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annotate doc/emacs/windows.texi @ 112278:ef719132ddfa
Nuke arch-tags.
author | Glenn Morris <rgm@gnu.org> |
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date | Sat, 15 Jan 2011 15:16:57 -0800 |
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84273 | 1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual. |
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, | |
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3 @c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
84273 | 4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. |
5 @node Windows, Frames, Buffers, Top | |
6 @chapter Multiple Windows | |
7 @cindex windows in Emacs | |
8 @cindex multiple windows in Emacs | |
9 | |
10 Emacs can split a frame into two or many windows. Multiple windows | |
11 can display parts of different buffers, or different parts of one | |
12 buffer. Multiple frames always imply multiple windows, because each | |
13 frame has its own set of windows. Each window belongs to one and only | |
14 one frame. | |
15 | |
16 @menu | |
17 * Basic Window:: Introduction to Emacs windows. | |
18 * Split Window:: New windows are made by splitting existing windows. | |
19 * Other Window:: Moving to another window or doing something to it. | |
20 * Pop Up Window:: Finding a file or buffer in another window. | |
21 * Force Same Window:: Forcing certain buffers to appear in the selected | |
22 window rather than in another window. | |
23 * Change Window:: Deleting windows and changing their sizes. | |
24 * Window Convenience:: Convenience functions for window handling. | |
25 @end menu | |
26 | |
27 @node Basic Window | |
28 @section Concepts of Emacs Windows | |
29 | |
30 Each Emacs window displays one Emacs buffer at any time. A single | |
31 buffer may appear in more than one window; if it does, any changes in | |
32 its text are displayed in all the windows where it appears. But these | |
33 windows can show different parts of the buffer, because each window | |
34 has its own value of point. | |
35 | |
36 @cindex selected window | |
37 At any time, one Emacs window is the @dfn{selected window}; the | |
38 buffer this window is displaying is the current buffer. The terminal's | |
39 cursor shows the location of point in this window. Each other window | |
40 has a location of point as well. On text-only terminals, there is no | |
41 way to show where those locations are, since the terminal has only one | |
42 cursor. On a graphical display, the location of point in a | |
43 non-selected window is indicated by a hollow box; the cursor in the | |
44 selected window is blinking or solid. | |
45 | |
46 Commands to move point affect the value of point for the selected Emacs | |
47 window only. They do not change the value of point in other Emacs | |
48 windows, even those showing the same buffer. The same is true for commands | |
49 such as @kbd{C-x b} to switch buffers in the selected window; | |
50 they do not affect other windows at all. However, there are other commands | |
51 such as @kbd{C-x 4 b} that select a different window and switch buffers in | |
52 it. Also, all commands that display information in a window, including | |
53 (for example) @kbd{C-h f} (@code{describe-function}) and @kbd{C-x C-b} | |
54 (@code{list-buffers}), work by switching buffers in a nonselected window | |
55 without affecting the selected window. | |
56 | |
57 When multiple windows show the same buffer, they can have different | |
58 regions, because they can have different values of point. However, | |
59 they all have the same value for the mark, because each buffer has | |
60 only one mark position. | |
61 | |
62 Each window has its own mode line, which displays the buffer name, | |
63 modification status and major and minor modes of the buffer that is | |
64 displayed in the window. The selected window's mode line appears in a | |
65 different color. @xref{Mode Line}, for full details on the mode line. | |
66 | |
67 @node Split Window | |
68 @section Splitting Windows | |
69 | |
70 @table @kbd | |
71 @item C-x 2 | |
72 Split the selected window into two windows, one above the other | |
73 (@code{split-window-vertically}). | |
74 @item C-x 3 | |
75 Split the selected window into two windows positioned side by side | |
76 (@code{split-window-horizontally}). | |
77 @item C-Mouse-2 | |
78 In the mode line or scroll bar of a window, split that window. | |
