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1 @c -*-texinfo-*-
2 @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
3 @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001,
4 @c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
5 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
6 @setfilename ../../info/frames
7 @node Frames, Positions, Windows, Top
8 @chapter Frames
9 @cindex frame
10
11 In Emacs editing, A @dfn{frame} is a screen object that contains one
12 or more Emacs windows. It's the kind of object that is called a
13 ``window'' in the terminology of graphical environments; but we can't
14 call it a ``window'' here, because Emacs uses that word in a different
15 way.
16
17 A frame initially contains a single main window and/or a minibuffer
18 window; you can subdivide the main window vertically or horizontally
19 into smaller windows. In Emacs Lisp, a @dfn{frame object} is a Lisp
20 object that represents a frame on the screen.
21
22 @cindex terminal frame
23 When Emacs runs on a text-only terminal, it starts with one
24 @dfn{terminal frame}. If you create additional ones, Emacs displays
25 one and only one at any given time---on the terminal screen, of course.
26
27 @cindex window frame
28 When Emacs communicates directly with a supported window system, such
29 as X, it does not have a terminal frame; instead, it starts with
30 a single @dfn{window frame}, but you can create more, and Emacs can
31 display several such frames at once as is usual for window systems.
32
33 @defun framep object
34 This predicate returns a non-@code{nil} value if @var{object} is a
35 frame, and @code{nil} otherwise. For a frame, the value indicates which
36 kind of display the frame uses:
37
38 @table @code
39 @item x
40 The frame is displayed in an X window.
41 @item t
42 A terminal frame on a character display.
43 @item mac
44 The frame is displayed on a Macintosh.
45 @item w32
46 The frame is displayed on MS-Windows 9X/NT.
47 @item pc
48 The frame is displayed on an MS-DOS terminal.
49 @end table
50 @end defun
51
52 @menu
53 * Creating Frames:: Creating additional frames.
54 * Multiple Displays:: Creating frames on other displays.
55 * Frame Parameters:: Controlling frame size, position, font, etc.
56 * Frame Titles:: Automatic updating of frame titles.
57 * Deleting Frames:: Frames last until explicitly deleted.
58 * Finding All Frames:: How to examine all existing frames.
59 * Frames and Windows:: A frame contains windows;
60 display of text always works through windows.
61 * Minibuffers and Frames:: How a frame finds the minibuffer to use.
62 * Input Focus:: Specifying the selected frame.
63 * Visibility of Frames:: Frames may be visible or invisible, or icons.
64 * Raising and Lowering:: Raising a frame makes it hide other windows;
65 lowering it makes the others hide it.
66 * Frame Configurations:: Saving the state of all frames.
67 * Mouse Tracking:: Getting events that say when the mouse moves.
68 * Mouse Position:: Asking where the mouse is, or moving it.
69 * Pop-Up Menus:: Displaying a menu for the user to select from.
70 * Dialog Boxes:: Displaying a box to ask yes or no.
71 * Pointer Shape:: Specifying the shape of the mouse pointer.
72 * Window System Selections:: Transferring text to and from other X clients.
73 * Drag and Drop:: Internals of Drag-and-Drop implementation.
74 * Color Names:: Getting the definitions of color names.
75 * Text Terminal Colors:: Defining colors for text-only terminals.
76 * Resources:: Getting resource values from the server.
77 * Display Feature Testing:: Determining the features of a terminal.
78 @end menu
79
80 @xref{Display}, for information about the related topic of
81 controlling Emacs redisplay.
82
83 @node Creating Frames
84 @section Creating Frames
85
86 To create a new frame, call the function @code{make-frame}.
87
88 @defun make-frame &optional alist
89 This function creates and returns a new frame, displaying the current
90 buffer. If you are using a supported window system, it makes a window
91 frame; otherwise, it makes a terminal frame.
92
93 The argument is an alist specifying frame parameters. Any parameters
94 not mentioned in @var{alist} default according to the value of the
95 variable @code{default-frame-alist}; parameters not specified even there
96 default from the standard X resources or whatever is used instead on
97 your system.
98
99 The set of possible parameters depends in principle on what kind of
100 window system Emacs uses to display its frames. @xref{Window Frame
101 Parameters}, for documentation of individual parameters you can specify.
102
103 This function itself does not make the new frame the selected frame.
104 @xref{Input Focus}. The previously selected frame remains selected.
105 However, the window system may select the new frame for its own reasons,
106 for instance if the frame appears under the mouse pointer and your
107 setup is for focus to follow the pointer.
108 @end defun
109
110 @defvar before-make-frame-hook
111 A normal hook run by @code{make-frame} before it actually creates the
112 frame.
113 @end defvar
114
115 @defvar after-make-frame-functions
116 An abnormal hook run by @code{make-frame} after it creates the frame.
117 Each function in @code{after-make-frame-functions} receives one argument, the
118 frame just created.
119 @end defvar
120
121 @node Multiple Displays
122 @section Multiple Displays
123 @cindex multiple X displays
124 @cindex displays, multiple
125
126 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display.
127 Initially, Emacs uses just one display---the one chosen with the
128 @code{DISPLAY} environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option
129 (@pxref{Initial Options,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). To connect to
130 another display, use the command @code{make-frame-on-display} or specify
131 the @code{display} frame parameter when you create the frame.
132
133 Emacs treats each X server as a separate terminal, giving each one its
134 own selected frame and its own minibuffer windows. However, only one of
135 those frames is ``@emph{the} selected frame'' at any given moment, see
136 @ref{Input Focus}.
137
138 A few Lisp variables are @dfn{terminal-local}; that is, they have a
139 separate binding for each terminal. The binding in effect at any time
140 is the one for the terminal that the currently selected frame belongs
141 to. These variables include @code{default-minibuffer-frame},
142 @code{defining-kbd-macro}, @code{last-kbd-macro}, and
143 @code{system-key-alist}. They are always terminal-local, and can never
144 be buffer-local (@pxref{Buffer-Local Variables}) or frame-local.
145
146 A single X server can handle more than one screen. A display name
147 @samp{@var{host}:@var{server}.@var{screen}} has three parts; the last
148 part specifies the screen number for a given server. When you use two
149 screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows by the similarity in their
150 names that they share a single keyboard, and it treats them as a single
151 terminal.
152
153 Note that some graphical terminals can output to more than a one
154 monitor (or other output device) at the same time. On these
155 ``multi-monitor'' setups, a single @var{display} value controls the
156 output to all the physical monitors. In this situation, there is
157 currently no platform-independent way for Emacs to distinguish between
158 the different physical monitors.
159
160 @deffn Command make-frame-on-display display &optional parameters
161 This creates and returns a new frame on display @var{display}, taking
162 the other frame parameters from @var{parameters}. Aside from the
163 @var{display} argument, it is like @code{make-frame} (@pxref{Creating
164 Frames}).
165 @end deffn
166
167 @defun x-display-list
168 This returns a list that indicates which X displays Emacs has a
169 connection to. The elements of the list are strings, and each one is
170 a display name.
171 @end defun
172
173 @defun x-open-connection display &optional xrm-string must-succeed
174 This function opens a connection to the X display @var{display}. It
175 does not create a frame on that display, but it permits you to check
176 that communication can be established with that display.
177
178 The optional argument @var{xrm-string}, if not @code{nil}, is a
179 string of resource names and values, in the same format used in the
180 @file{.Xresources} file. The values you specify override the resource
181 values recorded in the X server itself; they apply to all Emacs frames
182 created on this display. Here's an example of what this string might
183 look like:
184
185 @example
186 "*BorderWidth: 3\n*InternalBorder: 2\n"
187 @end example
188
189 @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
190
191 If @var{must-succeed} is non-@code{nil}, failure to open the connection
192 terminates Emacs. Otherwise, it is an ordinary Lisp error.
193 @end defun
194
195 @defun x-close-connection display
196 This function closes the connection to display @var{display}. Before
197 you can do this, you must first delete all the frames that were open on
198 that display (@pxref{Deleting Frames}).
199 @end defun
200
201 @node Frame Parameters
202 @section Frame Parameters
203 @cindex frame parameters
204
205 A frame has many parameters that control its appearance and behavior.
206 Just what parameters a frame has depends on what display mechanism it
207 uses.
208
209 Frame parameters exist mostly for the sake of window systems. A
210 terminal frame has a few parameters, mostly for compatibility's sake;
211 only the @code{height}, @code{width}, @code{name}, @code{title},
212 @code{menu-bar-lines}, @code{buffer-list} and @code{buffer-predicate}
213 parameters do something special. If the terminal supports colors, the
214 parameters @code{foreground-color}, @code{background-color},
215 @code{background-mode} and @code{display-type} are also meaningful.
216
217 @menu
218 * Parameter Access:: How to change a frame's parameters.
219 * Initial Parameters:: Specifying frame parameters when you make a frame.
220 * Window Frame Parameters:: List of frame parameters for window systems.
221 * Size and Position:: Changing the size and position of a frame.
222 * Geometry:: Parsing geometry specifications.
223 @end menu
224
225 @node Parameter Access
226 @subsection Access to Frame Parameters
227
228 These functions let you read and change the parameter values of a
229 frame.
230
231 @defun frame-parameter frame parameter
232 This function returns the value of the parameter @var{parameter} (a
233 symbol) of @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it returns the
234 selected frame's parameter. If @var{frame} has no setting for
235 @var{parameter}, this function returns @code{nil}.
236 @end defun
237
238 @defun frame-parameters &optional frame
239 The function @code{frame-parameters} returns an alist listing all the
240 parameters of @var{frame} and their values. If @var{frame} is
241 @code{nil} or omitted, this returns the selected frame's parameters
242 @end defun
243
244 @defun modify-frame-parameters frame alist
245 This function alters the parameters of frame @var{frame} based on the
246 elements of @var{alist}. Each element of @var{alist} has the form
247 @code{(@var{parm} . @var{value})}, where @var{parm} is a symbol naming a
248 parameter. If you don't mention a parameter in @var{alist}, its value
249 doesn't change. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the selected
250 frame.
251 @end defun
252
253 @defun modify-all-frames-parameters alist
254 This function alters the frame parameters of all existing frames
255 according to @var{alist}, then modifies @code{default-frame-alist}
256 (and, if necessary, @code{initial-frame-alist}) to apply the same
257 parameter values to frames that will be created henceforth.
258 @end defun
259
260 @node Initial Parameters
261 @subsection Initial Frame Parameters
262
263 You can specify the parameters for the initial startup frame
264 by setting @code{initial-frame-alist} in your init file (@pxref{Init File}).
265
266 @defvar initial-frame-alist
267 This variable's value is an alist of parameter values used when creating
268 the initial window frame. You can set this variable to specify the
269 appearance of the initial frame without altering subsequent frames.
270 Each element has the form:
271
272 @example
273 (@var{parameter} . @var{value})
274 @end example
275
276 Emacs creates the initial frame before it reads your init
277 file. After reading that file, Emacs checks @code{initial-frame-alist},
278 and applies the parameter settings in the altered value to the already
279 created initial frame.
