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”, see Visibility of Frames) 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.