code{normal}, @code{semi-expanded},
1192 @code{expanded}, @code{extra-expanded}, or @code{ultra-expanded}.
1193
1194 @noindent
1195 @var{size} is a decimal number that describes the font size in points.
1196 @end ifnottex