28.4.1 Access to Frame Parameters

These functions let you read and change the parameter values of a frame.

Function: frame-parameter frame parameter

This function returns the value of the parameter parameter (a symbol) of frame. If frame is nil, it returns the selected frame’s parameter. If frame has no setting for parameter, this function returns nil.

Function: frame-parameters &optional frame

The function frame-parameters returns an alist listing all the parameters of frame and their values. If frame is nil or omitted, this returns the selected frame’s parameters

Function: modify-frame-parameters frame alist

This function alters the frame frame based on the elements of alist. Each element of alist has the form (parm . value), where parm is a symbol naming a parameter. If you don’t mention a parameter in alist, its value doesn’t change. If frame is nil, it defaults to the selected frame.

Some parameters are only meaningful for frames on certain kinds of display (see Frames). If alist includes parameters that are not meaningful for the frame’s display, this function will change its value in the frame’s parameter list, but will otherwise ignore it.

When alist specifies more than one parameter whose value can affect the new size of frame, the final size of the frame may differ according to the toolkit used. For example, specifying that a frame should from now on have a menu and/or tool bar instead of none and simultaneously specifying the new height of the frame will inevitably lead to a recalculation of the frame’s height. Conceptually, in such case, this function will try to have the explicit height specification prevail. It cannot be excluded, however, that the addition (or removal) of the menu or tool bar, when eventually performed by the toolkit, will defeat this intention.

Sometimes, binding frame-inhibit-implied-resize (see Implied Frame Resizing) to a non-nil value around calls to this function may fix the problem sketched here. Sometimes, however, exactly such binding may be hit by the problem.

Function: set-frame-parameter frame parm value

This function sets the frame parameter parm to the specified value. If frame is nil, it defaults to the selected frame.

Function: modify-all-frames-parameters alist

This function alters the frame parameters of all existing frames according to alist, then modifies default-frame-alist (and, if necessary, initial-frame-alist) to apply the same parameter values to frames that will be created henceforth.