You can customize some X-related aspects of Emacs behavior using X
resources, as is usual for programs that use X. On MS-Windows, you
can customize some of the same aspects using the system registry.
-@xref{MS-Windows Registry}. 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.
+@xref{MS-Windows Registry}.
+
+ When Emacs is built using an `X toolkit', such as Lucid or LessTif,
+you need to use X resources to customize the appearance of the
+widgets, including the menu-bar, scroll-bar, and dialog boxes. This
+is because the libraries that implement these don't provide for
+customization through Emacs. GTK+ widgets use a separate system of
+`GTK resources', which we will also describe.
@menu
* Resources:: Using X resources with Emacs (in general).
@samp{BorderWidth} class. Case distinctions are significant in these
names.
+ Every resource definition is associated with a specific program
+name---the name of the executable file that you ran. For Emacs, that
+is normally @samp{emacs}. To specify a definition for all instances
+of Emacs, regardless of their names, use @samp{Emacs}.
+
In @file{~/.Xdefaults}, you can specify a value for a single resource
on one line, like this:
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}.
+Here is a list of X command-line options and their corresponding
+resource names.
@table @samp
@item -name @var{name}
@item @code{verticalScrollBars} (class @code{ScrollBars})
Give frames scroll bars if @samp{on}; don't have scroll bars if
@samp{off}.
+
+@item @code{visualClass} (class @code{VisualClass})
+Specify the ``visual'' that X should use. This tells X how to handle
+colors.
+
+The value should start with one of @samp{TrueColor},
+@samp{PseudoColor}, @samp{DirectColor}, @samp{StaticColor},
+@samp{GrayScale}, and @samp{StaticGray}, followed by
+@samp{-@var{depth}}, where @var{depth} is the number of color planes.
+Most terminals only allow a few ``visuals,'' and the @samp{dpyinfo}
+program outputs information saying which ones.
@end table
@node Face Resources
@cindex @file{~/.gtkrc-2.0} file
@cindex @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc} file
- If the Emacs installed at your site was built to use the GTK widget set,
-then the menu bar, scroll bar and the dialogs can be customized with
-the standard GTK @file{~/.gtkrc-2.0} file or with the Emacs specific
-@file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc} file; note that these files are only for
-customizing specific GTK widget features. To customize Emacs font,
-background, faces etc., use the normal X resources, see @ref{Resources}.
+ If Emacs was built to use the GTK widget set, then the menu bar,
+scroll bar and the dialogs are customized with the standard GTK
+customization file, @file{~/.gtkrc-2.0}, or with the Emacs specific
+file @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}. We recommend that you use
+@file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc} for customizations, since @file{~/.gtkrc-2.0}
+seems to be ignored when running GConf with GNOME. These files apply
+only to GTK widget features. To customize Emacs font, background,
+faces, etc., use the normal X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
Some GTK themes override these mechanisms, which means that using
-these mechanisms will not work to customize them. We recommend that
-you use @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc} for customizations, since
-@file{~/.gtkrc-2.0} seems to be ignored when running GConf with GNOME.
+these mechanisms will not work to customize them.
- In these files you first defines a style and then how to apply that style
-to widgets (@pxref{GTK widget names}). Here is an example of how to
-change the font for Emacs menus:
+ In these files you first define a style and say what it means; then
+you specify to apply the style to various widget types (@pxref{GTK
+widget names}). Here is an example of how to change the font for
+Emacs menus:
@smallexample
-# This is a comment.
+# @r{Define the style @samp{metafont}.}
style "menufont"
@{
font_name = "helvetica bold 14" # This is a Pango font name
@}
+# @r{Specify that widget type @samp{*emacs-menuitem*} uses @samp{metafont}.}
widget "*emacs-menuitem*" style "menufont"
-
@end smallexample
Here is a more elaborate example, showing how to change the parts of
@smallexample
style "scroll"
@{
- fg[NORMAL] = "red"@ @ @ @ @ # The arrow color.
- bg[NORMAL] = "yellow"@ @ # The thumb and background around the arrow.
- bg[ACTIVE] = "blue"@ @ @ @ # The trough color.
- bg[PRELIGHT] = "white"@ # The thumb color when the mouse is over it.
+ fg[NORMAL] = "red"@ @ @ @ @ # @r{The arrow color.}
+ bg[NORMAL] = "yellow"@ @ # @r{The thumb and background around the arrow.}
+ bg[ACTIVE] = "blue"@ @ @ @ # @r{The trough color.}
+ bg[PRELIGHT] = "white"@ # @r{The thumb color when the mouse is over it.}
@}
widget "*verticalScrollBar*" style "scroll"
@end smallexample
- There are some things you can set without using any style or widget name,
-which affect GTK as a whole. Most of these are poorly documented, but can
-be found in the `Properties' section of the documentation page for
-@code{GtkSetting}, in the GTK document references below.
