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### 21.6 Creating Frames

The prefix key `C-x 5` is analogous to `C-x 4`. Whereas each `C-x 4` command pops up a buffer in a different window in the selected frame (see Pop Up Window), the `C-x 5` commands use a different frame. If an existing visible or iconified (a.k.a. “minimized”) frame already displays the requested buffer, that frame is raised and deiconified (“un-minimized”); otherwise, a new frame is created on the current display terminal.

The various `C-x 5` commands differ in how they find or create the buffer to select:

`C-x 5 2`

  Create a new frame (`make-frame-command`).

`C-x 5 b bufname RET`

  Select buffer bufname in another frame. This runs `switch-to-buffer-other-frame`.

`C-x 5 f filename RET`

  Visit file filename and select its buffer in another frame. This runs `find-file-other-frame`. See Visiting.

`C-x 5 d directory RET`

  Select a Dired buffer for directory directory in another frame. This runs `dired-other-frame`. See Dired.

`C-x 5 m`

  Start composing a mail message in another frame. This runs `compose-mail-other-frame`. It is the other-frame variant of `C-x m`. See Sending Mail.

`C-x 5 .`

  Find the definition of an identifier in another frame. This runs `xref-find-definitions-other-frame`, the multiple-frame variant of `M-.`. See Xref.

`C-x 5 r filename RET`

  Visit file filename read-only, and select its buffer in another frame. This runs `find-file-read-only-other-frame`. See Visiting.

You can control the appearance and behavior of the newly-created frames by specifying frame parameters. See Frame Parameters.

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