@c This is part of the Emacs manual. @c Copyright (C) 1987,93,94,95,1997,2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc. @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. @node X Resources, Antinews, Command Arguments, Top @appendix X Options and Resources You can customize some X-related aspects of Emacs behavior using X resources, as is usual for programs that use X. X resources are the only way to customize tooltip windows and LessTif menus, since the libraries that implement them don't provide for customization through Emacs. This appendix describes the X resources that Emacs recognizes and how to use them. @menu * Resources:: Using X resources with Emacs (in general). * Table of Resources:: Table of specific X resources that affect Emacs. * Face Resources:: X resources for customizing faces. * Lucid Resources:: X resources for Lucid menus. * LessTif Resources:: X resources for LessTif and Motif menus. @end menu @node Resources @appendixsec X Resources @cindex resources @cindex X resources, @file{~/.Xdefaults} file Programs running under the X Window System organize their user options under a hierarchy of classes and resources. You can specify default values for these options in your X resources file, usually named @file{~/.Xdefaults}. If changes in @file{~/.Xdefaults} do not take effect, it is because your X server stores its own list of resources; to update them, use the shell command @command{xrdb}---for instance, @samp{xrdb ~/.Xdefaults}. Each line in the file specifies a value for one option or for a collection of related options, for one program or for several programs (optionally even for all programs). @cindex Registry (MS-Windows) @cindex @file{.Xdefaults} file, and MS-Windows MS-Windows systems don't support @file{~/.Xdefaults} files, but Emacs compiled for Windows looks for X resources in the Windows Registry, under the keys @samp{HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\GNU\Emacs} and @samp{HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\GNU\Emacs}. Programs define named resources with particular meanings. They also define how to group resources into named classes. For instance, in Emacs, the @samp{internalBorder} resource controls the width of the internal border, and the @samp{borderWidth} resource controls the width of the external border. Both of these resources are part of the @samp{BorderWidth} class. Case distinctions are significant in these names. In @file{~/.Xdefaults}, you can specify a value for a single resource on one line, like this: @example emacs.borderWidth: 2 @end example @noindent Or you can use a class name to specify the same value for all resources in that class. Here's an example: @example emacs.BorderWidth: 2 @end example If you specify a value for a class, it becomes the default for all resources in that class. You can specify values for individual resources as well; these override the class value, for those particular resources. Thus, this example specifies 2 as the default width for all borders, but overrides this value with 4 for the external border: @example emacs.BorderWidth: 2 emacs.borderWidth: 4 @end example The order in which the lines appear in the file does not matter. Also, command-line options always override the X resources file. The string @samp{emacs} in the examples above is also a resource name. It actually represents the name of the executable file that you invoke to run Emacs. If Emacs is installed under a different name, it looks for resources under that name instead of @samp{emacs}. @table @samp @item -name @var{name} @opindex --name @itemx --name=@var{name} @cindex resource name, command-line argument Use @var{name} as the resource name (and the title) for the initial Emacs frame. This option does not affect subsequent frames, but Lisp programs can specify frame names when they create frames. If you don't specify this option, the default is to use the Emacs executable's name as the resource name. @item -xrm @var{resource-values} @opindex --xrm @itemx --xrm=@var{resource-values} @cindex resource values, command-line argument Specify X resource values for this Emacs job (see below). @end table For consistency, @samp{-name} also specifies the name to use for other resource values that do not belong to any particular frame. The resources that name Emacs invocations also belong to a class; its name is @samp{Emacs}. If you write @samp{Emacs} instead of @samp{emacs}, the resource applies to all frames in all Emacs jobs, regardless of frame titles and regardless of the name of the executable file. Here is an example: @example