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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 Mouse}, for more information.
31
32 @menu
33 * Mouse Commands:: Moving, cutting, and pasting, with the mouse.
34 * Secondary Selection:: Cutting without altering point and mark.
35 * Clipboard:: Using the clipboard for selections.
36 * Mouse References:: Using the mouse to select an item from a list.
37 * Menu Mouse Clicks:: Mouse clicks that bring up menus.
38 * Mode Line Mouse:: Mouse clicks on the mode line.
39 * Creating Frames:: Creating additional Emacs frames with various contents.
40 * Frame Commands:: Iconifying, deleting, and switching frames.
41 * Speedbar:: How to make and use a speedbar frame.
42 * Multiple Displays:: How one Emacs job can talk to several displays.
43 * Special Buffer Frames:: You can make certain buffers have their own frames.
44 * Frame Parameters:: Changing the colors and other modes of frames.
45 * Scroll Bars:: How to enable and disable scroll bars; how to use them.
46 * Wheeled Mice:: Using mouse wheels for scrolling.
47 * Drag and Drop:: Using drag and drop to open files and insert text.
48 * Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
49 * Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
50 * Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
51 * Tooltips:: Showing "tooltips", AKA "balloon help" for active text.
52 * Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
53 * Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
54 * XTerm Mouse:: Using the mouse in an XTerm terminal emulator.
55 @end menu
56
57 @node Mouse Commands
58 @section Mouse Commands for Editing
59 @cindex mouse buttons (what they do)
60
61 The mouse commands for selecting and copying a region are mostly
62 compatible with the @code{xterm} program. You can use the same mouse
63 commands for copying between Emacs and other window-based programs.
64 Most of these commands also work in Emacs when you run it under an
65 @code{xterm} terminal.
66
67 @kindex DELETE @r{(and mouse selection)}
68 If you select a region with any of these mouse commands, and then
69 immediately afterward type the @key{DELETE} function key, it deletes the
70 region that you selected. The @key{BACKSPACE} function key and the
71 @acronym{ASCII} character @key{DEL} do not do this; if you type any other key
72 in between the mouse command and @key{DELETE}, it does not do this.
73
74 @findex mouse-set-region
75 @findex mouse-set-point
76 @findex mouse-yank-at-click
77 @findex mouse-save-then-click
78 @kindex Mouse-1
79 @kindex Mouse-2
80 @kindex Mouse-3
81 @table @kbd
82 @item Mouse-1
83 Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
84 This is normally the left button.
85
86 @vindex x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position
87 Normally, Emacs does not distinguish between ordinary mouse clicks and
88 clicks that select a frame. When you click on a frame to select it,
89 that also changes the selected window and cursor position according to
90 the mouse click position. On the X window system, you can change this
91 behavior by setting the variable
92 @code{x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position} to @code{t}. Then the
93 first click selects the frame, but does not affect the selected window
94 or cursor position. If you click again in the same place, since that
95 click will be in the selected frame, it will change the window or
96 cursor position.
97
98 @item Drag-Mouse-1
99 Set the region to the text you select by dragging, and copy it to the
100 kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}). You can specify both ends of the
101 region with this single command.
102
103 @vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
104 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
105 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
106 back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
107 entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
108 on how far away from the window edge the mouse has gone; the variable
109 @code{mouse-scroll-min-lines} specifies a minimum step size.
110
111 @vindex mouse-drag-copy-region
112 If the variable @code{mouse-drag-copy-region} is @code{nil}, this
113 mouse command does not copy the selected region into the kill ring.
114
115 @item Mouse-2
116 Yank the last killed text, where you click (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
117 This is normally the middle button.
118
119 @item Mouse-3
120 This command, @code{mouse-save-then-kill}, has several functions
121 depending on where you click and the status of the region.
122
123 The most basic case is when you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in one place and
124 then @kbd{Mouse-3} in another. This selects the text between those two
125 positions as the region. It also copies the new region to the kill
126 ring, so that you can copy it to someplace else.
127
128 If you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in the text, scroll with the scroll bar, and
129 then click @kbd{Mouse-3}, it remembers where point was before scrolling
130 (where you put it with @kbd{Mouse-1}), and uses that position as the
131 other end of the region. This is so that you can select a region that
132 doesn't fit entirely on the screen.
133
134 More generally, if you do not have a highlighted region, @kbd{Mouse-3}
135 selects the text between point and the click position as the region. It
136 does this by setting the mark where point was, and moving point to where
137 you click.
