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1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000,
3 @c 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node Frames, International, Windows, Top
6 @chapter Frames and Graphical Displays
7 @cindex frames
8
9 When using a graphical display, you can create multiple windows at
10 the system in a single Emacs session. Each system-level window that
11 belongs to Emacs displays a @dfn{frame} which can contain one or
12 several Emacs windows. A frame initially contains a single
13 general-purpose Emacs window which you can subdivide vertically or
14 horizontally into smaller windows. A frame normally contains its own
15 echo area and minibuffer, but you can make frames that don't have
16 these---they use the echo area and minibuffer of another frame.
17
18 To avoid confusion, we reserve the word ``window'' for the
19 subdivisions that Emacs implements, and never use it to refer to a
20 frame.
21
22 Editing you do in one frame affects the other frames. For
23 instance, if you put text in the kill ring in one frame, you can yank it
24 in another frame. If you exit Emacs through @kbd{C-x C-c} in one frame,
25 it terminates all the frames. To delete just one frame, use @kbd{C-x 5
26 0} (that is zero, not @kbd{o}).
27
28 Emacs compiled for MS-DOS emulates some windowing functionality,
29 so that you can use many of the features described in this chapter.
30 @xref{MS-DOS Mouse,,,emacs-xtra,Specialized Emacs Features}.
31
32 @menu
33 * Mouse Commands:: Moving, cutting, and pasting, with the mouse.
34 * Secondary Selection:: Cutting without altering point and mark.
35 * Clipboard:: Using the clipboard for selections.
36 * Mouse References:: Using the mouse to select an item from a list.
37 * Menu Mouse Clicks:: Mouse clicks that bring up menus.
38 * Mode Line Mouse:: Mouse clicks on the mode line.
39 * Creating Frames:: Creating additional Emacs frames with various contents.
40 * Frame Commands:: Iconifying, deleting, and switching frames.
41 * Speedbar:: How to make and use a speedbar frame.
42 * Multiple Displays:: How one Emacs job can talk to several displays.
43 * Special Buffer Frames:: You can make certain buffers have their own frames.
44 * Frame Parameters:: Changing the colors and other modes of frames.
45 * Scroll Bars:: How to enable and disable scroll bars; how to use them.
46 * Wheeled Mice:: Using mouse wheels for scrolling.
47 * Drag and Drop:: Using drag and drop to open files and insert text.
48 * Menu Bars:: Enabling and disabling the menu bar.
49 * Tool Bars:: Enabling and disabling the tool bar.
50 * Dialog Boxes:: Controlling use of dialog boxes.
51 * Tooltips:: Displaying information at the current mouse position.
52 * Mouse Avoidance:: Moving the mouse pointer out of the way.
53 * Non-Window Terminals:: Multiple frames on terminals that show only one.
54 * XTerm Mouse:: Using the mouse in an XTerm terminal emulator.
55 @end menu
56
57 @node Mouse Commands
58 @section Mouse Commands for Editing
59 @cindex mouse buttons (what they do)
60
61 The mouse commands for selecting and copying a region are mostly
62 compatible with the @code{xterm} program. You can use the same mouse
63 commands for copying between Emacs and other window-based programs.
64 Most of these commands also work in Emacs when you run it under an
65 @code{xterm} terminal.
66
67 @kindex DELETE @r{(and mouse selection)}
68 If you select a region with any of these mouse commands, and then
69 immediately afterward type the @key{DELETE} function key, it deletes the
70 region that you selected. The @key{BACKSPACE} function key and the
71 @acronym{ASCII} character @key{DEL} do not do this; if you type any other key
72 in between the mouse command and @key{DELETE}, it does not do this.
73
74 @findex mouse-set-region
75 @findex mouse-set-point
76 @findex mouse-yank-at-click
77 @findex mouse-save-then-click
78 @kindex Mouse-1
79 @kindex Mouse-2
80 @kindex Mouse-3
81 @table @kbd
82 @item Mouse-1
83 Move point to where you click (@code{mouse-set-point}).
84 This is normally the left button.
85
86 @vindex x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position
87 Normally, Emacs does not distinguish between ordinary mouse clicks and
88 clicks that select a frame. When you click on a frame to select it,
89 that also changes the selected window and cursor position according to
90 the mouse click position. On the X window system, you can change this
91 behavior by setting the variable
92 @code{x-mouse-click-focus-ignore-position} to @code{t}. Then the
93 first click selects the frame, but does not affect the selected window
94 or cursor position. If you click again in the same place, since that
95 click will be in the selected frame, it will change the window or
96 cursor position.
97
98 @item Drag-Mouse-1
99 Set the region to the text you select by dragging, and copy it to the
100 kill ring (@code{mouse-set-region}). You can specify both ends of the
101 region with this single command.
102
103 @vindex mouse-scroll-min-lines
104 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
105 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
106 back into the window. This way, you can select regions that don't fit
107 entirely on the screen. The number of lines scrolled per step depends
108 on how far away from the window edge the mouse has gone; the variable
109 @code{mouse-scroll-min-lines} specifies a minimum step size.
110
111 @vindex mouse-drag-copy-region
112 If the variable @code{mouse-drag-copy-region} is @code{nil}, this
113 mouse command does not copy the selected region into the kill ring.
114
115 @item Mouse-2
116 Yank the last killed text, where you click (@code{mouse-yank-at-click}).
117 This is normally the middle button.
118
119 @item Mouse-3
120 This command, @code{mouse-save-then-kill}, has several functions
121 depending on where you click and the status of the region.
122
123 The most basic case is when you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in one place and
124 then @kbd{Mouse-3} in another. This selects the text between those two
125 positions as the region. It also copies the new region to the kill
126 ring, so that you can copy it to someplace else.
