Using a different underline style

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 147 views

Customizing Face Colors in Emacs: Overcoming the Limitation of Underline Color

Emacs is a powerful text editor that offers a wide range of customization options to enhance the user experience. One of the key features of Emacs is its ability to create custom faces, which can be used to highlight specific elements of the text. However, when it comes to customizing the underline color of a face, many users have encountered a limitation: the underline color cannot be made different from the foreground color. In this article, we will explore this limitation and provide a solution to overcome it.

Faces are a fundamental concept in Emacs that allows users to customize the appearance of text. A face is a set of attributes that can be applied to a specific part of the text, such as the foreground color, background color, font, and underline. Faces can be created using the defface function, which takes a name, a set of attributes, and a documentation string as arguments.

When creating a face using defface, the underline color is tied to the foreground color. This means that if you set the foreground color to red, the underline color will also be red. This limitation can be frustrating for users who want to create a face with a specific underline color that is different from the foreground color.

One way to overcome this limitation is to create a separate face for the underline. This can be done by creating a new face that only has the underline attribute set, and then applying this face to the text that you want to underline.

Here is an example of how you can create a separate face for the underline:

(defface my-underline-face
  '((t (:underline t :underline-color "blue")))
  "Face for underlining text with blue color")

In this example, we create a new face called my-underline-face that only has the underline attribute set to blue. We can then apply this face to the text that we want to underline using the face-apply function.

If you want to create a face that has a specific underline color that is different from the foreground color, you can use the defface function to create a face that has both the foreground and underline attributes set. However, you will need to use a trick to make the underline color different from the foreground color.

Here is an example of how you can create a face that has a specific underline color that is different from the foreground color:

(defface my-face
  '((t (:foreground "red" :underline t :underline-color "blue")))
  "Face for highlighting text with red foreground and blue underline")

In this example, we create a face called my-face that has both the foreground and underline attributes set. However, we use the :underline-color attribute to set the underline color to blue, which is different from the foreground color.

In conclusion, while the underline color of a face in Emacs cannot be made different from the foreground color using the defface function, there are workarounds that can be used to overcome this limitation. By creating a separate face for the underline or using a trick to set the underline color differently, users can customize the appearance of their text in Emacs to their heart's content.

Here are some additional tips and tricks that can be used to customize the appearance of text in Emacs:

Using a different font: You can use a different font for a face by setting the :font attribute. For example:

(defface my-face '((t (:foreground "red" :font "Courier"))) "Face for highlighting text with red foreground and Courier font")

*   **Using a different background color**: You can use a different background color for a face by setting the `:background` attribute. For example:
    ```elisp
(defface my-face
  '((t (:foreground "red" :background "yellow")))
  "Face for highlighting text with red foreground and yellow background")

Using a different underline style: You can use a different underline style for a face by setting the :underline-style attribute. For example:

(defface my-face '((t (:foreground "red" :underline t :underline-style "wave"))) "Face for highlighting text with red foreground and wavy underline")

These are just a few examples of how you can customize the appearance of text in Emacs. With a little creativity and experimentation, you can create custom faces that are tailored to your specific needs and preferences.<br/>
**Frequently Asked Questions: Customizing Face Colors in Emacs**
A: The underline color of a face in Emacs is tied to the foreground color. This means that if you set the foreground color to red, the underline color will also be red. However, there are workarounds that can be used to overcome this limitation, such as creating a separate face for the underline or using a trick to set the underline color differently.
A: To create a separate face for the underline, you can use the defface function to create a new face that only has the underline attribute set. For example:
(defface my-underline-face
  &#39;((t (:underline t :underline-color &quot;blue&quot;)))
  &quot;Face for underlining text with blue color&quot;)
</code></pre>
<p>You can then apply this face to the text that you want to underline using the <code>face-apply</code> function.</p>

<p>A: If you want to create a face that has a specific underline color that is different from the foreground color, you can use the <code>defface</code> function to create a face that has both the foreground and underline attributes set. However, you will need to use a trick to make the underline color different from the foreground color. For example:</p>
<pre><code class="hljs">(defface my-face
  &#39;((t (:foreground &quot;red&quot; :underline t :underline-color &quot;blue&quot;)))
  &quot;Face for highlighting text with red foreground and blue underline&quot;)
</code></pre>

<p>A: Yes, you can use a different font for a face in Emacs by setting the <code>:font</code> attribute. For example:</p>
<pre><code class="hljs">(defface my-face
  &#39;((t (:foreground &quot;red&quot; :font &quot;Courier&quot;)))
  &quot;Face for highlighting text with red foreground and Courier font&quot;)
</code></pre>

<p>A: Yes, you can use a different background color for a face in Emacs by setting the <code>:background</code> attribute. For example:</p>
<pre><code class="hljs">(defface my-face
  &#39;((t (:foreground &quot;red&quot; :background &quot;yellow&quot;)))
  &quot;Face for highlighting text with red foreground and yellow background&quot;)
</code></pre>

<p>A: Yes, you can use a different underline style for a face in Emacs by setting the <code>:underline-style</code> attribute. For example:</p>
<pre><code class="hljs">(defface my-face
  &#39;((t (:foreground &quot;red&quot; :underline t :underline-style &quot;wave&quot;)))
  &quot;Face for highlighting text with red foreground and wavy underline&quot;)
</code></pre>

<p>A: You can apply a face to a specific part of the text in Emacs using the <code>face-apply</code> function. For example:</p>
<pre><code class="hljs">(face-apply &#39;my-face (point-min) (point-max))
</code></pre>
<p>This will apply the <code>my-face</code> face to the entire buffer.</p>

<p>A: You can remove a face from a specific part of the text in Emacs using the <code>face-remove</code> function. For example:</p>
<pre><code class="hljs">(face-remove &#39;my-face (point-min) (point-max))
</code></pre>
<p>This will remove the <code>my-face</code> face from the entire buffer.</p>

<p>A: Yes, you can customize the appearance of a face in Emacs by setting the various attributes of the face. For example, you can set the foreground color, background color, font, and underline style of a face using the <code>defface</code> function.</p>


                
                    
                        

                    
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