79 @end table | |
80 | |
81 @kindex C-x 2 | |
82 @findex split-window-vertically | |
83 The command @kbd{C-x 2} (@code{split-window-vertically}) breaks the | |
84 selected window into two windows, one above the other. Both windows start | |
85 out displaying the same buffer, with the same value of point. By default | |
86 the two windows each get half the height of the window that was split; a | |
87 numeric argument specifies how many lines to give to the top window. | |
88 | |
89 @kindex C-x 3 | |
90 @findex split-window-horizontally | |
91 @kbd{C-x 3} (@code{split-window-horizontally}) breaks the selected | |
92 window into two side-by-side windows. A numeric argument specifies how | |
93 many columns to give the one on the left. If you are not using | |
94 scrollbars, a vertical line separates the two windows. | |
95 You can customize its color with the face @code{vertical-border}. | |
96 Windows that are not the full width of the screen have mode lines, but | |
97 they are truncated. On terminals where Emacs does not support | |
98 highlighting, truncated mode lines sometimes do not appear in inverse | |
99 video. | |
100 | |
101 @kindex C-Mouse-2 @r{(scroll bar)} | |
102 You can split a window horizontally or vertically by clicking | |
103 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} in the mode line or the scroll bar. The line of | |
104 splitting goes through the place where you click: if you click on the | |
105 mode line, the new scroll bar goes above the spot; if you click in the | |
106 scroll bar, the mode line of the split window is side by side with | |
107 your click. | |
108 | |
109 @vindex truncate-partial-width-windows | |
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110 When a window occupies less than the full width of the frame, it may |
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111 become too narrow for most of the text lines in its buffer. If most of |
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112 its lines are continued (@pxref{Continuation Lines}), the buffer may |
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113 become difficult to read. Therefore, Emacs automatically truncates |
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114 lines if the window width becomes narrower than 50 columns. This |
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115 truncation occurs regardless of the value of the variable |
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116 @code{truncate-lines} (@pxref{Line Truncation}); it is instead |
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117 controlled by the variable @code{truncate-partial-width-windows}. If |
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118 the value of @code{truncate-partial-width-windows} is a positive integer |
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119 (the default is 50), that specifies the minimum width for a |
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120 partial-width window before automatic line truncation occurs; if the |
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121 value is @code{nil}, automatic line truncation is disabled; and for any |
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122 other non-@code{nil} value, Emacs truncates lines in every partial-width |
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123 window regardless of its width. |
84273 | 124 |
125 Horizontal scrolling is often used in side-by-side windows. | |
126 @xref{Horizontal Scrolling}. | |
127 | |
128 @vindex split-window-keep-point | |
129 If @code{split-window-keep-point} is non-@code{nil}, the default, | |
130 both of the windows resulting from @kbd{C-x 2} inherit the value of | |
131 point from the window that was split. This means that scrolling is | |
132 inevitable. If this variable is @code{nil}, then @kbd{C-x 2} tries to | |
133 avoid scrolling the text currently visible on the screen, by putting | |
134 point in each window at a position already visible in the window. It | |
135 also selects whichever window contains the screen line that the cursor | |
136 was previously on. Some users prefer that mode on slow terminals. | |
137 | |
138 @node Other Window | |
139 @section Using Other Windows | |
140 | |
141 @table @kbd | |
142 @item C-x o | |
143 Select another window (@code{other-window}). That is @kbd{o}, not zero. | |
144 @item C-M-v | |
145 Scroll the next window (@code{scroll-other-window}). | |
