Re: position on changing defaults?

[Stephen Eglen <S.J.Eglen@damtp.cam.ac.uk>]

Thanks to Dan for alerting me to this thread.

>> With ido-mode, you type C-x b blablabla C-j y RET to create a new buffer.
>> I guess it's the same with iswitchb.

yes, thanks Kim, C-j will create the buffer of exactly that name.  

> I use scratch buffers quite often, anything that requires more than C-x
> b x RET to go to buffer x would not be acceptable for me.

Its behaviour when you hit RET will be to go to the most recent buffer
that contains `x' in its buffer name.  It should not go to some RANDOM
buffer (as you earlier reported) when you hit RET; if you think there
is a bug, please report it to me.

To get the behaviour you want, C-x b x C-j will do one of two things:

1. If a buffer by the name of 'x' already exists, it will go that
buffer. (As pointed out by Dan, if that buffer is already visible in
another frame, the default behaviour is to raise that frame -- see
iswitchb-default-method -- maybe you'd prefer 'samewindow.)

2. If no buffer by the name 'x' exists, then you are asked if you want
to create a new one by that name.

These small issues aside, I'd be honoured if iswitchb became the
default buffer switching mechanism, but perhaps it may be too
specialised to be intuitive for a new user to work with.  (Probably a
new user would want something interactive, but more like how window
managers switch between applications with Alt+TAB and such like?)
There are many alternative buffer switching methods, of which mine is
just one {that I hope Richard might one day try!}.

Best wishes, Stephen