127
128 If you click @kbd{Mouse-1} in the text, scroll with the scroll bar, and
129 then click @kbd{Mouse-3}, it remembers where point was before scrolling
130 (where you put it with @kbd{Mouse-1}), and uses that position as the
131 other end of the region. This is so that you can select a region that
132 doesn't fit entirely on the screen.
133
134 More generally, if you do not have a highlighted region, @kbd{Mouse-3}
135 selects the text between point and the click position as the region. It
136 does this by setting the mark where point was, and moving point to where
137 you click.
138
139 If you have a highlighted region, or if the region was set just before
140 by dragging button 1, @kbd{Mouse-3} adjusts the nearer end of the region
141 by moving it to where you click. The adjusted region's text also
142 replaces the old region's text in the kill ring.
143
144 If you originally specified the region using a double or triple
145 @kbd{Mouse-1}, so that the region is defined to consist of entire words
146 or lines, then adjusting the region with @kbd{Mouse-3} also proceeds by
147 entire words or lines.
148
149 If you use @kbd{Mouse-3} a second time consecutively, at the same place,
150 that kills the region already selected.
151
152 @item Double-Mouse-1
153 This key sets the region around the word which you click on. If you
154 click on a character with ``symbol'' syntax (such as underscore, in C
155 mode), it sets the region around the symbol surrounding that character.
156
157 If you click on a character with open-parenthesis or close-parenthesis
158 syntax, it sets the region around the parenthetical grouping
159 which that character starts or ends. If you click on a character with
160 string-delimiter syntax (such as a singlequote or doublequote in C), it
161 sets the region around the string constant (using heuristics to figure
162 out whether that character is the beginning or the end of it).
163
164 @item Double-Drag-Mouse-1
165 This key selects a region made up of the words you drag across.
166
167 @item Triple-Mouse-1
168 This key sets the region around the line you click on.
169
170 @item Triple-Drag-Mouse-1
171 This key selects a region made up of the lines you drag across.
172 @end table
173
174 The simplest way to kill text with the mouse is to press @kbd{Mouse-1}
175 at one end, then press @kbd{Mouse-3} twice at the other end.
176 @xref{Killing}. To copy the text into the kill ring without deleting it
177 from the buffer, press @kbd{Mouse-3} just once---or just drag across the
178 text with @kbd{Mouse-1}. Then you can copy it elsewhere by yanking it.
179
180 @vindex mouse-yank-at-point
181 To yank the killed or copied text somewhere else, move the mouse there
182 and press @kbd{Mouse-2}. @xref{Yanking}. However, if
183 @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{Mouse-2} yanks at
184 point. Then it does not matter where you click, or even which of the
185 frame's windows you click on. The default value is @code{nil}. This
186 variable also affects yanking the secondary selection.
187
188 @cindex cutting
189 @cindex pasting
190 @cindex X cutting and pasting
191 To copy text to another windowing application, kill it or save it in
192 the kill ring. Then use the ``paste'' or ``yank'' command of the
193 other application to insert the text.
194
195 To copy text from another windowing application, use its ``cut'' or
196 ``copy'' command to select the text you want. Then yank it in Emacs
197 with @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
198
199 @cindex primary selection
200 @cindex cut buffer
201 @cindex selection, primary
202 @vindex x-cut-buffer-max
203 When Emacs puts text into the kill ring, or rotates text to the
204 front of the kill ring, it sets the @dfn{primary selection} in the
205 window system. This is how other windowing applications can access
206 the text. On the X Window System, emacs also stores the text in the
207 cut buffer, but only if the text is short enough (the value of
208 @code{x-cut-buffer-max} specifies the maximum number of characters);
209 putting long strings in the cut buffer can be slow.
210
211 The commands to yank the first entry in the kill ring actually check
212 first for a primary selection in another program; after that, they check
213 for text in the cut buffer. If neither of those sources provides text
214 to yank, the kill ring contents are used.
215
216 The standard coding system for X Window System selections is
217 @code{compound-text-with-extensions}. To specify another coding
218 system for selections, use @kbd{C-x @key{RET} x} or @kbd{C-x @key{RET}
219 X}. @xref{Communication Coding}.
220
221 @node Secondary Selection
222 @section Secondary Selection
223 @cindex secondary selection
224
225 The @dfn{secondary selection} is another way of selecting text using
226 the X Window System. It does not use point or the mark, so you can
227 use it to kill text without setting point or the mark.
228
229 @table @kbd
230 @findex mouse-set-secondary
231 @kindex M-Drag-Mouse-1
232 @item M-Drag-Mouse-1
233 Set the secondary selection, with one end at the place where you press
234 down the button, and the other end at the place where you release it
235 (@code{mouse-set-secondary}). The highlighting appears and changes as
236 you drag. You can control the appearance of the highlighting by
237 customizing the @code{secondary-selection} face (@pxref{Face
238 Customization}).
239
240 If you move the mouse off the top or bottom of the window while
241 dragging, the window scrolls at a steady rate until you move the mouse
242 back into the window. This way, you can mark regions that don't fit
243 entirely on the screen.
244
245 This way of setting the secondary selection does not alter the kill ring.
246
247 @findex mouse-start-secondary
248 @kindex M-Mouse-1
249 @item M-Mouse-1
250 Set one endpoint for the @dfn{secondary selection}
251 (@code{mouse-start-secondary}).
252
253 @findex mouse-secondary-save-then-kill
254 @kindex M-Mouse-3
255 @item M-Mouse-3
256 Make a secondary selection, using the place specified with @kbd{M-Mouse-1}
257 as the other end (@code{mouse-secondary-save-then-kill}). This also
258 puts the selected text in the kill ring. A second click at the same
259 place kills the secondary selection just made.
