Re: Concerning the new `ido-use-virtual-buffers' feature

[Tassilo Horn <tassilo@member.fsf.org>]

On Wednesday 02 June 2010 11:28:34 Juanma Barranquero wrote:

> I like the virtual buffers feature, but most of the time I switch to
> an existing bufer, so having a dozen virtual buffers in the list is
> just cruft. `auto' seems like the answer... except when I can not
> remember how the file was named.

Exactly, and then you can hit <tab>.

> > So how about this: <tab> toggles virtual buffers temporarily, and if
> > `ido-use-virtual-buffers' is non-nil, then "no match" enables them,
> > too.
> 
> Similar to what I'm proposing, that is, that in `auto' mode, after
> "C-x b", <TAB> should temporarily switch to `always'.

Ah, Leo was the one to change the values back to nil/non-nil back
again.  IMO, that fits well with your tab completion idea.

If you don't remember the name, C-x b <tab> will enable the virtual
buffers temporarily.  `C-x b foobar' with no match and
ido-use-virtual-buffers set to non-nil will also enable them
temporarily.

I think, that fits our usecases very good.

> > So basically, `ido-use-virtual-buffers' non-nil does what 'auto does
> > with Leo's patch now.  There's no way to have virtual buffers per
> > default, which is pretty useless IMHO anyway.
> 
> Difficult to say. I wouldn't be surprised to find people who wants the
> virtual buffers to be shown all the time.

Sure, but as this feature has never been in a released emacs version,
now is the time to come up with something that fits at least most
usecases.  And the <tab> combined with the "auto if
ido-use-virtual-buffers in non-nil" idea fits the "I want to be
quick/DWIM" as well as the "I want to see what I have" usecases well.
Till now, I cannot imagine any other usecase...

> > I think <tab> should not only enable but toggle, because else I could
> > not create a new buffer "foo.a" if `ido-use-virtual-buffers' is non-nil.
> 
> C-o already toggles it, i.e., C-x b foo.a C-o <RET> <RET>

Yes, but <tab> is more convenient, and the behavior I tried to summarize
hopefully tries to minimize the need for toggling, i.e. you only need it
if you want to see all recent files or you want to create a new buffer
which is not associated to a recent file with similar name.

Bye,
Tassilo