@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
-@c Copyright (C) 1985-1987, 1993-1995, 1997, 2001-2011
-@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+@c Copyright (C) 1985-1987, 1993-1995, 1997, 2001-2015 Free Software
+@c Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
-@node Screen, User Input, Acknowledgments, Top
+@node Screen
@chapter The Organization of the Screen
@cindex screen
-@cindex parts of the screen
-
- On a text-only terminal, the Emacs display occupies the entire
-terminal screen. On a graphical display, such as on GNU/Linux using
-the X Window System, Emacs creates its own windows to use. We use the
-term @dfn{frame} to mean the entire terminal screen or graphical
-window used by Emacs. Emacs uses both kinds of frames, in the same
-way, to display your editing. Emacs normally starts out with just one
-frame, but you can create additional frames if you wish
-(@pxref{Frames}).
-
- The frame consists of several distinct regions. At the top of the
+@cindex frame
+
+ On a graphical display, such as on GNU/Linux using the X Window
+System, Emacs occupies a ``graphical window''. On a text terminal,
+Emacs occupies the entire terminal screen. We will use the term
+@dfn{frame} to mean a graphical window or terminal screen occupied by
+Emacs. Emacs behaves very similarly on both kinds of frames. It
+normally starts out with just one frame, but you can create additional
+frames if you wish (@pxref{Frames}).
+
+ Each frame consists of several distinct regions. At the top of the
frame is a @dfn{menu bar}, which allows you to access commands via a
series of menus. On a graphical display, directly below the menu bar
is a @dfn{tool bar}, a row of icons that perform editing commands if
-you click on them. At the very bottom of the frame is a special
-@dfn{echo area}, where short informative messages are displayed and
-where you enter information when Emacs asks for it.
+you click on them. At the very bottom of the frame is an @dfn{echo
+area}, where informative messages are displayed and where you enter
+information when Emacs asks for it.
The main area of the frame, below the tool bar (if one exists) and
-above the echo area, is called @dfn{the window}. This is where Emacs
-displays the @dfn{buffer}: the text that you are editing. On a
-graphical display, the window possesses a @dfn{scroll bar} on one
-side, which you can use to display different parts of the buffer in
-the window. The last line of the window is a @dfn{mode line}. This
+above the echo area, is called @dfn{the window}. Henceforth in this
+manual, we will use the word ``window'' in this sense. Graphical
+display systems commonly use the word ``window'' with a different
+meaning; but, as stated above, we refer to those ``graphical windows''
+as ``frames''.
+
+ An Emacs window is where the @dfn{buffer}---the text you are
+editing---is displayed. On a graphical display, the window possesses
+a @dfn{scroll bar} on one side, which can be used to scroll through
+the buffer. The last line of the window is a @dfn{mode line}. This
displays various information about what is going on in the buffer,
such as whether there are unsaved changes, the editing modes that are
in use, the current line number, and so forth.
When you start Emacs, there is normally only one window in the
frame. However, you can subdivide this window horizontally or
vertically to create multiple windows, each of which can independently
-display a buffer (@pxref{Windows}). In this manual, the word
-``window'' refers to the initial large window if not subdivided, or
-any one of the multiple windows you have subdivided it into.
-
- At any time, one window is the @dfn{selected window}. On graphical
-displays, the selected window normally shows a more prominent cursor
-(usually solid and blinking) while other windows show a weaker cursor
-(such as a hollow box). Text terminals have just one cursor, so it
-always appears in the selected window. The buffer displayed in the
-selected window is called the @dfn{current buffer}, and it is where
-editing happens. Most Emacs commands implicitly apply to the current
-buffer; the text displayed in unselected windows is mostly visible for
-reference. If you use multiple frames on a graphical display,
-selecting a particular frame selects a window in that frame.
+display a buffer (@pxref{Windows}).
+
+ At any time, one window is the @dfn{selected window}. On a
+graphical display, the selected window shows a more prominent cursor
+(usually solid and blinking); other windows show a less prominent
+cursor (usually a hollow box). On a text terminal, there is only one
+cursor, which is shown in the selected window. The buffer displayed
+in the selected window is called the @dfn{current buffer}, and it is
+where editing happens. Most Emacs commands implicitly apply to the
+current buffer; the text displayed in unselected windows is mostly
+visible for reference. If you use multiple frames on a graphical
+display, selecting a particular frame selects a window in that frame.
