1 This is ../info/xemacs.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.0 from
4 INFO-DIR-SECTION XEmacs Editor
6 * XEmacs: (xemacs). XEmacs Editor.
9 This file documents the XEmacs editor.
11 Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1988 Richard M. Stallman. Copyright (C)
12 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 Lucid, Inc. Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 Sun
13 Microsystems, Inc. Copyright (C) 1995 Amdahl Corporation.
15 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
16 manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
17 preserved on all copies.
19 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of
20 this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also
21 that the sections entitled "The GNU Manifesto", "Distribution" and "GNU
22 General Public License" are included exactly as in the original, and
23 provided that the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the
24 terms of a permission notice identical to this one.
26 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this
27 manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified
28 versions, except that the sections entitled "The GNU Manifesto",
29 "Distribution" and "GNU General Public License" may be included in a
30 translation approved by the author instead of in the original English.
33 File: xemacs.info, Node: Disabling, Prev: Rebinding, Up: Key Bindings
38 Disabling a command marks it as requiring confirmation before it can
39 be executed. The purpose of disabling a command is to prevent
40 beginning users from executing it by accident and being confused.
42 The direct mechanism for disabling a command is to have a non-`nil'
43 `disabled' property on the Lisp symbol for the command. These
44 properties are normally set by the user's `.emacs' file with Lisp
47 (put 'delete-region 'disabled t)
49 If the value of the `disabled' property is a string, that string is
50 included in the message printed when the command is used:
52 (put 'delete-region 'disabled
53 "Text deleted this way cannot be yanked back!\n")
55 You can disable a command either by editing the `.emacs' file
56 directly or with the command `M-x disable-command', which edits the
57 `.emacs' file for you. *Note Init File::.
59 When you attempt to invoke a disabled command interactively in Emacs,
60 a window is displayed containing the command's name, its documentation,
61 and some instructions on what to do next; then Emacs asks for input
62 saying whether to execute the command as requested, enable it and
63 execute, or cancel it. If you decide to enable the command, you are
64 asked whether to do this permanently or just for the current session.
65 Enabling permanently works by automatically editing your `.emacs' file.
66 You can use `M-x enable-command' at any time to enable any command
69 Whether a command is disabled is independent of what key is used to
70 invoke it; it also applies if the command is invoked using `M-x'.
71 Disabling a command has no effect on calling it as a function from Lisp
75 File: xemacs.info, Node: Syntax, Next: Init File, Prev: Key Bindings, Up: Customization
80 All the Emacs commands which parse words or balance parentheses are
81 controlled by the "syntax table". The syntax table specifies which
82 characters are opening delimiters, which are parts of words, which are
83 string quotes, and so on. Actually, each major mode has its own syntax
84 table (though sometimes related major modes use the same one) which it
85 installs in each buffer that uses that major mode. The syntax table
86 installed in the current buffer is the one that all commands use, so we
87 call it "the" syntax table. A syntax table is a Lisp object, a vector
88 of length 256 whose elements are numbers.
92 * Entry: Syntax Entry. What the syntax table records for each character.
93 * Change: Syntax Change. How to change the information.
96 File: xemacs.info, Node: Syntax Entry, Next: Syntax Change, Up: Syntax
98 Information About Each Character
99 --------------------------------
101 The syntax table entry for a character is a number that encodes six
102 pieces of information:
104 * The syntactic class of the character, represented as a small
107 * The matching delimiter, for delimiter characters only (the
108 matching delimiter of `(' is `)', and vice versa)
110 * A flag saying whether the character is the first character of a
111 two-character comment starting sequence
113 * A flag saying whether the character is the second character of a
114 two-character comment starting sequence
116 * A flag saying whether the character is the first character of a
117 two-character comment ending sequence
119 * A flag saying whether the character is the second character of a
120 two-character comment ending sequence
122 The syntactic classes are stored internally as small integers, but
123 are usually described to or by the user with characters. For example,
124 `(' is used to specify the syntactic class of opening delimiters. Here
125 is a table of syntactic classes, with the characters that specify them.
128 The class of whitespace characters.
131 The class of word-constituent characters.
134 The class of characters that are part of symbol names but not
135 words. This class is represented by `_' because the character `_'
136 has this class in both C and Lisp.
139 The class of punctuation characters that do not fit into any other
143 The class of opening delimiters.
146 The class of closing delimiters.
149 The class of expression-adhering characters. These characters are
150 part of a symbol if found within or adjacent to one, and are part
151 of a following expression if immediately preceding one, but are
152 like whitespace if surrounded by whitespace.
155 The class of string-quote characters. They match each other in
156 pairs, and the characters within the pair all lose their syntactic
157 significance except for the `\' and `/' classes of escape
158 characters, which can be used to include a string-quote inside the
162 The class of self-matching delimiters. This is intended for TeX's
163 `$', which is used both to enter and leave math mode. Thus, a
164 pair of matching `$' characters surround each piece of math mode
165 TeX input. A pair of adjacent `$' characters act like a single
166 one for purposes of matching.
169 The class of escape characters that always just deny the following
170 character its special syntactic significance. The character after
171 one of these escapes is always treated as alphabetic.
174 The class of C-style escape characters. In practice, these are
175 treated just like `/'-class characters, because the extra
176 possibilities for C escapes (such as being followed by digits)
177 have no effect on where the containing expression ends.
