@cindex invoking Emacs from Windows Explorer
@pindex emacsclient.exe
@pindex emacsclientw.exe
-Via the Emacs client program, @file{emacsclient.exe} or
-@file{emacsclientw.exe}. This allows to invoke Emacs from other
-programs, and to reuse a running Emacs process for serving editing
-jobs required by other programs. @xref{Emacs Server}. The difference
-between @file{emacsclient.exe} and @file{emacsclientw.exe} is that the
-former is a console program, while the latter is a Windows GUI
-program. Both programs wait for Emacs to signal that the editing job
-is finished, before they exit and return control to the program that
-invoked them. Which one of them to use in each case depends on the
-expectations of the program that needs editing services. If that
-program is itself a console (text-mode) program, you should use
-@file{emacsclient.exe}, so that any of its messages and prompts appear
-in the same command window as those of the invoking program. By
-contrast, if the invoking program is a GUI program, you will be better
-off using @file{emacsclientw.exe}, because @file{emacsclient.exe} will
-pop up a command window if it is invoked from a GUI program. A
-notable situation where you would want @file{emacsclientw.exe} is when
-you right-click on a file in the Windows Explorer and select ``Open
-With'' from the pop-up menu. Use the @samp{--alternate-editor=} or
-@samp{-a} options if Emacs might not be running (or not running as a
-server) when @command{emacsclient} is invoked---that will always give
-you an editor. When invoked via @command{emacsclient}, Emacs will
-start in the current directory of the program that invoked
-@command{emacsclient}.
+Via @file{emacsclient.exe} or @file{emacsclientw.exe}, which allow you
+to invoke Emacs from other programs, and to reuse a running Emacs
+process for serving editing jobs required by other programs.
+@xref{Emacs Server}. The difference between @file{emacsclient.exe}
+and @file{emacsclientw.exe} is that the former is a console program,
+while the latter is a Windows GUI program. Both programs wait for
+Emacs to signal that the editing job is finished, before they exit and
+return control to the program that invoked them. Which one of them to
+use in each case depends on the expectations of the program that needs
+editing services. If that program is itself a console (text-mode)
+program, you should use @file{emacsclient.exe}, so that any of its
+messages and prompts appear in the same command window as those of the
+invoking program. By contrast, if the invoking program is a GUI
+program, you will be better off using @file{emacsclientw.exe}, because
+@file{emacsclient.exe} will pop up a command window if it is invoked
+from a GUI program. A notable situation where you would want
+@file{emacsclientw.exe} is when you right-click on a file in the
+Windows Explorer and select ``Open With'' from the pop-up menu. Use
+the @samp{--alternate-editor=} or @samp{-a} options if Emacs might not
+be running (or not running as a server) when @command{emacsclient} is
+invoked---that will always give you an editor. When invoked via
+@command{emacsclient}, Emacs will start in the current directory of
+the program that invoked @command{emacsclient}.
@end enumerate
@node Text and Binary
The Windows equivalent of the @code{HOME} directory is the
@dfn{user-specific application data directory}. The actual location
-depends on your Windows version and system configuration; typical values
-are @file{C:\Documents and Settings\@var{username}\Application Data} on
-Windows 2K/XP and later, and either @file{C:\WINDOWS\Application Data}
-or @file{C:\WINDOWS\Profiles\@var{username}\Application Data} on the
-older Windows 9X/ME systems.
-
- @code{HOME} can also be set in the system registry, for details see
+depends on the Windows version; typical values are @file{C:\Documents
+and Settings\@var{username}\Application Data} on Windows 2K/XP/2K3,
+@file{C:\Users\@var{username}\AppData\Roaming} on Windows Vista/7/2K8,
+and either @file{C:\WINDOWS\Application Data} or
+@file{C:\WINDOWS\Profiles\@var{username}\Application Data} on the
+older Windows 9X/ME systems. If this directory does not exist or
+cannot be accessed, Emacs falls back to @file{C:\} as the default
+value of @code{HOME}.
+
+ You can override this default value of @code{HOME} by explicitly
+setting the environment variable @env{HOME} to point to any directory
+on your system. @env{HOME} can be set either from the command shell
+prompt or from the @samp{My Computer}s @samp{Properties} dialog.
+@code{HOME} can also be set in the system registry, for details see
@ref{MS-Windows Registry}.
-@cindex init file @file{.emacs} on MS-Windows
- The home directory is where your init file @file{.emacs} is stored.
-When Emacs starts, it first checks whether the environment variable
-@env{HOME} is set. If it is, it looks for the init file in the
-directory pointed by @env{HOME}. If @env{HOME} is not defined, Emacs
-checks for an existing @file{.emacs} file in @file{C:\}, the root
-directory of drive @file{C:}@footnote{
-The check in @file{C:\} is for compatibility with older versions of Emacs,
-which didn't check the application data directory.
-}. If there's no such file in @file{C:\}, Emacs next uses the Windows
-system calls to find out the exact location of your application data
-directory. If that system call fails, Emacs falls back to @file{C:\}.
-
- Whatever the final place is, Emacs sets the value of the @env{HOME}
-environment variable to point to it, and it will use that location for
-other files and directories it normally creates in the user's home
-directory.
+ For compatibility with older versions of Emacs@footnote{
+Older versions of Emacs didn't check the application data directory.
+}, if there is a file named @file{.emacs} in @file{C:\}, the root
+directory of drive @file{C:}, and @env{HOME} is set neither in the
+environment nor in the Registry, Emacs will treat @file{C:\} as the
+default @code{HOME} location, and will not look in the application
+data directory, even if it exists. Note that only @file{.emacs} is
+looked for in @file{C:\}; the older name @file{_emacs} (see below) is
+not. This use of @file{C:\.emacs} to define @code{HOME} is
+deprecated.
+
+ Whatever the final place is, Emacs sets the internal value of the
+@env{HOME} environment variable to point to it, and it will use that
+location for other files and directories it normally looks for or
+creates in the user's home directory.
You can always find out where Emacs thinks is your home directory's
location by typing @kbd{C-x d ~/ @key{RET}}. This should present the
list of files in the home directory, and show its full name on the
first line. Likewise, to visit your init file, type @kbd{C-x C-f
-~/.emacs @key{RET}}.
+~/.emacs @key{RET}} (assuming the file's name is @file{.emacs}).
+
+@cindex init file @file{.emacs} on MS-Windows
+ The home directory is where your init file is stored. It can have
+any name mentioned in @ref{Init File}.
@cindex @file{_emacs} init file, MS-Windows
Because MS-DOS does not allow file names with leading dots, and
@cindex font antialiasing (MS Windows)
@item antialias
-Specifies the antialiasing to use for the font. The value @code{none}
-means no antialiasing, @code{standard} means use standard antialiasing,
-@code{subpixel} means use subpixel antialiasing (known as Cleartype on Windows),
-and @code{natural} means use subpixel antialiasing with adjusted spacing between
-letters. If unspecified, the font will use the system default antialiasing.
+Specifies the antialiasing method. The value @code{none} means no
+antialiasing, @code{standard} means use standard antialiasing,
+@code{subpixel} means use subpixel antialiasing (known as Cleartype on
+Windows), and @code{natural} means use subpixel antialiasing with
+adjusted spacing between letters. If unspecified, the font will use
+the system default antialiasing.
@end table
@node Windows Misc