260
261 @findex mouse-yank-secondary
262 @kindex M-Mouse-2
263 @item M-Mouse-2
264 Insert the secondary selection where you click
265 (@code{mouse-yank-secondary}). This places point at the end of the
266 yanked text.
267 @end table
268
269 Double or triple clicking of @kbd{M-Mouse-1} operates on words and
270 lines, much like @kbd{Mouse-1}.
271
272 If @code{mouse-yank-at-point} is non-@code{nil}, @kbd{M-Mouse-2}
273 yanks at point. Then it does not matter precisely where you click; all
274 that matters is which window you click on. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
275
276 @node Clipboard
277 @section Using the Clipboard
278 @cindex clipboard
279 @vindex x-select-enable-clipboard
280 @findex menu-bar-enable-clipboard
281 @cindex OpenWindows
282 @cindex Gnome
283
284 Apart from the primary and secondary selection types, Emacs can
285 handle the @dfn{clipboard} selection type which is used by some
286 applications, particularly under OpenWindows and Gnome.
287
288 The command @kbd{M-x menu-bar-enable-clipboard} makes the @code{Cut},
289 @code{Paste} and @code{Copy} menu items, as well as the keys of the same
290 names, all use the clipboard.
291
292 You can customize the variable @code{x-select-enable-clipboard} to make
293 the Emacs yank functions consult the clipboard before the primary
294 selection, and to make the kill functions to store in the clipboard as
295 well as the primary selection. Otherwise they do not access the
296 clipboard at all. Using the clipboard is the default on MS-Windows and Mac,
297 but not on other systems.
298
299 @node Mouse References
300 @section Following References with the Mouse
301 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(selection)}
302 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(selection)}
303
304 Some read-only Emacs buffers include references you can follow, or
305 commands you can activate. These include names of files, of buffers,
306 of possible completions, of matches for a pattern, as well as the
307 buttons in Help buffers and customization buffers. You can follow the
308 reference or activate the command by moving point to it and typing
309 @key{RET}. You can also do this with the mouse, using either
310 @kbd{Mouse-1} or @kbd{Mouse-2}.
311
312 Since yanking text into a read-only buffer is not allowed, these
313 buffers generally define @kbd{Mouse-2} to follow a reference or
314 activate a command. For example, if you click @kbd{Mouse-2} on a file
315 name in a Dired buffer, you visit that file. If you click
316 @kbd{Mouse-2} on an error message in the @samp{*Compilation*} buffer,
317 you go to the source code for that error message. If you click
318 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a completion in the @samp{*Completions*} buffer, you
319 choose that completion.
320
321 However, most applications use @kbd{Mouse-1} to do this sort of
322 thing, so Emacs implements this too. If you click @kbd{Mouse-1}
323 quickly on a reference or button, it follows or activates. If you
324 click slowly, it moves point as usual. Dragging, meaning moving the
325 mouse while it is held down, also has its usual behavior of setting
326 the region.
327
328 @vindex mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows
329 Normally, the @kbd{Mouse-1} click behavior is performed on links in
330 any window. The variable @code{mouse-1-click-in-non-selected-windows}
331 controls whether @kbd{Mouse-1} has this behavior even in non-selected
332 windows, or only in the selected window.
333
334 @vindex mouse-highlight
335 You can usually tell when @kbd{Mouse-1} and @kbd{Mouse-2} have this
336 special sort of meaning because the sensitive text highlights when you
337 move the mouse over it. The variable @code{mouse-highlight} controls
338 whether to do this highlighting always (even when such text appears
339 where the mouse already is), never, or only immediately after you move
340 the mouse.
341
342 @vindex mouse-1-click-follows-link
343 In Emacs versions before 22, only @kbd{Mouse-2} follows links and
344 @kbd{Mouse-1} always sets point. If you prefer this older behavior,
345 set the variable @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link} to @code{nil}.
346 This variable also lets you choose various other alternatives for
347 following links with the mouse. Type @kbd{C-h v
348 mouse-1-click-follows-link @key{RET}} for more details.
349
350 @node Menu Mouse Clicks
351 @section Mouse Clicks for Menus
352
353 Several mouse clicks with the @key{CTRL} and @key{SHIFT} modifiers
354 bring up menus.
355
356 @table @kbd
357 @item C-Mouse-1
358 @kindex C-Mouse-1
359 This menu is for selecting a buffer.
360
361 The MSB (``mouse select buffer'') global minor mode makes this
362 menu smarter and more customizable. @xref{Buffer Menus}.
363
364 @item C-Mouse-2
365 @kindex C-Mouse-2
366 This menu is for specifying faces and other text properties
367 for editing formatted text. @xref{Formatted Text}.
368
369 @item C-Mouse-3
370 @kindex C-Mouse-3
371 This menu is mode-specific. For most modes if Menu-bar mode is on,
372 this menu has the same items as all the mode-specific menu-bar menus
373 put together. Some modes may specify a different menu for this
374 button.@footnote{Some systems use @kbd{Mouse-3} for a mode-specific
375 menu. We took a survey of users, and found they preferred to keep
376 @kbd{Mouse-3} for selecting and killing regions. Hence the decision
377 to use @kbd{C-Mouse-3} for this menu. To use @kbd{Mouse-3} instead,
378 do @code{(global-set-key [mouse-3] 'mouse-popup-menubar-stuff)}.} If
379 Menu-bar mode is off, this menu contains all the items which would be
380 present in the menu bar---not just the mode-specific ones---so that
381 you can access them without having to display the menu bar.
