28.1 Creating Frames

To create a new frame, call the function make-frame.

Command: make-frame &optional alist

This function creates and returns a new frame, displaying the current buffer.

The alist argument is an alist that specifies frame parameters for the new frame. See Frame Parameters. If you specify the terminal parameter in alist, the new frame is created on that terminal. Otherwise, if you specify the window-system frame parameter in alist, that determines whether the frame should be displayed on a text terminal or a graphical terminal. See Window Systems. If neither is specified, the new frame is created in the same terminal as the selected frame.

Any parameters not mentioned in alist default to the values in the alist default-frame-alist (see Initial Parameters); parameters not specified there default from the X resources or its equivalent on your operating system (see X Resources in The GNU Emacs Manual). After the frame is created, Emacs applies any parameters listed in frame-inherited-parameters (see below) and not present in the argument, taking the values from the frame that was selected when make-frame was called.

Note that on multi-monitor displays (see Multiple Terminals), the window manager might position the frame differently than specified by the positional parameters in alist (see Position Parameters). For example, some window managers have a policy of displaying the frame on the monitor that contains the largest part of the window (a.k.a. the dominating monitor).

This function itself does not make the new frame the selected frame. See Input Focus. The previously selected frame remains selected. On graphical terminals, however, the windowing system may select the new frame for its own reasons.

Variable: before-make-frame-hook

A normal hook run by make-frame before it creates the frame.

Variable: after-make-frame-functions

An abnormal hook run by make-frame after it creates the frame. Each function in after-make-frame-functions receives one argument, the frame just created.

Variable: frame-inherited-parameters

This variable specifies the list of frame parameters that a newly created frame inherits from the currently selected frame. For each parameter (a symbol) that is an element in the list and is not present in the argument to make-frame, the function sets the value of that parameter in the created frame to its value in the selected frame.