@menu
* Point:: The place in the text where editing commands operate.
@cindex point
@cindex cursor
- The active cursor shows the location at which editing commands will
-take effect, which is called @dfn{point}@footnote{The term ``point''
-comes from the character @samp{.}, which was the command in TECO (the
-language in which the original Emacs was written) for accessing the
-value now called ``point.''}. Many Emacs commands move point to
-different places in the buffer; for example, you can place point by
+ The cursor in the selected window shows the location where most
+editing commands take effect, which is called @dfn{point}@footnote{The
+term ``point'' comes from the character @samp{.}, which was the
+command in TECO (the language in which the original Emacs was written)
+for accessing the editing position.}. Many Emacs commands move point
+to different places in the buffer; for example, you can place point by
clicking mouse button 1 (normally the left button) at the desired
location.
- While the cursor appears to be @emph{on} a character, you should
-think of point as @emph{between} two characters; it points @emph{before}
-the character that appears under the cursor. For example, if your text
-looks like @samp{frob} with the cursor over the @samp{b}, then point is
-between the @samp{o} and the @samp{b}. If you insert the character
-@samp{!} at that position, the result is @samp{fro!b}, with point
-between the @samp{!} and the @samp{b}. Thus, the cursor remains over
-the @samp{b}, as before.
-
- Sometimes people speak of ``the cursor'' when they mean ``point,'' or
-speak of commands that move point as ``cursor motion'' commands.
+ By default, the cursor in the selected window is drawn as a solid
+block and appears to be @emph{on} a character, but you should think of
+point as @emph{between} two characters; it is situated @emph{before}
+the character under the cursor. For example, if your text looks like
+@samp{frob} with the cursor over the @samp{b}, then point is between
+the @samp{o} and the @samp{b}. If you insert the character @samp{!}
+at that position, the result is @samp{fro!b}, with point between the
+@samp{!} and the @samp{b}. Thus, the cursor remains over the
+@samp{b}, as before.
If you are editing several files in Emacs, each in its own buffer,
-each buffer has its own point location. A buffer that is not
-currently displayed remembers its point location in case you display
-it again later. When Emacs displays multiple windows, each window has
-its own point location. If the same buffer appears in more than one
-window, each window has its own point position in that buffer.
-
- On a graphical display, Emacs shows a cursor in each window; the
-selected window's cursor is solid and blinking, and the other cursors
-are hollow. On a text-only terminal, there is just one cursor, in the
-selected window; even though the unselected windows have their own
-point positions, they do not display a cursor. @xref{Cursor Display},
-for customizable variables that control cursor display.
+each buffer has its own value of point. A buffer that is not
+currently displayed remembers its value of point if you later display
+it again. Furthermore, if a buffer is displayed in multiple windows,
+each of those windows has its own value of point.
+
+ @xref{Cursor Display}, for options that control how Emacs displays
+the cursor.
@node Echo Area
@section The Echo Area
The line at the very bottom of the frame is the @dfn{echo area}. It
is used to display small amounts of text for various purposes.
- @dfn{Echoing} means displaying the characters that you type.
-Single-character commands, including most simple editing operations,
-are not echoed. Multi-character commands are echoed if you pause
-while typing them: if you pause for more than a second in the middle
-of a command, Emacs echoes all the characters of the command so far,
-to prompt you for the rest of the command. The echoed characters are
-displayed in the echo area. Once echoing has started, the rest of the
-command echoes immediately as you type it. This behavior is designed
-to give confident users fast response, while giving hesitant users
-maximum feedback. @xref{Display Custom}.
-
-@cindex error message in the echo area
- If a command cannot do its job, it may display an @dfn{error
-message}. Error messages are also displayed in the echo area. They
-may be accompanied by beeping or by flashing the screen.
-
- Some commands display informative messages in the echo area. Unlike
-error messages, these messages are not announced with a beep or flash.
-Sometimes the message tells you what the command has done, when this
-is not obvious from looking at the text being edited. Other times,
-the sole purpose of a command is to show you a message giving you
-specific information. For example, @kbd{C-x =} (hold down @key{CTRL}
-and type @kbd{x}, then let go of @key{CTRL} and type @kbd{=}) displays
-a message describing the character position of point in the text and
-its current column in the window. Commands that take a long time
-often display messages ending in @samp{...} while they are working,
-and add @samp{done} at the end when they are finished. They may also
-indicate progress with percentages.