180 The class of comment-starting characters. Only single-character
181 comment starters (such as `;' in Lisp mode) are represented this
185 The class of comment-ending characters. Newline has this syntax in
188 The characters flagged as part of two-character comment delimiters
189 can have other syntactic functions most of the time. For example, `/'
190 and `*' in C code, when found separately, have nothing to do with
191 comments. The comment-delimiter significance overrides when the pair of
192 characters occur together in the proper order. Only the list and sexp
193 commands use the syntax table to find comments; the commands
194 specifically for comments have other variables that tell them where to
195 find comments. Moreover, the list and sexp commands notice comments
196 only if `parse-sexp-ignore-comments' is non-`nil'. This variable is set
197 to `nil' in modes where comment-terminator sequences are liable to
198 appear where there is no comment, for example, in Lisp mode where the
199 comment terminator is a newline but not every newline ends a comment.
202 File: xemacs.info, Node: Syntax Change, Prev: Syntax Entry, Up: Syntax
204 Altering Syntax Information
205 ---------------------------
207 It is possible to alter a character's syntax table entry by storing
208 a new number in the appropriate element of the syntax table, but it
209 would be hard to determine what number to use. Emacs therefore
210 provides a command that allows you to specify the syntactic properties
211 of a character in a convenient way.
213 `M-x modify-syntax-entry' is the command to change a character's
214 syntax. It can be used interactively and is also used by major modes
215 to initialize their own syntax tables. Its first argument is the
216 character to change. The second argument is a string that specifies the
217 new syntax. When called from Lisp code, there is a third, optional
218 argument, which specifies the syntax table in which to make the change.
219 If not supplied, or if this command is called interactively, the third
220 argument defaults to the current buffer's syntax table.
222 1. The first character in the string specifies the syntactic class.
223 It is one of the characters in the previous table (*note Syntax
226 2. The second character is the matching delimiter. For a character
227 that is not an opening or closing delimiter, this should be a
228 space, and may be omitted if no following characters are needed.
230 3. The remaining characters are flags. The flag characters allowed
234 Flag this character as the first of a two-character comment
238 Flag this character as the second of a two-character comment
242 Flag this character as the first of a two-character comment
246 Flag this character as the second of a two-character comment
249 Use `C-h s' (`describe-syntax') to display a description of the
250 contents of the current syntax table. The description of each
251 character includes both the string you have to pass to
252 `modify-syntax-entry' to set up that character's current syntax, and
253 some English to explain that string if necessary.
256 File: xemacs.info, Node: Init File, Next: Audible Bell, Prev: Syntax, Up: Customization
258 The Init File, .emacs
259 =====================
261 When you start Emacs, it normally loads the file `.emacs' in your
262 home directory. This file, if it exists, should contain Lisp code. It
263 is called your initialization file or "init file". Use the command
264 line switch `-q' to tell Emacs whether to load an init file (*note
265 Entering Emacs::). Use the command line switch `-user-init-file'
266 (*note Command Switches::) to tell Emacs to load a different file
267 instead of `~/.emacs'.
269 When the `.emacs' file is read, the variable `user-init-file' says
270 which init file was loaded.
272 At some sites there is a "default init file", which is the library
273 named `default.el', found via the standard search path for libraries.
274 The Emacs distribution contains no such library; your site may create
275 one for local customizations. If this library exists, it is loaded
276 whenever you start Emacs. But your init file, if any, is loaded first;
277 if it sets `inhibit-default-init' non-`nil', then `default' is not
280 If you have a large amount of code in your `.emacs' file, you should
281 move it into another file named `SOMETHING.el', byte-compile it (*note
282 Lisp Libraries::), and load that file from your `.emacs' file using
287 * Init Syntax:: Syntax of constants in Emacs Lisp.
288 * Init Examples:: How to do some things with an init file.
289 * Terminal Init:: Each terminal type can have an init file.
292 File: xemacs.info, Node: Init Syntax, Next: Init Examples, Up: Init File
297 The `.emacs' file contains one or more Lisp function call
298 expressions. Each consists of a function name followed by arguments,
299 all surrounded by parentheses. For example, `(setq fill-column 60)'
300 represents a call to the function `setq' which is used to set the
301 variable `fill-column' (*note Filling::) to 60.
303 The second argument to `setq' is an expression for the new value of
304 the variable. This can be a constant, a variable, or a function call
305 expression. In `.emacs', constants are used most of the time. They
309 Integers are written in decimal, with an optional initial minus
312 If a sequence of digits is followed by a period and another
313 sequence of digits, it is interpreted as a floating point number.
315 The number prefixes `#b', `#o', and `#x' are supported to
316 represent numbers in binary, octal, and hexadecimal notation (or
320 Lisp string syntax is the same as C string syntax with a few extra
321 features. Use a double-quote character to begin and end a string
324 Newlines and special characters may be present literally in
325 strings. They can also be represented as backslash sequences:
326 `\n' for newline, `\b' for backspace, `\r' for return, `\t' for
327 tab, `\f' for formfeed (control-l), `\e' for escape, `\\' for a
328 backslash, `\"' for a double-quote, or `\OOO' for the character
329 whose octal code is OOO. Backslash and double-quote are the only
330 characters for which backslash sequences are mandatory.
332 You can use `\C-' as a prefix for a control character, as in
333 `\C-s' for ASCII Control-S, and `\M-' as a prefix for a Meta
334 character, as in `\M-a' for Meta-A or `\M-\C-a' for Control-Meta-A.
337 Lisp character constant syntax consists of a `?' followed by
338 either a character or an escape sequence starting with `\'.
339 Examples: `?x', `?\n', `?\"', `?\)'. Note that strings and
340 characters are not interchangeable in Lisp; some contexts require
341 one and some contexts require the other.
344 `t' stands for `true'.
347 `nil' stands for `false'.