146 @item M-x compare-windows | |
147 Find next place where the text in the selected window does not match | |
148 the text in the next window. | |
149 @item Mouse-1 | |
150 @kbd{Mouse-1}, in a window's mode line, selects that window | |
151 but does not move point in it (@code{mouse-select-window}). | |
152 @end table | |
153 | |
154 @kindex C-x o | |
155 @findex other-window | |
156 To select a different window, click with @kbd{Mouse-1} on its mode | |
157 line. With the keyboard, you can switch windows by typing @kbd{C-x o} | |
158 (@code{other-window}). That is an @kbd{o}, for ``other,'' not a zero. | |
159 When there are more than two windows, this command moves through all the | |
160 windows in a cyclic order, generally top to bottom and left to right. | |
161 After the rightmost and bottommost window, it goes back to the one at | |
162 the upper left corner. A numeric argument means to move several steps | |
163 in the cyclic order of windows. A negative argument moves around the | |
164 cycle in the opposite order. When the minibuffer is active, the | |
165 minibuffer is the last window in the cycle; you can switch from the | |
166 minibuffer window to one of the other windows, and later switch back and | |
167 finish supplying the minibuffer argument that is requested. | |
168 @xref{Minibuffer Edit}. | |
169 | |
170 @kindex C-M-v | |
171 @findex scroll-other-window | |
172 The usual scrolling commands (@pxref{Display}) apply to the selected | |
173 window only, but there is one command to scroll the next window. | |
174 @kbd{C-M-v} (@code{scroll-other-window}) scrolls the window that | |
175 @kbd{C-x o} would select. It takes arguments, positive and negative, | |
176 like @kbd{C-v}. (In the minibuffer, @kbd{C-M-v} scrolls the window | |
177 that contains the minibuffer help display, if any, rather than the | |
178 next window in the standard cyclic order.) | |
179 | |
180 The command @kbd{M-x compare-windows} lets you compare two files or | |
181 buffers visible in two windows, by moving through them to the next | |
182 mismatch. @xref{Comparing Files}, for details. | |
183 | |
184 @vindex mouse-autoselect-window | |
185 If you set @code{mouse-autoselect-window} to a non-@code{nil} value, | |
186 moving the mouse into a different window selects that window. This | |
187 feature is off by default. | |
188 | |
189 @node Pop Up Window | |
190 @section Displaying in Another Window | |
191 | |
192 @cindex selecting buffers in other windows | |
193 @kindex C-x 4 | |
194 @kbd{C-x 4} is a prefix key for commands that select another window | |
195 (splitting the window if there is only one) and select a buffer in that | |
196 window. Different @kbd{C-x 4} commands have different ways of finding the | |
197 buffer to select. | |
198 | |
199 @table @kbd | |
200 @item C-x 4 b @var{bufname} @key{RET} | |
201 Select buffer @var{bufname} in another window. This runs | |
202 @code{switch-to-buffer-other-window}. | |
203 @item C-x 4 C-o @var{bufname} @key{RET} | |
204 Display buffer @var{bufname} in another window, but | |
205 don't select that buffer or that window. This runs | |
206 @code{display-buffer}. | |
207 @item C-x 4 f @var{filename} @key{RET} | |
208 Visit file @var{filename} and select its buffer in another window. This | |
209 runs @code{find-file-other-window}. @xref{Visiting}. | |
210 @item C-x 4 d @var{directory} @key{RET} | |
211 Select a Dired buffer for directory @var{directory} in another window. | |
212 This runs @code{dired-other-window}. @xref{Dired}. | |
213 @item C-x 4 m | |
214 Start composing a mail message in another window. This runs | |
215 @code{mail-other-window}; its same-window analogue is @kbd{C-x m} | |
216 (@pxref{Sending Mail}). | |
217 @item C-x 4 . | |
218 Find a tag in the current tags table, in another window. This runs | |
219 @code{find-tag-other-window}, the multiple-window variant of @kbd{M-.} | |
220 (@pxref{Tags}). | |
221 @item C-x 4 r @var{filename} @key{RET} | |
222 Visit file @var{filename} read-only, and select its buffer in another | |
223 window. This runs @code{find-file-read-only-other-window}. | |
224 @xref{Visiting}. | |
225 @end table | |
226 | |
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227 @vindex split-height-threshold |
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228 @vindex split-width-threshold |
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229 By default, these commands split the window vertically when there is |
