GNU bug report logs - #78785
29.3; docs: switch-to-prev-buffer-skip is hard to find

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Message #11 received at 78785 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: martin rudalics <rudalics <at> gmx.at>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>, Chris Hibbert <hibbert <at> mydruthers.com>
Cc: 78785 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#78785: 29.3; docs: switch-to-prev-buffer-skip is hard to find
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2025 17:50:15 +0200

> There are two related, but different behaviors here, which both happen
> when the current buffer is killed:
>
>    . which buffer becomes the current one, and
>    . which buffer replaces the current buffer in its window
>
> The manual's documentation of the behavior of kill-buffer which you
> quote talks about the former, whereas switch-to-prev-buffer-skip
> affects the latter.

Indeed.  By virtue of the fact that the command loop makes the selected
window's buffer current, a user gets the impression that these are one
and the same.

> So I don't see a problem in the documentation, and AFAIU the
> correction you suggested for the manual is incorrect, because it
> wrongly conflates these two subtly different behaviors.

We could say

  If you kill the current buffer, Emacs makes another buffer current and
  either shows another buffer in every window showing the old current
  buffer or deletes such a window.  If you are not satisfied with that
  behavior, try customizing the options `kill-buffer-quit-windows'
  and/or `switch-to-prev-buffer-skip'.  In either case, the command loop
  will eventually make the now selected window's buffer current.

instead.

martin

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