-
-One property of interest is @code{gtk-font-name} which sets the default
-font for GTK; you must use Pango font names (@pxref{GTK styles}). A
-@file{~/.gtkrc-2.0} file that just sets a default font looks like this:
+ There are also parameters that affect GTK as a whole. For example, the property
+@c @code{gtk-font-name} sets the default font for GTK. You must use
+@c Pango font names (@pxref{GTK styles}). A GTK resources file that
+@c just sets a default font looks like this:
@smallexample
gtk-font-name = "courier 12"
@end smallexample
-
- If GTK at your site is installed under @var{prefix},
-the resource file syntax is fully described in the GTK API
-document
-@file{@var{prefix}/share/gtk-doc/html/gtk/gtk-resource-files.html}.
-@var{prefix} is usually @file{/usr} or @file{/usr/local}.
-You can find the same document online at
+ The GTK resources file is fully described in the GTK API document.
+This can be found in
+@file{@var{prefix}/share/gtk-doc/html/gtk/gtk-resource-files.html},
+where @file{prefix} is the directory in which the GTK libraries were
+installed (usually @file{/usr} or @file{/usr/local}). You can also
+find the document online, at
@uref{http://developer.gnome.org/doc/API/2.0/gtk/gtk-Resource-Files.html}.
-
@menu
* GTK widget names:: How widgets in GTK are named in general.
* GTK names in Emacs:: GTK widget names in Emacs.
* GTK styles:: What can be customized in a GTK widget.
@end menu
-
@node GTK widget names
@appendixsubsec GTK widget names
@cindex GTK widget names
- Widgets are specified by widget class or by widget name.
-The widget class is the type of the widget, for example @code{GtkMenuBar}.
-The widget name is the name given to a specific widget within a program.
-A widget always have a class but it is not mandatory to give a name to
-a widget. Absolute names are sequences of widget names or
-widget classes, corresponding to hierarchies of widgets embedded within
-other widgets. For example, if a @code{GtkWindow} contains a @code{GtkVBox}
-which in turn contains a @code{GtkMenuBar}, the absolute class name
-is @code{GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar}.
+ A GTK widget is specified by its @dfn{widget class} and
+@dfn{widget name}. The widget class is the type of the widget: for
+example, @code{GtkMenuBar}. The widget name is the name given to a
+specific widget. A widget always has a class, but need not have a
+name.
-@noindent
-If the widgets are named ``top'', ``box'' and ``menubar'', the absolute
-widget name is @code{top.box.menubar},
+ @dfn{Absolute names} are sequences of widget names or widget
+classes, corresponding to hierarchies of widgets embedded within
+other widgets. For example, if a @code{GtkWindow} named @code{top}
+contains a @code{GtkVBox} named @code{box}, which in turn contains
+a @code{GtkMenuBar} called @code{menubar}, the absolute class name
+of the menu-bar widget is @code{GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar}, and
+its absolute widget name is @code{top.box.menubar}.
When assigning a style to a widget, you can use the absolute class
name or the absolute widget name.
-There are two commands: @code{widget_class} will assign a style to
-widgets, matching only against the absolute class name.
-The command @code{widget} will match the absolute widget name,
-but if there is no name for a widget in the hierarchy, the class is matched.
-These commands require the absolute name and the style name to be
-within double quotes. These commands are written at the top level in a
-@file{~/.gtkrc-2.0} file, like this:
+
+ There are two commands to specify changes for widgets:
+
+@table @asis
+@item @code{widget_class}
+specifies a style for widgets based on the absolute class name.
+
+@item @code{widget}
+specifies a style for widgets based on the absolute class name,
+or just the class.
+@end table
+
+@noindent
+You must soecify the class and the style in double-quotes, and put
+these commands at the top level in a @file{~/.gtkrc-2.0} file, like
+this:
@smallexample
style "menufont"
widget_class "GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar" style "menufont"
@end smallexample
-
- Matching of absolute names is done with shell ``glob'' syntax, that is
-@samp{*} matches zero or more characters and @samp{?} matches one character.
-So the following would assign @code{base_style} to all widgets:
+ Matching of absolute names uses shell wildcard syntax: @samp{*}
+matches zero or more characters and @samp{?} matches one character.
