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