-
-@cindex @samp{*Messages*} buffer
+@cindex echoing
+ The echo area is so-named because one of the things it is used for
+is @dfn{echoing}, which means displaying the characters of a
+multi-character command as you type. Single-character commands are
+not echoed. Multi-character commands (@pxref{Keys}) are echoed if you
+pause for more than a second in the middle of a command. Emacs then
+echoes all the characters of the command so far, to prompt you for the
+rest. Once echoing has started, the rest of the command echoes
+immediately as you type it. This behavior is designed to give
+confident users fast response, while giving hesitant users maximum
+feedback.
+
+@cindex error message
+@cindex echo area message
+ The echo area is also used to display an @dfn{error message} when a
+command cannot do its job. Error messages may be accompanied by
+beeping or by flashing the screen.
+
+ Some commands display informative messages in the echo area to tell
+you what the command has done, or to provide you with some specific
+information. These @dfn{informative} messages, unlike error messages,
+are not accompanied with a beep or flash. For example, @kbd{C-x =}
+(hold down @key{Ctrl} and type @kbd{x}, then let go of @key{Ctrl} and
+type @kbd{=}) displays a message describing the character at point,
+its position in the buffer, and its current column in the window.
+Commands that take a long time often display messages ending in
+@samp{...} while they are working (sometimes also indicating how much
+progress has been made, as a percentage), and add @samp{done} when
+they are finished.
+
+@cindex @file{*Messages*} buffer
@cindex saved echo area messages
@cindex messages saved from echo area
@vindex message-log-max
- Informative echo-area messages are saved in a special buffer named
-@samp{*Messages*}. (We have not explained buffers yet; see
+ Informative echo area messages are saved in a special buffer named
+@file{*Messages*}. (We have not explained buffers yet; see
@ref{Buffers}, for more information about them.) If you miss a
message that appeared briefly on the screen, you can switch to the
-@samp{*Messages*} buffer to see it again. The @samp{*Messages*}
+@file{*Messages*} buffer to see it again. The @file{*Messages*}
buffer is limited to a certain number of lines, specified by the
variable @code{message-log-max}. (We have not explained variables
either; see @ref{Variables}, for more information about them.) Beyond
this limit, one line is deleted from the beginning whenever a new
message line is added at the end.
+ @xref{Display Custom}, for options that control how Emacs uses the
+echo area.
+
@cindex minibuffer
The echo area is also used to display the @dfn{minibuffer}, a
special window where you can input arguments to commands, such as the
name of a file to be edited. When the minibuffer is in use, the text
-displayed in the echo area begins with a @dfn{prompt string} (usually
-ending with a colon); also, the active cursor appears within the
-minibuffer, which is temporarily considered the selected window. You
-can always get out of the minibuffer by typing @kbd{C-g}.
-@xref{Minibuffer}.
+displayed in the echo area begins with a @dfn{prompt string}, and the
+active cursor appears within the minibuffer, which is temporarily
+considered the selected window. You can always get out of the
+minibuffer by typing @kbd{C-g}. @xref{Minibuffer}.
@node Mode Line
@section The Mode Line
what is going on in the current buffer. When there is only one
window, the mode line appears right above the echo area; it is the
next-to-last line in the frame. On a graphical display, the mode line
-is drawn with a 3D box appearance, and the mode line of the selected
-window has a brighter color than that of unselected windows to make it
-stand out. On a text-only terminal, the mode line is usually drawn in
-inverse video.
+is drawn with a 3D box appearance. Emacs also usually draws the mode
+line of the selected window with a different color than that of
+unselected windows, in order to make it stand out.
The text displayed in the mode line has the following format:
@example
--@var{cs}:@var{ch}-@var{fr} @var{buf} @var{pos} @var{line} (@var{major} @var{minor})------
+ @var{cs}:@var{ch}-@var{fr} @var{buf} @var{pos} @var{line} (@var{major} @var{minor})
@end example
@noindent
+On a text terminal, this text is followed by a series of dashes
+extending to the right edge of the window. These dashes are omitted
+on a graphical display.
+
The @var{cs} string and the colon character after it describe the
character set and newline convention used for the current buffer.
-Normally, Emacs handles these settings intelligently, but it is
-sometimes useful to have this information.