350 Write a single-quote (') followed by the Lisp object you want.
353 File: xemacs.info, Node: Init Examples, Next: Terminal Init, Prev: Init Syntax, Up: Init File
358 Here are some examples of doing certain commonly desired things with
361 * Make <TAB> in C mode just insert a tab if point is in the middle
364 (setq c-tab-always-indent nil)
366 Here we have a variable whose value is normally `t' for `true' and
367 the alternative is `nil' for `false'.
369 * Make searches case sensitive by default (in all buffers that do not
372 (setq-default case-fold-search nil)
374 This sets the default value, which is effective in all buffers
375 that do not have local values for the variable. Setting
376 `case-fold-search' with `setq' affects only the current buffer's
377 local value, which is probably not what you want to do in an init
380 * Make Text mode the default mode for new buffers.
382 (setq default-major-mode 'text-mode)
384 Note that `text-mode' is used because it is the command for
385 entering the mode we want. A single-quote is written before it to
386 make a symbol constant; otherwise, `text-mode' would be treated as
389 * Turn on Auto Fill mode automatically in Text mode and related
393 '(lambda () (auto-fill-mode 1)))
395 Here we have a variable whose value should be a Lisp function. The
396 function we supply is a list starting with `lambda', and a single
397 quote is written in front of it to make it (for the purpose of this
398 `setq') a list constant rather than an expression. Lisp functions
399 are not explained here; for mode hooks it is enough to know that
400 `(auto-fill-mode 1)' is an expression that will be executed when
401 Text mode is entered. You could replace it with any other
402 expression that you like, or with several expressions in a row.
404 (setq text-mode-hook 'turn-on-auto-fill)
406 This is another way to accomplish the same result.
407 `turn-on-auto-fill' is a symbol whose function definition is
408 `(lambda () (auto-fill-mode 1))'.
410 * Load the installed Lisp library named `foo' (actually a file
411 `foo.elc' or `foo.el' in a standard Emacs directory).
415 When the argument to `load' is a relative pathname, not starting
416 with `/' or `~', `load' searches the directories in `load-path'
419 * Load the compiled Lisp file `foo.elc' from your home directory.
423 Here an absolute file name is used, so no searching is done.
425 * Rebind the key `C-x l' to run the function `make-symbolic-link'.
427 (global-set-key "\C-xl" 'make-symbolic-link)
431 (define-key global-map "\C-xl" 'make-symbolic-link)
433 Note once again the single-quote used to refer to the symbol
434 `make-symbolic-link' instead of its value as a variable.
436 * Do the same thing for C mode only.
438 (define-key c-mode-map "\C-xl" 'make-symbolic-link)
440 * Bind the function key <F1> to a command in C mode. Note that the
441 names of function keys must be lower case.
443 (define-key c-mode-map 'f1 'make-symbolic-link)
445 * Bind the shifted version of <F1> to a command.
447 (define-key c-mode-map '(shift f1) 'make-symbolic-link)
449 * Redefine all keys which now run `next-line' in Fundamental mode to
450 run `forward-line' instead.
452 (substitute-key-definition 'next-line 'forward-line
455 * Make `C-x C-v' undefined.
457 (global-unset-key "\C-x\C-v")
459 One reason to undefine a key is so that you can make it a prefix.
460 Simply defining `C-x C-v ANYTHING' would make `C-x C-v' a prefix,
461 but `C-x C-v' must be freed of any non-prefix definition first.
463 * Make `$' have the syntax of punctuation in Text mode. Note the
464 use of a character constant for `$'.
466 (modify-syntax-entry ?\$ "." text-mode-syntax-table)
468 * Enable the use of the command `eval-expression' without
471 (put 'eval-expression 'disabled nil)
474 File: xemacs.info, Node: Terminal Init, Prev: Init Examples, Up: Init File
476 Terminal-Specific Initialization
477 --------------------------------
479 Each terminal type can have a Lisp library to be loaded into Emacs
480 when it is run on that type of terminal. For a terminal type named
481 TERMTYPE, the library is called `term/TERMTYPE' and it is found by
482 searching the directories `load-path' as usual and trying the suffixes
483 `.elc' and `.el'. Normally it appears in the subdirectory `term' of
484 the directory where most Emacs libraries are kept.
486 The usual purpose of the terminal-specific library is to define the
487 escape sequences used by the terminal's function keys using the library
488 `keypad.el'. See the file `term/vt100.el' for an example of how this
491 When the terminal type contains a hyphen, only the part of the name
492 before the first hyphen is significant in choosing the library name.
493 Thus, terminal types `aaa-48' and `aaa-30-rv' both use the library
494 `term/aaa'. The code in the library can use `(getenv "TERM")' to find
495 the full terminal type name.
497 The library's name is constructed by concatenating the value of the
498 variable `term-file-prefix' and the terminal type. Your `.emacs' file
499 can prevent the loading of the terminal-specific library by setting
500 `term-file-prefix' to `nil'.
502 The value of the variable `term-setup-hook', if not `nil', is called
503 as a function of no arguments at the end of Emacs initialization, after
504 both your `.emacs' file and any terminal-specific library have been
505 read. You can set the value in the `.emacs' file to override part of
506 any of the terminal-specific libraries and to define initializations
507 for terminals that do not have a library.
510 File: xemacs.info, Node: Audible Bell, Next: Faces, Prev: Init File, Up: Customization
512 Changing the Bell Sound
513 =======================
515 You can now change how the audible bell sounds using the variable
518 `sound-alist''s value is an list associating symbols with, among
519 other things, strings of audio-data. When `ding' is called with one of
520 the symbols, the associated sound data is played instead of the
521 standard beep. This only works if you are logged in on the console of a
522 machine with audio hardware. To listen to a sound of the provided type,
523 call the function `play-sound' with the argument SOUND. You can also
524 set the volume of the sound with the optional argument VOLUME.