382
383 @item S-Mouse-1
384 This menu is for specifying the frame's default font.
385 @end table
386
387 @node Mode Line Mouse
388 @section Mode Line Mouse Commands
389 @cindex mode line, mouse
390 @cindex mouse on mode line
391
392 You can use mouse clicks on window mode lines to select and manipulate
393 windows.
394
395 Some areas of the mode line, such as the buffer name and the major
396 mode name, have their own special mouse bindings. These areas are
397 highlighted when you hold the mouse over them, and information about
398 the special bindings will be displayed (@pxref{Tooltips}). This
399 section's commands do not apply in those areas.
400
401 @table @kbd
402 @item Mouse-1
403 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(mode line)}
404 @kbd{Mouse-1} on a mode line selects the window it belongs to. By
405 dragging @kbd{Mouse-1} on the mode line, you can move it, thus
406 changing the height of the windows above and below. Changing heights
407 with the mouse in this way never deletes windows, it just refuses to
408 make any window smaller than the minimum height.
409
410 @item Mouse-2
411 @kindex Mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
412 @kbd{Mouse-2} on a mode line expands that window to fill its frame.
413
414 @item Mouse-3
415 @kindex Mouse-3 @r{(mode line)}
416 @kbd{Mouse-3} on a mode line deletes the window it belongs to. If the
417 frame has only one window, it buries the current buffer instead, and
418 switches to another buffer.
419
420 @item C-Mouse-2
421 @kindex C-mouse-2 @r{(mode line)}
422 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a mode line splits the window above
423 horizontally, above the place in the mode line where you click.
424 @end table
425
426 @kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)}
427 @kindex Mouse-1 @r{(scroll bar)}
428 Using @kbd{Mouse-1} on the divider between two side-by-side mode
429 lines, you can move the vertical boundary left or right. Using
430 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} on a scroll bar splits the corresponding window
431 vertically. @xref{Split Window}.
432
433 @node Creating Frames
434 @section Creating Frames
435 @cindex creating frames
436
437 @kindex C-x 5
438 The prefix key @kbd{C-x 5} is analogous to @kbd{C-x 4}, with parallel
439 subcommands. The difference is that @kbd{C-x 5} commands create a new
440 frame rather than just a new window in the selected frame (@pxref{Pop
441 Up Window}). If an existing visible or iconified frame already displays
442 the requested material, these commands use the existing frame, after
443 raising or deiconifying as necessary.
444
445 The various @kbd{C-x 5} commands differ in how they find or create the
446 buffer to select:
447
448 @table @kbd
449 @item C-x 5 2
450 @kindex C-x 5 2
451 @findex make-frame-command
452 Create a new frame (@code{make-frame-command}).
453 @item C-x 5 b @var{bufname} @key{RET}
454 Select buffer @var{bufname} in another frame. This runs
455 @code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}.
456 @item C-x 5 f @var{filename} @key{RET}
457 Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another frame. This
458 runs @code{find-file-other-frame}. @xref{Visiting}.
459 @item C-x 5 d @var{directory} @key{RET}
460 Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another frame.
461 This runs @code{dired-other-frame}. @xref{Dired}.
462 @item C-x 5 m
463 Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs
464 @code{mail-other-frame}. It is the other-frame variant of @kbd{C-x m}.
465 @xref{Sending Mail}.
466 @item C-x 5 .
467 Find a tag in the current tag table in another frame. This runs
468 @code{find-tag-other-frame}, the multiple-frame variant of @kbd{M-.}.
469 @xref{Tags}.
470 @item C-x 5 r @var{filename} @key{RET}
471 @kindex C-x 5 r
472 @findex find-file-read-only-other-frame
473 Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another
474 frame. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
475 @xref{Visiting}.
476 @end table
477
478 @cindex default-frame-alist
479 @cindex initial-frame-alist
480 You can control the appearance of new frames you create by setting the
481 frame parameters in @code{default-frame-alist}. You can use the
482 variable @code{initial-frame-alist} to specify parameters that affect
483 only the initial frame. @xref{Initial Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs
484 Lisp Reference Manual}, for more information.
485
486 @cindex font (default)
487 The easiest way to specify the principal font for all your Emacs
488 frames is with an X resource (@pxref{Font X}), but you can also do it by
489 modifying @code{default-frame-alist} to specify the @code{font}
490 parameter, as shown here:
491
492 @example
493 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(font . "10x20"))
494 @end example
495
496 @noindent
497 Here's a similar example for specifying a foreground color:
498
499 @example
500 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(foreground-color . "blue"))
501 @end example
502
503 @node Frame Commands
504 @section Frame Commands
505
506 The following commands let you create, delete and operate on frames:
507
508 @table @kbd
509 @item C-z
510 @kindex C-z @r{(X windows)}
511 @findex iconify-or-deiconify-frame
512 Iconify the selected Emacs frame (@code{iconify-or-deiconify-frame}).
513 The normal meaning of @kbd{C-z}, to suspend Emacs, is not useful under
514 a graphical display that allows multiple applications to operate
515 simultaneously in their own windies, so Emacs gives @kbd{C-z} a
516 different binding in that case.
517
518 If you type this command on an Emacs frame's icon, it deiconifies the frame.
519
520 @item C-x 5 0
521 @kindex C-x 5 0
522 @findex delete-frame
523 Delete the selected frame (@code{delete-frame}). This is not allowed if
524 there is only one frame.
525
526 @item C-x 5 o
527 @kindex C-x 5 o
528 @findex other-frame
529 Select another frame, raise it, and warp the mouse to it so that it
530 stays selected. If you repeat this command, it cycles through all the
531 frames on your terminal.
