Package: emacs;
Reported by: Chris Hibbert <hibbert <at> mydruthers.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2025 15:14:02 UTC
Severity: normal
Found in version 29.3
Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):
From: Chris Hibbert <hibbert <at> mydruthers.com> To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org Subject: 29.3; docs: switch-to-prev-buffer-skip is hard to find Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2025 16:30:04 -0700
I reported that "kill-buffer chooses a visible buffer as replacement" on
the Emacs StackEchange.
(https://emacs.stackexchange.com/questions/84630)
Someone responded, and once he understood my problem, pointed out that
switch-to-prev-buffer-skip provides the control I want.
I'm now suggesting that it would be helpful to document this better. For
instance, the docs for kill-buffer
(https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/emacs/Kill-Buffer.html),
say that
"If you kill the current buffer, another buffer becomes current: one
that was current in the recent past but is not displayed in any
window now."
That describes the behavior I want, but not the default, AFAICT.
I think the default value of switch-to-prev-buffer-skip is nil. The docs
for switch-to-prev-buffer-skip say
If this variable is nil, ‘switch-to-prev-buffer’ may switch to
any buffer, including those already shown in other windows.
If the default value of switch-to-prev-buffer-skip is changed to
'visible', the doc for kill-buffer would be correct. Alternatively, we
could replace the line I quoted from kill-buffer to say
"If you kill the current buffer, another buffer becomes current: the
default chooses an arbitrary buffer. To specify a different strategy,
set the variable switch-to-prev-buffer-skip to a non-nil value.
'visible' tells it to skip buffers that are visible.
Chris
In GNU Emacs 29.3 (build 1, aarch64-apple-darwin21.6.0, NS
appkit-2113.60 Version 12.6.6 (Build 21G646)) of 2024-03-24 built on
armbob.lan
Windowing system distributor 'Apple', version 10.3.2575
System Description: macOS 15.5
Configured using:
'configure --with-ns '--enable-locallisppath=/Library/Application
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--
Currently reading: The Coming Wave, Mustafa Suleyman; Infinity
Hold 3, Barry B. Longyear; Cancelled: The Shape of Things to
Come, by Danny King; The Algebraist, Iain Banks; 1638: The
Sovereign States, Eric Flint, et. al
Chris Hibbert
hibbert <at> mydruthers.com
Blog: http://www.pancrit.org
http://mydruthers.com
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