526 Each element of `sound-alist' is a list describing a sound. The
527 first element of the list is the name of the sound being defined.
528 Subsequent elements of the list are alternating keyword/value pairs:
531 A string of raw sound data, or the name of another sound to play.
532 The symbol `t' here means use the default X beep.
535 An integer from 0-100, defaulting to `bell-volume'.
538 If using the default X beep, the pitch (Hz) to generate.
541 If using the default X beep, the duration (milliseconds).
543 For compatibility, elements of `sound-alist' may also be of the form:
545 ( SOUND-NAME . <SOUND> )
546 ( SOUND-NAME <VOLUME> <SOUND> )
548 You should probably add things to this list by calling the function
551 Note that you can only play audio data if running on the console
552 screen of a machine with audio hardware which emacs understands, which
553 at this time means a Sun SparcStation, SGI, or HP9000s700.
555 Also note that the pitch, duration, and volume options are available
556 everywhere, but most X servers ignore the `pitch' option.
558 The variable `bell-volume' should be an integer from 0 to 100, with
559 100 being loudest, which controls how loud the sounds emacs makes
560 should be. Elements of the `sound-alist' may override this value.
561 This variable applies to the standard X bell sound as well as sound
564 If the symbol `t' is in place of a sound-string, Emacs uses the
565 default X beep. This allows you to define beep-types of different
566 volumes even when not running on the console.
568 You can add things to this list by calling the function
569 `load-sound-file', which reads in an audio-file and adds its data to
570 the sound-alist. You can specify the sound with the SOUND-NAME argument
571 and the file into which the sounds are loaded with the FILENAME
572 argument. The optional VOLUME argument sets the volume.
574 `load-sound-file (FILENAME SOUND-NAME &optional VOLUME)'
576 To load and install some sound files as beep-types, use the function
577 `load-default-sounds' (note that this only works if you are on display
578 0 of a machine with audio hardware).
580 The following beep-types are used by Emacs itself. Other Lisp
581 packages may use other beep types, but these are the ones that the C
582 kernel of Emacs uses.
585 An auto-save does not succeed
588 The Emacs command loop catches an error
591 You type a key that is undefined
594 You use an undefined mouse-click combination
597 Completion was not possible
600 You type something other than the required `y' or `n'
603 You type something other than `yes' or `no'
606 File: xemacs.info, Node: Faces, Next: X Resources, Prev: Audible Bell, Up: Customization
611 XEmacs has objects called extents and faces. An "extent" is a
612 region of text and a "face" is a collection of textual attributes, such
613 as fonts and colors. Every extent is displayed in some face;
614 therefore, changing the properties of a face immediately updates the
615 display of all associated extents. Faces can be frame-local: you can
616 have a region of text that displays with completely different
617 attributes when its buffer is viewed from a different X window.
619 The display attributes of faces may be specified either in Lisp or
620 through the X resource manager.
625 You can change the face of an extent with the functions in this
626 section. All the functions prompt for a FACE as an argument; use
627 completion for a list of possible values.
630 Swap the foreground and background colors of the given FACE.
633 Make the font of the given FACE bold. When called from a program,
634 returns `nil' if this is not possible.
636 `M-x make-face-bold-italic'
637 Make the font of the given FACE bold italic. When called from a
638 program, returns `nil' if not possible.
640 `M-x make-face-italic'
641 Make the font of the given FACE italic. When called from a
642 program, returns `nil' if not possible.
644 `M-x make-face-unbold'
645 Make the font of the given FACE non-bold. When called from a
646 program, returns `nil' if not possible.
648 `M-x make-face-unitalic'
649 Make the font of the given FACE non-italic. When called from a
650 program, returns `nil' if not possible.
652 `M-x make-face-larger'
653 Make the font of the given FACE a little larger. When called from
654 a program, returns `nil' if not possible.
656 `M-x make-face-smaller'
657 Make the font of the given FACE a little smaller. When called
658 from a program, returns `nil' if not possible.
660 `M-x set-face-background'
661 Change the background color of the given FACE.
663 `M-x set-face-background-pixmap'
664 Change the background pixmap of the given FACE.
667 Change the font of the given FACE.
669 `M-x set-face-foreground'
670 Change the foreground color of the given FACE.
672 `M-x set-face-underline-p'
673 Change whether the given FACE is underlined.
675 You can exchange the foreground and background color of the selected
676 FACE with the function `invert-face'. If the face does not specify both
677 foreground and background, then its foreground and background are set
678 to the background and foreground of the default face. When calling
679 this from a program, you can supply the optional argument FRAME to
680 specify which frame is affected; otherwise, all frames are affected.
682 You can set the background color of the specified FACE with the
683 function `set-face-background'. The argument `color' should be a
684 string, the name of a color. When called from a program, if the
685 optional FRAME argument is provided, the face is changed only in that
686 frame; otherwise, it is changed in all frames.
688 You can set the background pixmap of the specified FACE with the
689 function `set-face-background-pixmap'. The pixmap argument NAME should
690 be a string, the name of a file of pixmap data. The directories listed
691 in the `x-bitmap-file-path' variable are searched. The bitmap may also
692 be a list of the form `(WIDTH HEIGHT DATA)', where WIDTH and HEIGHT are
693 the size in pixels, and DATA is a string containing the raw bits of the
694 bitmap. If the optional FRAME argument is provided, the face is
695 changed only in that frame; otherwise, it is changed in all frames.
