Some annoying behaviours

Some annoying behaviours

[Francis Moreau]

Hello list,

Emacs is cool but I'd still like to fix some annoying details to make it
perfect.

The first one is about the 'completion' window which doesn't close
automatically once it's no more needed. I know I can switch to this
window and close it but it would be really nice to make this auto.

The second one is about new windows that are automatically open
by Emacs, for example when I start a compilation or GDB. Emacs
choose an old widow (almost randomly) and replace this one with
the new one. But it always choose the wrong window to replace.
Is it possible to make a 'sticky' window that is a window that
can't be chosen by Emacs to be switched by a new one ?

Thanks !
-- 
Francis

RE: Some annoying behaviours

[Drew Adams]

> Emacs is cool but I'd still like to fix some annoying details 
> to make it perfect.
> 
> The first one is about the 'completion' window which doesn't close
> automatically once it's no more needed. I know I can switch to this
> window and close it but it would be really nice to make this auto.

This is fixed in Icicles. You might want to try it:
http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/Icicles

> The second one is about new windows that are automatically open
> by Emacs, for example when I start a compilation or GDB. Emacs
> choose an old widow (almost randomly) and replace this one with
> the new one. But it always choose the wrong window to replace.
> Is it possible to make a 'sticky' window that is a window that
> can't be chosen by Emacs to be switched by a new one ?

You can make a window dedicated, which does just what you want. You can do
it for all windows or windows for buffers whose names match some pattern,
and so on.

Check the Elisp manual (that's Emacs Lisp), and look for `dedicated'
windows. See, in particular, user options `special-display-buffer-names' and
`special-display-regexps'.

HTH.

Re: Some annoying behaviours

[Joel J. Adamson]

"Francis Moreau" <francis.moro@gmail.com> writes:

> Hello list,
>
> Emacs is cool but I'd still like to fix some annoying details to make
> it perfect.

"Good luck" he said sarcastically.

> The first one is about the 'completion' window which doesn't close
> automatically once it's no more needed. I know I can switch to this
> window and close it but it would be really nice to make this auto.

One solution I've found is to use Ibuffer and give *Completions* buffers
their own filter group. Then when they pile up I can delete them all at
once.

> The second one is about new windows that are automatically open
> by Emacs, for example when I start a compilation or GDB.

Sometimes when Emacs does things a particular way, it's a good idea to
learn why because changing your habits might make you more productive.

I got over this: window configurations are not sacred, and it wasn't
until I stopped thinking they were sacred that I realized how often I
switch buffers and how easy it is to change the window configuration.  I
use a combination of Ibuffer and Iswitchb mode to get around and I can
change window configurations in a matter of milliseconds.

Joel

-- 
Joel J. Adamson
Biostatistician
Pediatric Psychopharmacology Research Unit
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA  02114
(617) 643-1432
(303) 880-3109

Re: Some annoying behaviours

[Pete Axon]

> The first one is about the 'completion' window which doesn't close
> automatically once it's no more needed. I know I can switch to this
> window and close it but it would be really nice to make this auto.

There is no need to switch to the other window, simply type `C-x 1'
and it maximizes the window you are in.

Re: Some annoying behaviours

[Joe Fineman]

Pete Axon <paxon@bigblue.net.au> writes:

>> The first one is about the 'completion' window which doesn't close
>> automatically once it's no more needed. I know I can switch to this
>> window and close it but it would be really nice to make this auto.
>
> There is no need to switch to the other window, simply type `C-x 1'
> and it maximizes the window you are in.

That works if you had only one window on the screen to begin with.  If
you had more than one (the usual case with me), the pop-up buffer
commandeers an adjacent one.  I suppose C-x4 b would get the original
buffer back, but then you would be in it instead of the one you were
working in.  Fortunately, I usually have a brief command that sets up
all the windows for the job I am doing.

Also, I have a utility that saves the current window setup in case I
expect to screw it up:

(defun interruption ()
  "Prepare to restore the existing state of the screen."
  (interactive)
  (if buffer-file-name
      (save-buffer))
  (save-window-excursion
    (recursive-edit))
  (if buffer-file-name
      (save-buffer))
  )

It is bound to a function key.
-- 
---  Joe Fineman    joe_f@verizon.net

||:  When we speak of the physical world, we mean that it is  :||
||:  capable of containing physicists.                        :||

Re: Some annoying behaviours

[Thierry Volpiatto]

Joe Fineman <joe_f@verizon.net> writes:

> Pete Axon <paxon@bigblue.net.au> writes:
>
>>> The first one is about the 'completion' window which doesn't close
>>> automatically once it's no more needed. I know I can switch to this
>>> window and close it but it would be really nice to make this auto.
>>
>> There is no need to switch to the other window, simply type `C-x 1'
>> and it maximizes the window you are in.
>
> That works if you had only one window on the screen to begin with.  If
> you had more than one (the usual case with me), the pop-up buffer
> commandeers an adjacent one.  I suppose C-x4 b would get the original
> buffer back, but then you would be in it instead of the one you were
> working in.  Fortunately, I usually have a brief command that sets up
> all the windows for the job I am doing.
>
> Also, I have a utility that saves the current window setup in case I
> expect to screw it up:
>
> (defun interruption ()
>   "Prepare to restore the existing state of the screen."
>   (interactive)
>   (if buffer-file-name
>       (save-buffer))
>   (save-window-excursion
>     (recursive-edit))
>   (if buffer-file-name
>       (save-buffer))
>   )
>
> It is bound to a function key.

Do you know winner-mode ?
When you have many windows open, do M-x winner-mode,
then come back to a single window (C-x 1) and then run 
M-x winner-undo ==> C-c left
come-back to the single window ==>C-c right (winner-redo)
-- 
A + Thierry
Pub key: http://pgp.mit.edu