Emacs.BorderWidth: 2 Emacs.borderWidth: 4 @end example You can specify a string of additional resource values for Emacs to use with the command line option @samp{-xrm @var{resources}}. The text @var{resources} should have the same format that you would use inside a file of X resources. To include multiple resource specifications in @var{resources}, put a newline between them, just as you would in a file. You can also use @samp{#include "@var{filename}"} to include a file full of resource specifications. Resource values specified with @samp{-xrm} take precedence over all other resource specifications. One way to experiment with the effect of different resource settings is to use the @code{editres} program. Select @samp{Get Tree} from the @samp{Commands} menu, then click on an Emacs frame. This will display a tree showing the structure of X toolkit widgets used in an Emacs frame. Select one of them, such as @samp{menubar}, then select @samp{Show Resource Box} from the @samp{Commands} menu. This displays a list of all the meaningful X resources and allows you to edit them. Changes take effect immediately if you click on the @samp{Apply} button. @node Table of Resources @appendixsec Table of X Resources for Emacs This table lists the resource names that designate options for Emacs, not counting those for the appearance of the menu bar, each with the class that it belongs to: @table @asis @item @code{background} (class @code{Background}) Background color name. @item @code{bitmapIcon} (class @code{BitmapIcon}) Use a bitmap icon (a picture of a gnu) if @samp{on}, let the window manager choose an icon if @samp{off}. @item @code{borderColor} (class @code{BorderColor}) Color name for the external border. @item @code{borderWidth} (class @code{BorderWidth}) Width in pixels of the external border. @item @code{cursorColor} (class @code{Foreground}) Color name for text cursor (point). @item @code{font} (class @code{Font}) Font name for text (or fontset name, @pxref{Fontsets}). @item @code{foreground} (class @code{Foreground}) Color name for text. @item @code{geometry} (class @code{Geometry}) Window size and position. Be careful not to specify this resource as @samp{emacs*geometry}, because that may affect individual menus as well as the Emacs frame itself. If this resource specifies a position, that position applies only to the initial Emacs frame (or, in the case of a resource for a specific frame name, only that frame). However, the size, if specified here, applies to all frames. @item @code{fullscreen} (class @code{Fullscreen}) The desired fullscreen size. The value can be one of @code{fullboth}, @code{fullwidth} or @code{fullheight}, which correspond to the command-line options @samp{-fs}, @samp{-fw}, and @samp{-fh} (@pxref{Window Size X}). Note that this applies to all frames created, not just the initial one. @item @code{iconName} (class @code{Title}) Name to display in the icon. @item @code{internalBorder} (class @code{BorderWidth}) Width in pixels of the internal border. @item @code{lineSpacing} (class @code{LineSpacing}) @cindex line spacing @cindex leading Additional space (@dfn{leading}) between lines, in pixels. @item @code{menuBar} (class @code{MenuBar}) Give frames menu bars if @samp{on}; don't have menu bars if @samp{off}. @xref{Lucid Resources}, and @ref{LessTif Resources}, for how to control the appearance of the menu bar if you have one. @item @code{toolBar} (class @code{ToolBar}) Number of lines to reserve for the tool bar. A zero value suppresses the tool bar. If the value is non-zero and @code{auto-resize-tool-bars} is non-@code{nil}, the tool bar's size will be changed automatically so that all tool bar items are visible. @item @code{minibuffer} (class @code{Minibuffer}) If @samp{none}, don't make a minibuffer in this frame. It will use a separate minibuffer frame instead. @item @code{paneFont} (class @code{Font}) @cindex font for menus Font name for menu pane titles, in non-toolkit versions of Emacs. @item @code{pointerColor} (class @code{Foreground}) Color of the mouse cursor. @ignore @item @code{privateColormap} (class @code{PrivateColormap}) If @samp{on}, use a private color map, in the case where the ``default visual'' of class PseudoColor and Emacs is using it. @end ignore @item @code{reverseVideo} (class @code{ReverseVideo}) Switch foreground and background default colors if @samp{on}, use colors as specified if @samp{off}. @item @code{screenGamma} (class @code{ScreenGamma}) @cindex gamma correction Gamma correction for colors, equivalent to the frame parameter @code{screen-gamma}. @item @code{selectionFont} (class @code{Font}) Font name for pop-up menu items, in non-toolkit versions of Emacs. (For toolkit versions, see @ref{Lucid Resources}, also see @ref{LessTif Resources}.) @item @code{synchronous} (class @code{Synchronous}) @cindex debugging X problems @cindex synchronous X mode Run Emacs in synchronous mode if @samp{on}. Synchronous mode is useful for debugging X problems. @item @code{title} (class @code{Title}) Name to display in the title bar of the initial Emacs frame. @item @code{verticalScrollBars} (class @code{ScrollBars}) Give frames scroll bars if @samp{on}; don't have scroll bars if @samp{off}. @end table @node Face Resources @appendixsec X Resources for Faces You can also use resources to customize the appearance of particular faces (@pxref{Faces}): @table @code @item @var{face}.attributeFont Font for face @var{face}. @item @var{face}.attributeForeground Foreground color for face @var{face}. @item @var{face}.attributeBackground Background color for face @var{face}. @item @var{face}.attributeUnderline Underline flag for face @var{face}. Use @samp{on} or @samp{true} for yes. @item @var{face}.attributeFamily Font family for face @var{face}. @item @var{face}.attributeWidth Relative proportional width of the font to use for face @var{face}. It should be one of @code{ultra-condensed}, @code{extra-condensed}, @code{condensed}, @code{semi-condensed}, @code{normal}, @code{semi-expanded}, @code{expanded}, @code{extra-expanded}, or @code{ultra-expanded}. @item @var{face}.attributeHeight Height of the font to use for face @var{face}: either an integer specifying the height in units of 1/10@dmn{pt}, or a floating point number that specifies a scale factor to scale the underlying face's default font, or a function to be called with the default height which will return a new height. @item @var{face}.attributeWeight A weight to use for the face @var{face}. It must be one of @code{ultra-bold}, @code{extra-bold}, @code{bold}, @code{semi-bold}, @code{normal}, @code{semi-light}, @code{light}, @code{extra-light}, @code{ultra-light}. @item @var{face}.attributeSlant The slant to use for the font of face @var{face}. It must be one of @code{italic}, @code{oblique}, @code{normal}, @code{reverse-italic}, or @code{reverse-oblique}. @item @var{face}.attributeStrikeThrough Whether the face @var{face} should be drawn with a line striking through the characters. @item @var{face}.attributeOverline Whether the characters in the face @var{face} should be overlined. @item @var{face}.attributeBox Whether to draw a box around the characters in face @var{face}. @item @var{face}.attributeInverse Whether to display the characters in face @var{face} in inverse video. @item @var{face}.attributeStipple The name of a pixmap data file to use for the stipple pattern, or @code{false} to not use stipple for the face @var{face}. @item @var{face}.attributeBackgroundPixmap The background pixmap for the face @var{face}. Should be a name of a pixmap file or @code{false}. @item @var{face}.attributeBold Whether to draw the characters in the face @var{face} as bold. @item @var{face}.attributeItalic Whether to draw the characters in the face @var{face} as italic. @end table @node Lucid Resources @appendixsec Lucid Menu X Resources @cindex Menu X Resources (Lucid widgets) @cindex Lucid Widget X Resources If the Emacs installed at your site was built to use the X toolkit with the Lucid menu widgets, then the menu bar is a separate widget and has its own resources. The resource names contain @samp{pane.menubar} (following, as always, the name of the Emacs invocation, or @samp{Emacs}, which stands for all Emacs invocations). Specify them like this: @example Emacs.pane.menubar.@var{resource}: @var{value} @end example @noindent For example, to specify the font @samp{8x16} for the menu-bar items, write this: @example Emacs.pane.menubar.font: 8x16 @end example @noindent Resources for @emph{non-menubar} toolkit pop-up menus have @samp{menu*}, in like fashion. For example, to specify the font @samp{8x16} for the pop-up menu items, write this: @example Emacs.menu*.font: 8x16 @end example @noindent For dialog boxes, use @samp{dialog} instead of @samp{menu}: @example Emacs.dialog*.font: 8x16 @end example @noindent Experience shows that on some systems you may need to add @samp{shell.}@: before the @samp{pane.menubar} or @samp{menu*}. On some other systems, you must not add @samp{shell.