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1 @c -*-texinfo-*-
2 @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
3 @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001,
4 @c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
5 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
6 @setfilename ../../info/frames
7 @node Frames, Positions, Windows, Top
8 @chapter Frames
9 @cindex frame
10
11 In Emacs editing, a @dfn{frame} is a screen object that contains one
12 or more Emacs windows, see @ref{Windows}. It's the kind of object that
13 is called a ``window'' in the terminology of graphical environments; but
14 we can't call it a ``window'' here, because Emacs uses that word in a
15 different way. In Emacs Lisp, a @dfn{frame object} is a Lisp object
16 that represents a frame on the screen.
17
18 A frame initially contains a single main window and/or a minibuffer
19 window; you can subdivide the main window vertically or horizontally
20 into smaller windows. @xref{Splitting Windows}.
21
22 @cindex terminal frame
23 When Emacs runs on a text-only terminal, it starts with one
24 @dfn{terminal frame}. If you create additional frames on the same
25 terminal, Emacs displays one and only one at any given time---on that
26 terminal screen, of course. You can create additional frames, either
27 text-only or GUI, on other terminals from the same Emacs session.
28 (This comes in handy when you connect to the same session from several
29 remote locations.) @xref{Multiple Terminals}.
30
31 @cindex window frame
32 When Emacs communicates directly with a supported window system, such
33 as X, it does not have a terminal frame; instead, it starts with
34 a single @dfn{window frame}, but you can create more, and Emacs can
35 display several such frames at once as is usual for window systems.
36
37 @defun framep object
38 This predicate returns a non-@code{nil} value if @var{object} is a
39 frame, and @code{nil} otherwise. For a frame, the value indicates which
40 kind of display the frame uses:
41
42 @table @code
43 @item x
44 The frame is displayed in an X window.
45 @item t
46 A terminal frame on a character display.
47 @item w32
48 The frame is displayed on MS-Windows 9X/NT.
49 @item pc
50 The frame is displayed on an MS-DOS terminal.
51 @end table
52 @end defun
53
54 @menu
55 * Creating Frames:: Creating additional frames.
56 * Multiple Displays:: Creating frames on other displays.
57 * Frame Parameters:: Controlling frame size, position, font, etc.
58 * Frame Titles:: Automatic updating of frame titles.
59 * Deleting Frames:: Frames last until explicitly deleted.
60 * Finding All Frames:: How to examine all existing frames.
61 * Frames and Windows:: A frame contains windows;
62 display of text always works through windows.
63 * Minibuffers and Frames:: How a frame finds the minibuffer to use.
64 * Input Focus:: Specifying the selected frame.
65 * Visibility of Frames:: Frames may be visible or invisible, or icons.
66 * Raising and Lowering:: Raising a frame makes it hide other windows;
67 lowering it makes the others hide it.
68 * Frame Configurations:: Saving the state of all frames.
69 * Mouse Tracking:: Getting events that say when the mouse moves.
70 * Mouse Position:: Asking where the mouse is, or moving it.
71 * Pop-Up Menus:: Displaying a menu for the user to select from.
72 * Dialog Boxes:: Displaying a box to ask yes or no.
73 * Pointer Shape:: Specifying the shape of the mouse pointer.
74 * Window System Selections:: Transferring text to and from other X clients.
75 * Drag and Drop:: Internals of Drag-and-Drop implementation.
76 * Color Names:: Getting the definitions of color names.
77 * Text Terminal Colors:: Defining colors for text-only terminals.
78 * Resources:: Getting resource values from the server.
79 * Display Feature Testing:: Determining the features of a terminal.
80 * Multiple Terminals:: Displaying on several different devices.
81 @end menu
82
83 @xref{Display}, for information about the related topic of
84 controlling Emacs redisplay.
85
86 @node Creating Frames
87 @section Creating Frames
88
89 To create a new frame, call the function @code{make-frame}.
90
91 @defun make-frame &optional alist
92 This function creates and returns a new frame, displaying the current
93 buffer. If you are using a supported window system, it makes a window
94 frame; otherwise, it makes a terminal frame.
95
96 The argument is an alist specifying frame parameters. Any parameters
97 not mentioned in @var{alist} default according to the value of the
98 variable @code{default-frame-alist}; parameters not specified even there
99 default from the standard X resources or whatever is used instead on
100 your system.
101
102 After the frame is created, this function applies to it the
103 parameters, if any, listed in the value of
104 @code{frame-inherited-parameters} (see below) and not present in the
105 argument, taking the values from the frame that was selected when
106 @code{make-frame} was called.
107
108 The set of possible parameters depends in principle on what kind of
109 window system Emacs uses to display its frames. @xref{Window Frame
110 Parameters}, for documentation of individual parameters you can specify.
111
112 This function itself does not make the new frame the selected frame.
113 @xref{Input Focus}. The previously selected frame remains selected.
114 However, the window system may select the new frame for its own reasons,
115 for instance if the frame appears under the mouse pointer and your
116 setup is for focus to follow the pointer.
117 @end defun
118
119 @defvar before-make-frame-hook
120 A normal hook run by @code{make-frame} before it actually creates the
121 frame.
122 @end defvar
123
124 @defvar after-make-frame-functions
125 An abnormal hook run by @code{make-frame} after it creates the frame.
126 Each function in @code{after-make-frame-functions} receives one argument, the
127 frame just created.
128 @end defvar
129
130 @defvar frame-inherited-parameters
131 This variable specifies the list of frame parameters that a newly
132 created frame inherits from the currently selected frame. For each
133 parameter (a symbol) that is an element in the list and is not present
134 in the argument to @code{make-frame}, the function sets the value of
135 that parameter in the created frame to its value in the selected
136 frame.
137 @end defvar
138
139 @node Multiple Displays
140 @section Multiple Displays
141 @cindex multiple X displays
142 @cindex displays, multiple
143
144 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display.
145 Initially, Emacs uses just one display---the one chosen with the
146 @code{DISPLAY} environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option
147 (@pxref{Initial Options,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). To connect to
148 another display, use the command @code{make-frame-on-display} or specify
149 the @code{display} frame parameter when you create the frame.
150
151 Emacs treats each X server as a separate terminal, giving each one its
152 own selected frame and its own minibuffer windows. However, only one of
153 those frames is ``@emph{the} selected frame'' at any given moment, see
154 @ref{Input Focus}.
155
156 A few Lisp variables are @dfn{terminal-local}; that is, they have a
157 separate binding for each terminal. The binding in effect at any time
158 is the one for the terminal that the currently selected frame belongs
159 to. These variables include @code{default-minibuffer-frame},
160 @code{defining-kbd-macro}, @code{last-kbd-macro}, and
161 @code{system-key-alist}. They are always terminal-local, and can never
162 be buffer-local (@pxref{Buffer-Local Variables}).
163
164 A single X server can handle more than one screen. A display name
165 @samp{@var{host}:@var{server}.@var{screen}} has three parts; the last
166 part specifies the screen number for a given server. When you use two
167 screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows by the similarity in their
168 names that they share a single keyboard, and it treats them as a single
169 terminal.
170
171 Note that some graphical terminals can output to more than a one
172 monitor (or other output device) at the same time. On these
173 ``multi-monitor'' setups, a single @var{display} value controls the
174 output to all the physical monitors. In this situation, there is
175 currently no platform-independent way for Emacs to distinguish between
176 the different physical monitors.
177
178 @deffn Command make-frame-on-display display &optional parameters
179 This creates and returns a new frame on display @var{display}, taking
180 the other frame parameters from @var{parameters}. Aside from the
181 @var{display} argument, it is like @code{make-frame} (@pxref{Creating
182 Frames}).
183 @end deffn
184
185 @defun x-display-list
186 This returns a list that indicates which X displays Emacs has a
187 connection to. The elements of the list are strings, and each one is
188 a display name.
189 @end defun
190
191 @defun x-open-connection display &optional xrm-string must-succeed
192 This function opens a connection to the X display @var{display}. It
193 does not create a frame on that display, but it permits you to check
194 that communication can be established with that display.
195
196 The optional argument @var{xrm-string}, if not @code{nil}, is a
197 string of resource names and values, in the same format used in the
198 @file{.Xresources} file. The values you specify override the resource
199 values recorded in the X server itself; they apply to all Emacs frames
200 created on this display. Here's an example of what this string might
201 look like:
202
203 @example
204 "*BorderWidth: 3\n*InternalBorder: 2\n"
205 @end example
206
207 @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
208
209 If @var{must-succeed} is non-@code{nil}, failure to open the connection
210 terminates Emacs. Otherwise, it is an ordinary Lisp error.
211 @end defun
212
213 @defun x-close-connection display
214 This function closes the connection to display @var{display}. Before
215 you can do this, you must first delete all the frames that were open on
216 that display (@pxref{Deleting Frames}).
217 @end defun
218
219 @node Frame Parameters
220 @section Frame Parameters
221 @cindex frame parameters
222
223 A frame has many parameters that control its appearance and behavior.
224 Just what parameters a frame has depends on what display mechanism it
225 uses.
226
227 Frame parameters exist mostly for the sake of window systems. A
228 terminal frame has a few parameters, mostly for compatibility's sake;
229 only the @code{height}, @code{width}, @code{name}, @code{title},
230 @code{menu-bar-lines}, @code{buffer-list} and @code{buffer-predicate}
231 parameters do something special. If the terminal supports colors, the
232 parameters @code{foreground-color}, @code{background-color},
233 @code{background-mode} and @code{display-type} are also meaningful.
234 If the terminal supports frame transparency, the parameter
235 @code{alpha} is also meaningful.
236
237 You can use frame parameters to define frame-local bindings for
238 variables. @xref{Frame-Local Variables}.
239
240 @menu
241 * Parameter Access:: How to change a frame's parameters.
242 * Initial Parameters:: Specifying frame parameters when you make a frame.
243 * Window Frame Parameters:: List of frame parameters for window systems.
244 * Size and Position:: Changing the size and position of a frame.
245 * Geometry:: Parsing geometry specifications.
246 @end menu
247
248 @node Parameter Access
249 @subsection Access to Frame Parameters
250
251 These functions let you read and change the parameter values of a
252 frame.
253
254 @defun frame-parameter frame parameter
255 This function returns the value of the parameter @var{parameter} (a
256 symbol) of @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it returns the
257 selected frame's parameter. If @var{frame} has no setting for
258 @var{parameter}, this function returns @code{nil}.
259 @end defun
260
261 @defun frame-parameters &optional frame
262 The function @code{frame-parameters} returns an alist listing all the
263 parameters of @var{frame} and their values. If @var{frame} is
264 @code{nil} or omitted, this returns the selected frame's parameters
265 @end defun
266
267 @defun modify-frame-parameters frame alist
268 This function alters the parameters of frame @var{frame} based on the
269 elements of @var{alist}. Each element of @var{alist} has the form
270 @code{(@var{parm} . @var{value})}, where @var{parm} is a symbol naming a
271 parameter. If you don't mention a parameter in @var{alist}, its value
272 doesn't change. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the selected
273 frame.
274
275 You can use this function to define frame-local bindings for
276 variables, see @ref{Frame-Local Variables}.
277 @end defun
278
279 @defun set-frame-parameter frame parm value
280 This function sets the frame parameter @var{parm} to the specified
281 @var{value}. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the
282 selected frame.
283 @end defun
284
285 @defun modify-all-frames-parameters alist
286 This function alters the frame parameters of all existing frames
287 according to @var{alist}, then modifies @code{default-frame-alist}
288 (and, if necessary, @code{initial-frame-alist}) to apply the same
289 parameter values to frames that will be created henceforth.