532
533 @item C-x 5 1
534 @kindex C-x 5 1
535 @findex delete-other-frames
536 Delete all frames except the selected one.
537 @end table
538
539 @vindex focus-follows-mouse
540 To make the command @kbd{C-x 5 o} work properly, you must tell Emacs
541 how the system (or the window manager) generally handles
542 focus-switching between windows. There are two possibilities: either
543 simply moving the mouse onto a window selects it (gives it focus), or
544 you have to click on it in a suitable way to do so. Unfortunately
545 there is no way Emacs can find out automatically which way the system
546 handles this, so you have to explicitly say, by setting the variable
547 @code{focus-follows-mouse}. If just moving the mouse onto a window
548 selects it, that variable should be @code{t}; if a click is necessary,
549 the variable should be @code{nil}.
550
551 @node Speedbar
552 @section Speedbar Frames
553 @cindex speedbar
554
555 @cindex attached frame (of speedbar)
556 The @dfn{speedbar} is a special frame for conveniently navigating in
557 or operating on another frame. The speedbar, when it exists, is
558 always associated with a specific frame, called its @dfn{attached
559 frame}; all speedbar operations act on that frame.
560
561 Type @kbd{M-x speedbar} to create the speedbar and associate it with
562 the current frame. To dismiss the speedbar, type @kbd{M-x speedbar}
563 again, or select the speedbar and type @kbd{q}. (You can also delete
564 the speedbar frame like any other Emacs frame.) If you wish to
565 associate the speedbar with a different frame, dismiss it and call
566 @kbd{M-x speedbar} from that frame.
567
568 The speedbar can operate in various modes. Its default mode is
569 @dfn{File Display} mode, which shows the files in the current
570 directory of the selected window of the attached frame, one file per
571 line. Clicking on a file name visits that file in the selected window
572 of the attached frame, and clicking on a directory name shows that
573 directory in the speedbar (@pxref{Mouse References}). Each line also
574 has a box, @samp{[+]} or @samp{<+>}, that you can click on to
575 @dfn{expand} the contents of that item. Expanding a directory adds
576 the contents of that directory to the speedbar display, underneath the
577 directory's own line. Expanding an ordinary file adds a list of the
578 tags in that file to the speedbar display; you can click on a tag name
579 to jump to that tag in the selected window of the attached frame.
580 When a file or directory is expanded, the @samp{[+]} changes to
581 @samp{[-]}; you can click on that box to @dfn{contract} the item,
582 hiding its contents.
583
584 You navigate through the speedbar using the keyboard, too. Typing
585 @kbd{RET} while point is on a line in the speedbar is equivalent to
586 clicking the item on the current line, and @kbd{SPC} expands or
587 contracts the item. @kbd{U} displays the parent directory of the
588 current directory. To copy, delete, or rename the file on the current
589 line, type @kbd{C}, @kbd{D}, and @kbd{R} respectively. To create a
590 new directory, type @kbd{M}.
591
592 Another general-purpose speedbar mode is @dfn{Buffer Display} mode;
593 in this mode, the speedbar displays a list of Emacs buffers. To
594 switch to this mode, type @kbd{b} in the speedbar. To return to File
595 Display mode, type @kbd{f}. You can also change the display mode by
596 clicking @kbd{mouse-3} anywhere in the speedbar window (or
597 @kbd{mouse-1} on the mode-line) and selecting @samp{Displays} in the
598 pop-up menu.
599
600 Some major modes, including Rmail mode, Info, and GUD, have
601 specialized ways of putting useful items into the speedbar for you to
602 select. For example, in Rmail mode, the speedbar shows a list of Rmail
603 files, and lets you move the current message to another Rmail file by
604 clicking on its @samp{<M>} box.
605
606 For more details on using and programming the speedbar, @xref{Top,
607 Speedbar,,speedbar, Speedbar Manual}.
608
609 @node Multiple Displays
610 @section Multiple Displays
611 @cindex multiple displays
612
613 A single Emacs can talk to more than one X display. Initially, Emacs
614 uses just one display---the one specified with the @env{DISPLAY}
615 environment variable or with the @samp{--display} option (@pxref{Initial
616 Options}). To connect to another display, use the command
617 @code{make-frame-on-display}:
618
619 @findex make-frame-on-display
620 @table @kbd
621 @item M-x make-frame-on-display @key{RET} @var{display} @key{RET}
622 Create a new frame on display @var{display}.
623 @end table
624
625 A single X server can handle more than one screen. When you open
626 frames on two screens belonging to one server, Emacs knows they share a
627 single keyboard, and it treats all the commands arriving from these
628 screens as a single stream of input.
629
630 When you open frames on different X servers, Emacs makes a separate
631 input stream for each server. This way, two users can type
632 simultaneously on the two displays, and Emacs will not garble their
633 input. Each server also has its own selected frame. The commands you
634 enter with a particular X server apply to that server's selected frame.
635
636 Despite these features, people using the same Emacs job from different
637 displays can still interfere with each other if they are not careful.
638 For example, if any one types @kbd{C-x C-c}, that exits the Emacs job
639 for all of them!
640
641 @node Special Buffer Frames
642 @section Special Buffer Frames
643
644 @vindex special-display-buffer-names
645 You can make certain chosen buffers, which Emacs normally displays
646 in ``another window,'' appear in special frames of their own. To do
647 this, set the variable @code{special-display-buffer-names} to a list
648 of buffer names; any buffer whose name is in that list automatically
649 gets a special frame, when an Emacs command wants to display it ``in
650 another window.''
