Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/master' into for-steve

[sxemacs] / info / lispref / gutter.texi

@c -*-texinfo-*-
@c This is part of the SXEmacs Lisp Reference Manual.
@c Copyright (C) 1994, 1995 Ben Wing.
@c Copyright (C) 1999 Andy Piper.
@c Copyright (C) 1999 Stephen J. Turnbull.
@c Copyright (C) 2005 Sebastian Freundt <hroptatyr@sxemacs.org>
@c See the file lispref.texi for copying conditions.
@setfilename ../../info/gutter.info

@node Gutter, Scrollbars, Toolbar, top
@chapter Gutter
@cindex gutter

  A gutter is a rectangle displayed along one edge of a frame.  It
can contain arbitrary text or graphics.

@menu
* Gutter Intro::                An introduction.
* Creating Gutter::             How to create a gutter.
* Gutter Descriptor Format::    Accessing and modifying a gutter's
                                  properties.
* Specifying a Gutter::         Setting a gutter's contents.
* Other Gutter Variables::      Controlling the size of gutters.
* Common Gutter Widgets::       Things to put in gutters.
@end menu


@node Gutter Intro, Creating Gutter, Gutter, Gutter
@section Gutter Intro

  A @dfn{gutter} is a rectangle displayed along one edge of a frame.  It
can contain arbitrary text or graphics.  It could be considered a
generalization of a toolbar, although toolbars are not currently
implemented using gutters.

  In SXEmacs, a gutter can be displayed along any of the four edges
of the frame, and two or more different edges can be displaying
gutters simultaneously.  The contents, thickness, and visibility of
the gutters can be controlled separately, and the values can
be per-buffer, per-frame, etc., using specifiers (@pxref{Specifiers}).

  Normally, there is one gutter displayed in a frame.  Usually, this is
the default gutter, containing buffer tabs, but modes cab override this
and substitute their own gutter.  This default gutter is usually
positioned along the top of the frame, but this can be changed using
@code{set-default-gutter-position}.

  Note that, for each of the gutter properties (contents, thickness,
and visibility), there is a separate specifier for each of the four
gutter positions (top, bottom, left, and right), and an additional
specifier for the ``default'' gutter, i.e. the gutter whose
position is controlled by @code{set-default-gutter-position}.  The
way this works is that @code{set-default-gutter-position} arranges
things so that the appropriate position-specific specifiers for the
default position inherit from the corresponding default specifiers.
That way, if the position-specific specifier does not give a value
(which it usually doesn't), then the value from the default
specifier applies.  If you want to control the default gutter, you
just change the default specifiers, and everything works.  A package
such as VM that wants to put its own gutter in a different location
from the default just sets the position-specific specifiers, and if
the user sets the default gutter to the same position, it will just
not be visible.


@node Creating Gutter, Gutter Descriptor Format, Gutter Intro, Gutter
@section Creating Gutter

@defun make-gutter-specifier spec-list

Return a new @code{gutter} specifier object with the given specification
list.  @var{spec-list} can be a list of specifications (each of which is
a cons of a locale and a list of instantiators), a single instantiator,
or a list of instantiators.  @xref{Specifiers}, for more information
about specifiers.

Gutter specifiers are used to specify the format of a gutter.  The
values of the variables @code{default-gutter}, @code{top-gutter},
@code{left-gutter}, @code{right-gutter}, and @code{bottom-gutter} are
always gutter specifiers.

Valid gutter instantiators are called "gutter descriptors" and are
either strings or property-lists of strings.  See @code{default-gutter}
for a description of the exact format.
@end defun

@defun make-gutter-size-specifier spec-list

Return a new @code{gutter-size} specifier object with the given spec
list.  @var{spec-list} can be a list of specifications (each of which is
a cons of a locale and a list of instantiators), a single instantiator,
or a list of instantiators.  @xref{Specifiers}, for more information
about specifiers.

Gutter-size specifiers are used to specify the size of a gutter.  The
values of the variables @code{default-gutter-size},
@code{top-gutter-size}, @code{left-gutter-size},
@code{right-gutter-size}, and @code{bottom-gutter-size} are always
gutter-size specifiers.

Valid gutter-size instantiators are either integers or the special
symbol @code{autodetect}. If a gutter-size is set to @code{autodetect}
them the size of the gutter will be adjusted to just accommodate the
gutters contents. @code{autodetect} only works for top and bottom
gutters.
@end defun

@defun make-gutter-visible-specifier spec-list

Return a new @code{gutter-visible} specifier object with the given spec
list.  @var{spec-list} can be a list of specifications (each of which is
a cons of a locale and a list of instantiators), a single instantiator,
or a list of instantiators.  @xref{Specifiers}, for more information
about specifiers.