280
281 If these settings affect the frame geometry and appearance, you'll see
282 the frame appear with the wrong ones and then change to the specified
283 ones. If that bothers you, you can specify the same geometry and
284 appearance with X resources; those do take effect before the frame is
285 created. @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
286
287 X resource settings typically apply to all frames. If you want to
288 specify some X resources solely for the sake of the initial frame, and
289 you don't want them to apply to subsequent frames, here's how to achieve
290 this. Specify parameters in @code{default-frame-alist} to override the
291 X resources for subsequent frames; then, to prevent these from affecting
292 the initial frame, specify the same parameters in
293 @code{initial-frame-alist} with values that match the X resources.
294 @end defvar
295
296 If these parameters specify a separate minibuffer-only frame with
297 @code{(minibuffer . nil)}, and you have not created one, Emacs creates
298 one for you.
299
300 @defvar minibuffer-frame-alist
301 This variable's value is an alist of parameter values used when creating
302 an initial minibuffer-only frame---if such a frame is needed, according
303 to the parameters for the main initial frame.
304 @end defvar
305
306 @defvar default-frame-alist
307 This is an alist specifying default values of frame parameters for all
308 Emacs frames---the first frame, and subsequent frames. When using the X
309 Window System, you can get the same results by means of X resources
310 in many cases.
311
312 Setting this variable does not affect existing frames.
313 @end defvar
314
315 See also @code{special-display-frame-alist}. @xref{Definition of
316 special-display-frame-alist}.
317
318 If you use options that specify window appearance when you invoke Emacs,
319 they take effect by adding elements to @code{default-frame-alist}. One
320 exception is @samp{-geometry}, which adds the specified position to
321 @code{initial-frame-alist} instead. @xref{Emacs Invocation,, Command
322 Line Arguments for Emacs Invocation, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
323
324 @node Window Frame Parameters
325 @subsection Window Frame Parameters
326
327 Just what parameters a frame has depends on what display mechanism
328 it uses. This section describes the parameters that have special
329 meanings on some or all kinds of terminals. Of these, @code{name},
330 @code{title}, @code{height}, @code{width}, @code{buffer-list} and
331 @code{buffer-predicate} provide meaningful information in terminal
332 frames, and @code{tty-color-mode} is meaningful @emph{only} in
333 terminal frames.
334
335 @menu
336 * Basic Parameters:: Parameters that are fundamental.
337 * Position Parameters:: The position of the frame on the screen.
338 * Size Parameters:: Frame's size.
339 * Layout Parameters:: Size of parts of the frame, and
340 enabling or disabling some parts.
341 * Buffer Parameters:: Which buffers have been or should be shown.
342 * Management Parameters:: Communicating with the window manager.
343 * Cursor Parameters:: Controlling the cursor appearance.
344 * Color Parameters:: Colors of various parts of the frame.
345 @end menu
346
347 @node Basic Parameters
348 @subsubsection Basic Parameters
349
350 These frame parameters give the most basic information about the
351 frame. @code{title} and @code{name} are meaningful on all terminals.
352
353 @table @code
354 @item display
355 The display on which to open this frame. It should be a string of the
356 form @code{"@var{host}:@var{dpy}.@var{screen}"}, just like the
357 @code{DISPLAY} environment variable.
358
359 @item display-type
360 This parameter describes the range of possible colors that can be used
361 in this frame. Its value is @code{color}, @code{grayscale} or
362 @code{mono}.
363
364 @item title
365 If a frame has a non-@code{nil} title, it appears in the window system's
366 border for the frame, and also in the mode line of windows in that frame
367 if @code{mode-line-frame-identification} uses @samp{%F}
368 (@pxref{%-Constructs}). This is normally the case when Emacs is not
369 using a window system, and can only display one frame at a time.
370 @xref{Frame Titles}.
371
372 @item name
373 The name of the frame. The frame name serves as a default for the frame
374 title, if the @code{title} parameter is unspecified or @code{nil}. If
375 you don't specify a name, Emacs sets the frame name automatically
376 (@pxref{Frame Titles}).
377
378 If you specify the frame name explicitly when you create the frame, the
379 name is also used (instead of the name of the Emacs executable) when
380 looking up X resources for the frame.
381
382 @item display-environment-variable
383 The value of the @code{DISPLAY} environment variable for the frame. It
384 is passed to child processes.
385
386 @item term-environment-variable
387 The value of the @code{TERM} environment variable for the frame. It
388 is passed to child processes.
389 @end table
390
391 @node Position Parameters
392 @subsubsection Position Parameters
393
394 Position parameters' values are normally measured in pixels, but on
395 text-only terminals they count characters or lines instead.
396
397 @table @code
398 @item left
399 The screen position of the left edge, in pixels, with respect to the
400 left edge of the screen. The value may be a positive number @var{pos},
401 or a list of the form @code{(+ @var{pos})} which permits specifying a
402 negative @var{pos} value.
403
404 A negative number @minus{}@var{pos}, or a list of the form @code{(-
405 @var{pos})}, actually specifies the position of the right edge of the
406 window with respect to the right edge of the screen. A positive value
407 of @var{pos} counts toward the left. @strong{Reminder:} if the
408 parameter is a negative integer @minus{}@var{pos}, then @var{pos} is
409 positive.
410
411 Some window managers ignore program-specified positions. If you want to
412 be sure the position you specify is not ignored, specify a
413 non-@code{nil} value for the @code{user-position} parameter as well.
414
415 @item top
416 The screen position of the top edge, in pixels, with respect to the
417 top edge of the screen. It works just like @code{left}, except vertically
418 instead of horizontally.
419
420 @item icon-left
421 The screen position of the left edge @emph{of the frame's icon}, in
422 pixels, counting from the left edge of the screen. This takes effect if
423 and when the frame is iconified.
424
425 If you specify a value for this parameter, then you must also specify
426 a value for @code{icon-top} and vice versa. The window manager may
427 ignore these two parameters.
428
429 @item icon-top
430 The screen position of the top edge @emph{of the frame's icon}, in
431 pixels, counting from the top edge of the screen. This takes effect if
432 and when the frame is iconified.
433
434 @item user-position
435 When you create a frame and specify its screen position with the
436 @code{left} and @code{top} parameters, use this parameter to say whether
437 the specified position was user-specified (explicitly requested in some
438 way by a human user) or merely program-specified (chosen by a program).
439 A non-@code{nil} value says the position was user-specified.
440
441 Window managers generally heed user-specified positions, and some heed
442 program-specified positions too. But many ignore program-specified
443 positions, placing the window in a default fashion or letting the user
444 place it with the mouse. Some window managers, including @code{twm},
445 let the user specify whether to obey program-specified positions or
446 ignore them.
447
448 When you call @code{make-frame}, you should specify a non-@code{nil}
449 value for this parameter if the values of the @code{left} and @code{top}
450 parameters represent the user's stated preference; otherwise, use
451 @code{nil}.
452 @end table
453
454 @node Size Parameters
455 @subsubsection Size Parameters
456
457 Size parameters' values are normally measured in pixels, but on
458 text-only terminals they count characters or lines instead.
459
460 @table @code
461 @item height
462 The height of the frame contents, in characters. (To get the height in
463 pixels, call @code{frame-pixel-height}; see @ref{Size and Position}.)
464
465 @item width
466 The width of the frame contents, in characters. (To get the height in
467 pixels, call @code{frame-pixel-width}; see @ref{Size and Position}.)
468
469 @item user-size
470 This does for the size parameters @code{height} and @code{width} what
471 the @code{user-position} parameter (see above) does for the position
472 parameters @code{top} and @code{left}.
473
474 @item fullscreen
475 Specify that width, height or both shall be set to the size of the screen.
476 The value @code{fullwidth} specifies that width shall be the size of the
477 screen. The value @code{fullheight} specifies that height shall be the
478 size of the screen. The value @code{fullboth} specifies that both the
479 width and the height shall be set to the size of the screen.
480 @end table
481
482 @node Layout Parameters
483 @subsubsection Layout Parameters
484
485 These frame parameters enable or disable various parts of the
486 frame, or control their sizes.
487
488 @table @code
489 @item border-width
490 The width in pixels of the frame's border.
491
492 @item internal-border-width
493 The distance in pixels between text (or fringe) and the frame's border.
494
495 @item vertical-scroll-bars
496 Whether the frame has scroll bars for vertical scrolling, and which side
497 of the frame they should be on. The possible values are @code{left},
498 @code{right}, and @code{nil} for no scroll bars.
499
500 @ignore
501 @item horizontal-scroll-bars
502 Whether the frame has scroll bars for horizontal scrolling
503 (non-@code{nil} means yes). Horizontal scroll bars are not currently
504 implemented.
505 @end ignore
506
507 @item scroll-bar-width
508 The width of vertical scroll bars, in pixels, or @code{nil} meaning to
509 use the default width.
510
511 @item left-fringe
512 @itemx right-fringe
513 The default width of the left and right fringes of windows in this
514 frame (@pxref{Fringes}). If either of these is zero, that effectively
515 removes the corresponding fringe. A value of @code{nil} stands for
516 the standard fringe width, which is the width needed to display the
517 fringe bitmaps.
518
519 The combined fringe widths must add up to an integral number of
520 columns, so the actual default fringe widths for the frame may be
521 larger than the specified values. The extra width needed to reach an
522 acceptable total is distributed evenly between the left and right
523 fringe. However, you can force one fringe or the other to a precise
524 width by specifying that width as a negative integer. If both widths are
525 negative, only the left fringe gets the specified width.
526
527 @item menu-bar-lines
528 The number of lines to allocate at the top of the frame for a menu
529 bar. The default is 1. A value of @code{nil} means don't display a
530 menu bar. @xref{Menu Bar}. (The X toolkit and GTK allow at most one
531 menu bar line; they treat larger values as 1.)
532
533 @item tool-bar-lines
534 The number of lines to use for the tool bar. A value of @code{nil}
535 means don't display a tool bar. (GTK allows at most one tool bar line;
536 it treats larger values as 1.)
537
538 @item line-spacing
539 Additional space to leave below each text line, in pixels (a positive
540 integer). @xref{Line Height}, for more information.
541 @end table
542
543 @node Buffer Parameters
544 @subsubsection Buffer Parameters
545
546 These frame parameters, meaningful on all kinds of terminals, deal
547 with which buffers have been, or should, be displayed in the frame.
548
549 @table @code
550 @item minibuffer
551 Whether this frame has its own minibuffer. The value @code{t} means
552 yes, @code{nil} means no, @code{only} means this frame is just a
553 minibuffer. If the value is a minibuffer window (in some other frame),
554 the new frame uses that minibuffer.
555
556 @item buffer-predicate
557 The buffer-predicate function for this frame. The function
558 @code{other-buffer} uses this predicate (from the selected frame) to
559 decide which buffers it should consider, if the predicate is not
560 @code{nil}. It calls the predicate with one argument, a buffer, once for
561 each buffer; if the predicate returns a non-@code{nil} value, it
562 considers that buffer.
563
564 @item buffer-list
565 A list of buffers that have been selected in this frame,
566 ordered most-recently-selected first.
567
568 @item unsplittable
569 If non-@code{nil}, this frame's window is never split automatically.
570 @end table
571
572 @node Management Parameters
573 @subsubsection Window Management Parameters
574 @cindex window manager, and frame parameters
575
576 These frame parameters, meaningful only on window system displays,
577 interact with the window manager.
