9.6 Using X Selections

In the X window system, mouse selections provide a simple mechanism for text transfer between different applications. In a typical X application, you can select text by pressing the left mouse button and dragging the cursor over the text you want to copy. The text becomes the primary X selection and is highlighted. The highlighted region is also the Emacs selected region.

• Since the region is the primary X selection, you can go to a different X application and click the middle mouse button: the text that you selected in the previous application is pasted into the current application.
• Since the region is the Emacs selected region, you can use all region commands (C-w, M-w etc.) as well as the options of the Edit menu to manipulate the selected text.