138
139 If you have a highlighted region, or if the region was set just before
140 by dragging button 1, @kbd{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end of the region
141 by moving it to where you click. The adjusted region's text also
142 replaces the old region's text in the kill ring.
143
144 If you originally specified the region using a double or triple
145 @kbd{Mouse-1}, so that the region is defined to consist of entire words
146 or lines, then adjusting the region with @kbd{Mouse-3} also proceeds by
147 entire words or lines.
148
149 If you use @kbd{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same place,
150 that kills the region already selected.
151
152 @item Double-Mouse-1
153 This key sets the region around the word which you click on. If you
154 click on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as underscore, in C
155 mode), it sets the region around the symbol surrounding that character.
156
157 If you click on a character with open-parenthesis or close-parenthesis
158 syntax, it sets the region around the parenthetical grouping
159 which that character starts or ends. If you click on a character with
160 string-delimiter syntax (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C), it
161 sets the region around the string constant (using heuristics to figure
162 out whether that character is the beginning or the end of it).
163
164 @item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
165 This key selects a region made up of the words you drag across.
166
167 @item Triple-Mouse-1
168 This key sets the region around the line you click on.
169
170 @item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
171 This key selects a region made up of the lines you drag across.
172 @end table
173
174 The simplest way to kill text with the mouse is to press @kbd{Mouse-1}
175 at one end, then press @kbd{Mouse-3} twice at the other end.
176 @xref{Killing}. To copy the text into the kill ring without deleting it
177 from the buffer, press @kbd{Mouse-3} just once---or just drag across the
178 text with @kbd{Mouse-1}. Then you can copy it elsewhere by yanking it.
179
180 @vindex mouse-yank-at-point
181 To yank the killed or copied text somewhere else, move the mouse there
182 and press @kbd{Mouse-2}. @xref{Yanking}. However, if
183 @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{Mouse-2} yanks at
184 point. Then it does not matter where you click, or even which of the
185 frame's windows you click on. The default value is @code{nil}. This
186 variable also affects yanking the secondary selection.
187
188 @cindex cutting and X
189 @cindex pasting and X
190 @cindex X cutting and pasting
191 To copy text to another X window, kill it or save it in the kill ring.
192 Under X, this also sets the @dfn{primary selection}. Then use the
193 ``paste'' or ``yank'' command of the program operating the other window
194 to insert the text from the selection.
195
196 To copy text from another X window, use the ``cut'' or ``copy''
197 command of the program operating the other window, to select the text
198 you want. Then yank it in Emacs with @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
199
200 The standard coding system for X selections is
201 @code{compound-text-with-extensions}. To specify another coding
202 system for X selections, use @kbd{C-x @key{RET} x} or @kbd{C-x
203 @key{RET} X}. @xref{Specify Coding}.
204
205 @cindex primary selection
206 @cindex cut buffer
207 @cindex selection, primary
208 @vindex x-cut-buffer-max
209 When Emacs puts text into the kill ring, or rotates text to the front
210 of the kill ring, it sets the @dfn{primary selection} in the X server.
211 This is how other X clients can access the text. Emacs also stores the
212 text in the cut buffer, but only if the text is short enough
213 (the value of @code{x-cut-buffer-max} specifies the maximum number of
214 characters); putting long strings in the cut buffer can be slow.
215
216 The commands to yank the first entry in the kill ring actually check
217 first for a primary selection in another program; after that, they check
218 for text in the cut buffer. If neither of those sources provides text
219 to yank, the kill ring contents are used.
220
221 @node Secondary Selection
222 @section Secondary Selection
223 @cindex secondary selection
224
225 The @dfn{secondary selection} is another way of selecting text using
226 X. It does not use point or the mark, so you can use it to kill text
227 without setting point or the mark.
228
229 @table @kbd
230 @findex mouse-set-secondary
231 @kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
232 @item M-Drag-Mouse-1
233 Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
234 down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
235 (@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The highlighting appears and changes as
236 you drag. You can control the appearance of the highlighting by
237 customizing the @code{secondary-selection} face (@pxref{Face
238 Customization}).
239
240 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
241 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
242 back into the window. This way, you can mark regions that don't fit
243 entirely on the screen.