-
- @var{cs} describes the character set of the buffer (@pxref{Coding
-Systems}). If it is a dash (@samp{-}), that indicates the default
-state of affairs: no special character set handling, except for the
-end-of-line translations described in the next paragraph. @samp{=}
-means no conversion whatsoever. Letters represent various nontrivial
+Normally, Emacs automatically handles these settings for you, but it
+is sometimes useful to have this information.
+
+ @var{cs} describes the character set of the text in the buffer
+(@pxref{Coding Systems}). If it is a dash (@samp{-}), that indicates
+no special character set handling (with the possible exception of
+end-of-line conventions, described in the next paragraph). @samp{=}
+means no conversion whatsoever, and is usually used for files
+containing non-textual data. Other characters represent various
@dfn{coding systems}---for example, @samp{1} represents ISO Latin-1.
-On a text-only terminal, @var{cs} is preceded by two additional
-characters that describe the coding system for keyboard input and the
-coding system for terminal output. Furthermore, if you are using an
-input method, @var{cs} is preceded by a string that identifies the
-input method, which takes the form @samp{@var{i}>}, @samp{@var{i}+},
-or @samp{@var{i}@@} (@pxref{Input Methods}).
-
-@cindex end-of-line conversion, mode-line indication
- The character after @var{cs} is usually a colon. However, under
-some circumstances a different string is displayed, which indicates a
-nontrivial end-of-line convention. Usually, lines of text are
-separated by @dfn{newline characters}, but two other conventions are
-sometimes used. The MS-DOS convention is to use a ``carriage-return''
+
+ On a text terminal, @var{cs} is preceded by two additional
+characters that describe the coding systems for keyboard input and
+terminal output. Furthermore, if you are using an input method,
+@var{cs} is preceded by a string that identifies the input method
+(@pxref{Input Methods}).
+
+@cindex end-of-line convention, mode-line indication
+ The character after @var{cs} is usually a colon. If a different
+string is displayed, that indicates a nontrivial end-of-line
+convention for encoding a file. Usually, lines of text are separated
+by @dfn{newline characters} in a file, but two other conventions are
+sometimes used. The MS-DOS convention uses a ``carriage-return''
character followed by a ``linefeed'' character; when editing such
files, the colon changes to either a backslash (@samp{\}) or
-@samp{(DOS)}, depending on the operating system. The Macintosh
-end-of-line convention is to use a ``carriage-return'' character
-instead of a newline; when editing such files, the colon indicator
+@samp{(DOS)}, depending on the operating system. Another convention,
+employed by older Macintosh systems, uses a ``carriage-return''
+character instead of a newline; when editing such files, the colon
changes to either a forward slash (@samp{/}) or @samp{(Mac)}. On some
systems, Emacs displays @samp{(Unix)} instead of the colon for files
that use newline as the line separator.
remote machine, @samp{@@} is displayed instead (@pxref{File Names}).
@var{fr} gives the selected frame name (@pxref{Frames}). It appears
-only on text-only terminals. The initial frame's name is @samp{F1}.
+only on text terminals. The initial frame's name is @samp{F1}.
@var{buf} is the name of the buffer displayed in the window.
Usually, this is the same as the name of a file you are editing.
@xref{Buffers}.
- @var{pos} tells you whether there is additional text above the top of
-the window, or below the bottom. If your buffer is small and it is all
-visible in the window, @var{pos} is @samp{All}. Otherwise, it is
-@samp{Top} if you are looking at the beginning of the buffer, @samp{Bot}
-if you are looking at the end of the buffer, or @samp{@var{nn}%}, where
-@var{nn} is the percentage of the buffer above the top of the window.
-With Size Indication mode, you can display the size of the buffer as
-well. @xref{Optional Mode Line}.
+ @var{pos} tells you whether there is additional text above the top
+of the window, or below the bottom. If your buffer is small and all
+of it is visible in the window, @var{pos} is @samp{All}. Otherwise,
+it is @samp{Top} if you are looking at the beginning of the buffer,
+@samp{Bot} if you are looking at the end of the buffer, or
+@samp{@var{nn}%}, where @var{nn} is the percentage of the buffer above
+the top of the window. With Size Indication mode, you can display the
+size of the buffer as well. @xref{Optional Mode Line}.
@var{line} is the character @samp{L} followed by the line number at
point. (You can display the current column number too, by turning on
@var{major} is the name of the @dfn{major mode} used in the buffer.
