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