578
579 @table @code
580 @item visibility
581 The state of visibility of the frame. There are three possibilities:
582 @code{nil} for invisible, @code{t} for visible, and @code{icon} for
583 iconified. @xref{Visibility of Frames}.
584
585 @item auto-raise
586 Whether selecting the frame raises it (non-@code{nil} means yes).
587
588 @item auto-lower
589 Whether deselecting the frame lowers it (non-@code{nil} means yes).
590
591 @item icon-type
592 The type of icon to use for this frame when it is iconified. If the
593 value is a string, that specifies a file containing a bitmap to use.
594 Any other non-@code{nil} value specifies the default bitmap icon (a
595 picture of a gnu); @code{nil} specifies a text icon.
596
597 @item icon-name
598 The name to use in the icon for this frame, when and if the icon
599 appears. If this is @code{nil}, the frame's title is used.
600
601 @item window-id
602 The number of the window-system window used by the frame
603 to contain the actual Emacs windows.
604
605 @item outer-window-id
606 The number of the outermost window-system window used for the whole frame.
607
608 @item wait-for-wm
609 If non-@code{nil}, tell Xt to wait for the window manager to confirm
610 geometry changes. Some window managers, including versions of Fvwm2
611 and KDE, fail to confirm, so Xt hangs. Set this to @code{nil} to
612 prevent hanging with those window managers.
613
614 @ignore
615 @item parent-id
616 @c ??? Not yet working.
617 The X window number of the window that should be the parent of this one.
618 Specifying this lets you create an Emacs window inside some other
619 application's window. (It is not certain this will be implemented; try
620 it and see if it works.)
621 @end ignore
622 @end table
623
624 @node Cursor Parameters
625 @subsubsection Cursor Parameters
626
627 This frame parameter controls the way the cursor looks.
628
629 @table @code
630 @item cursor-type
631 How to display the cursor. Legitimate values are:
632
633 @table @code
634 @item box
635 Display a filled box. (This is the default.)
636 @item hollow
637 Display a hollow box.
638 @item nil
639 Don't display a cursor.
640 @item bar
641 Display a vertical bar between characters.
642 @item (bar . @var{width})
643 Display a vertical bar @var{width} pixels wide between characters.
644 @item hbar
645 Display a horizontal bar.
646 @item (hbar . @var{height})
647 Display a horizontal bar @var{height} pixels high.
648 @end table
649 @end table
650
651 @vindex cursor-type
652 The buffer-local variable @code{cursor-type} overrides the value of
653 the @code{cursor-type} frame parameter, but if it is @code{t}, that
654 means to use the cursor specified for the frame.
655
656 @defvar blink-cursor-alist
657 This variable specifies how to blink the cursor. Each element has the
658 form @code{(@var{on-state} . @var{off-state})}. Whenever the cursor
659 type equals @var{on-state} (comparing using @code{equal}), the
660 corresponding @var{off-state} specifies what the cursor looks like
661 when it blinks ``off.'' Both @var{on-state} and @var{off-state}
662 should be suitable values for the @code{cursor-type} frame parameter.
663
664 There are various defaults for how to blink each type of cursor, if
665 the type is not mentioned as an @var{on-state} here. Changes in this
666 variable do not take effect immediately, only when you specify the
667 @code{cursor-type} frame parameter.
668 @end defvar
669
670 @defvar cursor-in-non-selected-windows
671 This variable controls how the cursor looks in a window that is not
672 selected. It supports the same values as the @code{cursor-type} frame
673 parameter; also, @code{nil} means don't display a cursor in
674 nonselected windows, and @code{t} (the default) means use a standard
675 modificatoin of the usual cursor type (solid box becomes hollow box,
676 and bar becomes a narrower bar).
677 @end defvar
678
679 @node Color Parameters
680 @subsubsection Color Parameters
681
682 These frame parameters control the use of colors.
683
684 @table @code
685 @item background-mode
686 This parameter is either @code{dark} or @code{light}, according
687 to whether the background color is a light one or a dark one.
688
689 @item tty-color-mode
690 @cindex standard colors for character terminals
691 This parameter overrides the terminal's color support as given by the
692 system's terminal capabilities database in that this parameter's value
693 specifies the color mode to use in terminal frames. The value can be
694 either a symbol or a number. A number specifies the number of colors
695 to use (and, indirectly, what commands to issue to produce each
696 color). For example, @code{(tty-color-mode . 8)} specifies use of the
697 ANSI escape sequences for 8 standard text colors. A value of -1 turns
698 off color support.
699
700 If the parameter's value is a symbol, it specifies a number through
701 the value of @code{tty-color-mode-alist}, and the associated number is
702 used instead.
703
704 @item screen-gamma
705 @cindex gamma correction
706 If this is a number, Emacs performs ``gamma correction'' which adjusts
707 the brightness of all colors. The value should be the screen gamma of
708 your display, a floating point number.
709
710 Usual PC monitors have a screen gamma of 2.2, so color values in
711 Emacs, and in X windows generally, are calibrated to display properly
712 on a monitor with that gamma value. If you specify 2.2 for
713 @code{screen-gamma}, that means no correction is needed. Other values
714 request correction, designed to make the corrected colors appear on
715 your screen the way they would have appeared without correction on an
716 ordinary monitor with a gamma value of 2.2.
717
718 If your monitor displays colors too light, you should specify a
719 @code{screen-gamma} value smaller than 2.2. This requests correction
720 that makes colors darker. A screen gamma value of 1.5 may give good
721 results for LCD color displays.
722 @end table
723
724 These frame parameters are semi-obsolete in that they are automatically
725 equivalent to particular face attributes of particular faces.
726 @xref{Standard Faces,,, emacs, The Emacs Manual}.
727
728 @table @code
729 @item font
730 The name of the font for displaying text in the frame. This is a
731 string, either a valid font name for your system or the name of an Emacs
732 fontset (@pxref{Fontsets}). It is equivalent to the @code{font}
733 attribute of the @code{default} face.
734
735 @item foreground-color
736 The color to use for the image of a character. It is equivalent to
737 the @code{:foreground} attribute of the @code{default} face.
738
739 @item background-color
740 The color to use for the background of characters. It is equivalent to
741 the @code{:background} attribute of the @code{default} face.
742
743 @item mouse-color
744 The color for the mouse pointer. It is equivalent to the @code{:background}
745 attribute of the @code{mouse} face.
746
747 @item cursor-color
748 The color for the cursor that shows point. It is equivalent to the
749 @code{:background} attribute of the @code{cursor} face.
750
751 @item border-color
752 The color for the border of the frame. It is equivalent to the
753 @code{:background} attribute of the @code{border} face.
754
755 @item scroll-bar-foreground
756 If non-@code{nil}, the color for the foreground of scroll bars. It is
757 equivalent to the @code{:foreground} attribute of the
758 @code{scroll-bar} face.
759
760 @item scroll-bar-background
761 If non-@code{nil}, the color for the background of scroll bars. It is
762 equivalent to the @code{:background} attribute of the
763 @code{scroll-bar} face.
764 @end table
765
766 @node Size and Position
767 @subsection Frame Size And Position
768 @cindex size of frame
769 @cindex screen size
770 @cindex frame size
771 @cindex resize frame
772
773 You can read or change the size and position of a frame using the
774 frame parameters @code{left}, @code{top}, @code{height}, and
775 @code{width}. Whatever geometry parameters you don't specify are chosen
776 by the window manager in its usual fashion.
777
778 Here are some special features for working with sizes and positions.
779 (For the precise meaning of ``selected frame'' used by these functions,
780 see @ref{Input Focus}.)
781
782 @defun set-frame-position frame left top
783 This function sets the position of the top left corner of @var{frame} to
784 @var{left} and @var{top}. These arguments are measured in pixels, and
785 normally count from the top left corner of the screen.
786
787 Negative parameter values position the bottom edge of the window up from
788 the bottom edge of the screen, or the right window edge to the left of
789 the right edge of the screen. It would probably be better if the values
790 were always counted from the left and top, so that negative arguments
791 would position the frame partly off the top or left edge of the screen,
792 but it seems inadvisable to change that now.
793 @end defun
794
795 @defun frame-height &optional frame
796 @defunx frame-width &optional frame
797 These functions return the height and width of @var{frame}, measured in
798 lines and columns. If you don't supply @var{frame}, they use the
799 selected frame.
800 @end defun
801
802 @defun screen-height
803 @defunx screen-width
804 These functions are old aliases for @code{frame-height} and
805 @code{frame-width}. When you are using a non-window terminal, the size
806 of the frame is normally the same as the size of the terminal screen.
807 @end defun
808
809 @defun frame-pixel-height &optional frame
810 @defunx frame-pixel-width &optional frame
811 These functions return the height and width of @var{frame}, measured in
812 pixels. If you don't supply @var{frame}, they use the selected frame.
813 @end defun
814
815 @defun frame-char-height &optional frame
816 @defunx frame-char-width &optional frame
817 These functions return the height and width of a character in
818 @var{frame}, measured in pixels. The values depend on the choice of
819 font. If you don't supply @var{frame}, these functions use the selected
820 frame.
821 @end defun
822
823 @defun set-frame-size frame cols rows
824 This function sets the size of @var{frame}, measured in characters;
825 @var{cols} and @var{rows} specify the new width and height.
826
827 To set the size based on values measured in pixels, use
828 @code{frame-char-height} and @code{frame-char-width} to convert
829 them to units of characters.
830 @end defun
831
832 @defun set-frame-height frame lines &optional pretend
833 This function resizes @var{frame} to a height of @var{lines} lines. The
834 sizes of existing windows in @var{frame} are altered proportionally to
835 fit.
836
837 If @var{pretend} is non-@code{nil}, then Emacs displays @var{lines}
838 lines of output in @var{frame}, but does not change its value for the
839 actual height of the frame. This is only useful for a terminal frame.
840 Using a smaller height than the terminal actually implements may be
841 useful to reproduce behavior observed on a smaller screen, or if the
842 terminal malfunctions when using its whole screen. Setting the frame
843 height ``for real'' does not always work, because knowing the correct
844 actual size may be necessary for correct cursor positioning on a
845 terminal frame.
846 @end defun
847
848 @defun set-frame-width frame width &optional pretend
849 This function sets the width of @var{frame}, measured in characters.
850 The argument @var{pretend} has the same meaning as in
851 @code{set-frame-height}.
852 @end defun
853
854 @findex set-screen-height
855 @findex set-screen-width
856 The older functions @code{set-screen-height} and
857 @code{set-screen-width} were used to specify the height and width of the
858 screen, in Emacs versions that did not support multiple frames. They
859 are semi-obsolete, but still work; they apply to the selected frame.
860
861 @node Geometry
862 @subsection Geometry
863
864 Here's how to examine the data in an X-style window geometry
865 specification:
866
867 @defun x-parse-geometry geom
868 @cindex geometry specification
869 The function @code{x-parse-geometry} converts a standard X window
870 geometry string to an alist that you can use as part of the argument to
871 @code{make-frame}.