290 @end defun
291
292 @node Initial Parameters
293 @subsection Initial Frame Parameters
294
295 You can specify the parameters for the initial startup frame
296 by setting @code{initial-frame-alist} in your init file (@pxref{Init File}).
297
298 @defvar initial-frame-alist
299 This variable's value is an alist of parameter values used when creating
300 the initial window frame. You can set this variable to specify the
301 appearance of the initial frame without altering subsequent frames.
302 Each element has the form:
303
304 @example
305 (@var{parameter} . @var{value})
306 @end example
307
308 Emacs creates the initial frame before it reads your init
309 file. After reading that file, Emacs checks @code{initial-frame-alist},
310 and applies the parameter settings in the altered value to the already
311 created initial frame.
312
313 If these settings affect the frame geometry and appearance, you'll see
314 the frame appear with the wrong ones and then change to the specified
315 ones. If that bothers you, you can specify the same geometry and
316 appearance with X resources; those do take effect before the frame is
317 created. @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
318
319 X resource settings typically apply to all frames. If you want to
320 specify some X resources solely for the sake of the initial frame, and
321 you don't want them to apply to subsequent frames, here's how to achieve
322 this. Specify parameters in @code{default-frame-alist} to override the
323 X resources for subsequent frames; then, to prevent these from affecting
324 the initial frame, specify the same parameters in
325 @code{initial-frame-alist} with values that match the X resources.
326 @end defvar
327
328 If these parameters specify a separate minibuffer-only frame with
329 @code{(minibuffer . nil)}, and you have not created one, Emacs creates
330 one for you.
331
332 @defvar minibuffer-frame-alist
333 This variable's value is an alist of parameter values used when creating
334 an initial minibuffer-only frame---if such a frame is needed, according
335 to the parameters for the main initial frame.
336 @end defvar
337
338 @defvar default-frame-alist
339 This is an alist specifying default values of frame parameters for all
340 Emacs frames---the first frame, and subsequent frames. When using the X
341 Window System, you can get the same results by means of X resources
342 in many cases.
343
344 Setting this variable does not affect existing frames.
345 @end defvar
346
347 Functions that display a buffer in a separate frame can override the
348 default parameters by supplying their own parameters. @xref{Definition
349 of special-display-frame-alist}.
350
351 If you use options that specify window appearance when you invoke Emacs,
352 they take effect by adding elements to @code{default-frame-alist}. One
353 exception is @samp{-geometry}, which adds the specified position to
354 @code{initial-frame-alist} instead. @xref{Emacs Invocation,, Command
355 Line Arguments for Emacs Invocation, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
356
357 @node Window Frame Parameters
358 @subsection Window Frame Parameters
359
360 Just what parameters a frame has depends on what display mechanism
361 it uses. This section describes the parameters that have special
362 meanings on some or all kinds of terminals. Of these, @code{name},
363 @code{title}, @code{height}, @code{width}, @code{buffer-list} and
364 @code{buffer-predicate} provide meaningful information in terminal
365 frames, and @code{tty-color-mode} is meaningful @emph{only} in
366 terminal frames.
367
368 @menu
369 * Basic Parameters:: Parameters that are fundamental.
370 * Position Parameters:: The position of the frame on the screen.
371 * Size Parameters:: Frame's size.
372 * Layout Parameters:: Size of parts of the frame, and
373 enabling or disabling some parts.
374 * Buffer Parameters:: Which buffers have been or should be shown.
375 * Management Parameters:: Communicating with the window manager.
376 * Cursor Parameters:: Controlling the cursor appearance.
377 * Color Parameters:: Colors of various parts of the frame.
378 @end menu
379
380 @node Basic Parameters
381 @subsubsection Basic Parameters
382
383 These frame parameters give the most basic information about the
384 frame. @code{title} and @code{name} are meaningful on all terminals.
385
386 @table @code
387 @item display
388 The display on which to open this frame. It should be a string of the
389 form @code{"@var{host}:@var{dpy}.@var{screen}"}, just like the
390 @code{DISPLAY} environment variable.
391
392 @item display-type
393 This parameter describes the range of possible colors that can be used
394 in this frame. Its value is @code{color}, @code{grayscale} or
395 @code{mono}.
396
397 @item title
398 If a frame has a non-@code{nil} title, it appears in the window
399 system's title bar at the top of the frame, and also in the mode line
400 of windows in that frame if @code{mode-line-frame-identification} uses
401 @samp{%F} (@pxref{%-Constructs}). This is normally the case when
402 Emacs is not using a window system, and can only display one frame at
403 a time. @xref{Frame Titles}.
404
405 @item name
406 The name of the frame. The frame name serves as a default for the frame
407 title, if the @code{title} parameter is unspecified or @code{nil}. If
408 you don't specify a name, Emacs sets the frame name automatically
409 (@pxref{Frame Titles}).
410
411 If you specify the frame name explicitly when you create the frame, the
412 name is also used (instead of the name of the Emacs executable) when
413 looking up X resources for the frame.
414 @end table
415
416 @node Position Parameters
417 @subsubsection Position Parameters
418
419 Position parameters' values are normally measured in pixels, but on
420 text-only terminals they count characters or lines instead.
421
422 @table @code
423 @item left
424 The position, in pixels, of the left (or right) edge of the frame with
425 respect to the left (or right) edge of the screen. The value may be:
426
427 @table @asis
428 @item an integer
429 A positive integer relates the left edge of the frame to the left edge
430 of the screen. A negative integer relates the right frame edge to the
431 right screen edge.
432
433 @item @code{(+ @var{pos})}
434 This specifies the position of the left frame edge relative to the left
435 screen edge. The integer @var{pos} may be positive or negative; a
436 negative value specifies a position outside the screen.
437
438 @item @code{(- @var{pos})}
439 This specifies the position of the right frame edge relative to the right
440 screen edge. The integer @var{pos} may be positive or negative; a
441 negative value specifies a position outside the screen.
442 @end table
443
444 Some window managers ignore program-specified positions. If you want to
445 be sure the position you specify is not ignored, specify a
446 non-@code{nil} value for the @code{user-position} parameter as well.
447
448 @item top
449 The screen position of the top (or bottom) edge, in pixels, with respect
450 to the top (or bottom) edge of the screen. It works just like
451 @code{left}, except vertically instead of horizontally.
452
453 @item icon-left
454 The screen position of the left edge @emph{of the frame's icon}, in
455 pixels, counting from the left edge of the screen. This takes effect if
456 and when the frame is iconified.
457
458 If you specify a value for this parameter, then you must also specify
459 a value for @code{icon-top} and vice versa. The window manager may
460 ignore these two parameters.
461
462 @item icon-top
463 The screen position of the top edge @emph{of the frame's icon}, in
464 pixels, counting from the top edge of the screen. This takes effect if
465 and when the frame is iconified.
466
467 @item user-position
468 When you create a frame and specify its screen position with the
469 @code{left} and @code{top} parameters, use this parameter to say whether
470 the specified position was user-specified (explicitly requested in some
471 way by a human user) or merely program-specified (chosen by a program).
472 A non-@code{nil} value says the position was user-specified.
473
474 Window managers generally heed user-specified positions, and some heed
475 program-specified positions too. But many ignore program-specified
476 positions, placing the window in a default fashion or letting the user
477 place it with the mouse. Some window managers, including @code{twm},
478 let the user specify whether to obey program-specified positions or
479 ignore them.
480
481 When you call @code{make-frame}, you should specify a non-@code{nil}
482 value for this parameter if the values of the @code{left} and @code{top}
483 parameters represent the user's stated preference; otherwise, use
484 @code{nil}.
485 @end table
486
487 @node Size Parameters
488 @subsubsection Size Parameters
489
490 Size parameters' values are normally measured in pixels, but on
491 text-only terminals they count characters or lines instead.
492
493 @table @code
494 @item height
495 The height of the frame contents, in characters. (To get the height in
496 pixels, call @code{frame-pixel-height}; see @ref{Size and Position}.)
497
498 @item width
499 The width of the frame contents, in characters. (To get the width in
500 pixels, call @code{frame-pixel-width}; see @ref{Size and Position}.)
501
502 @item user-size
503 This does for the size parameters @code{height} and @code{width} what
504 the @code{user-position} parameter (see above) does for the position
505 parameters @code{top} and @code{left}.
506
507 @item fullscreen
508 Specify that width, height or both shall be set to the size of the screen.
509 The value @code{fullwidth} specifies that width shall be the size of the
510 screen. The value @code{fullheight} specifies that height shall be the
511 size of the screen. The value @code{fullboth} specifies that both the
512 width and the height shall be set to the size of the screen.
513 @end table
514
515 @node Layout Parameters
516 @subsubsection Layout Parameters
517
518 These frame parameters enable or disable various parts of the
519 frame, or control their sizes.
520
521 @table @code
522 @item border-width
523 The width in pixels of the frame's border.
524
525 @item internal-border-width
526 The distance in pixels between text (or fringe) and the frame's border.
527
528 @item vertical-scroll-bars
529 Whether the frame has scroll bars for vertical scrolling, and which side
530 of the frame they should be on. The possible values are @code{left},
531 @code{right}, and @code{nil} for no scroll bars.
532
533 @ignore
534 @item horizontal-scroll-bars
535 Whether the frame has scroll bars for horizontal scrolling
536 (non-@code{nil} means yes). Horizontal scroll bars are not currently
537 implemented.
538 @end ignore
539
540 @item scroll-bar-width
541 The width of vertical scroll bars, in pixels, or @code{nil} meaning to
542 use the default width.
543
544 @item left-fringe
545 @itemx right-fringe
546 The default width of the left and right fringes of windows in this
547 frame (@pxref{Fringes}). If either of these is zero, that effectively
548 removes the corresponding fringe. A value of @code{nil} stands for
549 the standard fringe width, which is the width needed to display the
550 fringe bitmaps.
551
552 The combined fringe widths must add up to an integral number of
553 columns, so the actual default fringe widths for the frame may be
554 larger than the specified values. The extra width needed to reach an
555 acceptable total is distributed evenly between the left and right
556 fringe. However, you can force one fringe or the other to a precise
557 width by specifying that width as a negative integer. If both widths are
558 negative, only the left fringe gets the specified width.
559
560 @item menu-bar-lines
561 The number of lines to allocate at the top of the frame for a menu
562 bar. The default is 1. A value of @code{nil} means don't display a
563 menu bar. @xref{Menu Bar}. (The X toolkit and GTK allow at most one
564 menu bar line; they treat larger values as 1.)
565
566 @item tool-bar-lines
567 The number of lines to use for the tool bar. A value of @code{nil}
568 means don't display a tool bar. (GTK allows at most one tool bar line;
569 it treats larger values as 1.)
570
571 @item line-spacing
572 Additional space to leave below each text line, in pixels (a positive
573 integer). @xref{Line Height}, for more information.
574 @end table
575
576 @node Buffer Parameters
577 @subsubsection Buffer Parameters
578
579 These frame parameters, meaningful on all kinds of terminals, deal
580 with which buffers have been, or should, be displayed in the frame.
581
582 @table @code
583 @item minibuffer
584 Whether this frame has its own minibuffer. The value @code{t} means
585 yes, @code{nil} means no, @code{only} means this frame is just a
586 minibuffer. If the value is a minibuffer window (in some other frame),
587 the new frame uses that minibuffer.
588
589 @item buffer-predicate
590 The buffer-predicate function for this frame. The function
591 @code{other-buffer} uses this predicate (from the selected frame) to
592 decide which buffers it should consider, if the predicate is not
593 @code{nil}. It calls the predicate with one argument, a buffer, once for
594 each buffer; if the predicate returns a non-@code{nil} value, it
595 considers that buffer.
596
597 @item buffer-list
598 A list of buffers that have been selected in this frame,
599 ordered most-recently-selected first.