697 The variable `x-bitmap-file-path' takes as a value a list of the
698 directories in which X bitmap files may be found. If the value is
699 `nil', the list is initialized from the `*bitmapFilePath' resource.
701 If the environment variable XBMLANGPATH is set, then it is consulted
702 before the `x-bitmap-file-path' variable.
704 You can set the font of the specified FACE with the function
705 `set-face-font'. The FONT argument should be a string, the name of a
706 font. When called from a program, if the optional FRAME argument is
707 provided, the face is changed only in that frame; otherwise, it is
708 changed in all frames.
710 You can set the foreground color of the specified FACE with the
711 function `set-face-foreground'. The argument COLOR should be a string,
712 the name of a color. If the optional FRAME argument is provided, the
713 face is changed only in that frame; otherwise, it is changed in all
716 You can set underline the specified FACE with the function
717 `set-face-underline-p'. The argument UNDERLINE-P can be used to make
718 underlining an attribute of the face or not. If the optional FRAME
719 argument is provided, the face is changed only in that frame;
720 otherwise, it is changed in all frames.
723 File: xemacs.info, Node: X Resources, Prev: Faces, Up: Customization
728 Historically, XEmacs has used the X resource application class
729 `Emacs' for its resources. Unfortunately, GNU Emacs uses the same
730 application class, and resources are not compatible between the two
731 Emacsen. This sharing of the application class often leads to trouble
732 if you want to run both variants.
734 Starting with XEmacs 21, XEmacs uses the class `XEmacs' if it finds
735 any XEmacs resources in the resource database when the X connection is
736 initialized. Otherwise, it will use the class `Emacs' for backwards
737 compatibility. The variable X-EMACS-APPLICATION-CLASS may be consulted
738 to determine the application class being used.
740 The examples in this section assume the application class is `Emacs'.
742 The Emacs resources are generally set per-frame. Each Emacs frame
743 can have its own name or the same name as another, depending on the
744 name passed to the `make-frame' function.
746 You can specify resources for all frames with the syntax:
748 Emacs*parameter: value
752 Emacs*EmacsFrame.parameter:value
754 You can specify resources for a particular frame with the syntax:
756 Emacs*FRAME-NAME.parameter: value
760 * Geometry Resources:: Controlling the size and position of frames.
761 * Iconic Resources:: Controlling whether frames come up iconic.
762 * Resource List:: List of resources settable on a frame or device.
763 * Face Resources:: Controlling faces using resources.
764 * Widgets:: The widget hierarchy for XEmacs.
765 * Menubar Resources:: Specifying resources for the menubar.
768 File: xemacs.info, Node: Geometry Resources, Next: Iconic Resources, Up: X Resources
773 To make the default size of all Emacs frames be 80 columns by 55
776 Emacs*EmacsFrame.geometry: 80x55
778 To set the geometry of a particular frame named `fred', do this:
780 Emacs*fred.geometry: 80x55
782 Important! Do not use the following syntax:
784 Emacs*geometry: 80x55
786 You should never use `*geometry' with any X application. It does not
787 say "make the geometry of Emacs be 80 columns by 55 lines." It really
788 says, "make Emacs and all subwindows thereof be 80x55 in whatever units
789 they care to measure in." In particular, that is both telling the
790 Emacs text pane to be 80x55 in characters, and telling the menubar pane
791 to be 80x55 pixels, which is surely not what you want.
793 As a special case, this geometry specification also works (and sets
794 the default size of all Emacs frames to 80 columns by 55 lines):
796 Emacs.geometry: 80x55
798 since that is the syntax used with most other applications (since most
799 other applications have only one top-level window, unlike Emacs). In
800 general, however, the top-level shell (the unmapped ApplicationShell
801 widget named `Emacs' that is the parent of the shell widgets that
802 actually manage the individual frames) does not have any interesting
803 resources on it, and you should set the resources on the frames instead.
805 The `-geometry' command-line argument sets only the geometry of the
806 initial frame created by Emacs.
808 A more complete explanation of geometry-handling is
810 * The `-geometry' command-line option sets the `Emacs.geometry'
811 resource, that is, the geometry of the ApplicationShell.
813 * For the first frame created, the size of the frame is taken from
814 the ApplicationShell if it is specified, otherwise from the
815 geometry of the frame.
817 * For subsequent frames, the order is reversed: First the frame, and
818 then the ApplicationShell.
820 * For the first frame created, the position of the frame is taken
821 from the ApplicationShell (`Emacs.geometry') if it is specified,
822 otherwise from the geometry of the frame.
824 * For subsequent frames, the position is taken only from the frame,
825 and never from the ApplicationShell.
827 This is rather complicated, but it does seem to provide the most
828 intuitive behavior with respect to the default sizes and positions of
829 frames created in various ways.
832 File: xemacs.info, Node: Iconic Resources, Next: Resource List, Prev: Geometry Resources, Up: X Resources
837 Analogous to `-geometry', the `-iconic' command-line option sets the
838 iconic flag of the ApplicationShell (`Emacs.iconic') and always applies
839 to the first frame created regardless of its name. However, it is
840 possible to set the iconic flag on particular frames (by name) by using
841 the `Emacs*FRAME-NAME.iconic' resource.
844 File: xemacs.info, Node: Resource List, Next: Face Resources, Prev: Iconic Resources, Up: X Resources
849 Emacs frames accept the following resources:
851 `geometry' (class `Geometry'): string
852 Initial geometry for the frame. *Note Geometry Resources::, for a
853 complete discussion of how this works.
