GNU screen [region_management]

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====== Region Management in screen ======

===== Basics =====

''screen'' allows you to split the display into multiple regions and
display a different window in each region.  (You can also, of course,
display the same window in more than one region.)

Use ''[[commands:split|C-a S]]'' to split the display horizontally and
''[[commands:split|C-a |]]'' to split the display vertically.  When you
create a new region, ''screen'' resizes the other regions in the same
column (for horizontal splits) or row (for vertical splits) so that all of
them have approximately the same size.

<box red 80% | :!: Note about vertical splits:>
Vertically-split regions are a feature not in the last stable release of
''screen''; they're available in the Debian and Ubuntu ''screen''
packages and the current ''screen'' development code.  They will be in the
next release.
</box>

To remove regions, you can either use ''[[commands:remove|C-a X]]'' to
remove the current region or ''[[commands:only|C-a Q]]'' to remove all
regions //except// the current one.

===== Extras =====

==== Resizing Regions ====

Resizing is done via the ''[[commands:resize]]'' command.  Without an
argument, it will prompt for the new height of the current region.  A
plain numeric argument will resize the region to the specified number of
lines.  A numeric argument with a leading ''+'' or ''-'' will add or
subtract the specified number of lines from the region.  An argument of
"''min''" will reduce the region's height as much as possible (generally
down to one line high).  An argument of "''max''" will increase the
region's height as much as possible (generally reducing the height of the
other regions in the column to one line).  Finally, an argument of ''=''
will adjust the height of all regions in the display so that all regions
in a given column are of roughly equal height.

As a special case, if the ''[[commands:resize]]'' command is issued from
a vertically-split region--that is, a region that does not have any other
regions in its column--all of the sizing applies to regions' widths, not
their heights.  Be careful when narrowing regions!  The amount of text you
can type into ''screen'''s [[commands:colon|command line]] is limited to
the width of the current region.

When a region is shrunk, it adds space to the region either below it or to
its right (depending on whether its height or width is being decreased).
When a region is expanded, it takes space away from the region either
below it or to its right.  If the immediately adjacent region is a small
as possible, space is taken from the next closest region in the same
direction.  If every region in that direction is as small as possible,
space is taken from the closest region in the opposite direction that can
spare it.

==== Focusing Regions ====

The ''[[commands:focus]]'' command is relatively simplistic.  Even though
regions may be laid out in a two-dimensional space, ''screen'' maintains
them internally as a simple list, and ''[[commands:focus]]'' simply moves
forwards or backwards through the list.  (There are also ''focus''
subcommands to jump to the beginning of the list--the upper-leftmost
region--and to the end of the list--the lower rightmost region.)  The
order is pretty intuitive, and it's easier to tell you to try it out than
to try to describe it.

==== Regions as a Display Property ====

One thing that catches some people unawares is that the division of the
display into regions is solely a property of the display.  The ''screen''
session that hosts all of your windows doesn't know how the display was
split.  This has the consequence that as soon as you detach from a
''screen'' session, the layout of regions on your display is lost; the
next time you attach, you'll have to recreate that layout.

Currently, the best way to keep your display layout is to use nested
''screen'' sessions, as described in the FAQ entry
[[faq#when_i_split_the_display_and_then_detach_screen_forgets_the_split|when
I split the display and then detach, screen forgets the split]].  The next
release of ''screen'' will have new commands to save and restore region
layouts.

===== Keybindings =====

* ''[[commands:focus|C-a tab]]'' - switch input focus to the next region.
  * ''[[commands:only|C-a Q]]'' - remove all regions but the current one.
  * ''[[commands:split|C-a S]]'' - split the current region horizontally into two new regions.
  * ''[[commands:remove|C-a X]]'' - remove the current region.
  * ''[[commands:split|C-a |]]'' - split the current region vertically into two new regions.

===== Commands =====

* ''[[commands:focus]]'' - Moves input focus between regions.
  * ''[[commands:only]]'' - Removes all regions except the current one.
  * ''[[commands:remove]]'' - Removes the current region.
  * ''[[commands:resize]]'' - Resizes the current region.
  * ''[[commands:split]]'' - Splits the current region into two new regions.

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