A major mode is a principal editing mode for the buffer, such as Text
-mode, Lisp mode, C mode, and so forth. @xref{Major Modes}.
+mode, Lisp mode, C mode, and so forth. @xref{Major Modes}. Some
+major modes display additional information after the major mode name.
+For example, Compilation buffers and Shell buffers display the status
+of the subprocess.
- Some major modes display additional information after the major mode
-name. For example, Rmail buffers display the current message number and
-the total number of messages. Compilation buffers and Shell buffers
-display the status of the subprocess.
-
- @var{minor} is a list of some of the @dfn{minor modes} turned on in
-the buffer. Minor modes are optional editing modes that provide
-additional features on top of the major mode. @xref{Minor Modes}.
+ @var{minor} is a list of some of the enabled @dfn{minor modes},
+which are optional editing modes that provide additional features on
+top of the major mode. @xref{Minor Modes}.
Some features are listed together with the minor modes whenever they
are turned on, even though they are not really minor modes.
brackets (@samp{[@dots{}]}) appear around the parentheses that
surround the modes. If Emacs is in one recursive editing level within
another, double square brackets appear, and so on. Since recursive
-editing levels affect Emacs globally, not just one buffer, the square
-brackets appear in every window's mode line or not in any of them.
-@xref{Recursive Edit}.@refill
+editing levels affect Emacs globally, such square brackets appear in
+the mode line of every window. @xref{Recursive Edit}.
You can change the appearance of the mode line as well as the format
of its contents. @xref{Optional Mode Line}. In addition, the mode
can use to perform common operations. There's no need to list them
here, as you can more easily see them yourself.
-@kindex M-`
-@kindex F10
-@findex tmm-menubar
-@findex menu-bar-open
- On a graphical display, you can use the mouse to choose a command
-from the menu bar. A right-arrow at the end of a menu item means it
-leads to a subsidiary menu, or @dfn{submenu}. A @samp{...} at the end
-of a menu item means that the command invoked will prompt you for
+ On a display that supports a mouse, you can use the mouse to choose a
+command from the menu bar. An arrow on the right edge of a menu item
+means it leads to a subsidiary menu, or @dfn{submenu}. A @samp{...}
+at the end of a menu item means that the command will prompt you for
further input before it actually does anything.
Some of the commands in the menu bar have ordinary key bindings as
item, type @kbd{C-h k}, and then select the menu bar with the mouse in
the usual way (@pxref{Key Help}).
+@kindex F10
+@findex menu-bar-open
+@cindex menu bar access using keyboard
Instead of using the mouse, you can also invoke the first menu bar
item by pressing @key{F10} (to run the command @code{menu-bar-open}).
You can then navigate the menus with the arrow keys. To activate a
selected menu item, press @key{RET}; to cancel menu navigation, press
-@key{ESC}.
-
- On text-only terminals with no mouse, you can use the menu bar by
-typing @kbd{M-`} or @key{F10} (these run the command
-@code{tmm-menubar}). This lets you select a menu item with the
-keyboard. A provisional choice appears in the echo area. You can use
-the up and down arrow keys to move through the menu to different
-items, and then you can type @key{RET} to select the item.
-
- Each menu item also has an assigned letter or digit which designates
-that item; it is usually the initial of some word in the item's name.
-This letter or digit is separated from the item name by @samp{=>}. You
-can type the item's letter or digit to select the item.
+@kbd{C-g} or @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC} @key{ESC}}.
+
+@kindex M-`
+@findex tmm-menubar
+@vindex tty-menu-open-use-tmm
+ On a text terminal, you can optionally access the menu-bar menus in
+the echo area. To this end, customize the variable
+@code{tty-menu-open-use-tmm} to a non-@code{nil} value. Then typing
+@key{F10} will run the command @code{tmm-menubar} instead of dropping
+down the menu. (You can also type @kbd{M-`}, which always invokes
+@code{tmm-menubar}.) @code{tmm-menubar} lets you select a menu item
+with the keyboard. A provisional choice appears in the echo area.
+You can use the up and down arrow keys to move through the menu to
+different items, and then you can type @key{RET} to select the item.
+Each menu item is also designated by a letter or digit (usually the
+initial of some word in the item's name). This letter or digit is
+separated from the item name by @samp{==>}. You can type the item's
+letter or digit to select the item.