Gutter-visible specifiers are used to specify the visibility of a
gutter.  The values of the variables @code{default-gutter-visible-p},
@code{top-gutter-visible-p}, @code{left-gutter-visible-p},
@code{right-gutter-visible-p}, and @code{bottom-gutter-visible-p} are
always gutter-visible specifiers.

Valid gutter-visible instantiators are @code{t}, @code{nil} or a list of
symbols.  If a gutter-visible instantiator is set to a list of symbols,
and the corresponding gutter specification is a property-list strings,
then elements of the gutter specification will only be visible if the
corresponding symbol occurs in the gutter-visible instantiator.
@end defun


@node Gutter Descriptor Format, Specifying a Gutter, Creating Gutter, Gutter
@section Gutter Descriptor Format

  The contents of a gutter are specified using a @dfn{gutter descriptor}.
The format of a gutter descriptor is a list of @dfn{gutter button
descriptors}.  Each gutter button descriptor is a vector in one of the
following formats:

@itemize @bullet
@item
@code{[@var{glyph-list} @var{function} @var{enabled-p} @var{help}]}
@item
@code{[:style @var{2d-or-3d}]}
@item
@code{[:style @var{2d-or-3d} :size @var{width-or-height}]}
@item
@code{[:size @var{width-or-height} :style @var{2d-or-3d}]}
@end itemize

  Optionally, one of the gutter button descriptors may be @code{nil}
instead of a vector; this signifies the division between the gutter
buttons that are to be displayed flush-left, and the buttons to be
displayed flush-right.

  The first vector format above specifies a normal gutter button;
the others specify blank areas in the gutter.

  For the first vector format:

@itemize @bullet
@item
@var{glyph-list} should be a list of one to six glyphs (as created by
@code{make-glyph}) or a symbol whose value is such a list.  The first
glyph, which must be provided, is the glyph used to display the gutter
button when it is in the ``up'' (not pressed) state.  The optional
second glyph is for displaying the button when it is in the ``down''
(pressed) state.  The optional third glyph is for when the button is
disabled.  The last three glyphs are for displaying the button in the
``up'', ``down'', and ``disabled'' states, respectively, but are used
when the user has called for captioned gutter buttons (using
@code{gutter-buttons-captioned-p}).  The function
@code{gutter-make-button-list} is useful in creating these glyph lists.

@item
Even if you do not provide separate down-state and disabled-state
glyphs, the user will still get visual feedback to indicate which
state the button is in.  Buttons in the up-state are displayed
with a shadowed border that gives a raised appearance to the
button.  Buttons in the down-state are displayed with shadows that
give a recessed appearance.  Buttons in the disabled state are
displayed with no shadows, giving a 2-d effect.

@item
If some of the gutter glyphs are not provided, they inherit as follows:

@example
     UP:                up
     DOWN:              down -> up
     DISABLED:          disabled -> up
     CAP-UP:            cap-up -> up
     CAP-DOWN:          cap-down -> cap-up -> down -> up
     CAP-DISABLED:      cap-disabled -> cap-up -> disabled -> up
@end example

@item
The second element @var{function} is a function to be called when the
gutter button is activated (i.e. when the mouse is released over the
gutter button, if the press occurred in the gutter).  It can be any
form accepted by @code{call-interactively}, since this is how it is
invoked.

@item
The third element @var{enabled-p} specifies whether the gutter button
is enabled (disabled buttons do nothing when they are activated, and are
displayed differently; see above).  It should be either a boolean or a
form that evaluates to a boolean.

@item
The fourth element @var{help}, if non-@code{nil}, should be a string.
This string is displayed in the echo area when the mouse passes over the
gutter button.
@end itemize

  For the other vector formats (specifying blank areas of the gutter):

@itemize @bullet
@item
@var{2d-or-3d} should be one of the symbols @code{2d} or @code{3d},
indicating whether the area is displayed with shadows (giving it a
raised, 3-d appearance) or without shadows (giving it a flat
appearance).