600
601 @item unsplittable
602 If non-@code{nil}, this frame's window is never split automatically.
603 @end table
604
605 @node Management Parameters
606 @subsubsection Window Management Parameters
607 @cindex window manager, and frame parameters
608
609 These frame parameters, meaningful only on window system displays,
610 interact with the window manager.
611
612 @table @code
613 @item visibility
614 The state of visibility of the frame. There are three possibilities:
615 @code{nil} for invisible, @code{t} for visible, and @code{icon} for
616 iconified. @xref{Visibility of Frames}.
617
618 @item auto-raise
619 Whether selecting the frame raises it (non-@code{nil} means yes).
620
621 @item auto-lower
622 Whether deselecting the frame lowers it (non-@code{nil} means yes).
623
624 @item icon-type
625 The type of icon to use for this frame when it is iconified. If the
626 value is a string, that specifies a file containing a bitmap to use.
627 Any other non-@code{nil} value specifies the default bitmap icon (a
628 picture of a gnu); @code{nil} specifies a text icon.
629
630 @item icon-name
631 The name to use in the icon for this frame, when and if the icon
632 appears. If this is @code{nil}, the frame's title is used.
633
634 @item window-id
635 The number of the window-system window used by the frame
636 to contain the actual Emacs windows.
637
638 @item outer-window-id
639 The number of the outermost window-system window used for the whole frame.
640
641 @item wait-for-wm
642 If non-@code{nil}, tell Xt to wait for the window manager to confirm
643 geometry changes. Some window managers, including versions of Fvwm2
644 and KDE, fail to confirm, so Xt hangs. Set this to @code{nil} to
645 prevent hanging with those window managers.
646
647 @ignore
648 @item parent-id
649 @c ??? Not yet working.
650 The X window number of the window that should be the parent of this one.
651 Specifying this lets you create an Emacs window inside some other
652 application's window. (It is not certain this will be implemented; try
653 it and see if it works.)
654 @end ignore
655 @end table
656
657 @node Cursor Parameters
658 @subsubsection Cursor Parameters
659
660 This frame parameter controls the way the cursor looks.
661
662 @table @code
663 @item cursor-type
664 How to display the cursor. Legitimate values are:
665
666 @table @code
667 @item box
668 Display a filled box. (This is the default.)
669 @item hollow
670 Display a hollow box.
671 @item nil
672 Don't display a cursor.
673 @item bar
674 Display a vertical bar between characters.
675 @item (bar . @var{width})
676 Display a vertical bar @var{width} pixels wide between characters.
677 @item hbar
678 Display a horizontal bar.
679 @item (hbar . @var{height})
680 Display a horizontal bar @var{height} pixels high.
681 @end table
682 @end table
683
684 @vindex cursor-type
685 The buffer-local variable @code{cursor-type} overrides the value of
686 the @code{cursor-type} frame parameter, but if it is @code{t}, that
687 means to use the cursor specified for the frame.
688
689 @defvar blink-cursor-alist
690 This variable specifies how to blink the cursor. Each element has the
691 form @code{(@var{on-state} . @var{off-state})}. Whenever the cursor
692 type equals @var{on-state} (comparing using @code{equal}), the
693 corresponding @var{off-state} specifies what the cursor looks like
694 when it blinks ``off.'' Both @var{on-state} and @var{off-state}
695 should be suitable values for the @code{cursor-type} frame parameter.
696
697 There are various defaults for how to blink each type of cursor, if
698 the type is not mentioned as an @var{on-state} here. Changes in this
699 variable do not take effect immediately, only when you specify the
700 @code{cursor-type} frame parameter.
701 @end defvar
702
703 @defvar cursor-in-non-selected-windows
704 This variable controls how the cursor looks in a window that is not
705 selected. It supports the same values as the @code{cursor-type} frame
706 parameter; also, @code{nil} means don't display a cursor in
707 nonselected windows, and @code{t} (the default) means use a standard
708 modificatoin of the usual cursor type (solid box becomes hollow box,
709 and bar becomes a narrower bar).
710 @end defvar
711
712 @node Color Parameters
713 @subsubsection Color Parameters
714
715 These frame parameters control the use of colors.
716
717 @table @code
718 @item background-mode
719 This parameter is either @code{dark} or @code{light}, according
720 to whether the background color is a light one or a dark one.
721
722 @item tty-color-mode
723 @cindex standard colors for character terminals
724 This parameter overrides the terminal's color support as given by the
725 system's terminal capabilities database in that this parameter's value
726 specifies the color mode to use in terminal frames. The value can be
727 either a symbol or a number. A number specifies the number of colors
728 to use (and, indirectly, what commands to issue to produce each
729 color). For example, @code{(tty-color-mode . 8)} specifies use of the
730 ANSI escape sequences for 8 standard text colors. A value of -1 turns
731 off color support.
732
733 If the parameter's value is a symbol, it specifies a number through
734 the value of @code{tty-color-mode-alist}, and the associated number is
735 used instead.
736
737 @item screen-gamma
738 @cindex gamma correction
739 If this is a number, Emacs performs ``gamma correction'' which adjusts
740 the brightness of all colors. The value should be the screen gamma of
741 your display, a floating point number.
742
743 Usual PC monitors have a screen gamma of 2.2, so color values in
744 Emacs, and in X windows generally, are calibrated to display properly
745 on a monitor with that gamma value. If you specify 2.2 for
746 @code{screen-gamma}, that means no correction is needed. Other values
747 request correction, designed to make the corrected colors appear on
748 your screen the way they would have appeared without correction on an
749 ordinary monitor with a gamma value of 2.2.
750
751 If your monitor displays colors too light, you should specify a
752 @code{screen-gamma} value smaller than 2.2. This requests correction
753 that makes colors darker. A screen gamma value of 1.5 may give good
754 results for LCD color displays.
755
756 @item alpha
757 @cindex opacity, frame
758 @cindex transparency, frame
759 @vindex frame-alpha-lower-limit
760 This parameter specifies the opacity of the frame, on graphical
761 displays that support variable opacity. It should be an integer
762 between 0 and 100, where 0 means completely transparent and 100 means
763 completely opaque. It can also have a @code{nil} value, which tells
764 Emacs not to set the frame opacity (leaving it to the window manager).
765
766 To prevent the frame from disappearing completely from view, the
767 variable @var{frame-alpha-lower-limit} defines a lower opacity limit.
768 If the value of the frame parameter is less than the value of this
769 variable, Emacs uses the latter. By default,
770 @var{frame-alpha-lower-limit} is 20.
771
772 The @code{alpha} frame parameter can also be a cons cell
773 @code{(@samp{active} . @samp{inactive})}, where @samp{active} is the
774 opacity of the frame when it is selected, and @samp{inactive} is the
775 opactity when it is not selected.
776 @end table
777
778 The following frame parameters are semi-obsolete in that they are
779 automatically equivalent to particular face attributes of particular
780 faces (@pxref{Standard Faces,,, emacs, The Emacs Manual}):
781
782 @table @code
783 @item font
784 The name of the font for displaying text in the frame. This is a
785 string, either a valid font name for your system or the name of an Emacs
786 fontset (@pxref{Fontsets}). It is equivalent to the @code{font}
787 attribute of the @code{default} face.
788
789 @item foreground-color
790 The color to use for the image of a character. It is equivalent to
791 the @code{:foreground} attribute of the @code{default} face.
792
793 @item background-color
794 The color to use for the background of characters. It is equivalent to
795 the @code{:background} attribute of the @code{default} face.
796
797 @item mouse-color
798 The color for the mouse pointer. It is equivalent to the @code{:background}
799 attribute of the @code{mouse} face.
800
801 @item cursor-color
802 The color for the cursor that shows point. It is equivalent to the
803 @code{:background} attribute of the @code{cursor} face.
804
805 @item border-color
806 The color for the border of the frame. It is equivalent to the
807 @code{:background} attribute of the @code{border} face.
808
809 @item scroll-bar-foreground
810 If non-@code{nil}, the color for the foreground of scroll bars. It is
811 equivalent to the @code{:foreground} attribute of the
812 @code{scroll-bar} face.
813
814 @item scroll-bar-background
815 If non-@code{nil}, the color for the background of scroll bars. It is
816 equivalent to the @code{:background} attribute of the
817 @code{scroll-bar} face.
818 @end table
819
820 @node Size and Position
821 @subsection Frame Size And Position
822 @cindex size of frame
823 @cindex screen size
824 @cindex frame size
825 @cindex resize frame
826
827 You can read or change the size and position of a frame using the
828 frame parameters @code{left}, @code{top}, @code{height}, and
829 @code{width}. Whatever geometry parameters you don't specify are chosen
830 by the window manager in its usual fashion.
831
832 Here are some special features for working with sizes and positions.
833 (For the precise meaning of ``selected frame'' used by these functions,
834 see @ref{Input Focus}.)
835
836 @defun set-frame-position frame left top
837 This function sets the position of the top left corner of @var{frame} to
838 @var{left} and @var{top}. These arguments are measured in pixels, and
839 normally count from the top left corner of the screen.
840
841 Negative parameter values position the bottom edge of the window up from
842 the bottom edge of the screen, or the right window edge to the left of
843 the right edge of the screen. It would probably be better if the values
844 were always counted from the left and top, so that negative arguments
845 would position the frame partly off the top or left edge of the screen,
846 but it seems inadvisable to change that now.
847 @end defun
848
849 @defun frame-height &optional frame
850 @defunx frame-width &optional frame
851 These functions return the height and width of @var{frame}, measured in
852 lines and columns. If you don't supply @var{frame}, they use the
853 selected frame.
854 @end defun
855
856 @defun screen-height
857 @defunx screen-width
858 These functions are old aliases for @code{frame-height} and
859 @code{frame-width}. When you are using a non-window terminal, the size
860 of the frame is normally the same as the size of the terminal screen.
861 @end defun
862
863 @defun frame-pixel-height &optional frame
864 @defunx frame-pixel-width &optional frame
865 These functions return the height and width of the main display area
866 of @var{frame}, measured in pixels. If you don't supply @var{frame},
867 they use the selected frame.
868
869 These values include the internal borders, and windows' scroll bars
870 and fringes (which belong to individual windows, not to the frame
871 itself), but do not include menu bars or tool bars (except when using
872 X without an X toolkit).
873 @end defun
874
875 @defun frame-char-height &optional frame
876 @defunx frame-char-width &optional frame
877 These functions return the height and width of a character in
878 @var{frame}, measured in pixels. The values depend on the choice of
879 font. If you don't supply @var{frame}, these functions use the selected
880 frame.
881 @end defun
882
883 @defun set-frame-size frame cols rows
884 This function sets the size of @var{frame}, measured in characters;
885 @var{cols} and @var{rows} specify the new width and height.
886
887 To set the size based on values measured in pixels, use
888 @code{frame-char-height} and @code{frame-char-width} to convert
889 them to units of characters.
890 @end defun
891
892 @defun set-frame-height frame lines &optional pretend
893 This function resizes @var{frame} to a height of @var{lines} lines. The
894 sizes of existing windows in @var{frame} are altered proportionally to
895 fit.
896
897 If @var{pretend} is non-@code{nil}, then Emacs displays @var{lines}
898 lines of output in @var{frame}, but does not change its value for the
899 actual height of the frame. This is only useful for a terminal frame.
900 Using a smaller height than the terminal actually implements may be
901 useful to reproduce behavior observed on a smaller screen, or if the
902 terminal malfunctions when using its whole screen. Setting the frame
903 height ``for real'' does not always work, because knowing the correct
904 actual size may be necessary for correct cursor positioning on a
905 terminal frame.
906 @end defun
907
908 @defun set-frame-width frame width &optional pretend
909 This function sets the width of @var{frame}, measured in characters.
910 The argument @var{pretend} has the same meaning as in
911 @code{set-frame-height}.
