switch to previous buffer

switch to previous buffer

[Rami A]

Usually I switch between buffers going through the "buffer menu".
So I would be in Buffer 1 -> C-x C-b "bufer menu" -> buffer 2

I have the short cut:
(global-set-key "\M-a" 'switch-to-previous-buffer)

So I could switch back to the previous buffer.
How is possible to skip the buffer menu when doing so.

Basically,
Buffer 1 -> C-x C-b "bufer menu" -> buffer 2 -> M-a -> buffer 1 "without going back to buffer menu"

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Chris F.A. Johnson]

On 2013-03-29, Rami A wrote:
> Usually I switch between buffers going through the "buffer menu".
> So I would be in Buffer 1 -> C-x C-b "bufer menu" -> buffer 2
>
> I have the short cut:
> (global-set-key "\M-a" 'switch-to-previous-buffer)
>
> So I could switch back to the previous buffer.
> How is possible to skip the buffer menu when doing so.
>
> Basically,
> Buffer 1 -> C-x C-b "bufer menu" -> buffer 2 -> M-a -> buffer 1 "without going back to buffer menu"

   I use:

(global-set-key [(control backspace)] 'last-buffer)

(defun last-buffer ()
  "Switch to previous buffer"
  (interactive)
  (switch-to-buffer ())
  )


-- 
   Chris F.A. Johnson                          <http://cfajohnson.com>
   Author:                                     =======================
   Pro Bash Programming: Scripting the GNU/Linux Shell (2009, Apress)
   Shell Scripting Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (2005, Apress)

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Rami A]

Hi Chris,
Thanks for the contribution.
Unfortunately it did not work.
When doing Control backspace I still go through the buffer list. I want to skip that menu and directly go to the buffer that was accessed before the list.

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Rami A]

I should add that I have switch-to-previous-buffer() defined as:

(defun switch-to-previous-buffer ()
(interactive)
(switch-to-buffer (other-buffer (current-buffer) 1)))

(global-set-key "\M-a" 'switch-to-previous-buffer)

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Chris F.A. Johnson]

On 2013-03-29, Rami A wrote:
> Hi Chris,
> Thanks for the contribution.
> Unfortunately it did not work.
> When doing Control backspace I still go through the buffer list. I want to skip that menu and directly go to the buffer that was accessed before the list.

   Does 'M-x last-buffer' work?

-- 
   Chris F.A. Johnson                          <http://cfajohnson.com>
   Author:                                     =======================
   Pro Bash Programming: Scripting the GNU/Linux Shell (2009, Apress)
   Shell Scripting Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (2005, Apress)

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Rami A]

Nops.
It takes me back to the buffers list.

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Bob Proulx]

Rami A wrote:
> When doing Control backspace I still go through the buffer list. I
> want to skip that menu and directly go to the buffer that was
> accessed before the list.

I use C-x b for that action.  That is bound to switch-to-buffer.

Additionally I always bind C-x C-b to electric-buffer-list instead of
the original list-buffers.  It just seems so much more natural.

  (global-set-key "\C-x\C-b" 'electric-buffer-list) ; originally list-buffers

Bob

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Le Wang]

On Sat, Mar 30, 2013 at 2:51 PM, Bob Proulx <bob@proulx.com> wrote:
> Rami A wrote:
>> When doing Control backspace I still go through the buffer list. I
>> want to skip that menu and directly go to the buffer that was
>> accessed before the list.

What you're describing is buffer-cycling based on Most Recently Used
pattern (similar to alt-tab on windows).  Look into the wiki
http://emacswiki.org/emacs/ControlTABbufferCycling

I use buffer-stack myself very happily.  Between helm and
buffer-stack, I very rarely use ibuffer these days.  Oh, and you
should use ibuffer instead of buffer-list.

-- 
Le

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Rami A]

Le Wang...
Thank you so much buddy. That is exactly what I wanted and even more.

I used this part of the page you recommended, I added *Buffer List" to the ignored list "crs-hated-buffers" and Boom...it worked.