}. Here is a list of the specific resources for menu bars and pop-up menus: @table @code @item font Font for menu item text. @item foreground Color of the foreground. @item background Color of the background. @item buttonForeground In the menu bar, the color of the foreground for a selected item. @item horizontalSpacing Horizontal spacing in pixels between items. Default is 3. @item verticalSpacing Vertical spacing in pixels between items. Default is 1. @item arrowSpacing Horizontal spacing between the arrow (which indicates a submenu) and the associated text. Default is 10. @item shadowThickness Thickness of shadow line around the widget. @item margin The margin of the menu bar, in characters. The default of 4 makes the menu bar appear like the LessTif/Motif one. @end table @node LessTif Resources @appendixsec LessTif Menu X Resources @cindex Menu X Resources (LessTif widgets) @cindex LessTif Widget X Resources If the Emacs installed at your site was built to use the X toolkit with the LessTif or Motif widgets, then the menu bar, the dialog boxes, the pop-up menus, and the file-selection box are separate widgets and have their own resources. The resource names for the menu bar contain @samp{pane.menubar} (following, as always, the name of the Emacs invocation, or @samp{Emacs}, which stands for all Emacs invocations). Specify them like this: @smallexample Emacs.pane.menubar.@var{subwidget}.@var{resource}: @var{value} @end smallexample Each individual string in the menu bar is a subwidget; the subwidget's name is the same as the menu item string. For example, the word @samp{File} in the menu bar is part of a subwidget named @samp{emacs.pane.menubar.File}. Most likely, you want to specify the same resources for the whole menu bar. To do this, use @samp{*} instead of a specific subwidget name. For example, to specify the font @samp{8x16} for the menu-bar items, write this: @smallexample Emacs.pane.menubar.*.fontList: 8x16 @end smallexample @noindent This also specifies the resource value for submenus. Each item in a submenu in the menu bar also has its own name for X resources; for example, the @samp{File} submenu has an item named @samp{Save (current buffer)}. A resource specification for a submenu item looks like this: @smallexample Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.@var{menu}.@var{item}.@var{resource}: @var{value} @end smallexample @noindent For example, here's how to specify the font for the @samp{Save (current buffer)} item: @smallexample Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.File.Save (current buffer).fontList: 8x16 @end smallexample @noindent For an item in a second-level submenu, such as @samp{Complete Word} under @samp{Spell Checking} under @samp{Tools}, the resource fits this template: @smallexample Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.popup_*.@var{menu}.@var{resource}: @var{value} @end smallexample @noindent For example, @smallexample Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.popup_*.Spell Checking.Complete Word: @var{value} @end smallexample @noindent (This should be one long line.) It's impossible to specify a resource for all the menu-bar items without also specifying it for the submenus as well. So if you want the submenu items to look different from the menu bar itself, you must ask for that in two steps. First, specify the resource for all of them; then, override the value for submenus alone. Here is an example: @smallexample Emacs.pane.menubar.*.fontList: 8x16 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.fontList: 8x16 @end smallexample @noindent For LessTif pop-up menus, use @samp{menu*} instead of @samp{pane.menubar}. For example, to specify the font @samp{8x16} for the pop-up menu items, write this: @smallexample Emacs.menu*.fontList: 8x16 @end smallexample @noindent For LessTif dialog boxes, use @samp{dialog} instead of @samp{menu}: @example Emacs.dialog*.fontList: 8x16 Emacs.dialog*.foreground: hotpink @end example To specify resources for the LessTif file-selection box, use @samp{fsb*}, like this: @example Emacs.fsb*.fontList: 8x16 @end example @iftex @medbreak @end iftex Here is a list of the specific resources for LessTif menu bars and pop-up menus: @table @code @item armColor The color to show in an armed button. @item fontList The font to use. @item marginBottom @itemx marginHeight @itemx marginLeft @itemx marginRight @itemx marginTop @itemx marginWidth Amount of space to leave around the item, within the border. @item borderWidth The width of the border around the menu item, on all sides. @item shadowThickness The width of the border shadow. @item bottomShadowColor The color for the border shadow, on the bottom and the right. @item topShadowColor The color for the border shadow, on the top and the left. @end table