872
873 The alist describes which parameters were specified in @var{geom}, and
874 gives the values specified for them. Each element looks like
875 @code{(@var{parameter} . @var{value})}. The possible @var{parameter}
876 values are @code{left}, @code{top}, @code{width}, and @code{height}.
877
878 For the size parameters, the value must be an integer. The position
879 parameter names @code{left} and @code{top} are not totally accurate,
880 because some values indicate the position of the right or bottom edges
881 instead. These are the @var{value} possibilities for the position
882 parameters:
883
884 @table @asis
885 @item an integer
886 A positive integer relates the left edge or top edge of the window to
887 the left or top edge of the screen. A negative integer relates the
888 right or bottom edge of the window to the right or bottom edge of the
889 screen.
890
891 @item @code{(+ @var{position})}
892 This specifies the position of the left or top edge of the window
893 relative to the left or top edge of the screen. The integer
894 @var{position} may be positive or negative; a negative value specifies a
895 position outside the screen.
896
897 @item @code{(- @var{position})}
898 This specifies the position of the right or bottom edge of the window
899 relative to the right or bottom edge of the screen. The integer
900 @var{position} may be positive or negative; a negative value specifies a
901 position outside the screen.
902 @end table
903
904 Here is an example:
905
906 @example
907 (x-parse-geometry "35x70+0-0")
908 @result{} ((height . 70) (width . 35)
909 (top - 0) (left . 0))
910 @end example
911 @end defun
912
913 @node Frame Titles
914 @section Frame Titles
915 @cindex frame title
916
917 Every frame has a @code{name} parameter; this serves as the default
918 for the frame title which window systems typically display at the top of
919 the frame. You can specify a name explicitly by setting the @code{name}
920 frame property.
921
922 Normally you don't specify the name explicitly, and Emacs computes the
923 frame name automatically based on a template stored in the variable
924 @code{frame-title-format}. Emacs recomputes the name each time the
925 frame is redisplayed.
926
927 @defvar frame-title-format
928 This variable specifies how to compute a name for a frame when you have
929 not explicitly specified one. The variable's value is actually a mode
930 line construct, just like @code{mode-line-format}, except that the
931 @samp{%c} and @samp{%l} constructs are ignored. @xref{Mode Line
932 Data}.
933 @end defvar
934
935 @defvar icon-title-format
936 This variable specifies how to compute the name for an iconified frame,
937 when you have not explicitly specified the frame title. This title
938 appears in the icon itself.
939 @end defvar
940
941 @defvar multiple-frames
942 This variable is set automatically by Emacs. Its value is @code{t} when
943 there are two or more frames (not counting minibuffer-only frames or
944 invisible frames). The default value of @code{frame-title-format} uses
945 @code{multiple-frames} so as to put the buffer name in the frame title
946 only when there is more than one frame.
947
948 The value of this variable is not guaranteed to be accurate except
949 while processing @code{frame-title-format} or
950 @code{icon-title-format}.
951 @end defvar
952
953 @node Deleting Frames
954 @section Deleting Frames
955 @cindex deleting frames
956
957 Frames remain potentially visible until you explicitly @dfn{delete}
958 them. A deleted frame cannot appear on the screen, but continues to
959 exist as a Lisp object until there are no references to it.
960
961 @deffn Command delete-frame &optional frame force
962 @vindex delete-frame-functions
963 This function deletes the frame @var{frame}. Unless @var{frame} is a
964 tooltip, it first runs the hook @code{delete-frame-functions} (each
965 function gets one argument, @var{frame}). By default, @var{frame} is
966 the selected frame.
967
968 A frame cannot be deleted if its minibuffer is used by other frames.
969 Normally, you cannot delete a frame if all other frames are invisible,
970 but if the @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, then you are allowed to do so.
971 @end deffn
972
973 @defun frame-live-p frame
974 The function @code{frame-live-p} returns non-@code{nil} if the frame
975 @var{frame} has not been deleted. The possible non-@code{nil} return
976 values are like those of @code{framep}. @xref{Frames}.
977 @end defun
978
979 Some window managers provide a command to delete a window. These work
980 by sending a special message to the program that operates the window.
981 When Emacs gets one of these commands, it generates a
982 @code{delete-frame} event, whose normal definition is a command that
983 calls the function @code{delete-frame}. @xref{Misc Events}.
984
985 @node Finding All Frames
986 @section Finding All Frames
987 @cindex frames, scanning all
988
989 @defun frame-list
990 The function @code{frame-list} returns a list of all the frames that
991 have not been deleted. It is analogous to @code{buffer-list} for
992 buffers, and includes frames on all terminals. The list that you get is
993 newly created, so modifying the list doesn't have any effect on the
994 internals of Emacs.
995 @end defun
996
997 @defun visible-frame-list
998 This function returns a list of just the currently visible frames.
999 @xref{Visibility of Frames}. (Terminal frames always count as
1000 ``visible,'' even though only the selected one is actually displayed.)
1001 @end defun
1002
1003 @defun next-frame &optional frame minibuf
1004 The function @code{next-frame} lets you cycle conveniently through all
1005 the frames on the current display from an arbitrary starting point. It
1006 returns the ``next'' frame after @var{frame} in the cycle. If
1007 @var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to the selected frame
1008 (@pxref{Input Focus}).
1009
1010 The second argument, @var{minibuf}, says which frames to consider:
1011
1012 @table @asis
1013 @item @code{nil}
1014 Exclude minibuffer-only frames.
1015 @item @code{visible}
1016 Consider all visible frames.
1017 @item 0
1018 Consider all visible or iconified frames.
1019 @item a window
1020 Consider only the frames using that particular window as their
1021 minibuffer.
1022 @item anything else
1023 Consider all frames.
1024 @end table
1025 @end defun
1026
1027 @defun previous-frame &optional frame minibuf
1028 Like @code{next-frame}, but cycles through all frames in the opposite
1029 direction.
1030 @end defun
1031
1032 See also @code{next-window} and @code{previous-window}, in @ref{Cyclic
1033 Window Ordering}.
1034
1035 @node Frames and Windows
1036 @section Frames and Windows
1037
1038 Each window is part of one and only one frame; you can get the frame
1039 with @code{window-frame}.
1040
1041 @defun window-frame window
1042 This function returns the frame that @var{window} is on.
1043 @end defun
1044
1045 All the non-minibuffer windows in a frame are arranged in a cyclic
1046 order. The order runs from the frame's top window, which is at the
1047 upper left corner, down and to the right, until it reaches the window at
1048 the lower right corner (always the minibuffer window, if the frame has
1049 one), and then it moves back to the top. @xref{Cyclic Window Ordering}.
1050
1051 @defun frame-first-window &optional frame
1052 This returns the topmost, leftmost window of frame @var{frame}.
1053 If omitted or @code{nil}, @var{frame} defaults to the selected frame.
1054 @end defun
1055
1056 At any time, exactly one window on any frame is @dfn{selected within the
1057 frame}. The significance of this designation is that selecting the
1058 frame also selects this window. You can get the frame's current
1059 selected window with @code{frame-selected-window}.
1060
1061 @defun frame-selected-window &optional frame
1062 This function returns the window on @var{frame} that is selected
1063 within @var{frame}. If omitted or @code{nil}, @var{frame} defaults to
1064 the selected frame.
1065 @end defun
1066
1067 @defun set-frame-selected-window frame window
1068 This sets the selected window of frame @var{frame} to @var{window}.
1069 If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it operates on the selected frame. If
1070 @var{frame} is the selected frame, this makes @var{window} the
1071 selected window. This function returns @var{window}.
1072 @end defun
1073
1074 Conversely, selecting a window for Emacs with @code{select-window} also
1075 makes that window selected within its frame. @xref{Selecting Windows}.
1076
1077 Another function that (usually) returns one of the windows in a given
1078 frame is @code{minibuffer-window}. @xref{Definition of minibuffer-window}.
1079
1080 @node Minibuffers and Frames
1081 @section Minibuffers and Frames
1082
1083 Normally, each frame has its own minibuffer window at the bottom, which
1084 is used whenever that frame is selected. If the frame has a minibuffer,
1085 you can get it with @code{minibuffer-window} (@pxref{Definition of
1086 minibuffer-window}).
1087
1088 However, you can also create a frame with no minibuffer. Such a frame
1089 must use the minibuffer window of some other frame. When you create the
1090 frame, you can specify explicitly the minibuffer window to use (in some
1091 other frame). If you don't, then the minibuffer is found in the frame
1092 which is the value of the variable @code{default-minibuffer-frame}. Its
1093 value should be a frame that does have a minibuffer.
1094
1095 If you use a minibuffer-only frame, you might want that frame to raise
1096 when you enter the minibuffer. If so, set the variable
1097 @code{minibuffer-auto-raise} to @code{t}. @xref{Raising and Lowering}.
1098
1099 @defvar default-minibuffer-frame
1100 This variable specifies the frame to use for the minibuffer window, by
1101 default. It does not affect existing frames. It is always local to
1102 the current terminal and cannot be buffer-local. @xref{Multiple
1103 Displays}.
1104 @end defvar
1105
1106 @node Input Focus
1107 @section Input Focus
1108 @cindex input focus
1109 @c @cindex selected frame Duplicates selected-frame
1110
1111 At any time, one frame in Emacs is the @dfn{selected frame}. The selected
1112 window always resides on the selected frame.
1113
1114 When Emacs displays its frames on several terminals (@pxref{Multiple
1115 Displays}), each terminal has its own selected frame. But only one of
1116 these is ``@emph{the} selected frame'': it's the frame that belongs to
1117 the terminal from which the most recent input came. That is, when Emacs
1118 runs a command that came from a certain terminal, the selected frame is
1119 the one of that terminal. Since Emacs runs only a single command at any
1120 given time, it needs to consider only one selected frame at a time; this
1121 frame is what we call @dfn{the selected frame} in this manual. The
1122 display on which the selected frame is displayed is the @dfn{selected
1123 frame's display}.
1124
1125 @defun selected-frame
1126 This function returns the selected frame.
1127 @end defun
1128
1129 Some window systems and window managers direct keyboard input to the
1130 window object that the mouse is in; others require explicit clicks or
1131 commands to @dfn{shift the focus} to various window objects. Either
1132 way, Emacs automatically keeps track of which frame has the focus. To
1133 switch to a different frame from a Lisp function, call
1134 @code{select-frame-set-input-focus}.
1135
1136 Lisp programs can also switch frames ``temporarily'' by calling the
1137 function @code{select-frame}. This does not alter the window system's
1138 concept of focus; rather, it escapes from the window manager's control
1139 until that control is somehow reasserted.
1140
1141 When using a text-only terminal, only one frame can be displayed at a
1142 time on the terminal, so after a call to @code{select-frame}, the next
1143 redisplay actually displays the newly selected frame. This frame
1144 remains selected until a subsequent call to @code{select-frame} or
1145 @code{select-frame-set-input-focus}. Each terminal frame has a number
1146 which appears in the mode line before the buffer name (@pxref{Mode
1147 Line Variables}).
1148
1149 @defun select-frame-set-input-focus frame
1150 This function makes @var{frame} the selected frame, raises it (should
1151 it happen to be obscured by other frames) and tries to give it the X
1152 server's focus. On a text-only terminal, the next redisplay displays
1153 the new frame on the entire terminal screen. The return value of this
1154 function is not significant.