    ; necessary support function for buffer burial
    (defun crs-delete-these (delete-these from-this-list)
      "Delete DELETE-THESE FROM-THIS-LIST."
      (cond
       ((car delete-these)
        (if (member (car delete-these) from-this-list)
            (crs-delete-these (cdr delete-these) (delete (car delete-these)
                                                     from-this-list))
          (crs-delete-these (cdr delete-these) from-this-list)))
       (t from-this-list)))
    ; this is the list of buffers I never want to see
    (defvar crs-hated-buffers
      '("KILL" "*Compile-Log*"))
    ; might as well use this for both
    (setq iswitchb-buffer-ignore (append '("^ " "*Buffer") crs-hated-buffers))
    (defun crs-hated-buffers ()
      "List of buffers I never want to see, converted from names to buffers."
      (delete nil
              (append
               (mapcar 'get-buffer crs-hated-buffers)
               (mapcar (lambda (this-buffer)
                         (if (string-match "^ " (buffer-name this-buffer))
                             this-buffer))
                       (buffer-list)))))
    ; I'm sick of switching buffers only to find KILL right in front of me
    (defun crs-bury-buffer (&optional n)
      (interactive)
      (unless n
        (setq n 1))
      (let ((my-buffer-list (crs-delete-these (crs-hated-buffers)
                                              (buffer-list (selected-frame)))))
        (switch-to-buffer
         (if (< n 0)
             (nth (+ (length my-buffer-list) n)
                  my-buffer-list)
           (bury-buffer)
           (nth n my-buffer-list)))))
    (global-set-key [(control tab)] 'crs-bury-buffer)
    (global-set-key [(control meta tab)] (lambda ()
                                           (interactive)
                                           (crs-bury-buffer -1)))

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Bernardo]

It was a dark and stormy night when Rami A said  (30/03/13 09:07):
> Usually I switch between buffers going through the "buffer menu".
> So I would be in Buffer 1 -> C-x C-b "bufer menu" -> buffer 2
> 
> I have the short cut:
> (global-set-key "\M-a" 'switch-to-previous-buffer)
> 
> So I could switch back to the previous buffer.

have you tried C-x <left>  ?
(and C-x <right>  for that matter)

RE: switch to previous buffer

[Drew Adams]

> What you're describing is buffer-cycling based on Most Recently Used
> pattern (similar to alt-tab on windows).  Look into the wiki
> http://emacswiki.org/emacs/ControlTABbufferCycling

Actually, this is the wiki page that deals with this topic.  The page Le cited
is about one kind of buffer switching and is referenced from this page.
http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/SwitchingBuffers

And this is the category page for buffer-switching.
http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/CategoryBufferSwitching

The entry page of the wiki is a table of contents of all the categories (the
most general topics).
http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/SiteMap

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Oleksandr Gavenko]

On 2013-03-30, Rami A wrote:

> Le Wang...
> Thank you so much buddy. That is exactly what I wanted and even more.
>
> I used this part of the page you recommended, I added *Buffer List" to the
> ignored list "crs-hated-buffers" and Boom...it worked.
> [SKIP]

While I use C-LEFT / C-RIGHT I also use:

  (iswitchb-mode 1)
  (setq iswitchb-regexp t)
  (setq iswitchb-use-virtual-buffers t)
  (setq iswitchb-buffer-ignore
        '("^ "
          "^\*Buffer"
          "^\*Completions\*"
          "^\*tramp"
          "^\*Dired log\*"
          "^\*Quail Completions\*"
          "^\*Disabled Command\*"
          "^TAGS"
          ))

-- 
Best regards!

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Teemu Likonen]

Oleksandr Gavenko [2013-03-31 16:01:30 +0300] wrote:

>   (setq iswitchb-buffer-ignore
>         '("^ "
>           "^\*Buffer"
>           "^\*Completions\*"
>           "^\*tramp"
>           "^\*Dired log\*"
>           "^\*Quail Completions\*"
>           "^\*Disabled Command\*"
>           "^TAGS"
>           ))

You must have double backslashes for regexp because they have special
meaning in Lisp strings too. Try evaluating the strings below with C-x
C-e. The latter will return "^*Buffer".

    "^\\*Buffer"
    "^\*Buffer"

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Rami A]

Oleksandr,
Thanks for your input.

Could you explain more how you use C-left/C-right?
I am trying to figure out also how to use your snippet of code in my dotemacs, how would I assign it to a key combination to do the job?
Apologies, I am novice in emacs and lisp.