651
652 For example, if you set the variable this way,
653
654 @example
655 (setq special-display-buffer-names
656 '("*Completions*" "*grep*" "*tex-shell*"))
657 @end example
658
659 @noindent
660 then completion lists, @code{grep} output and the @TeX{} mode shell
661 buffer get individual frames of their own. These frames, and the
662 windows in them, are never automatically split or reused for any other
663 buffers. They continue to show the buffers they were created for,
664 unless you alter them by hand. Killing the special buffer deletes its
665 frame automatically.
666
667 @vindex special-display-regexps
668 More generally, you can set @code{special-display-regexps} to a list
669 of regular expressions; then a buffer gets its own frame if its name
670 matches any of those regular expressions. (Once again, this applies only
671 to buffers that normally get displayed for you in ``another window.'')
672
673 @vindex special-display-frame-alist
674 The variable @code{special-display-frame-alist} specifies the frame
675 parameters for these frames. It has a default value, so you don't need
676 to set it.
677
678 For those who know Lisp, an element of
679 @code{special-display-buffer-names} or @code{special-display-regexps}
680 can also be a list. Then the first element is the buffer name or
681 regular expression; the rest of the list specifies how to create the
682 frame. It can be an association list specifying frame parameter
683 values; these values take precedence over parameter values specified
684 in @code{special-display-frame-alist}. If you specify the symbol
685 @code{same-window} as a ``frame parameter'' in this list, with a
686 non-@code{nil} value, that means to use the selected window if
687 possible. If you use the symbol @code{same-frame} as a ``frame
688 parameter'' in this list, with a non-@code{nil} value, that means to
689 use the selected frame if possible.
690
691 Alternatively, the value can have this form:
692
693 @example
694 (@var{function} @var{args}...)
695 @end example
696
697 @noindent
698 where @var{function} is a symbol. Then the frame is constructed by
699 calling @var{function}; its first argument is the buffer, and its
700 remaining arguments are @var{args}.
701
702 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be
703 displayed in the selected window. @xref{Force Same Window}. The
704 same-window feature takes precedence over the special-frame feature;
705 therefore, if you add a buffer name to
706 @code{special-display-buffer-names} and it has no effect, check to see
707 whether that feature is also in use for the same buffer name.
708
709 @node Frame Parameters
710 @section Setting Frame Parameters
711 @cindex Auto-Raise mode
712 @cindex Auto-Lower mode
713
714 @kindex S-Mouse-1
715 You can specify the font and colors used for text display, and the
716 colors for the frame borders, the cursor, and the mouse cursor, by
717 customizing the faces @code{default}, @code{border}, @code{cursor} and
718 @code{mouse}. @xref{Face Customization}. You can also set a frame's
719 default font through a pop-up menu. Press @kbd{S-Mouse-1} to activate
720 this menu.
721
722 These commands are available for controlling the window management
723 behavior of the selected frame.
724
725 @table @kbd
726 @findex auto-raise-mode
727 @item M-x auto-raise-mode
728 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-raise. Auto-raise
729 means that every time you move the mouse onto the frame, it raises the
730 frame.
731
732 Some window managers also implement auto-raise. If you enable
733 auto-raise for Emacs frames in your window manager, it will work, but
734 it is beyond Emacs' control, so @code{auto-raise-mode} has no effect
735 on it.
736
737 @findex auto-lower-mode
738 @item M-x auto-lower-mode
739 Toggle whether or not the selected frame should auto-lower.
740 Auto-lower means that every time you move the mouse off the frame,
741 the frame moves to the bottom of the stack on the screen.
742
743 The command @code{auto-lower-mode} has no effect on auto-lower
744 implemented by the window manager. To control that, you must use the
745 appropriate window manager features.
746 @end table
747
748 In Emacs versions that use an X toolkit, the color-setting and
749 font-setting functions don't affect menus and the menu bar, since they
750 are displayed by their own widget classes. To change the appearance of
751 the menus and menu bar, you must use X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
752 @xref{Colors}, regarding colors. @xref{Font X}, regarding choice of
753 font.
754
755 Colors, fonts, and other attributes of the frame's display can also
756 be customized by setting frame parameters in the variable
757 @code{default-frame-alist} (@pxref{Creating Frames}). For a detailed
758 description of frame parameters and customization, see @ref{Frame
759 Parameters,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
760
761 @node Scroll Bars
762 @section Scroll Bars
763 @cindex Scroll Bar mode
764 @cindex mode, Scroll Bar
765
766 On graphical displays, Emacs normally makes a @dfn{scroll bar} at
767 the left of each Emacs window.@footnote{Placing it at the left is
768 usually more useful with overlapping frames with text starting at the
769 left margin.} The scroll bar runs the height of the window, and shows
770 a moving rectangular inner box which represents the portion of the
771 buffer currently displayed. The entire height of the scroll bar
772 represents the entire length of the buffer.
773
774 You can use @kbd{Mouse-2} (normally, the middle button) in the scroll
775 bar to move or drag the inner box up and down. If you move it to the
776 top of the scroll bar, you see the top of the buffer. If you move it to
777 the bottom of the scroll bar, you see the bottom of the buffer.
778
779 The left and right buttons in the scroll bar scroll by controlled
780 increments. @kbd{Mouse-1} (normally, the left button) moves the line at
781 the level where you click up to the top of the window. @kbd{Mouse-3}
782 (normally, the right button) moves the line at the top of the window
783 down to the level where you click. By clicking repeatedly in the same
784 place, you can scroll by the same distance over and over.
785
786 You can also click @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in the scroll bar to split a
787 window vertically. The split occurs on the line where you click.