1155 @end defun
1156
1157 @c ??? This is not yet implemented properly.
1158 @defun select-frame frame
1159 This function selects frame @var{frame}, temporarily disregarding the
1160 focus of the X server if any. The selection of @var{frame} lasts until
1161 the next time the user does something to select a different frame, or
1162 until the next time this function is called. (If you are using a
1163 window system, the previously selected frame may be restored as the
1164 selected frame after return to the command loop, because it still may
1165 have the window system's input focus.) The specified @var{frame}
1166 becomes the selected frame, as explained above, and the terminal that
1167 @var{frame} is on becomes the selected terminal. This function
1168 returns @var{frame}, or @code{nil} if @var{frame} has been deleted.
1169
1170 In general, you should never use @code{select-frame} in a way that could
1171 switch to a different terminal without switching back when you're done.
1172 @end defun
1173
1174 Emacs cooperates with the window system by arranging to select frames as
1175 the server and window manager request. It does so by generating a
1176 special kind of input event, called a @dfn{focus} event, when
1177 appropriate. The command loop handles a focus event by calling
1178 @code{handle-switch-frame}. @xref{Focus Events}.
1179
1180 @deffn Command handle-switch-frame frame
1181 This function handles a focus event by selecting frame @var{frame}.
1182
1183 Focus events normally do their job by invoking this command.
1184 Don't call it for any other reason.
1185 @end deffn
1186
1187 @defun redirect-frame-focus frame &optional focus-frame
1188 This function redirects focus from @var{frame} to @var{focus-frame}.
1189 This means that @var{focus-frame} will receive subsequent keystrokes and
1190 events intended for @var{frame}. After such an event, the value of
1191 @code{last-event-frame} will be @var{focus-frame}. Also, switch-frame
1192 events specifying @var{frame} will instead select @var{focus-frame}.
1193
1194 If @var{focus-frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, that cancels any existing
1195 redirection for @var{frame}, which therefore once again receives its own
1196 events.
1197
1198 One use of focus redirection is for frames that don't have minibuffers.
1199 These frames use minibuffers on other frames. Activating a minibuffer
1200 on another frame redirects focus to that frame. This puts the focus on
1201 the minibuffer's frame, where it belongs, even though the mouse remains
1202 in the frame that activated the minibuffer.
1203
1204 Selecting a frame can also change focus redirections. Selecting frame
1205 @code{bar}, when @code{foo} had been selected, changes any redirections
1206 pointing to @code{foo} so that they point to @code{bar} instead. This
1207 allows focus redirection to work properly when the user switches from
1208 one frame to another using @code{select-window}.
1209
1210 This means that a frame whose focus is redirected to itself is treated
1211 differently from a frame whose focus is not redirected.
1212 @code{select-frame} affects the former but not the latter.
1213
1214 The redirection lasts until @code{redirect-frame-focus} is called to
1215 change it.
1216 @end defun
1217
1218 @defopt focus-follows-mouse
1219 This option is how you inform Emacs whether the window manager transfers
1220 focus when the user moves the mouse. Non-@code{nil} says that it does.
1221 When this is so, the command @code{other-frame} moves the mouse to a
1222 position consistent with the new selected frame. (This option has no
1223 effect on MS-Windows, where the mouse pointer is always automatically
1224 moved by the OS to the selected frame.)
1225 @end defopt
1226
1227 @node Visibility of Frames
1228 @section Visibility of Frames
1229 @cindex visible frame
1230 @cindex invisible frame
1231 @cindex iconified frame
1232 @cindex frame visibility
1233
1234 A window frame may be @dfn{visible}, @dfn{invisible}, or
1235 @dfn{iconified}. If it is visible, you can see its contents, unless
1236 other windows cover it. If it is iconified, the frame's contents do
1237 not appear on the screen, but an icon does. If the frame is
1238 invisible, it doesn't show on the screen, not even as an icon.
1239
1240 Visibility is meaningless for terminal frames, since only the selected
1241 one is actually displayed in any case.
1242
1243 @deffn Command make-frame-visible &optional frame
1244 This function makes frame @var{frame} visible. If you omit
1245 @var{frame}, it makes the selected frame visible. This does not raise
1246 the frame, but you can do that with @code{raise-frame} if you wish
1247 (@pxref{Raising and Lowering}).
1248 @end deffn
1249
1250 @deffn Command make-frame-invisible &optional frame force
1251 This function makes frame @var{frame} invisible. If you omit
1252 @var{frame}, it makes the selected frame invisible.
1253
1254 Unless @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, this function refuses to make
1255 @var{frame} invisible if all other frames are invisible..
1256 @end deffn
1257
1258 @deffn Command iconify-frame &optional frame
1259 This function iconifies frame @var{frame}. If you omit @var{frame}, it
1260 iconifies the selected frame.
1261 @end deffn
1262
1263 @defun frame-visible-p frame
1264 This returns the visibility status of frame @var{frame}. The value is
1265 @code{t} if @var{frame} is visible, @code{nil} if it is invisible, and
1266 @code{icon} if it is iconified.
1267
1268 On a text-only terminal, all frames are considered visible, whether
1269 they are currently being displayed or not, and this function returns
1270 @code{t} for all frames.
1271 @end defun
1272
1273 The visibility status of a frame is also available as a frame
1274 parameter. You can read or change it as such. @xref{Management
1275 Parameters}.
1276
1277 The user can iconify and deiconify frames with the window manager.
1278 This happens below the level at which Emacs can exert any control, but
1279 Emacs does provide events that you can use to keep track of such
1280 changes. @xref{Misc Events}.
1281
1282 @node Raising and Lowering
1283 @section Raising and Lowering Frames
1284
1285 Most window systems use a desktop metaphor. Part of this metaphor is
1286 the idea that windows are stacked in a notional third dimension
1287 perpendicular to the screen surface, and thus ordered from ``highest''
1288 to ``lowest.'' Where two windows overlap, the one higher up covers
1289 the one underneath. Even a window at the bottom of the stack can be
1290 seen if no other window overlaps it.
1291
1292 @c @cindex raising a frame redundant with raise-frame
1293 @cindex lowering a frame
1294 A window's place in this ordering is not fixed; in fact, users tend
1295 to change the order frequently. @dfn{Raising} a window means moving
1296 it ``up,'' to the top of the stack. @dfn{Lowering} a window means
1297 moving it to the bottom of the stack. This motion is in the notional
1298 third dimension only, and does not change the position of the window
1299 on the screen.
1300
1301 You can raise and lower Emacs frame Windows with these functions:
1302
1303 @deffn Command raise-frame &optional frame
1304 This function raises frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
1305 If @var{frame} is invisible or iconified, this makes it visible.
1306 @end deffn
1307
1308 @deffn Command lower-frame &optional frame
1309 This function lowers frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
1310 @end deffn
1311
1312 @defopt minibuffer-auto-raise
1313 If this is non-@code{nil}, activation of the minibuffer raises the frame
1314 that the minibuffer window is in.
1315 @end defopt
1316
1317 You can also enable auto-raise (raising automatically when a frame is
1318 selected) or auto-lower (lowering automatically when it is deselected)
1319 for any frame using frame parameters. @xref{Management Parameters}.
1320
1321 @node Frame Configurations
1322 @section Frame Configurations
1323 @cindex frame configuration
1324
1325 A @dfn{frame configuration} records the current arrangement of frames,
1326 all their properties, and the window configuration of each one.
1327 (@xref{Window Configurations}.)
1328
1329 @defun current-frame-configuration
1330 This function returns a frame configuration list that describes
1331 the current arrangement of frames and their contents.
1332 @end defun
1333
1334 @defun set-frame-configuration configuration &optional nodelete
1335 This function restores the state of frames described in
1336 @var{configuration}. However, this function does not restore deleted
1337 frames.
1338
1339 Ordinarily, this function deletes all existing frames not listed in
1340 @var{configuration}. But if @var{nodelete} is non-@code{nil}, the
1341 unwanted frames are iconified instead.
1342 @end defun
1343
1344 @node Mouse Tracking
1345 @section Mouse Tracking
1346 @cindex mouse tracking
1347 @c @cindex tracking the mouse Duplicates track-mouse
1348
1349 Sometimes it is useful to @dfn{track} the mouse, which means to display
1350 something to indicate where the mouse is and move the indicator as the
1351 mouse moves. For efficient mouse tracking, you need a way to wait until
1352 the mouse actually moves.
1353
1354 The convenient way to track the mouse is to ask for events to represent
1355 mouse motion. Then you can wait for motion by waiting for an event. In
1356 addition, you can easily handle any other sorts of events that may
1357 occur. That is useful, because normally you don't want to track the
1358 mouse forever---only until some other event, such as the release of a
1359 button.
1360
1361 @defspec track-mouse body@dots{}
1362 This special form executes @var{body}, with generation of mouse motion
1363 events enabled. Typically @var{body} would use @code{read-event} to
1364 read the motion events and modify the display accordingly. @xref{Motion
1365 Events}, for the format of mouse motion events.
1366
1367 The value of @code{track-mouse} is that of the last form in @var{body}.
1368 You should design @var{body} to return when it sees the up-event that
1369 indicates the release of the button, or whatever kind of event means
1370 it is time to stop tracking.
1371 @end defspec
1372
1373 The usual purpose of tracking mouse motion is to indicate on the screen
1374 the consequences of pushing or releasing a button at the current
1375 position.
1376
1377 In many cases, you can avoid the need to track the mouse by using
1378 the @code{mouse-face} text property (@pxref{Special Properties}).
1379 That works at a much lower level and runs more smoothly than
1380 Lisp-level mouse tracking.
1381
1382 @ignore
1383 @c These are not implemented yet.
1384
1385 These functions change the screen appearance instantaneously. The
1386 effect is transient, only until the next ordinary Emacs redisplay. That
1387 is OK for mouse tracking, since it doesn't make sense for mouse tracking
1388 to change the text, and the body of @code{track-mouse} normally reads
1389 the events itself and does not do redisplay.
1390
1391 @defun x-contour-region window beg end
1392 This function draws lines to make a box around the text from @var{beg}
1393 to @var{end}, in window @var{window}.
1394 @end defun
1395
1396 @defun x-uncontour-region window beg end
1397 This function erases the lines that would make a box around the text
1398 from @var{beg} to @var{end}, in window @var{window}. Use it to remove
1399 a contour that you previously made by calling @code{x-contour-region}.
1400 @end defun
1401
1402 @defun x-draw-rectangle frame left top right bottom
1403 This function draws a hollow rectangle on frame @var{frame} with the
1404 specified edge coordinates, all measured in pixels from the inside top
1405 left corner. It uses the cursor color, the one used for indicating the
1406 location of point.
1407 @end defun
1408
1409 @defun x-erase-rectangle frame left top right bottom
1410 This function erases a hollow rectangle on frame @var{frame} with the
1411 specified edge coordinates, all measured in pixels from the inside top
1412 left corner. Erasure means redrawing the text and background that
1413 normally belong in the specified rectangle.