@item
@var{width-or-height} specifies the length, in pixels, of the blank
area.  If omitted, it defaults to a device-specific value (8 pixels for
X devices).
@end itemize

@defun gutter-make-button-list up &optional down disabled cap-up cap-down cap-disabled
This function calls @code{make-glyph} on each arg and returns a list of
the results.  This is useful for setting the first argument of a gutter
button descriptor (typically, the result of this function is assigned
to a symbol, which is specified as the first argument of the gutter
button descriptor).
@end defun

@defun check-gutter-button-syntax button &optional noerror
Verify the syntax of entry @var{button} in a gutter description list.
If you want to verify the syntax of a gutter description list as a
whole, use @code{check-valid-instantiator} with a specifier type of
@code{gutter}.
@end defun


@node Specifying a Gutter, Other Gutter Variables, Gutter Descriptor Format, Gutter
@section Specifying a Gutter

  In order to specify the contents of a gutter, set one of the specifier
variables @code{default-gutter}, @code{top-gutter},
@code{bottom-gutter}, @code{left-gutter}, or @code{right-gutter}.
These are specifiers, which means you set them with @code{set-specifier}
and query them with @code{specifier-specs} or @code{specifier-instance}.
You will get an error if you try to set them using @code{setq}.  The
valid instantiators for these specifiers are gutter descriptors, as
described above.  @xref{Specifiers}, for more information.

  Most of the time, you will set @code{default-gutter}, which allows
the user to choose where the gutter should go.

@defvr Specifier default-gutter
The position of this gutter is specified in the function
@code{default-gutter-position}.  If the corresponding
position-specific gutter (e.g. @code{top-gutter} if
@code{default-gutter-position} is @code{top}) does not specify a
gutter in a particular domain, then the value of @code{default-gutter}
in that domain, of any, will be used instead.
@end defvr

  Note that the gutter at any particular position will not be displayed
unless its thickness (width or height, depending on orientation) is
non-zero and its visibility status is true.  The thickness is controlled
by the specifiers @code{top-gutter-height},
@code{bottom-gutter-height}, @code{left-gutter-width}, and
@code{right-gutter-width}, and the visibility status is controlled by
the specifiers @code{top-gutter-visible-p},
@code{bottom-gutter-visible-p}, @code{left-gutter-visible-p}, and
@code{right-gutter-visible-p} (@pxref{Other Gutter Variables}).

@defun set-default-gutter-position position
This function sets the position that the @code{default-gutter} will be
displayed at.  Valid positions are the symbols @code{top},
@code{bottom}, @code{left} and @code{right}.  What this actually does is
set the fallback specifier for the position-specific specifier
corresponding to the given position to @code{default-gutter}, and set
the fallbacks for the other position-specific specifiers to @code{nil}.
It also does the same thing for the position-specific thickness and
visibility specifiers, which inherit from one of
@code{default-gutter-height} or @code{default-gutter-width}, and from
@code{default-gutter-visible-p}, respectively (@pxref{Other Gutter
Variables}).
@end defun

@defun default-gutter-position
This function returns the position that the @code{default-gutter} will
be displayed at.
@end defun

  You can also explicitly set a gutter at a particular position.  When
redisplay determines what to display at a particular position in a
particular domain (i.e. window), it first consults the position-specific
gutter.  If that does not yield a gutter descriptor, the
@code{default-gutter} is consulted if @code{default-gutter-position}
indicates this position.

@defvr Specifier top-gutter
Specifier for the gutter at the top of the frame.
@end defvr

@defvr Specifier bottom-gutter
Specifier for the gutter at the bottom of the frame.
@end defvr

@defvr Specifier left-gutter
Specifier for the gutter at the left edge of the frame.
@end defvr

@defvr Specifier right-gutter
Specifier for the gutter at the right edge of the frame.
@end defvr

@defun gutter-specifier-p object
This function returns non-@code{nil} if @var{object} is a gutter specifier.
Gutter specifiers are the actual objects contained in the gutter
variables described above, and their valid instantiators are
gutter descriptors (@pxref{Gutter Descriptor Format}).
@end defun


@node Other Gutter Variables, Common Gutter Widgets, Specifying a Gutter, Gutter
@section Other Gutter Variables

  The variables to control the gutter thickness, visibility status, and
captioned status are all specifiers.  @xref{Specifiers}.