912 @end defun
913
914 @findex set-screen-height
915 @findex set-screen-width
916 The older functions @code{set-screen-height} and
917 @code{set-screen-width} were used to specify the height and width of the
918 screen, in Emacs versions that did not support multiple frames. They
919 are semi-obsolete, but still work; they apply to the selected frame.
920
921 @node Geometry
922 @subsection Geometry
923
924 Here's how to examine the data in an X-style window geometry
925 specification:
926
927 @defun x-parse-geometry geom
928 @cindex geometry specification
929 The function @code{x-parse-geometry} converts a standard X window
930 geometry string to an alist that you can use as part of the argument to
931 @code{make-frame}.
932
933 The alist describes which parameters were specified in @var{geom}, and
934 gives the values specified for them. Each element looks like
935 @code{(@var{parameter} . @var{value})}. The possible @var{parameter}
936 values are @code{left}, @code{top}, @code{width}, and @code{height}.
937
938 For the size parameters, the value must be an integer. The position
939 parameter names @code{left} and @code{top} are not totally accurate,
940 because some values indicate the position of the right or bottom edges
941 instead. The @var{value} possibilities for the position parameters are:
942 an integer, a list @code{(+ @var{pos})}, or a list @code{(- @var{pos})};
943 as previously described (@pxref{Position Parameters}).
944
945 Here is an example:
946
947 @example
948 (x-parse-geometry "35x70+0-0")
949 @result{} ((height . 70) (width . 35)
950 (top - 0) (left . 0))
951 @end example
952 @end defun
953
954 @node Frame Titles
955 @section Frame Titles
956 @cindex frame title
957
958 Every frame has a @code{name} parameter; this serves as the default
959 for the frame title which window systems typically display at the top of
960 the frame. You can specify a name explicitly by setting the @code{name}
961 frame property.
962
963 Normally you don't specify the name explicitly, and Emacs computes the
964 frame name automatically based on a template stored in the variable
965 @code{frame-title-format}. Emacs recomputes the name each time the
966 frame is redisplayed.
967
968 @defvar frame-title-format
969 This variable specifies how to compute a name for a frame when you have
970 not explicitly specified one. The variable's value is actually a mode
971 line construct, just like @code{mode-line-format}, except that the
972 @samp{%c} and @samp{%l} constructs are ignored. @xref{Mode Line
973 Data}.
974 @end defvar
975
976 @defvar icon-title-format
977 This variable specifies how to compute the name for an iconified frame,
978 when you have not explicitly specified the frame title. This title
979 appears in the icon itself.
980 @end defvar
981
982 @defvar multiple-frames
983 This variable is set automatically by Emacs. Its value is @code{t} when
984 there are two or more frames (not counting minibuffer-only frames or
985 invisible frames). The default value of @code{frame-title-format} uses
986 @code{multiple-frames} so as to put the buffer name in the frame title
987 only when there is more than one frame.
988
989 The value of this variable is not guaranteed to be accurate except
990 while processing @code{frame-title-format} or
991 @code{icon-title-format}.
992 @end defvar
993
994 @node Deleting Frames
995 @section Deleting Frames
996 @cindex deleting frames
997
998 Frames remain potentially visible until you explicitly @dfn{delete}
999 them. A deleted frame cannot appear on the screen, but continues to
1000 exist as a Lisp object until there are no references to it.
1001
1002 @deffn Command delete-frame &optional frame force
1003 @vindex delete-frame-functions
1004 This function deletes the frame @var{frame}. Unless @var{frame} is a
1005 tooltip, it first runs the hook @code{delete-frame-functions} (each
1006 function gets one argument, @var{frame}). By default, @var{frame} is
1007 the selected frame.
1008
1009 A frame cannot be deleted if its minibuffer is used by other frames.
1010 Normally, you cannot delete a frame if all other frames are invisible,
1011 but if @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, then you are allowed to do so.
1012 @end deffn
1013
1014 @defun frame-live-p frame
1015 The function @code{frame-live-p} returns non-@code{nil} if the frame
1016 @var{frame} has not been deleted. The possible non-@code{nil} return
1017 values are like those of @code{framep}. @xref{Frames}.
1018 @end defun
1019
1020 Some window managers provide a command to delete a window. These work
1021 by sending a special message to the program that operates the window.
1022 When Emacs gets one of these commands, it generates a
1023 @code{delete-frame} event, whose normal definition is a command that
1024 calls the function @code{delete-frame}. @xref{Misc Events}.
1025
1026 @node Finding All Frames
1027 @section Finding All Frames
1028 @cindex frames, scanning all
1029
1030 @defun frame-list
1031 The function @code{frame-list} returns a list of all the frames that
1032 have not been deleted. It is analogous to @code{buffer-list} for
1033 buffers, and includes frames on all terminals. The list that you get is
1034 newly created, so modifying the list doesn't have any effect on the
1035 internals of Emacs.
1036 @end defun
1037
1038 @defun visible-frame-list
1039 This function returns a list of just the currently visible frames.
1040 @xref{Visibility of Frames}. (Terminal frames always count as
1041 ``visible,'' even though only the selected one is actually displayed.)
1042 @end defun
1043
1044 @defun next-frame &optional frame minibuf
1045 The function @code{next-frame} lets you cycle conveniently through all
1046 the frames on the current display from an arbitrary starting point. It
1047 returns the ``next'' frame after @var{frame} in the cycle. If
1048 @var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to the selected frame
1049 (@pxref{Input Focus}).
1050
1051 The second argument, @var{minibuf}, says which frames to consider:
1052
1053 @table @asis
1054 @item @code{nil}
1055 Exclude minibuffer-only frames.
1056 @item @code{visible}
1057 Consider all visible frames.
1058 @item 0
1059 Consider all visible or iconified frames.
1060 @item a window
1061 Consider only the frames using that particular window as their
1062 minibuffer.
1063 @item anything else
1064 Consider all frames.
1065 @end table
1066 @end defun
1067
1068 @defun previous-frame &optional frame minibuf
1069 Like @code{next-frame}, but cycles through all frames in the opposite
1070 direction.
1071 @end defun
1072
1073 See also @code{next-window} and @code{previous-window}, in @ref{Cyclic
1074 Window Ordering}.
1075
1076 @node Frames and Windows
1077 @section Frames and Windows
1078
1079 Each window is part of one and only one frame; you can get that frame
1080 with @code{window-frame}.
1081
1082 @defun window-frame window
1083 This function returns the frame that @var{window} is on.
1084 @end defun
1085
1086 All the non-minibuffer windows in a frame are arranged in a cyclic
1087 order. The order runs from the frame's top window, which is at the
1088 upper left corner, down and to the right, until it reaches the window at
1089 the lower right corner (always the minibuffer window, if the frame has
1090 one), and then it moves back to the top. @xref{Cyclic Window Ordering}.
1091
1092 @defun frame-first-window &optional frame
1093 This returns the topmost, leftmost window of frame @var{frame}.
1094 If omitted or @code{nil}, @var{frame} defaults to the selected frame.
1095 @end defun
1096
1097 At any time, exactly one window on any frame is @dfn{selected within the
1098 frame}. The significance of this designation is that selecting the
1099 frame also selects this window. Conversely, selecting a window for
1100 Emacs with @code{select-window} also makes that window selected within
1101 its frame. @xref{Selecting Windows}.
1102
1103 @defun frame-selected-window &optional frame
1104 This function returns the window on @var{frame} that is selected
1105 within @var{frame}. If omitted or @code{nil}, @var{frame} defaults to
1106 the selected frame.
1107 @end defun
1108
1109 @defun set-frame-selected-window frame window &optional norecord
1110 This sets the selected window of frame @var{frame} to @var{window}.
1111 If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it operates on the selected frame. If
1112 @var{frame} is the selected frame, this makes @var{window} the
1113 selected window. This function returns @var{window}.
1114
1115 Optional argument @var{norecord} non-@code{nil} means to neither change
1116 the order of recently selected windows nor the buffer list (@pxref{The
1117 Buffer List}).
1118 @end defun
1119
1120 Another function that (usually) returns one of the windows in a given
1121 frame is @code{minibuffer-window}. @xref{Definition of minibuffer-window}.
1122
1123 @node Minibuffers and Frames
1124 @section Minibuffers and Frames
1125
1126 Normally, each frame has its own minibuffer window at the bottom, which
1127 is used whenever that frame is selected. If the frame has a minibuffer,
1128 you can get it with @code{minibuffer-window} (@pxref{Definition of
1129 minibuffer-window}).
1130
1131 However, you can also create a frame with no minibuffer. Such a frame
1132 must use the minibuffer window of some other frame. When you create the
1133 frame, you can specify explicitly the minibuffer window to use (in some
1134 other frame). If you don't, then the minibuffer is found in the frame
1135 which is the value of the variable @code{default-minibuffer-frame}. Its
1136 value should be a frame that does have a minibuffer.
1137
1138 If you use a minibuffer-only frame, you might want that frame to raise
1139 when you enter the minibuffer. If so, set the variable
1140 @code{minibuffer-auto-raise} to @code{t}. @xref{Raising and Lowering}.
1141
1142 @defvar default-minibuffer-frame
1143 This variable specifies the frame to use for the minibuffer window, by
1144 default. It does not affect existing frames. It is always local to
1145 the current terminal and cannot be buffer-local. @xref{Multiple
1146 Displays}.
1147 @end defvar
1148
1149 @node Input Focus
1150 @section Input Focus
1151 @cindex input focus
1152 @c @cindex selected frame Duplicates selected-frame
1153
1154 At any time, one frame in Emacs is the @dfn{selected frame}. The selected
1155 window always resides on the selected frame.
1156
1157 When Emacs displays its frames on several terminals (@pxref{Multiple
1158 Displays}), each terminal has its own selected frame. But only one of
1159 these is ``@emph{the} selected frame'': it's the frame that belongs to
1160 the terminal from which the most recent input came. That is, when Emacs
1161 runs a command that came from a certain terminal, the selected frame is
1162 the one of that terminal. Since Emacs runs only a single command at any
1163 given time, it needs to consider only one selected frame at a time; this
1164 frame is what we call @dfn{the selected frame} in this manual. The
1165 display on which the selected frame is shown is the @dfn{selected
1166 frame's display}.
1167
1168 @defun selected-frame
1169 This function returns the selected frame.
1170 @end defun
1171
1172 Some window systems and window managers direct keyboard input to the
1173 window object that the mouse is in; others require explicit clicks or
1174 commands to @dfn{shift the focus} to various window objects. Either
1175 way, Emacs automatically keeps track of which frame has the focus. To
1176 explicitly switch to a different frame from a Lisp function, call
1177 @code{select-frame-set-input-focus}.
1178
1179 Lisp programs can also switch frames ``temporarily'' by calling the
1180 function @code{select-frame}. This does not alter the window system's
1181 concept of focus; rather, it escapes from the window manager's control
1182 until that control is somehow reasserted.
1183
1184 When using a text-only terminal, only one frame can be displayed at a
1185 time on the terminal, so after a call to @code{select-frame}, the next
1186 redisplay actually displays the newly selected frame. This frame
1187 remains selected until a subsequent call to @code{select-frame}. Each
1188 terminal frame has a number which appears in the mode line before the
1189 buffer name (@pxref{Mode Line Variables}).
1190
1191 @defun select-frame-set-input-focus frame
1192 This function selects @var{frame}, raises it (should it happen to be
1193 obscured by other frames) and tries to give it the X server's focus. On
1194 a text-only terminal, the next redisplay displays the new frame on the
1195 entire terminal screen. The return value of this function is not
1196 significant.