1414 @end defun
1415 @end ignore
1416
1417 @node Mouse Position
1418 @section Mouse Position
1419 @cindex mouse position
1420 @cindex position of mouse
1421
1422 The functions @code{mouse-position} and @code{set-mouse-position}
1423 give access to the current position of the mouse.
1424
1425 @defun mouse-position
1426 This function returns a description of the position of the mouse. The
1427 value looks like @code{(@var{frame} @var{x} . @var{y})}, where @var{x}
1428 and @var{y} are integers giving the position in characters relative to
1429 the top left corner of the inside of @var{frame}.
1430 @end defun
1431
1432 @defvar mouse-position-function
1433 If non-@code{nil}, the value of this variable is a function for
1434 @code{mouse-position} to call. @code{mouse-position} calls this
1435 function just before returning, with its normal return value as the
1436 sole argument, and it returns whatever this function returns to it.
1437
1438 This abnormal hook exists for the benefit of packages like
1439 @file{xt-mouse.el} that need to do mouse handling at the Lisp level.
1440 @end defvar
1441
1442 @defun set-mouse-position frame x y
1443 This function @dfn{warps the mouse} to position @var{x}, @var{y} in
1444 frame @var{frame}. The arguments @var{x} and @var{y} are integers,
1445 giving the position in characters relative to the top left corner of the
1446 inside of @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is not visible, this function
1447 does nothing. The return value is not significant.
1448 @end defun
1449
1450 @defun mouse-pixel-position
1451 This function is like @code{mouse-position} except that it returns
1452 coordinates in units of pixels rather than units of characters.
1453 @end defun
1454
1455 @defun set-mouse-pixel-position frame x y
1456 This function warps the mouse like @code{set-mouse-position} except that
1457 @var{x} and @var{y} are in units of pixels rather than units of
1458 characters. These coordinates are not required to be within the frame.
1459
1460 If @var{frame} is not visible, this function does nothing. The return
1461 value is not significant.
1462 @end defun
1463
1464 @need 3000
1465
1466 @node Pop-Up Menus
1467 @section Pop-Up Menus
1468
1469 When using a window system, a Lisp program can pop up a menu so that
1470 the user can choose an alternative with the mouse.
1471
1472 @defun x-popup-menu position menu
1473 This function displays a pop-up menu and returns an indication of
1474 what selection the user makes.
1475
1476 The argument @var{position} specifies where on the screen to put the
1477 top left corner of the menu. It can be either a mouse button event
1478 (which says to put the menu where the user actuated the button) or a
1479 list of this form:
1480
1481 @example
1482 ((@var{xoffset} @var{yoffset}) @var{window})
1483 @end example
1484
1485 @noindent
1486 where @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} are coordinates, measured in
1487 pixels, counting from the top left corner of @var{window}. @var{window}
1488 may be a window or a frame.
1489
1490 If @var{position} is @code{t}, it means to use the current mouse
1491 position. If @var{position} is @code{nil}, it means to precompute the
1492 key binding equivalents for the keymaps specified in @var{menu},
1493 without actually displaying or popping up the menu.
1494
1495 The argument @var{menu} says what to display in the menu. It can be a
1496 keymap or a list of keymaps (@pxref{Menu Keymaps}). In this case, the
1497 return value is the list of events corresponding to the user's choice.
1498 (This list has more than one element if the choice occurred in a
1499 submenu.) Note that @code{x-popup-menu} does not actually execute the
1500 command bound to that sequence of events.
1501
1502 Alternatively, @var{menu} can have the following form:
1503
1504 @example
1505 (@var{title} @var{pane1} @var{pane2}...)
1506 @end example
1507
1508 @noindent
1509 where each pane is a list of form
1510
1511 @example
1512 (@var{title} @var{item1} @var{item2}...)
1513 @end example
1514
1515 Each item should normally be a cons cell @code{(@var{line} . @var{value})},
1516 where @var{line} is a string, and @var{value} is the value to return if
1517 that @var{line} is chosen. An item can also be a string; this makes a
1518 non-selectable line in the menu.
1519
1520 If the user gets rid of the menu without making a valid choice, for
1521 instance by clicking the mouse away from a valid choice or by typing
1522 keyboard input, then this normally results in a quit and
1523 @code{x-popup-menu} does not return. But if @var{position} is a mouse
1524 button event (indicating that the user invoked the menu with the
1525 mouse) then no quit occurs and @code{x-popup-menu} returns @code{nil}.
1526 @end defun
1527
1528 @strong{Usage note:} Don't use @code{x-popup-menu} to display a menu
1529 if you could do the job with a prefix key defined with a menu keymap.
1530 If you use a menu keymap to implement a menu, @kbd{C-h c} and @kbd{C-h
1531 a} can see the individual items in that menu and provide help for them.
1532 If instead you implement the menu by defining a command that calls
1533 @code{x-popup-menu}, the help facilities cannot know what happens inside
1534 that command, so they cannot give any help for the menu's items.
1535
1536 The menu bar mechanism, which lets you switch between submenus by
1537 moving the mouse, cannot look within the definition of a command to see
1538 that it calls @code{x-popup-menu}. Therefore, if you try to implement a
1539 submenu using @code{x-popup-menu}, it cannot work with the menu bar in
1540 an integrated fashion. This is why all menu bar submenus are
1541 implemented with menu keymaps within the parent menu, and never with
1542 @code{x-popup-menu}. @xref{Menu Bar}.
1543
1544 If you want a menu bar submenu to have contents that vary, you should
1545 still use a menu keymap to implement it. To make the contents vary, add
1546 a hook function to @code{menu-bar-update-hook} to update the contents of
1547 the menu keymap as necessary.
1548
1549 @node Dialog Boxes
1550 @section Dialog Boxes
1551 @cindex dialog boxes
1552
1553 A dialog box is a variant of a pop-up menu---it looks a little
1554 different, it always appears in the center of a frame, and it has just
1555 one level and one or more buttons. The main use of dialog boxes is
1556 for asking questions that the user can answer with ``yes,'' ``no,''
1557 and a few other alternatives. With a single button, they can also
1558 force the user to acknowledge important information. The functions
1559 @code{y-or-n-p} and @code{yes-or-no-p} use dialog boxes instead of the
1560 keyboard, when called from commands invoked by mouse clicks.
1561
1562 @defun x-popup-dialog position contents &optional header
1563 This function displays a pop-up dialog box and returns an indication of
1564 what selection the user makes. The argument @var{contents} specifies
1565 the alternatives to offer; it has this format:
1566
1567 @example
1568 (@var{title} (@var{string} . @var{value})@dots{})
1569 @end example
1570
1571 @noindent
1572 which looks like the list that specifies a single pane for
1573 @code{x-popup-menu}.
1574
1575 The return value is @var{value} from the chosen alternative.
1576
1577 As for @code{x-popup-menu}, an element of the list may be just a
1578 string instead of a cons cell @code{(@var{string} . @var{value})}.
1579 That makes a box that cannot be selected.
1580
1581 If @code{nil} appears in the list, it separates the left-hand items from
1582 the right-hand items; items that precede the @code{nil} appear on the
1583 left, and items that follow the @code{nil} appear on the right. If you
1584 don't include a @code{nil} in the list, then approximately half the
1585 items appear on each side.
1586
1587 Dialog boxes always appear in the center of a frame; the argument
1588 @var{position} specifies which frame. The possible values are as in
1589 @code{x-popup-menu}, but the precise coordinates or the individual
1590 window don't matter; only the frame matters.
1591
1592 If @var{header} is non-@code{nil}, the frame title for the box is
1593 @samp{Information}, otherwise it is @samp{Question}. The former is used
1594 for @code{message-box} (@pxref{message-box}).
1595
1596 In some configurations, Emacs cannot display a real dialog box; so
1597 instead it displays the same items in a pop-up menu in the center of the
1598 frame.
1599
1600 If the user gets rid of the dialog box without making a valid choice,
1601 for instance using the window manager, then this produces a quit and
1602 @code{x-popup-dialog} does not return.
1603 @end defun
1604
1605 @node Pointer Shape
1606 @section Pointer Shape
1607 @cindex pointer shape
1608 @cindex mouse pointer shape
1609
1610 You can specify the mouse pointer style for particular text or
1611 images using the @code{pointer} text property, and for images with the
1612 @code{:pointer} and @code{:map} image properties. The values you can
1613 use in these properties are @code{text} (or @code{nil}), @code{arrow},
1614 @code{hand}, @code{vdrag}, @code{hdrag}, @code{modeline}, and
1615 @code{hourglass}. @code{text} stands for the usual mouse pointer
1616 style used over text.
1617
1618 Over void parts of the window (parts that do not correspond to any
1619 of the buffer contents), the mouse pointer usually uses the
1620 @code{arrow} style, but you can specify a different style (one of
1621 those above) by setting @code{void-text-area-pointer}.
1622
1623 @defvar void-text-area-pointer
1624 This variable specifies the mouse pointer style for void text areas.
1625 These include the areas after the end of a line or below the last line
1626 in the buffer. The default is to use the @code{arrow} (non-text)
1627 pointer style.
1628 @end defvar
1629
1630 You can specify what the @code{text} pointer style really looks like
1631 by setting the variable @code{x-pointer-shape}.
1632
1633 @defvar x-pointer-shape
1634 This variable specifies the pointer shape to use ordinarily in the
1635 Emacs frame, for the @code{text} pointer style.
1636 @end defvar
1637
1638 @defvar x-sensitive-text-pointer-shape
1639 This variable specifies the pointer shape to use when the mouse
1640 is over mouse-sensitive text.
1641 @end defvar
1642
1643 These variables affect newly created frames. They do not normally
1644 affect existing frames; however, if you set the mouse color of a
1645 frame, that also installs the current value of those two variables.
1646 @xref{Color Parameters}.
1647
1648 The values you can use, to specify either of these pointer shapes, are
1649 defined in the file @file{lisp/term/x-win.el}. Use @kbd{M-x apropos
1650 @key{RET} x-pointer @key{RET}} to see a list of them.
1651
1652 @node Window System Selections
1653 @section Window System Selections
1654 @cindex selection (for window systems)
1655
1656 The X server records a set of @dfn{selections} which permit transfer of
1657 data between application programs. The various selections are
1658 distinguished by @dfn{selection types}, represented in Emacs by
1659 symbols. X clients including Emacs can read or set the selection for
1660 any given type.
1661
1662 @deffn Command x-set-selection type data
1663 This function sets a ``selection'' in the X server. It takes two
1664 arguments: a selection type @var{type}, and the value to assign to it,
1665 @var{data}. If @var{data} is @code{nil}, it means to clear out the
1666 selection. Otherwise, @var{data} may be a string, a symbol, an integer
1667 (or a cons of two integers or list of two integers), an overlay, or a
1668 cons of two markers pointing to the same buffer. An overlay or a pair
1669 of markers stands for text in the overlay or between the markers.
1670
1671 The argument @var{data} may also be a vector of valid non-vector
1672 selection values.
1673
1674 Each possible @var{type} has its own selection value, which changes
1675 independently. The usual values of @var{type} are @code{PRIMARY},
1676 @code{SECONDARY} and @code{CLIPBOARD}; these are symbols with upper-case
1677 names, in accord with X Window System conventions. If @var{type} is
1678 @code{nil}, that stands for @code{PRIMARY}.