855 `iconic' (class `Iconic'): boolean
856 Whether this frame should appear in the iconified state.
858 `internalBorderWidth' (class `InternalBorderWidth'): int
859 How many blank pixels to leave between the text and the edge of the
862 `interline' (class `Interline'): int
863 How many pixels to leave between each line (may not be
866 `menubar' (class `Menubar'): boolean
867 Whether newly-created frames should initially have a menubar. Set
870 `initiallyUnmapped' (class `InitiallyUnmapped'): boolean
871 Whether XEmacs should leave the initial frame unmapped when it
872 starts up. This is useful if you are starting XEmacs as a server
873 (e.g. in conjunction with gnuserv or the external client widget).
874 You can also control this with the `-unmapped' command-line option.
876 `barCursor' (class `BarColor'): boolean
877 Whether the cursor should be displayed as a bar, or the
880 `cursorColor' (class `CursorColor'): color-name
881 The color of the text cursor.
883 `scrollBarWidth' (class `ScrollBarWidth'): integer
884 How wide the vertical scrollbars should be, in pixels; 0 means no
885 vertical scrollbars. You can also use a resource specification of
886 the form `*scrollbar.width', or the usual toolkit scrollbar
887 resources: `*XmScrollBar.width' (Motif), `*XlwScrollBar.width'
888 (Lucid), or `*Scrollbar.thickness' (Athena). We don't recommend
889 that you use the toolkit resources, though, because they're
890 dependent on how exactly your particular build of XEmacs was
893 `scrollBarHeight' (class `ScrollBarHeight'): integer
894 How high the horizontal scrollbars should be, in pixels; 0 means no
895 horizontal scrollbars. You can also use a resource specification
896 of the form `*scrollbar.height', or the usual toolkit scrollbar
897 resources: `*XmScrollBar.height' (Motif), `*XlwScrollBar.height'
898 (Lucid), or `*Scrollbar.thickness' (Athena). We don't recommend
899 that you use the toolkit resources, though, because they're
900 dependent on how exactly your particular build of XEmacs was
903 `scrollBarPlacement' (class `ScrollBarPlacement'): string
904 Where the horizontal and vertical scrollbars should be positioned.
905 This should be one of the four strings `BOTTOM_LEFT',
906 `BOTTOM_RIGHT', `TOP_LEFT', and `TOP_RIGHT'. Default is
907 `BOTTOM_RIGHT' for the Motif and Lucid scrollbars and
908 `BOTTOM_LEFT' for the Athena scrollbars.
910 `topToolBarHeight' (class `TopToolBarHeight'): integer
911 `bottomToolBarHeight' (class `BottomToolBarHeight'): integer
912 `leftToolBarWidth' (class `LeftToolBarWidth'): integer
913 `rightToolBarWidth' (class `RightToolBarWidth'): integer
914 Height and width of the four possible toolbars.
916 `topToolBarShadowColor' (class `TopToolBarShadowColor'): color-name
917 `bottomToolBarShadowColor' (class `BottomToolBarShadowColor'): color-name
918 Color of the top and bottom shadows for the toolbars. NOTE: These
919 resources do _not_ have anything to do with the top and bottom
920 toolbars (i.e. the toolbars at the top and bottom of the frame)!
921 Rather, they affect the top and bottom shadows around the edges of
922 all four kinds of toolbars.
924 `topToolBarShadowPixmap' (class `TopToolBarShadowPixmap'): pixmap-name
925 `bottomToolBarShadowPixmap' (class `BottomToolBarShadowPixmap'): pixmap-name
926 Pixmap of the top and bottom shadows for the toolbars. If set,
927 these resources override the corresponding color resources. NOTE:
928 These resources do _not_ have anything to do with the top and
929 bottom toolbars (i.e. the toolbars at the top and bottom of the
930 frame)! Rather, they affect the top and bottom shadows around the
931 edges of all four kinds of toolbars.
933 `toolBarShadowThickness' (class `ToolBarShadowThickness'): integer
934 Thickness of the shadows around the toolbars, in pixels.
936 `visualBell' (class `VisualBell'): boolean
937 Whether XEmacs should flash the screen rather than making an
940 `bellVolume' (class `BellVolume'): integer
941 Volume of the audible beep.
943 `useBackingStore' (class `UseBackingStore'): boolean
944 Whether XEmacs should set the backing-store attribute of the X
945 windows it creates. This increases the memory usage of the X
946 server but decreases the amount of X traffic necessary to update
947 the screen, and is useful when the connection to the X server goes
948 over a low-bandwidth line such as a modem connection.
950 Emacs devices accept the following resources:
952 `textPointer' (class `Cursor'): cursor-name
953 The cursor to use when the mouse is over text. This resource is
954 used to initialize the variable `x-pointer-shape'.
956 `selectionPointer' (class `Cursor'): cursor-name
957 The cursor to use when the mouse is over a selectable text region
958 (an extent with the `highlight' property; for example, an Info
959 cross-reference). This resource is used to initialize the variable
960 `x-selection-pointer-shape'.
962 `spacePointer' (class `Cursor'): cursor-name
963 The cursor to use when the mouse is over a blank space in a buffer
964 (that is, after the end of a line or after the end-of-file). This
965 resource is used to initialize the variable
966 `x-nontext-pointer-shape'.
968 `modeLinePointer' (class `Cursor'): cursor-name
969 The cursor to use when the mouse is over a modeline. This
970 resource is used to initialize the variable `x-mode-pointer-shape'.
972 `gcPointer' (class `Cursor'): cursor-name
973 The cursor to display when a garbage-collection is in progress.
974 This resource is used to initialize the variable
975 `x-gc-pointer-shape'.