1197 @end defun
1198
1199 @c ??? This is not yet implemented properly.
1200 @defun select-frame frame &optional norecord
1201 This function selects frame @var{frame}, temporarily disregarding the
1202 focus of the X server if any. The selection of @var{frame} lasts until
1203 the next time the user does something to select a different frame, or
1204 until the next time this function is called. (If you are using a
1205 window system, the previously selected frame may be restored as the
1206 selected frame after return to the command loop, because it still may
1207 have the window system's input focus.)
1208
1209 The specified @var{frame} becomes the selected frame, as explained
1210 above, and the terminal that @var{frame} is on becomes the selected
1211 terminal. The window selected within @var{frame} becomes the selected
1212 window. This function returns @var{frame}, or @code{nil} if @var{frame}
1213 has been deleted.
1214
1215 Optional argument @var{norecord} non-@code{nil} means to neither change
1216 the order of recently selected windows nor the buffer list. @xref{The
1217 Buffer List}.
1218
1219 In general, you should never use @code{select-frame} in a way that could
1220 switch to a different terminal without switching back when you're done.
1221 @end defun
1222
1223 Emacs cooperates with the window system by arranging to select frames as
1224 the server and window manager request. It does so by generating a
1225 special kind of input event, called a @dfn{focus} event, when
1226 appropriate. The command loop handles a focus event by calling
1227 @code{handle-switch-frame}. @xref{Focus Events}.
1228
1229 @deffn Command handle-switch-frame frame
1230 This function handles a focus event by selecting frame @var{frame}.
1231
1232 Focus events normally do their job by invoking this command.
1233 Don't call it for any other reason.
1234 @end deffn
1235
1236 @defun redirect-frame-focus frame &optional focus-frame
1237 This function redirects focus from @var{frame} to @var{focus-frame}.
1238 This means that @var{focus-frame} will receive subsequent keystrokes and
1239 events intended for @var{frame}. After such an event, the value of
1240 @code{last-event-frame} will be @var{focus-frame}. Also, switch-frame
1241 events specifying @var{frame} will instead select @var{focus-frame}.
1242
1243 If @var{focus-frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, that cancels any existing
1244 redirection for @var{frame}, which therefore once again receives its own
1245 events.
1246
1247 One use of focus redirection is for frames that don't have minibuffers.
1248 These frames use minibuffers on other frames. Activating a minibuffer
1249 on another frame redirects focus to that frame. This puts the focus on
1250 the minibuffer's frame, where it belongs, even though the mouse remains
1251 in the frame that activated the minibuffer.
1252
1253 Selecting a frame can also change focus redirections. Selecting frame
1254 @code{bar}, when @code{foo} had been selected, changes any redirections
1255 pointing to @code{foo} so that they point to @code{bar} instead. This
1256 allows focus redirection to work properly when the user switches from
1257 one frame to another using @code{select-window}.
1258
1259 This means that a frame whose focus is redirected to itself is treated
1260 differently from a frame whose focus is not redirected.
1261 @code{select-frame} affects the former but not the latter.
1262
1263 The redirection lasts until @code{redirect-frame-focus} is called to
1264 change it.
1265 @end defun
1266
1267 @defopt focus-follows-mouse
1268 This option is how you inform Emacs whether the window manager transfers
1269 focus when the user moves the mouse. Non-@code{nil} says that it does.
1270 When this is so, the command @code{other-frame} moves the mouse to a
1271 position consistent with the new selected frame.
1272 @end defopt
1273
1274 @node Visibility of Frames
1275 @section Visibility of Frames
1276 @cindex visible frame
1277 @cindex invisible frame
1278 @cindex iconified frame
1279 @cindex frame visibility
1280
1281 A window frame may be @dfn{visible}, @dfn{invisible}, or
1282 @dfn{iconified}. If it is visible, you can see its contents, unless
1283 other windows cover it. If it is iconified, the frame's contents do
1284 not appear on the screen, but an icon does. If the frame is
1285 invisible, it doesn't show on the screen, not even as an icon.
1286
1287 Visibility is meaningless for terminal frames, since only the selected
1288 one is actually displayed in any case.
1289
1290 @deffn Command make-frame-visible &optional frame
1291 This function makes frame @var{frame} visible. If you omit
1292 @var{frame}, it makes the selected frame visible. This does not raise
1293 the frame, but you can do that with @code{raise-frame} if you wish
1294 (@pxref{Raising and Lowering}).
1295 @end deffn
1296
1297 @deffn Command make-frame-invisible &optional frame force
1298 This function makes frame @var{frame} invisible. If you omit
1299 @var{frame}, it makes the selected frame invisible.
1300
1301 Unless @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, this function refuses to make
1302 @var{frame} invisible if all other frames are invisible..
1303 @end deffn
1304
1305 @deffn Command iconify-frame &optional frame
1306 This function iconifies frame @var{frame}. If you omit @var{frame}, it
1307 iconifies the selected frame.
1308 @end deffn
1309
1310 @defun frame-visible-p frame
1311 This returns the visibility status of frame @var{frame}. The value is
1312 @code{t} if @var{frame} is visible, @code{nil} if it is invisible, and
1313 @code{icon} if it is iconified.
1314
1315 On a text-only terminal, all frames are considered visible, whether
1316 they are currently being displayed or not, and this function returns
1317 @code{t} for all frames.
1318 @end defun
1319
1320 The visibility status of a frame is also available as a frame
1321 parameter. You can read or change it as such. @xref{Management
1322 Parameters}.
1323
1324 The user can iconify and deiconify frames with the window manager.
1325 This happens below the level at which Emacs can exert any control, but
1326 Emacs does provide events that you can use to keep track of such
1327 changes. @xref{Misc Events}.
1328
1329 @node Raising and Lowering
1330 @section Raising and Lowering Frames
1331
1332 Most window systems use a desktop metaphor. Part of this metaphor is
1333 the idea that windows are stacked in a notional third dimension
1334 perpendicular to the screen surface, and thus ordered from ``highest''
1335 to ``lowest.'' Where two windows overlap, the one higher up covers
1336 the one underneath. Even a window at the bottom of the stack can be
1337 seen if no other window overlaps it.
1338
1339 @c @cindex raising a frame redundant with raise-frame
1340 @cindex lowering a frame
1341 A window's place in this ordering is not fixed; in fact, users tend
1342 to change the order frequently. @dfn{Raising} a window means moving
1343 it ``up,'' to the top of the stack. @dfn{Lowering} a window means
1344 moving it to the bottom of the stack. This motion is in the notional
1345 third dimension only, and does not change the position of the window
1346 on the screen.
1347
1348 With Emacs, frames constitute the windows in the metaphor sketched
1349 above. You can raise and lower frames using these functions:
1350
1351 @deffn Command raise-frame &optional frame
1352 This function raises frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
1353 If @var{frame} is invisible or iconified, this makes it visible.
1354 @end deffn
1355
1356 @deffn Command lower-frame &optional frame
1357 This function lowers frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
1358 @end deffn
1359
1360 @defopt minibuffer-auto-raise
1361 If this is non-@code{nil}, activation of the minibuffer raises the frame
1362 that the minibuffer window is in.
1363 @end defopt
1364
1365 You can also enable auto-raise (raising automatically when a frame is
1366 selected) or auto-lower (lowering automatically when it is deselected)
1367 for any frame using frame parameters. @xref{Management Parameters}.
1368
1369 @node Frame Configurations
1370 @section Frame Configurations
1371 @cindex frame configuration
1372
1373 A @dfn{frame configuration} records the current arrangement of frames,
1374 all their properties, and the window configuration of each one.
1375 (@xref{Window Configurations}.)
1376
1377 @defun current-frame-configuration
1378 This function returns a frame configuration list that describes
1379 the current arrangement of frames and their contents.
1380 @end defun
1381
1382 @defun set-frame-configuration configuration &optional nodelete
1383 This function restores the state of frames described in
1384 @var{configuration}. However, this function does not restore deleted
1385 frames.
1386
1387 Ordinarily, this function deletes all existing frames not listed in
1388 @var{configuration}. But if @var{nodelete} is non-@code{nil}, the
1389 unwanted frames are iconified instead.
1390 @end defun
1391
1392 @node Mouse Tracking
1393 @section Mouse Tracking
1394 @cindex mouse tracking
1395 @c @cindex tracking the mouse Duplicates track-mouse
1396
1397 Sometimes it is useful to @dfn{track} the mouse, which means to display
1398 something to indicate where the mouse is and move the indicator as the
1399 mouse moves. For efficient mouse tracking, you need a way to wait until
1400 the mouse actually moves.
1401
1402 The convenient way to track the mouse is to ask for events to represent
1403 mouse motion. Then you can wait for motion by waiting for an event. In
1404 addition, you can easily handle any other sorts of events that may
1405 occur. That is useful, because normally you don't want to track the
1406 mouse forever---only until some other event, such as the release of a
1407 button.
1408
1409 @defspec track-mouse body@dots{}
1410 This special form executes @var{body}, with generation of mouse motion
1411 events enabled. Typically, @var{body} would use @code{read-event} to
1412 read the motion events and modify the display accordingly. @xref{Motion
1413 Events}, for the format of mouse motion events.
1414
1415 The value of @code{track-mouse} is that of the last form in @var{body}.
1416 You should design @var{body} to return when it sees the up-event that
1417 indicates the release of the button, or whatever kind of event means
1418 it is time to stop tracking.
1419 @end defspec
1420
1421 The usual purpose of tracking mouse motion is to indicate on the screen
1422 the consequences of pushing or releasing a button at the current
1423 position.
1424
1425 In many cases, you can avoid the need to track the mouse by using
1426 the @code{mouse-face} text property (@pxref{Special Properties}).
1427 That works at a much lower level and runs more smoothly than
1428 Lisp-level mouse tracking.
1429
1430 @ignore
1431 @c These are not implemented yet.
1432
1433 These functions change the screen appearance instantaneously. The
1434 effect is transient, only until the next ordinary Emacs redisplay. That
1435 is OK for mouse tracking, since it doesn't make sense for mouse tracking
1436 to change the text, and the body of @code{track-mouse} normally reads
1437 the events itself and does not do redisplay.
1438
1439 @defun x-contour-region window beg end
1440 This function draws lines to make a box around the text from @var{beg}
1441 to @var{end}, in window @var{window}.
1442 @end defun
1443
1444 @defun x-uncontour-region window beg end
1445 This function erases the lines that would make a box around the text
1446 from @var{beg} to @var{end}, in window @var{window}. Use it to remove
1447 a contour that you previously made by calling @code{x-contour-region}.
1448 @end defun
1449
1450 @defun x-draw-rectangle frame left top right bottom
1451 This function draws a hollow rectangle on frame @var{frame} with the
1452 specified edge coordinates, all measured in pixels from the inside top
1453 left corner. It uses the cursor color, the one used for indicating the
1454 location of point.
1455 @end defun
1456
1457 @defun x-erase-rectangle frame left top right bottom
1458 This function erases a hollow rectangle on frame @var{frame} with the
1459 specified edge coordinates, all measured in pixels from the inside top
1460 left corner. Erasure means redrawing the text and background that
1461 normally belong in the specified rectangle.
1462 @end defun
1463 @end ignore
1464
1465 @node Mouse Position
1466 @section Mouse Position
1467 @cindex mouse position
1468 @cindex position of mouse
1469
1470 The functions @code{mouse-position} and @code{set-mouse-position}
1471 give access to the current position of the mouse.
1472
1473 @defun mouse-position
1474 This function returns a description of the position of the mouse. The
1475 value looks like @code{(@var{frame} @var{x} . @var{y})}, where @var{x}
1476 and @var{y} are integers giving the position in characters relative to
1477 the top left corner of the inside of @var{frame}.