244
245 This way of setting the secondary selection does not alter the kill ring.
246
247 @findex mouse-start-secondary
248 @kindex M-Mouse-1
249 @item M-Mouse-1
250 Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
251 (@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
252
253 @findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
254 @kindex M-Mouse-3
255 @item M-Mouse-3
256 Make a secondary selection, using the place specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
257 as the other end (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). This also
258 puts the selected text in the kill ring. A second click at the same
259 place kills the secondary selection just made.
260
261 @findex mouse-yank-secondary
262 @kindex M-Mouse-2
263 @item M-Mouse-2
264 Insert the secondary selection where you click
265 (@code{mouse-yank-secondary}). This places point at the end of the
266 yanked text.
267 @end table
268
269 Double or triple clicking of @kbd{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
270 lines, much like @kbd{Mouse-1}.
271
272 If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{M-Mouse-2}
273 yanks at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click; all
274 that matters is which window you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
275
276 @node Clipboard
277 @section Using the Clipboard
278 @cindex X clipboard
279 @cindex clipboard
280 @vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
281 @findex menu-bar-enable-clipboard
282 @cindex OpenWindows
283 @cindex Gnome
284
285 Apart from the primary and secondary selection types, X supports a
286 @dfn{clipboard} selection type which is used by some applications,
287 particularly under OpenWindows and Gnome.
288
289 The command @kbd{M-x menu-bar-enable-clipboard} makes the @code{Cut},
290 @code{Paste} and @code{Copy} menu items, as well as the keys of the same
291 names, all use the clipboard.
292
293 You can customize the variable @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to make
294 the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
295 selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
296 well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not access the
297 clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on MS-Windows,
298 unlike most systems.
299
300 @node Mouse References
301 @section Following References with the Mouse
302 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(selection)}
303 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
304
305 Some read-only Emacs buffers include references you can follow, or
306 commands you can activate. These include names of files, of buffers,
307 of possible completions, of matches for a pattern, as well as the
308 buttons in Help buffers and customization buffers. You can follow the
309 reference or activate the command by moving point to it and typing
310 @key{RET}. You can also do this with the mouse, using either
311 @kbd{Mouse-1} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
312
313 Since yanking text into a read-only buffer is not allowed, these
314 buffers generally define @kbd{Mouse-2} to follow a reference or
315 activate a command. For example, if you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a file
316 name in a Dired buffer, you visit that file. If you click
317 @kbd{Mouse-2} on an error message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer,
318 you go to the source code for that error message. If you click
319 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a completion in the @samp{*Completions*} buffer, you
320 choose that completion.
321
322 @vindex mouse-1-click-follows-link
323 However, most applications use @kbd{Mouse-1} to do this sort of
324 thing, so Emacs implements this too. If you click @kbd{Mouse-1}
325 quickly on a reference or button, it follows or activates. If you
326 click slowly, it moves point as usual. Dragging, meaning moving the
327 mouse while it is held down, also has its usual behavior of setting
328 the region. The variable @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link} controls
329 whether @kbd{Mouse-1} has this behavior.
330
331 @vindex mouse-1-click-follows-link
332 Normally, the @kbd{Mouse-1} click behavior is performed on links in
333 any window. The variable @code{mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows}
334 controls whether @kbd{Mouse-1} has this behavior even in non-selected
335 windows, or only in the selected window.
336
337 @vindex mouse-highlight
338 You can usually tell when @kbd{Mouse-1} and @kbd{Mouse-2} have this
339 special sort of meaning because the sensitive text highlights when you
340 move the mouse over it. The variable @code{mouse-highlight} controls
341 whether to do this highlighting always (even when such text appears
342 where the mouse already is), never, or only immediately after you move
343 the mouse.
344
345 @node Menu Mouse Clicks
346 @section Mouse Clicks for Menus
347
348 Mouse clicks modified with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} keys
349 bring up menus.
350
351 @table @kbd
352 @item C-Mouse-1
353 @kindex C-Mouse-1
354 This menu is for selecting a buffer.
355
356 The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
357 menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
358
359 @item C-Mouse-2
360 @kindex C-Mouse-2
361 This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
362 for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
363
364 @item C-Mouse-3
365 @kindex C-Mouse-3
366 This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on,
367 this menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus
368 put together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
369 button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
370 menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
371 @kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision
372 to use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu. To use @kbd{Mouse-3} instead,
373 do @code{(global-set-key [mouse-3] 'mouse-popup-menubar-stuff)}.} If
374 Menu-bar mode is off, this menu contains all the items which would be
375 present in the menu bar---not just the mode-specific ones---so that
376 you can access them without having to display the menu bar.
