# HG changeset patch # User Eli Zaretskii # Date 1291461909 -7200 # Node ID f01161c37158a26351684cc156ee5535480986af # Parent 23c0c1abec6b4d482ec6d05053086e86c32dfcab Describe MS-Windows specific startup issues, incl. emacsclientw.exe msdog.texi (Windows Startup): New node. Move the stuff about the current directory from "Windows HOME", and explain all possible ways of invoking Emacs on Windows. diff -r 23c0c1abec6b -r f01161c37158 doc/emacs/ChangeLog --- a/doc/emacs/ChangeLog Sat Dec 04 12:22:45 2010 +0200 +++ b/doc/emacs/ChangeLog Sat Dec 04 13:25:09 2010 +0200 @@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ * msdog.texi (Windows HOME): Mention that HOME can also be set in the registry, with a cross-reference. + (Windows Startup): New node. Move the stuff about the current + directory from "Windows HOME". 2010-11-23 Bob Rogers diff -r 23c0c1abec6b -r f01161c37158 doc/emacs/emacs.texi --- a/doc/emacs/emacs.texi Sat Dec 04 12:22:45 2010 +0200 +++ b/doc/emacs/emacs.texi Sat Dec 04 13:25:09 2010 +0200 @@ -1191,6 +1191,7 @@ Emacs and Microsoft Windows/MS-DOS +* Windows Startup:: How to start Emacs on Windows. * Text and Binary:: Text files use CRLF to terminate lines. * Windows Files:: File-name conventions on Windows. * ls in Lisp:: Emulation of @code{ls} for Dired. diff -r 23c0c1abec6b -r f01161c37158 doc/emacs/msdog.texi --- a/doc/emacs/msdog.texi Sat Dec 04 12:22:45 2010 +0200 +++ b/doc/emacs/msdog.texi Sat Dec 04 13:25:09 2010 +0200 @@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ here. @menu +* Windows Startup:: How to start Emacs on Windows. * Text and Binary:: Text files use CRLF to terminate lines. * Windows Files:: File-name conventions on Windows. * ls in Lisp:: Emulation of @code{ls} for Dired. @@ -44,6 +45,68 @@ @end ifnottex @end menu +@node Windows Startup +@section How to Start Emacs on MS-Windows +@cindex starting Emacs on MS-Windows + + There are several ways of starting Emacs on MS-Windows: + +@enumerate +@item +@pindex runemacs.exe +@cindex desktop shortcut, MS-Windows +@cindex start directory, MS-Windows +@cindex directory where Emacs starts on MS-Windows +From the desktop shortcut icon: either double-click the left mouse +button on the icon, or click once, then press @key{RET}. The desktop +shortcut should specify as its ``Target'' (in the ``Properties'' of +the shortcut) the full absolute file name of @file{runemacs.exe}, +@emph{not} of @file{emacs.exe}. This is because @file{runemacs.exe} +hides the console window that would have been created if the target of +the shortcut were @file{emacs.exe} (which is a console program, as far +as Windows is concerned). If you use this method, Emacs starts in the +directory specified by the shortcut. To control where that is, +right-click on the shortcut, select ``Properties'', and in the +``Shortcut'' tab modify the ``Start in'' field to your liking. + +@item +From the Command Prompt window, by typing @kbd{emacs @key{RET}} at the +prompt. The Command Prompt window where you did that will not be +available for invoking other commands until Emacs exits. In this +case, Emacs will start in the current directory of the Windows shell. + +@item +From the Command Prompt window, by typing @kbd{runemacs @key{RET}} at +the prompt. The Command Prompt window where you did that will be +immediately available for invoking other commands. In this case, +Emacs will start in the current directory of the Windows shell. + +@item +@cindex invoking Emacs from Windows Explorer +@pindex emacsclient.exe +@pindex emacsclientw.exe +Via the Emacs client program, @file{emacsclient.exe} or +@file{emacsclientw.exe}. This allows to invoke Emacs from other +programs, and to reuse a running Emacs process for serving editing +jobs required by other programs. @xref{Emacs Server}. The difference +between @file{emacsclient.exe} and @file{emacsclientw.exe} is that the +former waits for Emacs to signal that the editing job is finished, +while the latter does not wait. Which one of them to use in each case +depends on the expectations of the program that needs editing +services. If the program will use the edited files, it needs to wait +for Emacs, so you should use @file{emacsclient.exe}. By contrast, if +the results of editing are not needed by the invoking program, you +will be better off using @file{emacsclientw.exe}. A notable situation +where you would want @file{emacsclientw.exe} is when you right-click +on a file in the Windows Explorer and select ``Open With'' from the +pop-up menu. Use the @samp{--alternate-editor=} or @samp{-a} options +if Emacs might not be running (or not running as a server) when +@command{emacsclient} is invoked---that will always give you an +editor. When invoked via @command{emacsclient}, Emacs will start in +the current directory of the program that invoked +@command{emacsclient}. +@end enumerate + @node Text and Binary @section Text Files and Binary Files @cindex text and binary files on MS-DOS/MS-Windows @@ -375,13 +438,6 @@ @file{_emacs} as a fallback, if such a file exists in the home directory, whereas @file{.emacs} does not. -@cindex start directory, MS-Windows -@cindex directory where Emacs starts on MS-Windows - If you use a Windows desktop shortcut to start Emacs, it starts in -the directory specified by the shortcut. To control where that is, -right-click on the shortcut, select ``Properties'', and in the -``Shortcut'' tab modify the ``Start in'' field to your liking. - @node Windows Keyboard @section Keyboard Usage on MS-Windows @cindex keyboard, MS-Windows