1478 @end defun
1479
1480 @defvar mouse-position-function
1481 If non-@code{nil}, the value of this variable is a function for
1482 @code{mouse-position} to call. @code{mouse-position} calls this
1483 function just before returning, with its normal return value as the
1484 sole argument, and it returns whatever this function returns to it.
1485
1486 This abnormal hook exists for the benefit of packages like
1487 @file{xt-mouse.el} that need to do mouse handling at the Lisp level.
1488 @end defvar
1489
1490 @defun set-mouse-position frame x y
1491 This function @dfn{warps the mouse} to position @var{x}, @var{y} in
1492 frame @var{frame}. The arguments @var{x} and @var{y} are integers,
1493 giving the position in characters relative to the top left corner of the
1494 inside of @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is not visible, this function
1495 does nothing. The return value is not significant.
1496 @end defun
1497
1498 @defun mouse-pixel-position
1499 This function is like @code{mouse-position} except that it returns
1500 coordinates in units of pixels rather than units of characters.
1501 @end defun
1502
1503 @defun set-mouse-pixel-position frame x y
1504 This function warps the mouse like @code{set-mouse-position} except that
1505 @var{x} and @var{y} are in units of pixels rather than units of
1506 characters. These coordinates are not required to be within the frame.
1507
1508 If @var{frame} is not visible, this function does nothing. The return
1509 value is not significant.
1510 @end defun
1511
1512 @need 3000
1513
1514 @node Pop-Up Menus
1515 @section Pop-Up Menus
1516
1517 When using a window system, a Lisp program can pop up a menu so that
1518 the user can choose an alternative with the mouse.
1519
1520 @defun x-popup-menu position menu
1521 This function displays a pop-up menu and returns an indication of
1522 what selection the user makes.
1523
1524 The argument @var{position} specifies where on the screen to put the
1525 top left corner of the menu. It can be either a mouse button event
1526 (which says to put the menu where the user actuated the button) or a
1527 list of this form:
1528
1529 @example
1530 ((@var{xoffset} @var{yoffset}) @var{window})
1531 @end example
1532
1533 @noindent
1534 where @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} are coordinates, measured in
1535 pixels, counting from the top left corner of @var{window}. @var{window}
1536 may be a window or a frame.
1537
1538 If @var{position} is @code{t}, it means to use the current mouse
1539 position. If @var{position} is @code{nil}, it means to precompute the
1540 key binding equivalents for the keymaps specified in @var{menu},
1541 without actually displaying or popping up the menu.
1542
1543 The argument @var{menu} says what to display in the menu. It can be a
1544 keymap or a list of keymaps (@pxref{Menu Keymaps}). In this case, the
1545 return value is the list of events corresponding to the user's choice.
1546 (This list has more than one element if the choice occurred in a
1547 submenu.) Note that @code{x-popup-menu} does not actually execute the
1548 command bound to that sequence of events.
1549
1550 Alternatively, @var{menu} can have the following form:
1551
1552 @example
1553 (@var{title} @var{pane1} @var{pane2}...)
1554 @end example
1555
1556 @noindent
1557 where each pane is a list of form
1558
1559 @example
1560 (@var{title} @var{item1} @var{item2}...)
1561 @end example
1562
1563 Each item should normally be a cons cell @code{(@var{line} . @var{value})},
1564 where @var{line} is a string, and @var{value} is the value to return if
1565 that @var{line} is chosen. An item can also be a string; this makes a
1566 non-selectable line in the menu.
1567
1568 If the user gets rid of the menu without making a valid choice, for
1569 instance by clicking the mouse away from a valid choice or by typing
1570 keyboard input, then this normally results in a quit and
1571 @code{x-popup-menu} does not return. But if @var{position} is a mouse
1572 button event (indicating that the user invoked the menu with the
1573 mouse) then no quit occurs and @code{x-popup-menu} returns @code{nil}.
1574 @end defun
1575
1576 @strong{Usage note:} Don't use @code{x-popup-menu} to display a menu
1577 if you could do the job with a prefix key defined with a menu keymap.
1578 If you use a menu keymap to implement a menu, @kbd{C-h c} and @kbd{C-h
1579 a} can see the individual items in that menu and provide help for them.
1580 If instead you implement the menu by defining a command that calls
1581 @code{x-popup-menu}, the help facilities cannot know what happens inside
1582 that command, so they cannot give any help for the menu's items.
1583
1584 The menu bar mechanism, which lets you switch between submenus by
1585 moving the mouse, cannot look within the definition of a command to see
1586 that it calls @code{x-popup-menu}. Therefore, if you try to implement a
1587 submenu using @code{x-popup-menu}, it cannot work with the menu bar in
1588 an integrated fashion. This is why all menu bar submenus are
1589 implemented with menu keymaps within the parent menu, and never with
1590 @code{x-popup-menu}. @xref{Menu Bar}.
1591
1592 If you want a menu bar submenu to have contents that vary, you should
1593 still use a menu keymap to implement it. To make the contents vary, add
1594 a hook function to @code{menu-bar-update-hook} to update the contents of
1595 the menu keymap as necessary.
1596
1597 @node Dialog Boxes
1598 @section Dialog Boxes
1599 @cindex dialog boxes
1600
1601 A dialog box is a variant of a pop-up menu---it looks a little
1602 different, it always appears in the center of a frame, and it has just
1603 one level and one or more buttons. The main use of dialog boxes is
1604 for asking questions that the user can answer with ``yes,'' ``no,''
1605 and a few other alternatives. With a single button, they can also
1606 force the user to acknowledge important information. The functions
1607 @code{y-or-n-p} and @code{yes-or-no-p} use dialog boxes instead of the
1608 keyboard, when called from commands invoked by mouse clicks.
1609
1610 @defun x-popup-dialog position contents &optional header
1611 This function displays a pop-up dialog box and returns an indication of
1612 what selection the user makes. The argument @var{contents} specifies
1613 the alternatives to offer; it has this format:
1614
1615 @example
1616 (@var{title} (@var{string} . @var{value})@dots{})
1617 @end example
1618
1619 @noindent
1620 which looks like the list that specifies a single pane for
1621 @code{x-popup-menu}.
1622
1623 The return value is @var{value} from the chosen alternative.
1624
1625 As for @code{x-popup-menu}, an element of the list may be just a
1626 string instead of a cons cell @code{(@var{string} . @var{value})}.
1627 That makes a box that cannot be selected.
1628
1629 If @code{nil} appears in the list, it separates the left-hand items from
1630 the right-hand items; items that precede the @code{nil} appear on the
1631 left, and items that follow the @code{nil} appear on the right. If you
1632 don't include a @code{nil} in the list, then approximately half the
1633 items appear on each side.
1634
1635 Dialog boxes always appear in the center of a frame; the argument
1636 @var{position} specifies which frame. The possible values are as in
1637 @code{x-popup-menu}, but the precise coordinates or the individual
1638 window don't matter; only the frame matters.
1639
1640 If @var{header} is non-@code{nil}, the frame title for the box is
1641 @samp{Information}, otherwise it is @samp{Question}. The former is used
1642 for @code{message-box} (@pxref{message-box}).
1643
1644 In some configurations, Emacs cannot display a real dialog box; so
1645 instead it displays the same items in a pop-up menu in the center of the
1646 frame.
1647
1648 If the user gets rid of the dialog box without making a valid choice,
1649 for instance using the window manager, then this produces a quit and
1650 @code{x-popup-dialog} does not return.
1651 @end defun
1652
1653 @node Pointer Shape
1654 @section Pointer Shape
1655 @cindex pointer shape
1656 @cindex mouse pointer shape
1657
1658 You can specify the mouse pointer style for particular text or
1659 images using the @code{pointer} text property, and for images with the
1660 @code{:pointer} and @code{:map} image properties. The values you can
1661 use in these properties are @code{text} (or @code{nil}), @code{arrow},
1662 @code{hand}, @code{vdrag}, @code{hdrag}, @code{modeline}, and
1663 @code{hourglass}. @code{text} stands for the usual mouse pointer
1664 style used over text.
1665
1666 Over void parts of the window (parts that do not correspond to any
1667 of the buffer contents), the mouse pointer usually uses the
1668 @code{arrow} style, but you can specify a different style (one of
1669 those above) by setting @code{void-text-area-pointer}.
1670
1671 @defvar void-text-area-pointer
1672 This variable specifies the mouse pointer style for void text areas.
1673 These include the areas after the end of a line or below the last line
1674 in the buffer. The default is to use the @code{arrow} (non-text)
1675 pointer style.
1676 @end defvar
1677
1678 You can specify what the @code{text} pointer style really looks like
1679 by setting the variable @code{x-pointer-shape}.
1680
1681 @defvar x-pointer-shape
1682 This variable specifies the pointer shape to use ordinarily in the
1683 Emacs frame, for the @code{text} pointer style.
1684 @end defvar
1685
1686 @defvar x-sensitive-text-pointer-shape
1687 This variable specifies the pointer shape to use when the mouse
1688 is over mouse-sensitive text.
1689 @end defvar
1690
1691 These variables affect newly created frames. They do not normally
1692 affect existing frames; however, if you set the mouse color of a
1693 frame, that also installs the current value of those two variables.
1694 @xref{Color Parameters}.
1695
1696 The values you can use, to specify either of these pointer shapes, are
1697 defined in the file @file{lisp/term/x-win.el}. Use @kbd{M-x apropos
1698 @key{RET} x-pointer @key{RET}} to see a list of them.
1699
1700 @node Window System Selections
1701 @section Window System Selections
1702 @cindex selection (for window systems)
1703
1704 The X server records a set of @dfn{selections} which permit transfer of
1705 data between application programs. The various selections are
1706 distinguished by @dfn{selection types}, represented in Emacs by
1707 symbols. X clients including Emacs can read or set the selection for
1708 any given type.
1709
1710 @deffn Command x-set-selection type data
1711 This function sets a ``selection'' in the X server. It takes two
1712 arguments: a selection type @var{type}, and the value to assign to it,
1713 @var{data}. If @var{data} is @code{nil}, it means to clear out the
1714 selection. Otherwise, @var{data} may be a string, a symbol, an integer
1715 (or a cons of two integers or list of two integers), an overlay, or a
1716 cons of two markers pointing to the same buffer. An overlay or a pair
1717 of markers stands for text in the overlay or between the markers.
1718
1719 The argument @var{data} may also be a vector of valid non-vector
1720 selection values.
1721
1722 Each possible @var{type} has its own selection value, which changes
1723 independently. The usual values of @var{type} are @code{PRIMARY},
1724 @code{SECONDARY} and @code{CLIPBOARD}; these are symbols with upper-case
1725 names, in accord with X Window System conventions. If @var{type} is
1726 @code{nil}, that stands for @code{PRIMARY}.
1727
1728 This function returns @var{data}.
1729 @end deffn
1730
1731 @defun x-get-selection &optional type data-type
1732 This function accesses selections set up by Emacs or by other X
1733 clients. It takes two optional arguments, @var{type} and
1734 @var{data-type}. The default for @var{type}, the selection type, is
1735 @code{PRIMARY}.
1736
1737 The @var{data-type} argument specifies the form of data conversion to
1738 use, to convert the raw data obtained from another X client into Lisp
1739 data. Meaningful values include @code{TEXT}, @code{STRING},
1740 @code{UTF8_STRING}, @code{TARGETS}, @code{LENGTH}, @code{DELETE},
1741 @code{FILE_NAME}, @code{CHARACTER_POSITION}, @code{NAME},
1742 @code{LINE_NUMBER}, @code{COLUMN_NUMBER}, @code{OWNER_OS},
1743 @code{HOST_NAME}, @code{USER}, @code{CLASS}, @code{ATOM}, and
1744 @code{INTEGER}. (These are symbols with upper-case names in accord
1745 with X conventions.) The default for @var{data-type} is
1746 @code{STRING}.