377
378 @item S-Mouse-1
379 This menu is for specifying the frame's principal font.
380 @end table
381
382 @node Mode Line Mouse
383 @section Mode Line Mouse Commands
384 @cindex mode line, mouse
385 @cindex mouse on mode line
386
387 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
388 windows.
389
390 @table @kbd
391 @item Mouse-1
392 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
393 @kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window it belongs to. By
394 dragging @kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus
395 changing the height of the windows above and below.
396
397 @item Mouse-2
398 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
399 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
400
401 @item Mouse-3
402 @kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
403 @kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window it belongs to. If the
404 frame has only one window, it buries the current buffer instead, and
405 switches to another buffer.
406
407 @item C-Mouse-2
408 @kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
409 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
410 horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
411 @end table
412
413 @kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
414 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
415 vertically. @xref{Split Window}.
416
417 The commands above apply to areas of the mode line which do not have
418 special mouse bindings of their own. Some areas, such as the buffer
419 name and the major mode name, have their own special mouse bindings.
420 Emacs displays information about these bindings when you hold the
421 mouse over such a place (@pxref{Tooltips}).
422
423 @node Creating Frames
424 @section Creating Frames
425 @cindex creating frames
426
427 @kindex C-x 5
428 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
429 subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
430 frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
431 Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
432 the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
433 raising or deiconifying as necessary.
434
435 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
436 buffer to select:
437
438 @table @kbd
439 @item C-x 5 2
440 @kindex C-x 5 2
441 @findex make-frame-command
442 Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
443 @item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
444 Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
445 @code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
446 @item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
447 Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
448 runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
449 @item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
450 Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
451 This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
452 @item C-x 5 m
453 Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
454 @code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
455 @xref{Sending Mail}.
456 @item C-x 5 .
457 Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
458 @code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
459 @xref{Tags}.
460 @item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
461 @kindex C-x 5 r
462 @findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
463 Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
464 frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
465 @xref{Visiting}.
466 @end table
467
468 @cindex default-frame-alist
469 @cindex initial-frame-alist
470 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
471 frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
472 variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
473 only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
474 Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
475
476 @cindex font (default)
477 The easiest way to specify the principal font for all your Emacs
478 frames is with an X resource (@pxref{Font X}), but you can also do it by
479 modifying @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the @code{font}
480 parameter, as shown here:
481
482 @example
483 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
484 @end example
485
486 @noindent
487 Here's a similar example for specifying a foreground color:
488
489 @example
490 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(background-color . "blue"))
491 @end example
492
493
494 @node Frame Commands
495 @section Frame Commands
496
497 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
498
499 @table @kbd
500 @item C-z
501 @kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
502 @findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
503 Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
504 The normal meaning of @kbd{C-z}, to suspend Emacs, is not useful under a
505 window system, so it has a different binding in that case.
506
507 If you type this command on an Emacs frame's icon, it deiconifies the frame.
508
509 @item C-x 5 0
510 @kindex C-x 5 0
511 @findex delete-frame
512 Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed if
513 there is only one frame.
514
515 @item C-x 5 o
516 @kindex C-x 5 o
517 @findex other-frame
518 Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it so that it
519 stays selected. If you repeat this command, it cycles through all the
520 frames on your terminal.
521
522 @item C-x 5 1
523 @kindex C-x 5 1
524 @findex delete-other-frames
525 Delete all frames except the selected one.
526 @end table
527
528 @vindex focus-follows-mouse
529 To make the command @kbd{C-x 5 o} work properly, you must tell Emacs
530 how the system (or the window manager) generally handles
531 focus-switching between windows. There are two possibilities: either
532 simply moving the mouse onto a window selects it (gives it focus), or
533 you have to click on it in a suitable way to do so. Unfortunately
534 there is no way Emacs can find out automatically which way the system
535 handles this, so you have to explicitly say, by setting the variable
536 @code{focus-follows-mouse}. If just moving the mouse onto a window
537 selects it, that variable should be @code{t}; if a click is necessary,
538 the variable should be @code{nil}.
539
540 @node Speedbar
541 @section Making and Using a Speedbar Frame
542 @cindex speedbar
543
544 An Emacs frame can have a @dfn{speedbar}, which is a vertical window
545 that serves as a scrollable menu of files you could visit and tags
546 within those files. To create a speedbar, type @kbd{M-x speedbar}; this
547 creates a speedbar window for the selected frame. From then on, you can
548 click on a file name in the speedbar to visit that file in the
549 corresponding Emacs frame, or click on a tag name to jump to that tag in
550 the Emacs frame.