+This example assigns @code{base_style} to all widgets:
@smallexample
widget "*" style "base_style"
@end smallexample
Given the absolute class name @code{GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar}
-and the corresponding absolute widget name @code{top.box.menubar},
-the following all assign @code{my_style} to the menu bar:
+and the corresponding absolute widget name @code{top.box.menubar}, all
+these examples specify @code{my_style} for the menu bar:
@smallexample
widget_class "GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar" style "my_style"
widget "*menu*" style "my_style"
@end smallexample
-@node GTK names in Emacs
-@appendixsubsec GTK names in Emacs
+@node GTK Names in Emacs
+@appendixsubsec GTK Widget Names in Emacs
@cindex GTK widget names
@cindex GTK widget classes
- In Emacs the top level widget for a frame is a @code{GtkWindow} that
-contains a @code{GtkVBox}. The @code{GtkVBox} contains the
-@code{GtkMenuBar} and a @code{GtkFixed} widget.
-The vertical scroll bars, @code{GtkVScrollbar},
-are contained in the @code{GtkFixed} widget.
-The text you write in Emacs is drawn in the @code{GtkFixed} widget.
+ In Emacs, the top level widget for a frame is a @code{GtkWindow}
+that contains a @code{GtkVBox}. The @code{GtkVBox} contains the
+@code{GtkMenuBar} and a @code{GtkFixed} widget. The vertical scroll
+bars, @code{GtkVScrollbar}, are contained in the @code{GtkFixed}
+widget. The text you write in Emacs is drawn in the @code{GtkFixed}
+widget.
Dialogs in Emacs are @code{GtkDialog} widgets. The file dialog is a
@code{GtkFileSelection} widget.
widget "*emacs-menuitem* style "my_menu_style"
@end smallexample
- An alternative is to put customization into @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}.
-This file is only read by Emacs, so anything in @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}
-affects Emacs but leaves other applications unaffected.
-For example, the drop down menu in the file dialog can not
-be customized by any absolute widget name, only by an absolute
-class name. This is so because the widgets in the drop down menu does not
-have names and the menu is not contained in the Emacs GtkWindow.
-To have all menus in Emacs look the same, use this in @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}:
+ If you specify a customization in @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}, then it
+automatically applies only to Emacs, since other programs don't read
+that file. For example, the drop down menu in the file dialog can not
+be customized by any absolute widget name, only by an absolute class
+name. This is so because the widgets in the drop down menu do not
+have names and the menu is not contained in the Emacs GtkWindow. To
+have all menus in Emacs look the same, use this in
+@file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}:
@smallexample
widget_class "*Menu*" style "my_menu_style"
@cindex GTK styles
In a GTK style you specify the appearance widgets shall have. You
-can specify foreground and background color, background pixmap and font.
-The edit widget (where you edit the text) in Emacs is a GTK widget,
-but trying to specify a style for the edit widget will have no effect.
-This is so that Emacs compiled for GTK is compatible with Emacs compiled
-for other X toolkits. The settings for foreground, background and font
-for the edit widget is taken from the X resources; @pxref{Resources}.
-Here is an example of two style declarations, ``default'' and ``ruler'':
+can specify foreground and background color, background pixmap and
+font. The edit widget (where you edit the text) in Emacs is a GTK
+widget, but trying to specify a style for the edit widget will have no
+effect. This is so that Emacs compiled for GTK is compatible with
+Emacs compiled for other X toolkits. The settings for foreground,
+background and font for the edit widget is taken from the X resources;
+@pxref{Resources}. Here is an example of two style declarations,
+@samp{default} and @samp{ruler}:
@smallexample
-
pixmap_path "/usr/share/pixmaps:/usr/include/X11/pixmaps"
style "default"
@end smallexample
- The style ``ruler'' inherits from ``default''. This way you can build
+ The style @samp{ruler} inherits from @samp{default}. This way you can build
on existing styles. The syntax for fonts and colors is described below.
- As this example shows, it is possible to specify several values
-for foreground and background depending on which state the widget has.
-The possible states are
+ As this example shows, it is possible to specify several values for
+foreground and background depending on the widget's @dfn{state}. The
+possible states are:
+
@table @code
@item NORMAL
This is the default state for widgets.
There is no place in Emacs where this setting has any effect.
@item INSENSITIVE
This is the state for widgets that are visible, but they can not be
-manipulated like they normally can. For example, buttons that can't be
-pressed and menu items that can't be selected.
-Text for menu items that are not available can be set to yellow with
-@code{fg[INSENSITIVE] = "yellow"}.
+manipulated in the usual way---for example, buttons that can't be
+pressed, and disabled menu items. To display disabled menu items in
+yellow, use @code{fg[INSENSITIVE] = "yellow"}.
@end table
-Here are the things that can go in a style declaration:
+ Here are the things that can go in a style declaration:
@table @code
@item bg[@var{state}] = @var{color}
-This is the background color widgets use. This background is not used for
-editable text, use @code{base} for that.