1679
1680 This function returns @var{data}.
1681 @end deffn
1682
1683 @defun x-get-selection &optional type data-type
1684 This function accesses selections set up by Emacs or by other X
1685 clients. It takes two optional arguments, @var{type} and
1686 @var{data-type}. The default for @var{type}, the selection type, is
1687 @code{PRIMARY}.
1688
1689 The @var{data-type} argument specifies the form of data conversion to
1690 use, to convert the raw data obtained from another X client into Lisp
1691 data. Meaningful values include @code{TEXT}, @code{STRING},
1692 @code{UTF8_STRING}, @code{TARGETS}, @code{LENGTH}, @code{DELETE},
1693 @code{FILE_NAME}, @code{CHARACTER_POSITION}, @code{NAME},
1694 @code{LINE_NUMBER}, @code{COLUMN_NUMBER}, @code{OWNER_OS},
1695 @code{HOST_NAME}, @code{USER}, @code{CLASS}, @code{ATOM}, and
1696 @code{INTEGER}. (These are symbols with upper-case names in accord
1697 with X conventions.) The default for @var{data-type} is
1698 @code{STRING}.
1699 @end defun
1700
1701 @cindex cut buffer
1702 The X server also has a set of eight numbered @dfn{cut buffers} which can
1703 store text or other data being moved between applications. Cut buffers
1704 are considered obsolete, but Emacs supports them for the sake of X
1705 clients that still use them. Cut buffers are numbered from 0 to 7.
1706
1707 @defun x-get-cut-buffer &optional n
1708 This function returns the contents of cut buffer number @var{n}.
1709 If omitted @var{n} defaults to 0.
1710 @end defun
1711
1712 @defun x-set-cut-buffer string &optional push
1713 @anchor{Definition of x-set-cut-buffer}
1714 This function stores @var{string} into the first cut buffer (cut buffer
1715 0). If @var{push} is @code{nil}, only the first cut buffer is changed.
1716 If @var{push} is non-@code{nil}, that says to move the values down
1717 through the series of cut buffers, much like the way successive kills in
1718 Emacs move down the kill ring. In other words, the previous value of
1719 the first cut buffer moves into the second cut buffer, and the second to
1720 the third, and so on through all eight cut buffers.
1721 @end defun
1722
1723 @defvar selection-coding-system
1724 This variable specifies the coding system to use when reading and
1725 writing selections or the clipboard. @xref{Coding
1726 Systems}. The default is @code{compound-text-with-extensions}, which
1727 converts to the text representation that X11 normally uses.
1728 @end defvar
1729
1730 @cindex clipboard support (for MS-Windows)
1731 When Emacs runs on MS-Windows, it does not implement X selections in
1732 general, but it does support the clipboard. @code{x-get-selection}
1733 and @code{x-set-selection} on MS-Windows support the text data type
1734 only; if the clipboard holds other types of data, Emacs treats the
1735 clipboard as empty.
1736
1737 @cindex scrap support (for Mac OS)
1738 On Mac OS, selection-like data transfer between applications is
1739 performed through a mechanism called @dfn{scraps}. The clipboard is a
1740 particular scrap named @code{com.apple.scrap.clipboard}. Types of scrap
1741 data are called @dfn{scrap flavor types}, which are identified by
1742 four-char codes such as @code{TEXT}. Emacs associates a selection with
1743 a scrap, and a selection type with a scrap flavor type via
1744 @code{mac-scrap-name} and @code{mac-ostype} properties, respectively.
1745
1746 @example
1747 (get 'CLIPBOARD 'mac-scrap-name)
1748 @result{} "com.apple.scrap.clipboard"
1749 (get 'com.apple.traditional-mac-plain-text 'mac-ostype)
1750 @result{} "TEXT"
1751 @end example
1752
1753 Conventionally, selection types for scrap flavor types on Mac OS have
1754 the form of @acronym{UTI, Uniform Type Identifier} such as
1755 @code{com.apple.traditional-mac-plain-text},
1756 @code{public.utf16-plain-text}, and @code{public.file-url}.
1757
1758 @defopt x-select-enable-clipboard
1759 If this is non-@code{nil}, the Emacs yank functions consult the
1760 clipboard before the primary selection, and the kill functions store in
1761 the clipboard as well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not
1762 access the clipboard at all. The default is @code{nil} on most systems,
1763 but @code{t} on MS-Windows and Mac.
1764 @end defopt
1765
1766 @node Drag and Drop
1767 @section Drag and Drop
1768
1769 @vindex x-dnd-test-function
1770 @vindex x-dnd-known-types
1771 When a user drags something from another application over Emacs, that other
1772 application expects Emacs to tell it if Emacs can handle the data that is
1773 dragged. The variable @code{x-dnd-test-function} is used by Emacs to determine
1774 what to reply. The default value is @code{x-dnd-default-test-function}
1775 which accepts drops if the type of the data to be dropped is present in
1776 @code{x-dnd-known-types}. You can customize @code{x-dnd-test-function} and/or
1777 @code{x-dnd-known-types} if you want Emacs to accept or reject drops based
1778 on some other criteria.
1779
1780 @vindex x-dnd-types-alist
1781 If you want to change the way Emacs handles drop of different types
1782 or add a new type, customize @code{x-dnd-types-alist}. This requires
1783 detailed knowledge of what types other applications use for drag and
1784 drop.
1785
1786 @vindex dnd-protocol-alist
1787 When an URL is dropped on Emacs it may be a file, but it may also be
1788 another URL type (ftp, http, etc.). Emacs first checks
1789 @code{dnd-protocol-alist} to determine what to do with the URL. If
1790 there is no match there and if @code{browse-url-browser-function} is
1791 an alist, Emacs looks for a match there. If no match is found the
1792 text for the URL is inserted. If you want to alter Emacs behavior,
1793 you can customize these variables.
1794
1795 @node Color Names
1796 @section Color Names
1797
1798 @cindex color names
1799 @cindex specify color
1800 @cindex numerical RGB color specification
1801 A color name is text (usually in a string) that specifies a color.
1802 Symbolic names such as @samp{black}, @samp{white}, @samp{red}, etc.,
1803 are allowed; use @kbd{M-x list-colors-display} to see a list of
1804 defined names. You can also specify colors numerically in forms such
1805 as @samp{#@var{rgb}} and @samp{RGB:@var{r}/@var{g}/@var{b}}, where
1806 @var{r} specifies the red level, @var{g} specifies the green level,
1807 and @var{b} specifies the blue level. You can use either one, two,
1808 three, or four hex digits for @var{r}; then you must use the same
1809 number of hex digits for all @var{g} and @var{b} as well, making
1810 either 3, 6, 9 or 12 hex digits in all. (See the documentation of the
1811 X Window System for more details about numerical RGB specification of
1812 colors.)
1813
1814 These functions provide a way to determine which color names are
1815 valid, and what they look like. In some cases, the value depends on the
1816 @dfn{selected frame}, as described below; see @ref{Input Focus}, for the
1817 meaning of the term ``selected frame.''
1818
1819 @defun color-defined-p color &optional frame
1820 This function reports whether a color name is meaningful. It returns
1821 @code{t} if so; otherwise, @code{nil}. The argument @var{frame} says
1822 which frame's display to ask about; if @var{frame} is omitted or
1823 @code{nil}, the selected frame is used.
1824
1825 Note that this does not tell you whether the display you are using
1826 really supports that color. When using X, you can ask for any defined
1827 color on any kind of display, and you will get some result---typically,
1828 the closest it can do. To determine whether a frame can really display
1829 a certain color, use @code{color-supported-p} (see below).
1830
1831 @findex x-color-defined-p
1832 This function used to be called @code{x-color-defined-p},
1833 and that name is still supported as an alias.
1834 @end defun
1835
1836 @defun defined-colors &optional frame
1837 This function returns a list of the color names that are defined
1838 and supported on frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
1839 If @var{frame} does not support colors, the value is @code{nil}.
1840
1841 @findex x-defined-colors
1842 This function used to be called @code{x-defined-colors},
1843 and that name is still supported as an alias.
1844 @end defun
1845
1846 @defun color-supported-p color &optional frame background-p
1847 This returns @code{t} if @var{frame} can really display the color
1848 @var{color} (or at least something close to it). If @var{frame} is
1849 omitted or @code{nil}, the question applies to the selected frame.
1850
1851 Some terminals support a different set of colors for foreground and
1852 background. If @var{background-p} is non-@code{nil}, that means you are
1853 asking whether @var{color} can be used as a background; otherwise you
1854 are asking whether it can be used as a foreground.
1855
1856 The argument @var{color} must be a valid color name.
1857 @end defun
1858
1859 @defun color-gray-p color &optional frame
1860 This returns @code{t} if @var{color} is a shade of gray, as defined on
1861 @var{frame}'s display. If @var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, the
1862 question applies to the selected frame. If @var{color} is not a valid
1863 color name, this function returns @code{nil}.
1864 @end defun
1865
1866 @defun color-values color &optional frame
1867 @cindex rgb value
1868 This function returns a value that describes what @var{color} should
1869 ideally look like on @var{frame}. If @var{color} is defined, the
1870 value is a list of three integers, which give the amount of red, the
1871 amount of green, and the amount of blue. Each integer ranges in
1872 principle from 0 to 65535, but some displays may not use the full
1873 range. This three-element list is called the @dfn{rgb values} of the
1874 color.
1875
1876 If @var{color} is not defined, the value is @code{nil}.
1877
1878 @example
1879 (color-values "black")
1880 @result{} (0 0 0)
1881 (color-values "white")
1882 @result{} (65280 65280 65280)
1883 (color-values "red")
1884 @result{} (65280 0 0)
1885 (color-values "pink")
1886 @result{} (65280 49152 51968)
1887 (color-values "hungry")
1888 @result{} nil
1889 @end example
1890
1891 The color values are returned for @var{frame}'s display. If
1892 @var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, the information is returned for
1893 the selected frame's display. If the frame cannot display colors, the
1894 value is @code{nil}.
1895
1896 @findex x-color-values
1897 This function used to be called @code{x-color-values},
1898 and that name is still supported as an alias.
1899 @end defun
1900
1901 @node Text Terminal Colors
1902 @section Text Terminal Colors
1903 @cindex colors on text-only terminals
1904
1905 Text-only terminals usually support only a small number of colors,
1906 and the computer uses small integers to select colors on the terminal.
1907 This means that the computer cannot reliably tell what the selected
1908 color looks like; instead, you have to inform your application which
1909 small integers correspond to which colors. However, Emacs does know
1910 the standard set of colors and will try to use them automatically.
1911
1912 The functions described in this section control how terminal colors
1913 are used by Emacs.
1914
1915 Several of these functions use or return @dfn{rgb values}, described
1916 in @ref{Color Names}.
1917
1918 These functions accept a display (either a frame or the name of a
1919 terminal) as an optional argument. We hope in the future to make Emacs
1920 support more than one text-only terminal at one time; then this argument
1921 will specify which terminal to operate on (the default being the
1922 selected frame's terminal; @pxref{Input Focus}). At present, though,
1923 the @var{frame} argument has no effect.