551
552 Initially the speedbar lists the immediate contents of the current
553 directory, one file per line. Each line also has a box, @samp{[+]} or
554 @samp{<+>}, that you can click on with @kbd{Mouse-2} to ``open up'' the
555 contents of that item. If the line names a directory, opening it adds
556 the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
557 directory's own line. If the line lists an ordinary file, opening it up
558 adds a list of the tags in that file to the speedbar display. When a
559 file is opened up, the @samp{[+]} changes to @samp{[-]}; you can click
560 on that box to ``close up'' that file (hide its contents).
561
562 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
563 specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
564 select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
565 files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
566 clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
567
568 A speedbar belongs to one Emacs frame, and always operates on that
569 frame. If you use multiple frames, you can make a speedbar for some or
570 all of the frames; type @kbd{M-x speedbar} in any given frame to make a
571 speedbar for it.
572
573 @node Multiple Displays
574 @section Multiple Displays
575 @cindex multiple displays
576
577 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
578 uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
579 environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
580 Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
581 @code{make-frame-on-display}:
582
583 @findex make-frame-on-display
584 @table @kbd
585 @item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
586 Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
587 @end table
588
589 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
590 frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
591 single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
592 screens as a single stream of input.
593
594 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
595 input stream for each server. This way, two users can type
596 simultaneously on the two displays, and Emacs will not garble their
597 input. Each server also has its own selected frame. The commands you
598 enter with a particular X server apply to that server's selected frame.
599
600 Despite these features, people using the same Emacs job from different
601 displays can still interfere with each other if they are not careful.
602 For example, if any one types @kbd{C-x C-c}, that exits the Emacs job
603 for all of them!
604
605 @node Special Buffer Frames
606 @section Special Buffer Frames
607
608 @vindex special-display-buffer-names
609 You can make certain chosen buffers, for which Emacs normally creates
610 a second window when you have just one window, appear in special frames
611 of their own. To do this, set the variable
612 @code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list of buffer names; any
613 buffer whose name is in that list automatically gets a special frame,
614 when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in another window.''
615
616 For example, if you set the variable this way,
617
618 @example
619 (setq special-display-buffer-names
620 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
621 @end example
622
623 @noindent
624 then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
625 buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
626 windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
627 buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
628 unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
629 frame automatically.
630
631 @vindex special-display-regexps
632 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
633 of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
634 matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
635 to buffers that normally get displayed for you in a separate window.)
636
637 @vindex special-display-frame-alist
638 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
639 parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
640 to set it.
641
642 For those who know Lisp, an element of
643 @code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
644 can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
645 regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
646 frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter
647 values; these values take precedence over parameter values specified
648 in @code{special-display-frame-alist}. If you specify the symbol
649 @code{same-window} as a ``frame parameter'' in this list, with a
650 non-@code{nil} value, that means to use the selected window if
651 possible. If you use the symbol @code{same-frame} as a ``frame
652 parameter'' in this list, with a non-@code{nil} value, that means to
653 use the selected frame if possible.
654
655 Alternatively, the value can have this form:
656
657 @example
658 (@var{function} @var{args}...)
659 @end example
660
661 @noindent
662 where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
663 calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
664 remaining arguments are @var{args}.
665
666 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
667 displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
668 same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
669 therefore, if you add a buffer name to
670 @code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
671 whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
672
673 @node Frame Parameters
674 @section Setting Frame Parameters
675 @cindex Auto-Raise mode
676 @cindex Auto-Lower mode
677
678 This section describes commands for altering the display style and
679 window management behavior of the selected frame.
680
681 @findex set-foreground-color
682 @findex set-background-color
683 @findex set-cursor-color
684 @findex set-mouse-color
685 @findex set-border-color
686 @findex auto-raise-mode
687 @findex auto-lower-mode
688 @cindex colors
689 @table @kbd
690 @item M-x set-foreground-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
691 Specify color @var{color} for the foreground of the selected frame.
692 (This also changes the foreground color of the default face.) You can
693 specify @var{color} either by its symbolic name or by its RGB
694 numerical specification@footnote{
695 See the X Window System documentation for more details. On a typical
696 GNU or Unix system, the command @kbd{man 7 X} or @kbd{man -s 7 X} will
697 display the X manual page that explains how to specify colors.}.
