2.4 SXEmacs Pull-down Menus

If you are running SXEmacs under X, a menu bar on top of the Emacs frame provides access to pull-down menus of file, edit, and help-related commands. The menus provide convenient shortcuts and an easy interface for novice users. They do not provide additions to the functionality available via key commands; you can still invoke commands from the keyboard as in previous versions of Emacs.

File

Perform file and buffer-related operations, such as opening and closing files, saving and printing buffers, as well as exiting Emacs.

Edit

Perform standard editing operations, such as cutting, copying, pasting, and killing selected text.

Apps

Access to sub-applications implemented within SXEmacs, such as the mail reader, the World Wide Web browser, the spell-checker, and the calendar program.

Options

Control various options regarding the way SXEmacs works, such as controlling which elements of the frame are visible, selecting the fonts to be used for text, specifying whether searches are case-sensitive, etc.

Buffers

Present a menu of buffers for selection as well as the option to display a buffer list.

Tools

Perform various actions designed to automate software development and similar technical work, such as searching through many files, compiling a program, and comparing or merging two or three files.

Help

Access to Emacs Info.

There are two ways of selecting an item from a pull-down menu:

• Select an item in the menu bar by moving the cursor over it and click the left mouse-button. Then move the cursor over the menu item you want to choose and click left again.
• Select an item in the menu bar by moving the cursor over it and click and hold the left mouse-button. With the mouse-button depressed, move the cursor over the menu item you want, then release it to make your selection.

If a command in the pull-down menu is not applicable in a given situation, the command is disabled and its name appears faded. You cannot invoke items that are faded. For example, many commands on the Edit menu appear faded until you select text on which they are to operate; after you select a block of text, edit commands are enabled. See Mouse Selection, for information on using the mouse to select text. See Using X Selections, for related information.

There are also M-x equivalents for each menu item. To find the equivalent for any left-button menu item, do the following:

1. Type C-h k to get the Describe Key prompt.
2. Select the menu item and click.

Emacs displays the function associated with the menu item in a separate window, usually together with some documentation.