977 `scrollbarPointer' (class `Cursor'): cursor-name
978 The cursor to use when the mouse is over the scrollbar. This
979 resource is used to initialize the variable
980 `x-scrollbar-pointer-shape'.
982 `pointerColor' (class `Foreground'): color-name
983 `pointerBackground' (class `Background'): color-name
984 The foreground and background colors of the mouse cursor. These
985 resources are used to initialize the variables
986 `x-pointer-foreground-color' and `x-pointer-background-color'.
989 File: xemacs.info, Node: Face Resources, Next: Widgets, Prev: Resource List, Up: X Resources
994 The attributes of faces are also per-frame. They can be specified as:
996 Emacs.FACE_NAME.parameter: value
1000 Emacs*FRAME_NAME.FACE_NAME.parameter: value
1002 Faces accept the following resources:
1004 `attributeFont' (class `AttributeFont'): font-name
1005 The font of this face.
1007 `attributeForeground' (class `AttributeForeground'): color-name
1008 `attributeBackground' (class `AttributeBackground'): color-name
1009 The foreground and background colors of this face.
1011 `attributeBackgroundPixmap' (class `AttributeBackgroundPixmap'): file-name
1012 The name of an XBM file (or XPM file, if your version of Emacs
1013 supports XPM), to use as a background stipple.
1015 `attributeUnderline' (class `AttributeUnderline'): boolean
1016 Whether text in this face should be underlined.
1018 All text is displayed in some face, defaulting to the face named
1019 `default'. To set the font of normal text, use
1020 `Emacs*default.attributeFont'. To set it in the frame named `fred', use
1021 `Emacs*fred.default.attributeFont'.
1023 These are the names of the predefined faces:
1026 Everything inherits from this.
1029 If this is not specified in the resource database, Emacs tries to
1030 find a bold version of the font of the default face.
1033 If this is not specified in the resource database, Emacs tries to
1034 find an italic version of the font of the default face.
1037 If this is not specified in the resource database, Emacs tries to
1038 find a bold-italic version of the font of the default face.
1041 This is the face that the modeline is displayed in. If not
1042 specified in the resource database, it is determined from the
1043 default face by reversing the foreground and background colors.
1046 This is the face that highlighted extents (for example, Info
1047 cross-references and possible completions, when the mouse passes
1048 over them) are displayed in.
1052 These are the faces that the left and right annotation margins are
1056 This is the face that mouse selections are displayed in.
1059 This is the face that the matched text being searched for is
1063 This is the face of info menu items. If unspecified, it is copied
1067 This is the face of info cross-references. If unspecified, it is
1068 copied from `bold'. (Note that, when the mouse passes over a
1069 cross-reference, the cross-reference's face is determined from a
1070 combination of the `info-xref' and `highlight' faces.)
1072 Other packages might define their own faces; to see a list of all
1073 faces, use any of the interactive face-manipulation commands such as
1074 `set-face-font' and type `?' when you are prompted for the name of a
1077 If the `bold', `italic', and `bold-italic' faces are not specified
1078 in the resource database, then XEmacs attempts to derive them from the
1079 font of the default face. It can only succeed at this if you have
1080 specified the default font using the XLFD (X Logical Font Description)
1081 format, which looks like
1083 *-courier-medium-r-*-*-*-120-*-*-*-*-*-*
1085 If you use any of the other, less strict font name formats, some of
1088 lucidasanstypewriter-12
1092 then XEmacs won't be able to guess the names of the bold and italic
1093 versions. All X fonts can be referred to via XLFD-style names, so you
1094 should use those forms. See the man pages for `X(1)', `xlsfonts(1)',
1098 File: xemacs.info, Node: Widgets, Next: Menubar Resources, Prev: Face Resources, Up: X Resources
1103 There are several structural widgets between the terminal EmacsFrame
1104 widget and the top level ApplicationShell; the exact names and types of
1105 these widgets change from release to release (for example, they changed
1106 between 19.8 and 19.9, 19.9 and 19.10, and 19.10 and 19.12) and are
1107 subject to further change in the future, so you should avoid mentioning
1108 them in your resource database. The above-mentioned syntaxes should be
1109 forward- compatible. As of 19.13, the exact widget hierarchy is as
1112 INVOCATION-NAME "shell" "container" FRAME-NAME
1113 x-emacs-application-class "EmacsShell" "EmacsManager" "EmacsFrame"
1115 where INVOCATION-NAME is the terminal component of the name of the
1116 XEmacs executable (usually `xemacs'), and `x-emacs-application-class'
1117 is generally `Emacs'.
1120 File: xemacs.info, Node: Menubar Resources, Prev: Widgets, Up: X Resources
1125 As the menubar is implemented as a widget which is not a part of
1126 XEmacs proper, it does not use the fac" mechanism for specifying fonts
1127 and colors: It uses whatever resources are appropriate to the type of
1128 widget which is used to implement it.
1130 If Emacs was compiled to use only the Motif-lookalike menu widgets,
1131 then one way to specify the font of the menubar would be
1133 Emacs*menubar*font: *-courier-medium-r-*-*-*-120-*-*-*-*-*-*
1135 If the Motif library is being used, then one would have to use
1137 Emacs*menubar*fontList: *-courier-medium-r-*-*-*-120-*-*-*-*-*-*
1139 because the Motif library uses the `fontList' resource name instead
1140 of `font', which has subtly different semantics.
1142 The same is true of the scrollbars: They accept whichever resources
1143 are appropriate for the toolkit in use.
1146 File: xemacs.info, Node: Quitting, Next: Lossage, Prev: Customization, Up: Top
1148 Quitting and Aborting
1149 =====================
1152 Quit. Cancel running or partially typed command.
1155 Abort innermost recursive editing level and cancel the command
1156 which invoked it (`abort-recursive-edit').