698
699 @item M-x set-background-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
700 Specify color @var{color} for the background of the selected frame.
701 (This also changes the background color of the default face.)
702
703 @item M-x set-cursor-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
704 Specify color @var{color} for the cursor of the selected frame.
705
706 @item M-x set-mouse-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
707 Specify color @var{color} for the mouse cursor when it is over the
708 selected frame.
709
710 @item M-x set-border-color @key{RET} @var{color} @key{RET}
711 Specify color @var{color} for the border of the selected frame.
712
713 @item M-x list-colors-display
714 Display the defined color names and show what the colors look like.
715 This command is somewhat slow. @xref{Colors, list-colors-display,
716 Display available colors}.
717
718 @item M-x auto-raise-mode
719 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
720 means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
721 frame.
722
723 Note that this auto-raise feature is implemented by Emacs itself. Some
724 window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable auto-raise for
725 Emacs frames in your X window manager, it should work, but it is beyond
726 Emacs's control and therefore @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect on
727 it.
728
729 @item M-x auto-lower-mode
730 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
731 Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
732 the frame moves to the bottom of the stack of X windows.
733
734 The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
735 implemented by the X window manager. To control that, you must use
736 the appropriate window manager features.
737
738 @findex set-frame-font
739 @item M-x set-frame-font @key{RET} @var{font} @key{RET}
740 @cindex font (principal)
741 Specify font @var{font} as the principal font for the selected frame.
742 The principal font controls several face attributes of the
743 @code{default} face (@pxref{Faces}). For example, if the principal font
744 has a height of 12 pt, all text will be drawn in 12 pt fonts, unless you
745 use another face that specifies a different height. @xref{Font X}, for
746 ways to list the available fonts on your system.
747
748 @kindex S-Mouse-1
749 You can also set a frame's principal font through a pop-up menu.
750 Press @kbd{S-Mouse-1} to activate this menu.
751 @end table
752
753 In Emacs versions that use an X toolkit, the color-setting and
754 font-setting functions don't affect menus and the menu bar, since they
755 are displayed by their own widget classes. To change the appearance of
756 the menus and menu bar, you must use X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
757 @xref{Colors}, regarding colors. @xref{Font X}, regarding choice of
758 font.
759
760 Colors, fonts, and other attributes of the frame's display can also
761 be customized by setting frame parameters in the variable
762 @code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Creating Frames}). For a detailed
763 description of frame parameters and customization, see @ref{Frame
764 Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
765
766 @node Scroll Bars
767 @section Scroll Bars
768 @cindex Scroll Bar mode
769 @cindex mode, Scroll Bar
770
771 When using X, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at the left of
772 each Emacs window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is usually more
773 useful with overlapping frames with text starting at the left margin.}
774 The scroll bar runs the height of the window, and shows a moving
775 rectangular inner box which represents the portion of the buffer
776 currently displayed. The entire height of the scroll bar represents the
777 entire length of the buffer.
778
779 You can use @kbd{Mouse-2} (normally, the middle button) in the scroll
780 bar to move or drag the inner box up and down. If you move it to the
781 top of the scroll bar, you see the top of the buffer. If you move it to
782 the bottom of the scroll bar, you see the bottom of the buffer.
783
784 The left and right buttons in the scroll bar scroll by controlled
785 increments. @kbd{Mouse-1} (normally, the left button) moves the line at
786 the level where you click up to the top of the window. @kbd{Mouse-3}
787 (normally, the right button) moves the line at the top of the window
788 down to the level where you click. By clicking repeatedly in the same
789 place, you can scroll by the same distance over and over.
790
791 You can also click @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in the scroll bar to split a
792 window vertically. The split occurs on the line where you click.
793
794 @findex scroll-bar-mode
795 @vindex scroll-bar-mode
796 You can enable or disable Scroll Bar mode with the command @kbd{M-x
797 scroll-bar-mode}. With no argument, it toggles the use of scroll bars.
798 With an argument, it turns use of scroll bars on if and only if the
799 argument is positive. This command applies to all frames, including
800 frames yet to be created. Customize the variable @code{scroll-bar-mode}
801 to control the use of scroll bars at startup. You can use it to specify
802 that they are placed at the right of windows if you prefer that. You
803 have to set this variable through the @samp{Customize} interface
804 (@pxref{Easy Customization}). Otherwise, it will not work properly.