1924
1925 @defun tty-color-define name number &optional rgb frame
1926 This function associates the color name @var{name} with
1927 color number @var{number} on the terminal.
1928
1929 The optional argument @var{rgb}, if specified, is an rgb value, a list
1930 of three numbers that specify what the color actually looks like.
1931 If you do not specify @var{rgb}, then this color cannot be used by
1932 @code{tty-color-approximate} to approximate other colors, because
1933 Emacs will not know what it looks like.
1934 @end defun
1935
1936 @defun tty-color-clear &optional frame
1937 This function clears the table of defined colors for a text-only terminal.
1938 @end defun
1939
1940 @defun tty-color-alist &optional frame
1941 This function returns an alist recording the known colors supported by a
1942 text-only terminal.
1943
1944 Each element has the form @code{(@var{name} @var{number} . @var{rgb})}
1945 or @code{(@var{name} @var{number})}. Here, @var{name} is the color
1946 name, @var{number} is the number used to specify it to the terminal.
1947 If present, @var{rgb} is a list of three color values (for red, green,
1948 and blue) that says what the color actually looks like.
1949 @end defun
1950
1951 @defun tty-color-approximate rgb &optional frame
1952 This function finds the closest color, among the known colors
1953 supported for @var{display}, to that described by the rgb value
1954 @var{rgb} (a list of color values). The return value is an element of
1955 @code{tty-color-alist}.
1956 @end defun
1957
1958 @defun tty-color-translate color &optional frame
1959 This function finds the closest color to @var{color} among the known
1960 colors supported for @var{display} and returns its index (an integer).
1961 If the name @var{color} is not defined, the value is @code{nil}.
1962 @end defun
1963
1964 @node Resources
1965 @section X Resources
1966
1967 @defun x-get-resource attribute class &optional component subclass
1968 The function @code{x-get-resource} retrieves a resource value from the X
1969 Window defaults database.
1970
1971 Resources are indexed by a combination of a @dfn{key} and a @dfn{class}.
1972 This function searches using a key of the form
1973 @samp{@var{instance}.@var{attribute}} (where @var{instance} is the name
1974 under which Emacs was invoked), and using @samp{Emacs.@var{class}} as
1975 the class.
1976
1977 The optional arguments @var{component} and @var{subclass} add to the key
1978 and the class, respectively. You must specify both of them or neither.
1979 If you specify them, the key is
1980 @samp{@var{instance}.@var{component}.@var{attribute}}, and the class is
1981 @samp{Emacs.@var{class}.@var{subclass}}.
1982 @end defun
1983
1984 @defvar x-resource-class
1985 This variable specifies the application name that @code{x-get-resource}
1986 should look up. The default value is @code{"Emacs"}. You can examine X
1987 resources for application names other than ``Emacs'' by binding this
1988 variable to some other string, around a call to @code{x-get-resource}.
1989 @end defvar
1990
1991 @defvar x-resource-name
1992 This variable specifies the instance name that @code{x-get-resource}
1993 should look up. The default value is the name Emacs was invoked with,
1994 or the value specified with the @samp{-name} or @samp{-rn} switches.
1995 @end defvar
1996
1997 To illustrate some of the above, suppose that you have the line:
1998
1999 @example
2000 xterm.vt100.background: yellow
2001 @end example
2002
2003 @noindent
2004 in your X resources file (whose name is usually @file{~/.Xdefaults}
2005 or @file{~/.Xresources}). Then:
2006
2007 @example
2008 @group
2009 (let ((x-resource-class "XTerm") (x-resource-name "xterm"))
2010 (x-get-resource "vt100.background" "VT100.Background"))
2011 @result{} "yellow"
2012 @end group
2013 @group
2014 (let ((x-resource-class "XTerm") (x-resource-name "xterm"))
2015 (x-get-resource "background" "VT100" "vt100" "Background"))
2016 @result{} "yellow"
2017 @end group
2018 @end example
2019
2020 @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
2021
2022 @node Display Feature Testing
2023 @section Display Feature Testing
2024 @cindex display feature testing
2025
2026 The functions in this section describe the basic capabilities of a
2027 particular display. Lisp programs can use them to adapt their behavior
2028 to what the display can do. For example, a program that ordinarily uses
2029 a popup menu could use the minibuffer if popup menus are not supported.
2030
2031 The optional argument @var{display} in these functions specifies which
2032 display to ask the question about. It can be a display name, a frame
2033 (which designates the display that frame is on), or @code{nil} (which
2034 refers to the selected frame's display, @pxref{Input Focus}).
2035
2036 @xref{Color Names}, @ref{Text Terminal Colors}, for other functions to
2037 obtain information about displays.
2038
2039 @defun display-popup-menus-p &optional display
2040 This function returns @code{t} if popup menus are supported on
2041 @var{display}, @code{nil} if not. Support for popup menus requires that
2042 the mouse be available, since the user cannot choose menu items without
2043 a mouse.
2044 @end defun
2045
2046 @defun display-graphic-p &optional display
2047 This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} is a graphic display
2048 capable of displaying several frames and several different fonts at
2049 once. This is true for displays that use a window system such as X, and
2050 false for text-only terminals.
2051 @end defun
2052
2053 @defun display-mouse-p &optional display
2054 @cindex mouse, availability
2055 This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} has a mouse available,
2056 @code{nil} if not.
2057 @end defun
2058
2059 @defun display-color-p &optional display
2060 @findex x-display-color-p
2061 This function returns @code{t} if the screen is a color screen.
2062 It used to be called @code{x-display-color-p}, and that name
2063 is still supported as an alias.
2064 @end defun
2065
2066 @defun display-grayscale-p &optional display
2067 This function returns @code{t} if the screen can display shades of gray.
2068 (All color displays can do this.)
2069 @end defun
2070
2071 @defun display-supports-face-attributes-p attributes &optional display
2072 @anchor{Display Face Attribute Testing}
2073 This function returns non-@code{nil} if all the face attributes in
2074 @var{attributes} are supported (@pxref{Face Attributes}).
2075
2076 The definition of `supported' is somewhat heuristic, but basically
2077 means that a face containing all the attributes in @var{attributes},
2078 when merged with the default face for display, can be represented in a
2079 way that's
2080
2081 @enumerate
2082 @item
2083 different in appearance than the default face, and
2084
2085 @item
2086 `close in spirit' to what the attributes specify, if not exact.
2087 @end enumerate
2088
2089 Point (2) implies that a @code{:weight black} attribute will be
2090 satisfied by any display that can display bold, as will
2091 @code{:foreground "yellow"} as long as some yellowish color can be
2092 displayed, but @code{:slant italic} will @emph{not} be satisfied by
2093 the tty display code's automatic substitution of a `dim' face for
2094 italic.
2095 @end defun
2096
2097 @defun display-selections-p &optional display
2098 This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} supports selections.
2099 Windowed displays normally support selections, but they may also be
2100 supported in some other cases.
2101 @end defun
2102
2103 @defun display-images-p &optional display
2104 This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} can display images.
2105 Windowed displays ought in principle to handle images, but some
2106 systems lack the support for that. On a display that does not support
2107 images, Emacs cannot display a tool bar.
2108 @end defun
2109
2110 @defun display-screens &optional display
2111 This function returns the number of screens associated with the display.
2112 @end defun
2113
2114 @defun display-pixel-height &optional display
2115 This function returns the height of the screen in pixels.
2116 On a character terminal, it gives the height in characters.
2117
2118 For graphical terminals, note that on ``multi-monitor'' setups this
2119 refers to the pixel width for all physical monitors associated with
2120 @var{display}. @xref{Multiple Displays}.
2121 @end defun
2122
2123 @defun display-pixel-width &optional display
2124 This function returns the width of the screen in pixels.
2125 On a character terminal, it gives the width in characters.
2126
2127 For graphical terminals, note that on ``multi-monitor'' setups this
2128 refers to the pixel width for all physical monitors associated with
2129 @var{display}. @xref{Multiple Displays}.
2130 @end defun
2131
2132 @defun display-mm-height &optional display
2133 This function returns the height of the screen in millimeters,
2134 or @code{nil} if Emacs cannot get that information.
2135 @end defun
2136
2137 @defun display-mm-width &optional display
2138 This function returns the width of the screen in millimeters,
2139 or @code{nil} if Emacs cannot get that information.
2140 @end defun
2141
2142 @defvar display-mm-dimensions-alist
2143 This variable allows the user to specify the dimensions of graphical
2144 displays returned by @code{display-mm-height} and
2145 @code{display-mm-width} in case the system provides incorrect values.
2146 @end defvar
2147
2148 @defun display-backing-store &optional display
2149 This function returns the backing store capability of the display.
2150 Backing store means recording the pixels of windows (and parts of
2151 windows) that are not exposed, so that when exposed they can be
2152 displayed very quickly.
2153
2154 Values can be the symbols @code{always}, @code{when-mapped}, or
2155 @code{not-useful}. The function can also return @code{nil}
2156 when the question is inapplicable to a certain kind of display.
2157 @end defun
2158
2159 @defun display-save-under &optional display
2160 This function returns non-@code{nil} if the display supports the
2161 SaveUnder feature. That feature is used by pop-up windows
2162 to save the pixels they obscure, so that they can pop down
2163 quickly.
2164 @end defun
2165
2166 @defun display-planes &optional display
2167 This function returns the number of planes the display supports.
2168 This is typically the number of bits per pixel.
2169 For a tty display, it is log to base two of the number of colors supported.
2170 @end defun
2171
2172 @defun display-visual-class &optional display
2173 This function returns the visual class for the screen. The value is one
2174 of the symbols @code{static-gray}, @code{gray-scale},
2175 @code{static-color}, @code{pseudo-color}, @code{true-color}, and
2176 @code{direct-color}.
2177 @end defun
2178
2179 @defun display-color-cells &optional display
2180 This function returns the number of color cells the screen supports.
2181 @end defun
2182
2183 These functions obtain additional information specifically
2184 about X displays.
2185
2186 @defun x-server-version &optional display
2187 This function returns the list of version numbers of the X server
2188 running the display. The value is a list of three integers: the major
2189 and minor version numbers of the X protocol, and the
2190 distributor-specific release number of the X server software itself.
2191 @end defun
2192
2193 @defun x-server-vendor &optional display
2194 This function returns the ``vendor'' that provided the X server
2195 software (as a string). Really this means whoever distributes the X
2196 server.
2197
2198 When the developers of X labelled software distributors as
2199 ``vendors,'' they showed their false assumption that no system could
2200 ever be developed and distributed noncommercially.
2201 @end defun
2202
2203 @ignore
2204 @defvar x-no-window-manager
2205 This variable's value is @code{t} if no X window manager is in use.
2206 @end defvar
2207 @end ignore
2208
2209 @ignore
2210 @item
2211 The functions @code{x-pixel-width} and @code{x-pixel-height} return the
2212 width and height of an X Window frame, measured in pixels.
2213 @end ignore
2214
2215 @ignore
2216 arch-tag: 94977df6-3dca-4730-b57b-c6329e9282ba
2217 @end ignore