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230 only one. You can customize the variables @code{split-height-threshold} |
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231 and @code{split-width-threshold} to split the window horizontally |
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232 instead. |
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233 |
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234 |
84273 | 235 @node Force Same Window |
236 @section Forcing Display in the Same Window | |
237 | |
238 Certain Emacs commands switch to a specific buffer with special | |
239 contents. For example, @kbd{M-x shell} switches to a buffer named | |
240 @samp{*shell*}. By convention, all these commands are written to pop up | |
241 the buffer in a separate window. But you can specify that certain of | |
242 these buffers should appear in the selected window. | |
243 | |
244 @vindex same-window-buffer-names | |
245 If you add a buffer name to the list @code{same-window-buffer-names}, | |
246 the effect is that such commands display that particular buffer by | |
247 switching to it in the selected window. For example, if you add the | |
248 element @code{"*grep*"} to the list, the @code{grep} command will | |
249 display its output buffer in the selected window. | |
250 | |
251 The default value of @code{same-window-buffer-names} is not | |
252 @code{nil}: it specifies buffer names @samp{*info*}, @samp{*mail*} and | |
253 @samp{*shell*} (as well as others used by more obscure Emacs packages). | |
254 This is why @kbd{M-x shell} normally switches to the @samp{*shell*} | |
255 buffer in the selected window. If you delete this element from the | |
256 value of @code{same-window-buffer-names}, the behavior of @kbd{M-x | |
257 shell} will change---it will pop up the buffer in another window | |
258 instead. | |
259 | |
260 @vindex same-window-regexps | |
261 You can specify these buffers more generally with the variable | |
262 @code{same-window-regexps}. Set it to a list of regular expressions; | |
263 then any buffer whose name matches one of those regular expressions is | |
264 displayed by switching to it in the selected window. (Once again, this | |
265 applies only to buffers that normally get displayed for you in a | |
266 separate window.) The default value of this variable specifies Telnet | |
267 and rlogin buffers. | |
268 | |
269 An analogous feature lets you specify buffers which should be | |
270 displayed in their own individual frames. @xref{Special Buffer Frames}. | |
271 | |
272 @node Change Window | |
273 @section Deleting and Rearranging Windows | |
274 | |
275 @table @kbd | |
276 @item C-x 0 | |
277 Delete the selected window (@code{delete-window}). The last character | |
278 in this key sequence is a zero. | |
279 @item C-x 1 | |
280 Delete all windows in the selected frame except the selected window | |
281 (@code{delete-other-windows}). | |
282 @item C-x 4 0 | |
283 Delete the selected window and kill the buffer that was showing in it | |
284 (@code{kill-buffer-and-window}). The last character in this key | |
285 sequence is a zero. | |
286 @item C-x ^ | |
287 Make selected window taller (@code{enlarge-window}). | |
288 @item C-x @} | |
289 Make selected window wider (@code{enlarge-window-horizontally}). | |
290 @item C-x @{ | |
291 Make selected window narrower (@code{shrink-window-horizontally}). | |
292 @item C-x - | |
293 Shrink this window if its buffer doesn't need so many lines | |
294 (@code{shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer}). | |
295 @item C-x + | |
296 Make all windows the same height (@code{balance-windows}). | |
297 @end table | |
298 | |
299 @kindex C-x 0 | |
300 @findex delete-window | |
301 To delete a window, type @kbd{C-x 0} (@code{delete-window}). (That is | |
302 a zero.) The space occupied by the deleted window is given to an | |
303 adjacent window (but not the minibuffer window, even if that is active | |
304 at the time). Once a window is deleted, its attributes are forgotten; | |
305 only restoring a window configuration can bring it back. Deleting the | |
306 window has no effect on the buffer it used to display; the buffer | |
307 continues to exist, and you can select it in any window with @kbd{C-x | |
308 b}. | |
309 | |
310 @findex kill-buffer-and-window | |
311 @kindex C-x 4 0 | |
312 @kbd{C-x 4 0} (@code{kill-buffer-and-window}) is a stronger command | |