805 You can use the X resource @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control the
806 initial setting of Scroll Bar mode similarly. @xref{Resources}.
807
808 @findex toggle-scroll-bar
809 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
810 command @kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar}.
811
812 @vindex scroll-bar-width
813 @cindex width of the scroll bar
814 You can control the scroll bar width by changing the value of the
815 @code{scroll-bar-width} frame parameter.
816
817 @node Wheeled Mice
818 @section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
819
820 @cindex mouse wheel
821 @cindex wheel, mouse
822 @findex mouse-wheel-mode
823 @cindex Mouse Wheel minor mode
824 @cindex mode, Mouse Wheel
825 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can
826 usually click the wheel to act as either @kbd{Mouse-2} or
827 @kbd{Mouse-3}, depending on the setup. You can also use the wheel to
828 scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
829 Mouse wheel support only works if the system generates appropriate
830 events; whenever possible, it is turned on by default. To toggle this
831 feature, use @kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-mode}.
832
833 @vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
834 @vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
835 @vindex mouse-wheel-progressive-speed
836 The variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
837 @code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
838 buffers are scrolled. The variable
839 @code{mouse-wheel-progressive-speed} determines whether the the scroll
840 speed is linked to how fast you move the wheel.
841
842 @node Drag and Drop
843 @section Drag and Drop
844 @cindex drag and drop
845
846 Emacs supports @dfn{drag and drop} using the mouse. For instance,
847 dropping text onto an Emacs frame inserts the text where it is dropped.
848 Dropping a file onto an Emacs frame visits that file. As a special
849 case, dropping the file on a Dired buffer moves or copies the file
850 (according to the conventions of the application it came from) into the
851 directory displayed in that buffer.
852
853 @vindex x-dnd-open-file-other-window
854 Dropping a file normally visits it in the window you drop it on. If
855 you prefer to visit the file in a new window in such cases, customize
856 the variable @code{x-dnd-open-file-other-window}.
857
858 @ignore
859 @c ??? To Lisp manual
860 @vindex x-dnd-test-function
861 @vindex x-dnd-known-types
862 When a user drags something from another application over Emacs, that other
863 application expects Emacs to tell it if Emacs can handle the data that is
864 dragged. The variable @code{x-dnd-test-function} is used by Emacs to determine
865 what to reply. The default value is @code{x-dnd-default-test-function}
866 which accepts drops if the type of the data to be dropped is present in
867 @code{x-dnd-known-types}. You can customize @code{x-dnd-test-function} and/or
868 @code{x-dnd-known-types} if you want Emacs to accept or reject drops based
869 on some other criteria.
870
871 @vindex x-dnd-types-alist
872 If you want to change the way Emacs handles drop of different types
873 or add a new type, customize @code{x-dnd-types-alist}. This requires
874 detailed knowledge of what types other applications use for drag and
875 drop.
876
877 @vindex x-dnd-protocol-alist
878 When an URL is dropped on Emacs it may be a file, but it may also be
879 another URL type (ftp, http, etc.). Emacs first checks
880 @code{x-dnd-protocol-alist} to determine what to do with the URL. If
881 there is no match there and if @code{browse-url-browser-function} is
882 an alist, Emacs looks for a match there. If no match is found the
883 text for the URL is inserted. If you want to alter Emacs behavior,
884 you can customize these variables.
885 @end ignore
886
887 The drag and drop protocols XDND, Motif and the
888 old KDE 1.x protocol are currently supported.
889
890 @node Menu Bars
891 @section Menu Bars
892 @cindex Menu Bar mode
893 @cindex mode, Menu Bar
894
895 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
896 menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the variable @code{menu-bar-mode}.
897 With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
898 minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
899 argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
900 the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
901 Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
902
903 @kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
904 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
905 terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
906 If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
907 with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports pop-up menus.
908 @xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
909
910 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
911 menu bar. @xref{X Resources}, for how to customize the menu bar
912 menus.
913
914 @node Tool Bars
915 @section Tool Bars
916 @cindex Tool Bar mode
917 @cindex mode, Tool Bar
918 @cindex icons, toolbar
919
920 The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or lines) of icons at the top of the
921 Emacs window, just below the menu bar. You can click on these icons
922 with the mouse to do various jobs.
923
924 The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
925 define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
926 that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
927 global tool bar.
928
929 Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
930 XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
931 bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
932
933 You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
934 tool-bar-mode}.