@defvr Specifier default-gutter-height
This specifies the height of the default gutter, if it's oriented
horizontally.  The position of the default gutter is specified by the
function @code{set-default-gutter-position}.  If the corresponding
position-specific gutter thickness specifier
(e.g. @code{top-gutter-height} if @code{default-gutter-position} is
@code{top}) does not specify a thickness in a particular domain (a
window or a frame), then the value of @code{default-gutter-height} or
@code{default-gutter-width} (depending on the gutter orientation) in
that domain, if any, will be used instead.
@end defvr

@defvr Specifier default-gutter-width
This specifies the width of the default gutter, if it's oriented
vertically.  This behaves like @code{default-gutter-height}.
@end defvr

  Note that @code{default-gutter-height} is only used when
@code{default-gutter-position} is @code{top} or @code{bottom}, and
@code{default-gutter-width} is only used when
@code{default-gutter-position} is @code{left} or @code{right}.

@defvr Specifier top-gutter-height
This specifies the height of the top gutter.
@end defvr

@defvr Specifier bottom-gutter-height
This specifies the height of the bottom gutter.
@end defvr

@defvr Specifier left-gutter-width
This specifies the width of the left gutter.
@end defvr

@defvr Specifier right-gutter-width
This specifies the width of the right gutter.
@end defvr

  Note that all of the position-specific gutter thickness specifiers
have a fallback value of zero when they do not correspond to the
default gutter.  Therefore, you will have to set a non-zero thickness
value if you want a position-specific gutter to be displayed.

@defvr Specifier default-gutter-visible-p
This specifies whether the default gutter is visible.  The position of
the default gutter is specified by the function
@code{set-default-gutter-position}.  If the corresponding position-specific
gutter visibility specifier (e.g. @code{top-gutter-visible-p} if
@code{default-gutter-position} is @code{top}) does not specify a
visible-p value in a particular domain (a window or a frame), then the
value of @code{default-gutter-visible-p} in that domain, if any, will
be used instead.
@end defvr

@defvr Specifier top-gutter-visible-p
This specifies whether the top gutter is visible.
@end defvr

@defvr Specifier bottom-gutter-visible-p
This specifies whether the bottom gutter is visible.
@end defvr

@defvr Specifier left-gutter-visible-p
This specifies whether the left gutter is visible.
@end defvr

@defvr Specifier right-gutter-visible-p
This specifies whether the right gutter is visible.
@end defvr

@code{default-gutter-visible-p} and all of the position-specific
gutter visibility specifiers have a fallback value of true.

  Internally, gutter thickness and visibility specifiers are instantiated
in both window and frame domains, for different purposes.  The value in
the domain of a frame's selected window specifies the actual gutter
thickness or visibility that you will see in that frame.  The value in
the domain of a frame itself specifies the gutter thickness or
visibility that is used in frame geometry calculations.

  Thus, for example, if you set the frame width to 80 characters and the
left gutter width for that frame to 68 pixels, then the frame will be
sized to fit 80 characters plus a 68-pixel left gutter.  If you then
set the left gutter width to 0 for a particular buffer (or if that
buffer does not specify a left gutter or has a @code{nil} value specified for
@code{left-gutter-visible-p}), you will find that, when that buffer is
displayed in the selected window, the window will have a width of 86 or
87 characters -- the frame is sized for a 68-pixel left gutter but the
selected window specifies that the left gutter is not visible, so it is
expanded to take up the slack.

@defvr Specifier gutter-buttons-captioned-p
Whether gutter buttons are captioned.  This affects which glyphs from a
gutter button descriptor are chosen.  @xref{Gutter Descriptor Format}.
@end defvr

  You can also reset the gutter to what it was when SXEmacs started up.

@defvr Constant initial-gutter-spec
The gutter descriptor used to initialize @code{default-gutter} at
startup.
@end defvr


@node Common Gutter Widgets, , Other Gutter Variables, Gutter
@section Common Gutter Widgets

  A gutter can contain arbitrary text.  So, for example, in an Info
buffer you could put the title of the current node in the top gutter,
and it would not scroll out of view in a long node.  (This is an
artificial example, since usually the node name is sufficiently
descriptive, and Info puts that in the mode line.)

  A more common use for the gutter is to hold some kind of active
widget.  The buffer-tab facility, available in all SXEmacs frames,
creates an array of file-folder-like tabs, which the user can click with
the mouse to switch buffers.  W3 uses a progress-bar widget in the
bottom gutter to give a visual indication of the progress of
time-consuming operations like downloading.

@menu
* Buffer Tabs::         Tabbed divider index metaphor for switching buffers.
* Progress Bars::       Visual indication of operation progress.
@end menu


@node Buffer Tabs, Progress Bars, ,Common Gutter Widgets
@subsection Buffer Tabs

  Not documented yet.


@node Progress Bars,  , Buffer Tabs, Common Gutter Widgets
@subsection Progress Bars

  Not documented yet.