313 than @kbd{C-x 0}; it kills the current buffer and then deletes the | |
314 selected window. | |
315 | |
316 @kindex C-x 1 | |
317 @findex delete-other-windows | |
318 @kbd{C-x 1} (@code{delete-other-windows}) is more powerful in a | |
319 different way; it deletes all the windows except the selected one (and | |
320 the minibuffer); the selected window expands to use the whole frame | |
321 except for the echo area. | |
322 | |
323 @kindex C-x ^ | |
324 @findex enlarge-window | |
325 @kindex C-x @} | |
326 @findex enlarge-window-horizontally | |
327 @vindex window-min-height | |
328 @vindex window-min-width | |
329 To readjust the division of space among vertically adjacent windows, | |
330 use @kbd{C-x ^} (@code{enlarge-window}). It makes the currently | |
331 selected window one line bigger, or as many lines as is specified | |
332 with a numeric argument. With a negative argument, it makes the | |
333 selected window smaller. @kbd{C-x @}} | |
334 (@code{enlarge-window-horizontally}) makes the selected window wider by | |
335 the specified number of columns. @kbd{C-x @{} | |
336 (@code{shrink-window-horizontally}) makes the selected window narrower | |
337 by the specified number of columns. | |
338 | |
339 When you make a window bigger, the space comes from its peers. If | |
340 this makes any window too small, it is deleted and its space is given | |
341 to an adjacent window. The minimum size is specified by the variables | |
342 @code{window-min-height} and @code{window-min-width}. | |
343 | |
344 @kindex C-x - | |
345 @findex shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer | |
346 The command @kbd{C-x -} (@code{shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer}) | |
347 reduces the height of the selected window, if it is taller than | |
348 necessary to show the whole text of the buffer it is displaying. It | |
349 gives the extra lines to other windows in the frame. | |
350 | |
351 @kindex C-x + | |
352 @findex balance-windows | |
353 You can also use @kbd{C-x +} (@code{balance-windows}) to even out the | |
354 heights of all the windows in the selected frame. | |
355 | |
356 Mouse clicks on the mode line provide another way to change window | |
357 heights and to delete windows. @xref{Mode Line Mouse}. | |
358 | |
359 @node Window Convenience | |
360 @section Window Handling Convenience Features and Customization | |
361 | |
362 @findex winner-mode | |
363 @cindex Winner mode | |
364 @cindex mode, Winner | |
365 @cindex undoing window configuration changes | |
366 @cindex window configuration changes, undoing | |
367 @kbd{M-x winner-mode} is a global minor mode that records the | |
368 changes in the window configuration (i.e. how the frames are | |
369 partitioned into windows), so that you can ``undo'' them. To undo, | |
370 use @kbd{C-c left} (@code{winner-undo}). If you change your mind | |
371 while undoing, you can redo the changes you had undone using @kbd{C-c | |
372 right} (@code{M-x winner-redo}). Another way to enable Winner mode is | |
373 by customizing the variable @code{winner-mode}. | |
374 | |
375 @cindex Windmove package | |
376 @cindex directional window selection | |
377 @findex windmove-right | |
378 @findex windmove-default-keybindings | |
379 The Windmove commands move directionally between neighboring windows in | |
380 a frame. @kbd{M-x windmove-right} selects the window immediately to the | |
381 right of the currently selected one, and similarly for the ``left,'' ``up,'' | |
382 and ``down'' counterparts. @kbd{M-x windmove-default-keybindings} binds | |
383 these commands to @kbd{S-right} etc. (Not all terminals support shifted | |
384 arrow keys, however.) | |
385 | |
386 Follow minor mode (@kbd{M-x follow-mode}) synchronizes several | |
387 windows on the same buffer so that they always display adjacent | |
388 sections of that buffer. @xref{Follow Mode}. | |
389 | |
390 @vindex scroll-all-mode | |
391 @cindex scrolling windows together | |
392 @cindex Scroll-all mode | |
393 @cindex mode, Scroll-all | |
394 @kbd{M-x scroll-all-mode} provides commands to scroll all visible | |
395 windows together. You can also turn it on by customizing the variable | |
396 @code{scroll-all-mode}. The commands provided are @kbd{M-x | |
397 scroll-all-scroll-down-all}, @kbd{M-x scroll-all-page-down-all} and | |
398 their corresponding ``up'' equivalents. To make this mode useful, | |
399 you should bind these commands to appropriate keys. |