1159 Abort all recursive editing levels that are currently executing.
1162 Cancel an already-executed command, usually (`undo').
1164 There are two ways of cancelling commands which are not finished
1165 executing: "quitting" with `C-g', and "aborting" with `C-]' or `M-x
1166 top-level'. Quitting is cancelling a partially typed command or one
1167 which is already running. Aborting is getting out of a recursive
1168 editing level and cancelling the command that invoked the recursive
1171 Quitting with `C-g' is used for getting rid of a partially typed
1172 command or a numeric argument that you don't want. It also stops a
1173 running command in the middle in a relatively safe way, so you can use
1174 it if you accidentally start executing a command that takes a long
1175 time. In particular, it is safe to quit out of killing; either your
1176 text will ALL still be there, or it will ALL be in the kill ring (or
1177 maybe both). Quitting an incremental search does special things
1178 documented under searching; in general, it may take two successive
1179 `C-g' characters to get out of a search. `C-g' works by setting the
1180 variable `quit-flag' to `t' the instant `C-g' is typed; Emacs Lisp
1181 checks this variable frequently and quits if it is non-`nil'. `C-g' is
1182 only actually executed as a command if it is typed while Emacs is
1185 If you quit twice in a row before the first `C-g' is recognized, you
1186 activate the "emergency escape" feature and return to the shell. *Note
1189 You can use `C-]' (`abort-recursive-edit') to get out of a recursive
1190 editing level and cancel the command which invoked it. Quitting with
1191 `C-g' does not do this, and could not do this because it is used to
1192 cancel a partially typed command within the recursive editing level.
1193 Both operations are useful. For example, if you are in the Emacs
1194 debugger (*note Lisp Debug::) and have typed `C-u 8' to enter a numeric
1195 argument, you can cancel that argument with `C-g' and remain in the
1198 The command `M-x top-level' is equivalent to "enough" `C-]' commands
1199 to get you out of all the levels of recursive edits that you are in.
1200 `C-]' only gets you out one level at a time, but `M-x top-level' goes
1201 out all levels at once. Both `C-]' and `M-x top-level' are like all
1202 other commands and unlike `C-g' in that they are effective only when
1203 Emacs is ready for a command. `C-]' is an ordinary key and has its
1204 meaning only because of its binding in the keymap. *Note Recursive
1207 `C-x u' (`undo') is not strictly speaking a way of cancelling a
1208 command, but you can think of it as cancelling a command already
1209 finished executing. *Note Undo::.
1212 File: xemacs.info, Node: Lossage, Next: Bugs, Prev: Quitting, Up: Top
1214 Dealing With Emacs Trouble
1215 ==========================
1217 This section describes various conditions in which Emacs fails to
1218 work, and how to recognize them and correct them.
1222 * Stuck Recursive:: `[...]' in mode line around the parentheses.
1223 * Screen Garbled:: Garbage on the screen.
1224 * Text Garbled:: Garbage in the text.
1225 * Unasked-for Search:: Spontaneous entry to incremental search.
1226 * Emergency Escape:: Emergency escape---
1227 What to do if Emacs stops responding.
1228 * Total Frustration:: When you are at your wits' end.
1231 File: xemacs.info, Node: Stuck Recursive, Next: Screen Garbled, Prev: Lossage, Up: Lossage
1233 Recursive Editing Levels
1234 ------------------------
1236 Recursive editing levels are important and useful features of Emacs,
1237 but they can seem like malfunctions to the user who does not understand
1240 If the mode line has square brackets `[...]' around the parentheses
1241 that contain the names of the major and minor modes, you have entered a
1242 recursive editing level. If you did not do this on purpose, or if you
1243 don't understand what that means, you should just get out of the
1244 recursive editing level. To do so, type `M-x top-level'. This is
1245 called getting back to top level. *Note Recursive Edit::.
1248 File: xemacs.info, Node: Screen Garbled, Next: Text Garbled, Prev: Stuck Recursive, Up: Lossage
1250 Garbage on the Screen
1251 ---------------------
1253 If the data on the screen looks wrong, the first thing to do is see
1254 whether the text is actually wrong. Type `C-l', to redisplay the
1255 entire screen. If the text appears correct after this, the problem was
1256 entirely in the previous screen update.
1258 Display updating problems often result from an incorrect termcap
1259 entry for the terminal you are using. The file `etc/TERMS' in the Emacs
1260 distribution gives the fixes for known problems of this sort.
1261 `INSTALL' contains general advice for these problems in one of its
1262 sections. Very likely there is simply insufficient padding for certain
1263 display operations. To investigate the possibility that you have this
1264 sort of problem, try Emacs on another terminal made by a different
1265 manufacturer. If problems happen frequently on one kind of terminal but
1266 not another kind, the real problem is likely to be a bad termcap entry,
1267 though it could also be due to a bug in Emacs that appears for terminals
1268 that have or lack specific features.
1271 File: xemacs.info, Node: Text Garbled, Next: Unasked-for Search, Prev: Screen Garbled, Up: Lossage
1276 If `C-l' shows that the text is wrong, try undoing the changes to it
1277 using `C-x u' until it gets back to a state you consider correct. Also
1278 try `C-h l' to find out what command you typed to produce the observed
1281 If a large portion of text appears to be missing at the beginning or
1282 end of the buffer, check for the word `Narrow' in the mode line. If it
1283 appears, the text is still present, but marked off-limits. To make it
1284 visible again, type `C-x n w'. *Note Narrowing::.