788
789 @findex scroll-bar-mode
790 @vindex scroll-bar-mode
791 You can enable or disable Scroll Bar mode with the command @kbd{M-x
792 scroll-bar-mode}. With no argument, it toggles the use of scroll
793 bars. With an argument, it turns use of scroll bars on if and only if
794 the argument is positive. This command applies to all frames,
795 including frames yet to be created. Customize the variable
796 @code{scroll-bar-mode} to control the use of scroll bars at startup.
797 You can use it to specify that they are placed at the right of windows
798 if you prefer that. You have to set this variable through the
799 @samp{Customize} interface (@pxref{Easy Customization}), or it will
800 not work properly.
801
802 You can also use the X resource @samp{verticalScrollBars} to control
803 the initial setting of Scroll Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
804
805 @findex toggle-scroll-bar
806 To enable or disable scroll bars for just the selected frame, use the
807 command @kbd{M-x toggle-scroll-bar}.
808
809 @vindex scroll-bar-width
810 @cindex width of the scroll bar
811 You can control the scroll bar width by changing the value of the
812 @code{scroll-bar-width} frame parameter.
813
814 @node Wheeled Mice
815 @section Scrolling With ``Wheeled'' Mice
816
817 @cindex mouse wheel
818 @cindex wheel, mouse
819 @findex mouse-wheel-mode
820 @cindex Mouse Wheel minor mode
821 @cindex mode, Mouse Wheel
822 Some mice have a ``wheel'' instead of a third button. You can
823 usually click the wheel to act as either @kbd{Mouse-2} or
824 @kbd{Mouse-3}, depending on the setup. You can also use the wheel to
825 scroll windows instead of using the scroll bar or keyboard commands.
826 Mouse wheel support only works if the system generates appropriate
827 events; whenever possible, it is turned on by default. To toggle this
828 feature, use @kbd{M-x mouse-wheel-mode}.
829
830 @vindex mouse-wheel-follow-mouse
831 @vindex mouse-wheel-scroll-amount
832 @vindex mouse-wheel-progressive-speed
833 The variables @code{mouse-wheel-follow-mouse} and
834 @code{mouse-wheel-scroll-amount} determine where and by how much
835 buffers are scrolled. The variable
836 @code{mouse-wheel-progressive-speed} determines whether the scroll
837 speed is linked to how fast you move the wheel.
838
839 @node Drag and Drop
840 @section Drag and Drop
841 @cindex drag and drop
842
843 Emacs supports @dfn{drag and drop} using the mouse. For instance,
844 dropping text onto an Emacs frame inserts the text where it is dropped.
845 Dropping a file onto an Emacs frame visits that file. As a special
846 case, dropping the file on a Dired buffer moves or copies the file
847 (according to the conventions of the application it came from) into the
848 directory displayed in that buffer.
849
850 @vindex dnd-open-file-other-window
851 Dropping a file normally visits it in the window you drop it on. If
852 you prefer to visit the file in a new window in such cases, customize
853 the variable @code{dnd-open-file-other-window}.
854
855 The XDND and Motif drag and drop protocols, and the old KDE 1.x
856 protocol, are currently supported.
857
858 @node Menu Bars
859 @section Menu Bars
860 @cindex Menu Bar mode
861 @cindex mode, Menu Bar
862
863 You can turn display of menu bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
864 menu-bar-mode} or by customizing the variable @code{menu-bar-mode}.
865 With no argument, this command toggles Menu Bar mode, a
866 minor mode. With an argument, the command turns Menu Bar mode on if the
867 argument is positive, off if the argument is not positive. You can use
868 the X resource @samp{menuBarLines} to control the initial setting of
869 Menu Bar mode. @xref{Resources}.
870
871 @kindex C-Mouse-3 @r{(when menu bar is disabled)}
872 Expert users often turn off the menu bar, especially on text-only
873 terminals, where this makes one additional line available for text.
874 If the menu bar is off, you can still pop up a menu of its contents
875 with @kbd{C-Mouse-3} on a display which supports pop-up menus.
876 @xref{Menu Mouse Clicks}.
877
878 @xref{Menu Bar}, for information on how to invoke commands with the
879 menu bar. @xref{X Resources}, for how to customize the menu bar
880 menus' visual appearance.
881
882 @node Tool Bars
883 @section Tool Bars
884 @cindex Tool Bar mode
885 @cindex mode, Tool Bar
886 @cindex icons, toolbar
887
888 The @dfn{tool bar} is a line (or lines) of icons at the top of the
889 Emacs window, just below the menu bar. You can click on these icons
890 with the mouse to do various jobs.
891
892 The global tool bar contains general commands. Some major modes
893 define their own tool bars to replace it. A few ``special'' modes
894 that are not designed for ordinary editing remove some items from the
895 global tool bar.
896
897 Tool bars work only on a graphical display. The tool bar uses colored
898 XPM icons if Emacs was built with XPM support. Otherwise, the tool
899 bar uses monochrome icons (PBM or XBM format).
900
901 You can turn display of tool bars on or off with @kbd{M-x
902 tool-bar-mode} or by customizing the option @code{tool-bar-mode}.
903
904 @node Dialog Boxes
905 @section Using Dialog Boxes
906 @cindex dialog boxes
907
908 @vindex use-dialog-box
909 A dialog box is a special kind of menu for asking you a yes-or-no
910 question or some other special question. Many Emacs commands use a
911 dialog box to ask a yes-or-no question, if you used the mouse to
912 invoke the command to begin with.
913
914 You can customize the variable @code{use-dialog-box} to suppress the
915 use of dialog boxes. This also controls whether to use file selection
916 windows (but those are not supported on all platforms).