+This specifies the background color for the widget. Note that
+editable text doesn't use @code{bg}; it uses @code{base} instead.
@item base[@var{state}] = @var{color}
-This is the background color for editable text.
-In Emacs, this color is used for the background of the text fields in the
-file dialog.
+This specifies the background color for editable text. In Emacs, this
+color is used for the background of the text fields in the file
+dialog.
@item bg_pixmap[@var{state}] = "@var{pixmap}"
-You can specify a pixmap to be used instead of the background color.
-@var{pixmap} is a file name. GTK can use a number of file formats,
-including XPM, XBM, GIF, JPEG and PNG. If you want a widget to use the same
-pixmap as its parent, use @samp{<parent>}. If you don't want any
-pixmap use @samp{<none>}. Using @samp{<none>} can be useful
-if your style inherits a style that does specify a pixmap.
-
- GTK looks for the pixmap in directories specified in @code{pixmap_path}.
-It is not possible to refer to a file by its absolute path name.
-@code{pixmap_path} is a colon-separated list of directories within double
-quotes, specified at the top level in a @file{gtkrc} file (i.e. not inside
-a style definition; see example above):
+This specifies an image background (instead of a background color).
+@var{pixmap} should be the image file name. GTK can use a number of
+image file formats, including XPM, XBM, GIF, JPEG and PNG. If you
+want a widget to use the same image as its parent, use
+@samp{<parent>}. If you don't want any image, use @samp{<none>}.
+@samp{<none>} is the way to cancel a background image inherited from a
+parent style.
+
+You can't specify the file by its absolute file name. GTK looks for
+the pixmap file in directories specified in @code{pixmap_path}.
+@code{pixmap_path} is a colon-separated list of directories within
+double quotes, specified at the top level in a @file{gtkrc} file
+(i.e. not inside a style definition; see example above):
@smallexample
pixmap_path "/usr/share/pixmaps:/usr/include/X11/pixmaps"
@end smallexample
@item fg[@var{state}] = @var{color}
-This is the foreground color widgets use. This is the color
-of text in menus and buttons. It is also the color for the arrows in the
-scroll bar. For editable text, use @code{text}.
+This specifies the foreground color for widgets to use. It is the
+color of text in menus and buttons, and the color for the arrows in
+the scroll bar. For editable text, use @code{text}.
@item text[@var{state}] = @var{color}
This is the color for editable text. In Emacs, this color is used for the
text fields in the file dialog.
@item font_name = "@var{font}"
-This is the font a widget shall use. @var{font} is a Pango font name,
-for example ``Sans Italic 10'', ``Helvetica Bold 12'', ``Courier 14'',
-``Times 18''. See below for exact syntax. The names are case insensitive.
+This specifies the the font for text in the widget. @var{font} is a
+Pango font name, for example @samp{Sans Italic 10}, @samp{Helvetica
+Bold 12}, @samp{Courier 14}, @samp{Times 18}. See below for exact
+syntax. The names are case insensitive.
@end table
- Colors are specified in three ways, a name, a hexadecimal form or
-an RGB triplet.
+ There are three ways to specify a color: by name, in hexadecimal
+form, and with an RGB triplet.
@noindent
A color name is written within double quotes, for example @code{"red"}.
@noindent
-A hexadecimal form is written within double quotes. There are four forms,
-@code{#rrrrggggbbbb}, @code{#rrrgggbbb},
-@code{#rrggbb}, or @code{#rgb}. In each of these r, g and b are hex digits.
+Hexadecimal form is the same as in X:
+@code{#@var{rrrr}@var{gggg}@var{bbbb}}, where all three color specs
+must have the same number of hex digits (1, 2, 3 or 4).
@noindent
-An RGB triplet looks like @code{@{ r, g, b @}}, where r, g and b are either
-integers in the range 0-65535 or floats in the range 0.0-1.0.
+An RGB triplet looks like @code{@{ @var{r}, @var{g}, @var{b} @}},
+where @var{r}, @var{g} and @var{b} are either integers in the range
+0-65535 or floats in the range 0.0-1.0.
Pango font names have the form ``@var{family-list} @var{style-options}
@var{size}''.
@noindent
A `style' corresponds to the fourth part of an X font name. In X font
-names it is the character ``r'', ``i'' or ``o''; in Pango font names the
-corresponding values are @code{normal}, @code{italic}, or @code{oblique}.
+names it is the character @samp{r}, @samp{i} or @samp{o}; in Pango
+font names the corresponding values are @code{normal}, @code{italic},
+or @code{oblique}.
@noindent
A `variant' is either @code{normal} or @code{small-caps}.
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