1747 @end defun
1748
1749 @cindex cut buffer
1750 The X server also has a set of eight numbered @dfn{cut buffers} which can
1751 store text or other data being moved between applications. Cut buffers
1752 are considered obsolete, but Emacs supports them for the sake of X
1753 clients that still use them. Cut buffers are numbered from 0 to 7.
1754
1755 @defun x-get-cut-buffer &optional n
1756 This function returns the contents of cut buffer number @var{n}.
1757 If omitted @var{n} defaults to 0.
1758 @end defun
1759
1760 @defun x-set-cut-buffer string &optional push
1761 @anchor{Definition of x-set-cut-buffer}
1762 This function stores @var{string} into the first cut buffer (cut buffer
1763 0). If @var{push} is @code{nil}, only the first cut buffer is changed.
1764 If @var{push} is non-@code{nil}, that says to move the values down
1765 through the series of cut buffers, much like the way successive kills in
1766 Emacs move down the kill ring. In other words, the previous value of
1767 the first cut buffer moves into the second cut buffer, and the second to
1768 the third, and so on through all eight cut buffers.
1769 @end defun
1770
1771 @defvar selection-coding-system
1772 This variable specifies the coding system to use when reading and
1773 writing selections or the clipboard. @xref{Coding
1774 Systems}. The default is @code{compound-text-with-extensions}, which
1775 converts to the text representation that X11 normally uses.
1776 @end defvar
1777
1778 @cindex clipboard support (for MS-Windows)
1779 When Emacs runs on MS-Windows, it does not implement X selections in
1780 general, but it does support the clipboard. @code{x-get-selection}
1781 and @code{x-set-selection} on MS-Windows support the text data type
1782 only; if the clipboard holds other types of data, Emacs treats the
1783 clipboard as empty.
1784
1785 @defopt x-select-enable-clipboard
1786 If this is non-@code{nil}, the Emacs yank functions consult the
1787 clipboard before the primary selection, and the kill functions store in
1788 the clipboard as well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not
1789 access the clipboard at all. The default is @code{nil} on most systems,
1790 but @code{t} on MS-Windows.
1791 @end defopt
1792
1793 @node Drag and Drop
1794 @section Drag and Drop
1795
1796 @vindex x-dnd-test-function
1797 @vindex x-dnd-known-types
1798 When a user drags something from another application over Emacs, that other
1799 application expects Emacs to tell it if Emacs can handle the data that is
1800 dragged. The variable @code{x-dnd-test-function} is used by Emacs to determine
1801 what to reply. The default value is @code{x-dnd-default-test-function}
1802 which accepts drops if the type of the data to be dropped is present in
1803 @code{x-dnd-known-types}. You can customize @code{x-dnd-test-function} and/or
1804 @code{x-dnd-known-types} if you want Emacs to accept or reject drops based
1805 on some other criteria.
1806
1807 @vindex x-dnd-types-alist
1808 If you want to change the way Emacs handles drop of different types
1809 or add a new type, customize @code{x-dnd-types-alist}. This requires
1810 detailed knowledge of what types other applications use for drag and
1811 drop.
1812
1813 @vindex dnd-protocol-alist
1814 When an URL is dropped on Emacs it may be a file, but it may also be
1815 another URL type (ftp, http, etc.). Emacs first checks
1816 @code{dnd-protocol-alist} to determine what to do with the URL. If
1817 there is no match there and if @code{browse-url-browser-function} is
1818 an alist, Emacs looks for a match there. If no match is found the
1819 text for the URL is inserted. If you want to alter Emacs behavior,
1820 you can customize these variables.
1821
1822 @node Color Names
1823 @section Color Names
1824
1825 @cindex color names
1826 @cindex specify color
1827 @cindex numerical RGB color specification
1828 A color name is text (usually in a string) that specifies a color.
1829 Symbolic names such as @samp{black}, @samp{white}, @samp{red}, etc.,
1830 are allowed; use @kbd{M-x list-colors-display} to see a list of
1831 defined names. You can also specify colors numerically in forms such
1832 as @samp{#@var{rgb}} and @samp{RGB:@var{r}/@var{g}/@var{b}}, where
1833 @var{r} specifies the red level, @var{g} specifies the green level,
1834 and @var{b} specifies the blue level. You can use either one, two,
1835 three, or four hex digits for @var{r}; then you must use the same
1836 number of hex digits for all @var{g} and @var{b} as well, making
1837 either 3, 6, 9 or 12 hex digits in all. (See the documentation of the
1838 X Window System for more details about numerical RGB specification of
1839 colors.)
1840
1841 These functions provide a way to determine which color names are
1842 valid, and what they look like. In some cases, the value depends on the
1843 @dfn{selected frame}, as described below; see @ref{Input Focus}, for the
1844 meaning of the term ``selected frame.''
1845
1846 To read user input of color names with completion, use
1847 @code{read-color} (@pxref{High-Level Completion, read-color}).
1848
1849 @defun color-defined-p color &optional frame
1850 This function reports whether a color name is meaningful. It returns
1851 @code{t} if so; otherwise, @code{nil}. The argument @var{frame} says
1852 which frame's display to ask about; if @var{frame} is omitted or
1853 @code{nil}, the selected frame is used.
1854
1855 Note that this does not tell you whether the display you are using
1856 really supports that color. When using X, you can ask for any defined
1857 color on any kind of display, and you will get some result---typically,
1858 the closest it can do. To determine whether a frame can really display
1859 a certain color, use @code{color-supported-p} (see below).
1860
1861 @findex x-color-defined-p
1862 This function used to be called @code{x-color-defined-p},
1863 and that name is still supported as an alias.
1864 @end defun
1865
1866 @defun defined-colors &optional frame
1867 This function returns a list of the color names that are defined
1868 and supported on frame @var{frame} (default, the selected frame).
1869 If @var{frame} does not support colors, the value is @code{nil}.
1870
1871 @findex x-defined-colors
1872 This function used to be called @code{x-defined-colors},
1873 and that name is still supported as an alias.
1874 @end defun
1875
1876 @defun color-supported-p color &optional frame background-p
1877 This returns @code{t} if @var{frame} can really display the color
1878 @var{color} (or at least something close to it). If @var{frame} is
1879 omitted or @code{nil}, the question applies to the selected frame.
1880
1881 Some terminals support a different set of colors for foreground and
1882 background. If @var{background-p} is non-@code{nil}, that means you are
1883 asking whether @var{color} can be used as a background; otherwise you
1884 are asking whether it can be used as a foreground.
1885
1886 The argument @var{color} must be a valid color name.
1887 @end defun
1888
1889 @defun color-gray-p color &optional frame
1890 This returns @code{t} if @var{color} is a shade of gray, as defined on
1891 @var{frame}'s display. If @var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, the
1892 question applies to the selected frame. If @var{color} is not a valid
1893 color name, this function returns @code{nil}.
1894 @end defun
1895
1896 @defun color-values color &optional frame
1897 @cindex rgb value
1898 This function returns a value that describes what @var{color} should
1899 ideally look like on @var{frame}. If @var{color} is defined, the
1900 value is a list of three integers, which give the amount of red, the
1901 amount of green, and the amount of blue. Each integer ranges in
1902 principle from 0 to 65535, but some displays may not use the full
1903 range. This three-element list is called the @dfn{rgb values} of the
1904 color.
1905
1906 If @var{color} is not defined, the value is @code{nil}.
1907
1908 @example
1909 (color-values "black")
1910 @result{} (0 0 0)
1911 (color-values "white")
1912 @result{} (65280 65280 65280)
1913 (color-values "red")
1914 @result{} (65280 0 0)
1915 (color-values "pink")
1916 @result{} (65280 49152 51968)
1917 (color-values "hungry")
1918 @result{} nil
1919 @end example
1920
1921 The color values are returned for @var{frame}'s display. If
1922 @var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, the information is returned for
1923 the selected frame's display. If the frame cannot display colors, the
1924 value is @code{nil}.
1925
1926 @findex x-color-values
1927 This function used to be called @code{x-color-values},
1928 and that name is still supported as an alias.
1929 @end defun
1930
1931 @node Text Terminal Colors
1932 @section Text Terminal Colors
1933 @cindex colors on text-only terminals
1934
1935 Text-only terminals usually support only a small number of colors,
1936 and the computer uses small integers to select colors on the terminal.
1937 This means that the computer cannot reliably tell what the selected
1938 color looks like; instead, you have to inform your application which
1939 small integers correspond to which colors. However, Emacs does know
1940 the standard set of colors and will try to use them automatically.
1941
1942 The functions described in this section control how terminal colors
1943 are used by Emacs.
1944
1945 Several of these functions use or return @dfn{rgb values}, described
1946 in @ref{Color Names}.
1947
1948 These functions accept a display (either a frame or the name of a
1949 terminal) as an optional argument. We hope in the future to make Emacs
1950 support more than one text-only terminal at one time; then this argument
1951 will specify which terminal to operate on (the default being the
1952 selected frame's terminal; @pxref{Input Focus}). At present, though,
1953 the @var{frame} argument has no effect.
1954
1955 @defun tty-color-define name number &optional rgb frame
1956 This function associates the color name @var{name} with
1957 color number @var{number} on the terminal.
1958
1959 The optional argument @var{rgb}, if specified, is an rgb value, a list
1960 of three numbers that specify what the color actually looks like.
1961 If you do not specify @var{rgb}, then this color cannot be used by
1962 @code{tty-color-approximate} to approximate other colors, because
1963 Emacs will not know what it looks like.
1964 @end defun
1965
1966 @defun tty-color-clear &optional frame
1967 This function clears the table of defined colors for a text-only terminal.
1968 @end defun
1969
1970 @defun tty-color-alist &optional frame
1971 This function returns an alist recording the known colors supported by a
1972 text-only terminal.
1973
1974 Each element has the form @code{(@var{name} @var{number} . @var{rgb})}
1975 or @code{(@var{name} @var{number})}. Here, @var{name} is the color
1976 name, @var{number} is the number used to specify it to the terminal.
1977 If present, @var{rgb} is a list of three color values (for red, green,
1978 and blue) that says what the color actually looks like.
1979 @end defun
1980
1981 @defun tty-color-approximate rgb &optional frame
1982 This function finds the closest color, among the known colors
1983 supported for @var{display}, to that described by the rgb value
1984 @var{rgb} (a list of color values). The return value is an element of
1985 @code{tty-color-alist}.
1986 @end defun
1987
1988 @defun tty-color-translate color &optional frame
1989 This function finds the closest color to @var{color} among the known
1990 colors supported for @var{display} and returns its index (an integer).
1991 If the name @var{color} is not defined, the value is @code{nil}.
1992 @end defun
1993
1994 @node Resources
1995 @section X Resources
1996
1997 @defun x-get-resource attribute class &optional component subclass
1998 The function @code{x-get-resource} retrieves a resource value from the X
1999 Window defaults database.
2000
2001 Resources are indexed by a combination of a @dfn{key} and a @dfn{class}.
2002 This function searches using a key of the form
2003 @samp{@var{instance}.@var{attribute}} (where @var{instance} is the name
2004 under which Emacs was invoked), and using @samp{Emacs.@var{class}} as
2005 the class.
2006
2007 The optional arguments @var{component} and @var{subclass} add to the key
2008 and the class, respectively. You must specify both of them or neither.
2009 If you specify them, the key is
2010 @samp{@var{instance}.@var{component}.@var{attribute}}, and the class is
2011 @samp{Emacs.@var{class}.@var{subclass}}.