917
918 @vindex use-file-dialog
919 A file selection window is a special kind of dialog box for asking
920 for file names. You can customize the variable @code{use-file-dialog}
921 to suppress the use of file selection windows, even if you still want
922 other kinds of dialogs. This variable has no effect if you have
923 suppressed all dialog boxes with the variable @code{use-dialog-box}.
924
925 @vindex x-gtk-show-hidden-files
926 For Gtk+ version 2.4 and newer, Emacs use the Gtk+ file chooser
927 dialog. Emacs adds a toggle button that enables and disables showing
928 of hidden files (files starting with a dot) in that dialog. The
929 variable @code{x-gtk-show-hidden-files} controls whether to show
930 hidden files by default.
931
932 @vindex x-use-old-gtk-file-dialog
933 For Gtk+ version 2.4 and 2.6, you can make Emacs use the old file dialog
934 by setting the variable @code{x-use-old-gtk-file-dialog} to a non-@code{nil}
935 value. If Emacs is built with a Gtk+ version that has only one file dialog,
936 the setting of this variable has no effect.
937
938 @node Tooltips
939 @section Tooltips
940 @cindex tooltips
941
942 @dfn{Tooltips} are small windows that display text information at the
943 current mouse position. They activate when there is a pause in mouse
944 movement. There are two types of tooltip: help tooltips and GUD
945 tooltips.
946
947 @dfn{Help tooltips} typically display over text---including the mode
948 line---but are also available for other parts of the Emacs frame, such
949 as the tool bar and menu items.
950
951 @findex tooltip-mode
952 You can toggle display of help tooltips (Tooltip mode) with the
953 command @kbd{M-x tooltip-mode}. When Tooltip mode is disabled, the
954 help text is displayed in the echo area instead.
955
956 @dfn{GUD tooltips} show values of variables. They are useful when
957 you are debugging a program. @xref{Debugger Operation}.
958
959 @vindex tooltip-delay
960 The variables @code{tooltip-delay} specifies how long Emacs should
961 wait before displaying a tooltip. For additional customization
962 options for displaying tooltips, use @kbd{M-x customize-group
963 @key{RET} tooltip @key{RET}}. @xref{X Resources}, for information on
964 customizing the windows that display tooltips.
965
966 @node Mouse Avoidance
967 @section Mouse Avoidance
968 @cindex avoiding mouse in the way of your typing
969 @cindex mouse avoidance
970
971 @vindex mouse-avoidance-mode
972 Mouse Avoidance mode keeps the mouse pointer away from point, to avoid
973 obscuring text you want to edit. Whenever it moves the mouse, it also
974 raises the frame. To use Mouse Avoidance mode, customize the variable
975 @code{mouse-avoidance-mode}. You can set this to various values to
976 move the mouse in several ways:
977
978 @table @code
979 @item banish
980 Move the mouse to the upper-right corner on any key-press;
981 @item exile
982 Move the mouse to the corner only if the cursor gets too close,
983 and allow it to return once the cursor is out of the way;
984 @item jump
985 If the cursor gets too close to the mouse, displace the mouse
986 a random distance & direction;
987 @item animate
988 As @code{jump}, but shows steps along the way for illusion of motion;
989 @item cat-and-mouse
990 The same as @code{animate};
991 @item proteus
992 As @code{animate}, but changes the shape of the mouse pointer too.
993 @end table
994
995 @findex mouse-avoidance-mode
996 You can also use the command @kbd{M-x mouse-avoidance-mode} to enable
997 the mode.
998
999 @node Non-Window Terminals
1000 @section Non-Window Terminals
1001 @cindex non-window terminals
1002 @cindex single-frame terminals
1003
1004 On a text-only terminal, Emacs can display only one Emacs frame at a
1005 time. However, you can still create multiple Emacs frames, and switch
1006 between them. Switching frames on these terminals is much like
1007 switching between different window configurations.
1008
1009 Use @kbd{C-x 5 2} to create a new frame and switch to it; use @kbd{C-x
1010 5 o} to cycle through the existing frames; use @kbd{C-x 5 0} to delete
1011 the current frame.
1012
1013 Each frame has a number to distinguish it. If your terminal can
1014 display only one frame at a time, the selected frame's number @var{n}
1015 appears near the beginning of the mode line, in the form
1016 @samp{F@var{n}}.
1017
1018 @findex set-frame-name
1019 @findex select-frame-by-name
1020 @samp{F@var{n}} is in fact the frame's initial name. You can give
1021 frames more meaningful names if you wish, and you can select a frame
1022 by its name. Use the command @kbd{M-x set-frame-name @key{RET}
1023 @var{name} @key{RET}} to specify a new name for the selected frame,
1024 and use @kbd{M-x select-frame-by-name @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}}
1025 to select a frame according to its name. The name you specify appears
1026 in the mode line when the frame is selected.
1027
1028 @node XTerm Mouse
1029 @section Using a Mouse in Terminal Emulators
1030 @cindex xterm, mouse support
1031 @cindex terminal emulators, mouse support
1032
1033 Some terminal emulators under X support mouse clicks in the terminal
1034 window. In a terminal emulator which is compatible with @code{xterm},
1035 you can use @kbd{M-x xterm-mouse-mode} to give Emacs control over
1036 simple use of the mouse---basically, only non-modified single clicks
1037 are supported. The normal @code{xterm} mouse functionality for such
1038 clicks is still available by holding down the @kbd{SHIFT} key when you
1039 press the mouse button.
1040
1041 Xterm Mouse mode is a global minor mode (@pxref{Minor Modes}).
1042 Repeating the command turns the mode off again.
1043
1044 @ignore
1045 arch-tag: 7dcf3a31-a43b-45d4-a900-445b10d77e49
1046 @end ignore