bug#37514: PATCH: Add setting to allow switching to an already-visible buffer by default

[Jefferson Carpenter <jefferson@aoeu2code.com>]

---- On Thu, 26 Sep 2019 07:12:23 +0000 Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote ----

 >  
 > Why is it important what "C-x b" offers as the default?  You can still 
 > type the name of the buffer you want and switch to it. 

Because it requires fewer key strokes.

 >  
 > FWIW, I use the workflow you mention from time to time, and I never 
 > felt the need for such an option, because its effect will be global on 
 > the entire session, and I don't want it everywhere.  I'd need to reset 
 > such an option when I go back to the other workflows, which would be a 
 > nuisance. 

 >  
 > And if the above is somehow still not satisfactory, you can always 
 > write a trivial wrapper around switch-to-buffer, which behaves the way 
 > you like.  Why do we need to canonicalize this in Emacs? 

Because IMHO, emacs (and any software) should do as little as possible by default, or at least easily allow itself to be configured to do as little as possible.  I think it makes the most sense that switch-to-buffer takes you back to the last buffer you were visiting by default, without doing the extra work of preferring buffers that are not currently visible.


---- On Thu, 26 Sep 2019 07:20:53 +0000 martin rudalics <rudalics@gmx.at> wrote ----

 >  
 > Wouldn't 'quit-window' accomplish that without any prompting?  Or 
 > 'switch-to-prev-buffer'? 
 >  
 > Thanks, martin 
 > 

No, quit-window buries the buffer that you leave, even though it switches directly to the previous buffer on the top of the buffer list, and so it cannot be used to alternate back and fourth.  Switch-to-prev-buffer seems to do the same thing - executing it twice does not return you to the buffer you started at.  Besides, using these functions would require adding an extra key in addition to 'C-x b', and keys are at a premium.