2012 @end defun
2013
2014 @defvar x-resource-class
2015 This variable specifies the application name that @code{x-get-resource}
2016 should look up. The default value is @code{"Emacs"}. You can examine X
2017 resources for application names other than ``Emacs'' by binding this
2018 variable to some other string, around a call to @code{x-get-resource}.
2019 @end defvar
2020
2021 @defvar x-resource-name
2022 This variable specifies the instance name that @code{x-get-resource}
2023 should look up. The default value is the name Emacs was invoked with,
2024 or the value specified with the @samp{-name} or @samp{-rn} switches.
2025 @end defvar
2026
2027 To illustrate some of the above, suppose that you have the line:
2028
2029 @example
2030 xterm.vt100.background: yellow
2031 @end example
2032
2033 @noindent
2034 in your X resources file (whose name is usually @file{~/.Xdefaults}
2035 or @file{~/.Xresources}). Then:
2036
2037 @example
2038 @group
2039 (let ((x-resource-class "XTerm") (x-resource-name "xterm"))
2040 (x-get-resource "vt100.background" "VT100.Background"))
2041 @result{} "yellow"
2042 @end group
2043 @group
2044 (let ((x-resource-class "XTerm") (x-resource-name "xterm"))
2045 (x-get-resource "background" "VT100" "vt100" "Background"))
2046 @result{} "yellow"
2047 @end group
2048 @end example
2049
2050 @xref{X Resources,, X Resources, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
2051
2052 @node Display Feature Testing
2053 @section Display Feature Testing
2054 @cindex display feature testing
2055
2056 The functions in this section describe the basic capabilities of a
2057 particular display. Lisp programs can use them to adapt their behavior
2058 to what the display can do. For example, a program that ordinarily uses
2059 a popup menu could use the minibuffer if popup menus are not supported.
2060
2061 The optional argument @var{display} in these functions specifies which
2062 display to ask the question about. It can be a display name, a frame
2063 (which designates the display that frame is on), or @code{nil} (which
2064 refers to the selected frame's display, @pxref{Input Focus}).
2065
2066 @xref{Color Names}, @ref{Text Terminal Colors}, for other functions to
2067 obtain information about displays.
2068
2069 @defun display-popup-menus-p &optional display
2070 This function returns @code{t} if popup menus are supported on
2071 @var{display}, @code{nil} if not. Support for popup menus requires that
2072 the mouse be available, since the user cannot choose menu items without
2073 a mouse.
2074 @end defun
2075
2076 @defun display-graphic-p &optional display
2077 This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} is a graphic display
2078 capable of displaying several frames and several different fonts at
2079 once. This is true for displays that use a window system such as X, and
2080 false for text-only terminals.
2081 @end defun
2082
2083 @defun display-mouse-p &optional display
2084 @cindex mouse, availability
2085 This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} has a mouse available,
2086 @code{nil} if not.
2087 @end defun
2088
2089 @defun display-color-p &optional display
2090 @findex x-display-color-p
2091 This function returns @code{t} if the screen is a color screen.
2092 It used to be called @code{x-display-color-p}, and that name
2093 is still supported as an alias.
2094 @end defun
2095
2096 @defun display-grayscale-p &optional display
2097 This function returns @code{t} if the screen can display shades of gray.
2098 (All color displays can do this.)
2099 @end defun
2100
2101 @defun display-supports-face-attributes-p attributes &optional display
2102 @anchor{Display Face Attribute Testing}
2103 This function returns non-@code{nil} if all the face attributes in
2104 @var{attributes} are supported (@pxref{Face Attributes}).
2105
2106 The definition of `supported' is somewhat heuristic, but basically
2107 means that a face containing all the attributes in @var{attributes},
2108 when merged with the default face for display, can be represented in a
2109 way that's
2110
2111 @enumerate
2112 @item
2113 different in appearance than the default face, and
2114
2115 @item
2116 `close in spirit' to what the attributes specify, if not exact.
2117 @end enumerate
2118
2119 Point (2) implies that a @code{:weight black} attribute will be
2120 satisfied by any display that can display bold, as will
2121 @code{:foreground "yellow"} as long as some yellowish color can be
2122 displayed, but @code{:slant italic} will @emph{not} be satisfied by
2123 the tty display code's automatic substitution of a `dim' face for
2124 italic.
2125 @end defun
2126
2127 @defun display-selections-p &optional display
2128 This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} supports selections.
2129 Windowed displays normally support selections, but they may also be
2130 supported in some other cases.
2131 @end defun
2132
2133 @defun display-images-p &optional display
2134 This function returns @code{t} if @var{display} can display images.
2135 Windowed displays ought in principle to handle images, but some
2136 systems lack the support for that. On a display that does not support
2137 images, Emacs cannot display a tool bar.
2138 @end defun
2139
2140 @defun display-screens &optional display
2141 This function returns the number of screens associated with the display.
2142 @end defun
2143
2144 @defun display-pixel-height &optional display
2145 This function returns the height of the screen in pixels.
2146 On a character terminal, it gives the height in characters.
2147
2148 For graphical terminals, note that on ``multi-monitor'' setups this
2149 refers to the pixel width for all physical monitors associated with
2150 @var{display}. @xref{Multiple Displays}.
2151 @end defun
2152
2153 @defun display-pixel-width &optional display
2154 This function returns the width of the screen in pixels.
2155 On a character terminal, it gives the width in characters.
2156
2157 For graphical terminals, note that on ``multi-monitor'' setups this
2158 refers to the pixel width for all physical monitors associated with
2159 @var{display}. @xref{Multiple Displays}.
2160 @end defun
2161
2162 @defun display-mm-height &optional display
2163 This function returns the height of the screen in millimeters,
2164 or @code{nil} if Emacs cannot get that information.
2165 @end defun
2166
2167 @defun display-mm-width &optional display
2168 This function returns the width of the screen in millimeters,
2169 or @code{nil} if Emacs cannot get that information.
2170 @end defun
2171
2172 @defvar display-mm-dimensions-alist
2173 This variable allows the user to specify the dimensions of graphical
2174 displays returned by @code{display-mm-height} and
2175 @code{display-mm-width} in case the system provides incorrect values.
2176 @end defvar
2177
2178 @defun display-backing-store &optional display
2179 This function returns the backing store capability of the display.
2180 Backing store means recording the pixels of windows (and parts of
2181 windows) that are not exposed, so that when exposed they can be
2182 displayed very quickly.
2183
2184 Values can be the symbols @code{always}, @code{when-mapped}, or
2185 @code{not-useful}. The function can also return @code{nil}
2186 when the question is inapplicable to a certain kind of display.
2187 @end defun
2188
2189 @defun display-save-under &optional display
2190 This function returns non-@code{nil} if the display supports the
2191 SaveUnder feature. That feature is used by pop-up windows
2192 to save the pixels they obscure, so that they can pop down
2193 quickly.
2194 @end defun
2195
2196 @defun display-planes &optional display
2197 This function returns the number of planes the display supports.
2198 This is typically the number of bits per pixel.
2199 For a tty display, it is log to base two of the number of colors supported.
2200 @end defun
2201
2202 @defun display-visual-class &optional display
2203 This function returns the visual class for the screen. The value is one
2204 of the symbols @code{static-gray}, @code{gray-scale},
2205 @code{static-color}, @code{pseudo-color}, @code{true-color}, and
2206 @code{direct-color}.
2207 @end defun
2208
2209 @defun display-color-cells &optional display
2210 This function returns the number of color cells the screen supports.
2211 @end defun
2212
2213 These functions obtain additional information specifically
2214 about X displays.
2215
2216 @defun x-server-version &optional display
2217 This function returns the list of version numbers of the X server
2218 running the display. The value is a list of three integers: the major
2219 and minor version numbers of the X protocol, and the
2220 distributor-specific release number of the X server software itself.
2221 @end defun
2222
2223 @defun x-server-vendor &optional display
2224 This function returns the ``vendor'' that provided the X server
2225 software (as a string). Really this means whoever distributes the X
2226 server.
2227
2228 When the developers of X labelled software distributors as
2229 ``vendors,'' they showed their false assumption that no system could
2230 ever be developed and distributed noncommercially.
2231 @end defun
2232
2233 @ignore
2234 @defvar x-no-window-manager
2235 This variable's value is @code{t} if no X window manager is in use.
2236 @end defvar
2237 @end ignore
2238
2239 @ignore
2240 @item
2241 The functions @code{x-pixel-width} and @code{x-pixel-height} return the
2242 width and height of an X Window frame, measured in pixels.
2243 @end ignore
2244
2245 @node Multiple Terminals
2246 @section Multiple Terminals
2247 @cindex multiple terminals
2248 @cindex multi-tty
2249
2250 A @dfn{terminal} is a display device capable of displaying one or
2251 more Emacs frames. On GNU and Unix systems, Emacs supports any number
2252 of different terminals in one session, and can mix GUI and text-only
2253 frames in the same session.
2254
2255 Emacs represents each terminal on which it displays frames as a
2256 special @dfn{terminal object} data type, see @ref{Terminal Type}. The
2257 terminal object has a unique integer identifier and the following
2258 attributes:
2259
2260 @itemize @bullet
2261 @item
2262 The name of the device used by the terminal (e.g., @file{/dev/tty}).
2263
2264 @item
2265 The terminal and keyboard coding systems (@pxref{Terminal I/O
2266 Encoding}) used on the terminal.
2267
2268 @item
2269 The type of frames (@pxref{Frames}) the terminal is displaying.
2270
2271 @item
2272 A list of the terminal parameters (@pxref{Terminal Parameters}).
2273 @end itemize
2274
2275 @c This is still under construction.
2276
2277 @defun frame-terminal
2278 @end defun
2279
2280 @defun get-device-terminal device
2281 @end defun
2282
2283 @defun terminal-list
2284 @end defun
2285
2286 @menu
2287 * Low-level Terminal:: Low-level manipulation of terminal objects.
2288 * Terminal Parameters:: Parameters common for all frames on terminal.
2289 * Frames on Other TTY devices:: Creating frames on other terminal devices.
2290 @end menu
2291
2292 @node Low-level Terminal
2293 @subsection Low-level Access to Terminals
2294
2295 This subsection describes low-level primitives for accessing and
2296 manipulating Emacs terminal objects. There's no primitive for
2297 creating terminal objects; Emacs creates them as needed when you call
2298 one of the primitives, such as @code{make-frame-on-tty} (@pxref{Frames
2299 on Other TTY devices}), that start displaying on a new terminal.
2300
2301 @defun suspend-tty &optional tty
2302 @end defun
2303
2304 @defun resume-tty &optional tty
2305 @end defun
2306
2307 @defun terminal-live-p object
2308 @end defun
2309
2310 @defun terminal-name &optional terminal
2311 @end defun
2312
2313 @defun delete-terminal &optional terminal force
2314 @end defun
2315
2316 @node Terminal Parameters
2317 @subsection Terminal Parameters
2318 @cindex terminal parameters
2319
2320 This subsection describes how to read and change the parameter
2321 values of a terminal.
2322
2323 @defun terminal-parameters &optional terminal
2324 @end defun
2325
2326 @defun terminal-parameter terminal parameter
2327 @end defun
2328
2329 @defun set-terminal-parameter terminal parameter value
2330 @end defun
2331
2332 @defun environment &optional frame
2333 @end defun
2334
2335 @defvar initial-environment
2336 @end defvar
2337
2338 @node Frames on Other TTY devices
2339 @subsection Frames on Other TTY devices
2340
2341 This subsection documents functions related to displaying Emacs
2342 frames on a terminal device other than the current one.
2343
2344 @defun make-frame-on-tty tty type &optional parameters
2345 @end defun
2346
2347
2348 @ignore
2349 arch-tag: 94977df6-3dca-4730-b57b-c6329e9282ba
2350 @end ignore