935
936 @node Dialog Boxes
937 @section Using Dialog Boxes
938 @cindex dialog boxes
939
940 @vindex use-dialog-box
941 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
942 question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
943 dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
944 invoke the command to begin with.
945
946 You can customize the variable @code{use-dialog-box} to suppress the
947 use of dialog boxes. This also controls whether to use file selection
948 windows (but those are not supported on all platforms).
949
950 @vindex use-file-dialog
951 A file selection window is a special kind of dialog box for asking for
952 file names.
953
954 You can customize the variable @code{use-file-dialog} to suppress the
955 use of file selection windows even if you still want other kinds
956 of dialogs. This variable has no effect if you have suppressed all dialog
957 boxes with the variable @code{use-dialog-box}.
958
959 @vindex x-use-old-gtk-file-dialog
960 For Gtk+ version 2.4 and 2.6, you can make Emacs use the old file dialog
961 by setting the variable @code{x-use-old-gtk-file-dialog} to a non-@code{nil}
962 value. If Emacs is built with a Gtk+ version that has only one file dialog,
963 the setting of this variable has no effect.
964
965 @node Tooltips
966 @section Tooltips (or ``Balloon Help'')
967
968 @cindex balloon help
969 Tooltips are small X windows displaying a help string at the current
970 mouse position, typically over text---including the mode line---which
971 can be activated with the mouse or other keys. (This facility is
972 sometimes known as @dfn{balloon help}.) Help text may be available for
973 menu items too.
974
975 @findex tooltip-mode
976 You can toggle Tooltip mode with the command @kbd{M-x tooltip-mode}.
977 When Tooltip mode is disabled, the help text is displayed in the echo
978 area instead.
979
980 @vindex tooltip-delay
981 The variables @code{tooltip-delay} specifies how long Emacs should
982 wait before displaying a tooltip. For additional customization
983 options for displaying tooltips, use @kbd{M-x customize-group
984 @key{RET} tooltip @key{RET}}. @xref{X Resources}, for information on
985 customizing the windows that display tooltips.
986
987 @node Mouse Avoidance
988 @section Mouse Avoidance
989 @cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
990 @cindex mouse avoidance
991
992 @vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
993 Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the window system mouse pointer away from
994 point, to avoid obscuring text. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
995 raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the variable
996 @code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
997 move the mouse in several ways:
998
999 @table @code
1000 @item banish
1001 Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any key-press;
1002 @item exile
1003 Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
1004 and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
1005 @item jump
1006 If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
1007 a random distance & direction;
1008 @item animate
1009 As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
1010 @item cat-and-mouse
1011 The same as @code{animate};
1012 @item proteus
1013 As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
1014 @end table
1015
1016 @findex mouse-avoidance-mode
1017 You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
1018 the mode.
1019
1020 @node Non-Window Terminals
1021 @section Non-Window Terminals
1022 @cindex non-window terminals
1023 @cindex single-frame terminals
1024
1025 If your terminal does not have a window system that Emacs supports,
1026 then it can display only one Emacs frame at a time. However, you can
1027 still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch between them. Switching
1028 frames on these terminals is much like switching between different
1029 window configurations.
1030
1031 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
1032 5 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
1033 the current frame.
1034
1035 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
1036 display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
1037 appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
1038 @samp{F@var{n}}.
1039
1040 @findex set-frame-name
1041 @findex select-frame-by-name
1042 @samp{F@var{n}} is actually the frame's name. You can also specify a
1043 different name if you wish, and you can select a frame by its name. Use
1044 the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to
1045 specify a new name for the selected frame, and use @kbd{M-x
1046 select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}} to select a frame
1047 according to its name. The name you specify appears in the mode line
1048 when the frame is selected.
1049
1050 @node XTerm Mouse
1051 @section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
1052 @cindex xterm, mouse support
1053 @cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
1054
1055 Some terminal emulators under X support mouse clicks in the terminal
1056 window. In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
1057 you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to give Emacs control over
1058 simple use of the mouse---basically, only non-modified single clicks
1059 are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse functionality for such
1060 clicks is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key when you
1061 press the mouse button.
1062
1063 Xterm Mouse mode is a global minor mode (@pxref{Minor Modes}).
1064 Repeating the command turns the mode off again.
1065
1066 @ignore
1067 arch-tag: 7dcf3a31-a43b-45d4-a900-445b10d77e49
1068 @end ignore