GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual

Chapter 26: Frames

A frame is a rectangle on the screen that contains one or more Emacs windows. A frame initially contains a single main window (plus perhaps a minibuffer window), which you can subdivide vertically or horizontally into smaller windows.

When Emacs runs on a text-only terminal, it starts with one terminal frame. If you create additional ones, Emacs displays one and only one at any given time---on the terminal screen, of course.

When Emacs communicates directly with an X server, it does not have a terminal frame; instead, it starts with a single X window frame. It can display multiple X window frames at the same time, each in its own X window.

Function: framep object: This predicate returns t if object is a frame, and nil otherwise.

Creating Frames Creating additional frames.

Multiple Displays Creating frames on other X displays.

Frame Parameters Controlling frame size, position, font, etc.

Frame Titles Automatic updating of frame titles.

Deleting Frames Frames last until explicitly deleted.

Finding All Frames How to examine all existing frames.

Frames and Windows A frame contains windows; display of text always works through windows.

Minibuffers and Frames How a frame finds the minibuffer to use.

Input Focus Specifying the selected frame.

Visibility of Frames Frames may be visible or invisible, or icons.

Raising and Lowering Raising a frame makes it hide other X windows; lowering it makes the others hide them.

Frame Configurations Saving the state of all frames.

Mouse Tracking Getting events that say when the mouse moves.

Mouse Position Asking where the mouse is, or moving it.

Pop-Up Menus Displaying a menu for the user to select from.

Dialog Boxes Displaying a box to ask yes or no.

Pointer Shapes Specifying the shape of the mouse pointer.

X Selections Transferring text to and from other X clients.

Color Names Getting the definitions of color names.

Resources Getting resource values from the server.

Server Data Getting info about the X server.

See Display, for related information.