On Sunday, March 31, 2013 6:01:30 AM UTC-7, Oleksandr Gavenko wrote:
> On 2013-03-30, Rami A wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> > Le Wang...
> 
> > Thank you so much buddy. That is exactly what I wanted and even more.
> 
> >
> 
> > I used this part of the page you recommended, I added *Buffer List" to the
> 
> > ignored list "crs-hated-buffers" and Boom...it worked.
> 
> > [SKIP]
> 
> 
> 
> While I use C-LEFT / C-RIGHT I also use:
> 
> 
> 
>   (iswitchb-mode 1)
> 
>   (setq iswitchb-regexp t)
> 
>   (setq iswitchb-use-virtual-buffers t)
> 
>   (setq iswitchb-buffer-ignore
> 
>         '("^ "
> 
>           "^\*Buffer"
> 
>           "^\*Completions\*"
> 
>           "^\*tramp"
> 
>           "^\*Dired log\*"
> 
>           "^\*Quail Completions\*"
> 
>           "^\*Disabled Command\*"
> 
>           "^TAGS"
> 
>           ))
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> Best regards!

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Oleksandr Gavenko]

On 2013-03-31, Teemu Likonen wrote:

> Oleksandr Gavenko [2013-03-31 16:01:30 +0300] wrote:
>
>>   (setq iswitchb-buffer-ignore
>>         '("^ "
>>           "^\*Buffer"
>>           "^\*Completions\*"
>>           "^\*tramp"
>>           "^\*Dired log\*"
>>           "^\*Quail Completions\*"
>>           "^\*Disabled Command\*"
>>           "^TAGS"
>>           ))
>
> You must have double backslashes for regexp because they have special
> meaning in Lisp strings too. Try evaluating the strings below with C-x
> C-e. The latter will return "^*Buffer".
>
>     "^\\*Buffer"
>     "^\*Buffer"
>
Thanks! I added these lines 4 years ago when learn Emacs.

-- 
Best regards!

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Oleksandr Gavenko]

On 2013-03-31, Rami A wrote:

> Oleksandr,
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Could you explain more how you use C-left/C-right? I am trying to figure out
> also how to use your snippet of code in my dotemacs, how would I assign it
> to a key combination to do the job? Apologies, I am novice in emacs and
> lisp.
>

As novice Emacs user you MUST spend time in Emacs learning. Or leave it...

You can use very popular for noobs setting from:

  https://github.com/technomancy/emacs-starter-kit
  https://github.com/bbatsov/prelude

Also follow links from:

  http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7028055/where-i-can-find-the-most-popular-emacs-settings
  http://stackoverflow.com/questions/154097/whats-in-your-emacs

I dislike foreign pre-build settings and collect own during 6 years:

  http://sourceforge.net/u/gavenkoa/dot-emacs/ci/tip/tree/.emacs-my

Copy any piece of code into your .emacs, put cursor at some symbol and type:

  'C-h f' (for getting function docs)
  'C-h v' (for getting variable docs)

Reading foreign configs is one of fast method to learn Emacs...

It may be useful tips for debugging:

  http://gavenkoa.users.sourceforge.net/tips-html/emacs.html

> On Sunday, March 31, 2013 6:01:30 AM UTC-7, Oleksandr Gavenko wrote:
>>
>> While I use C-LEFT / C-RIGHT I also use:

Sorry I have in mind 'C-x left' and 'C-x right' key binding. From manual:

  (info "(emacs)Select Buffer")  <<== Put cursor after close parenthesis and
                                      type 'C-x e'

  19.1 Creating and Selecting Buffers
  ===================================

  `C-x b BUFFER <RET>'
       Select or create a buffer named BUFFER (`switch-to-buffer').

  `C-x 4 b BUFFER <RET>'
       Similar, but select BUFFER in another window
       (`switch-to-buffer-other-window').

  `C-x 5 b BUFFER <RET>'
       Similar, but select BUFFER in a separate frame
       (`switch-to-buffer-other-frame').

  `C-x <LEFT>'
       Select the previous buffer in the buffer list (`previous-buffer').

  `C-x <RIGHT>'
       Select the next buffer in the buffer list (`next-buffer').

  `C-u M-g M-g'
  `C-u M-g g'
       Read a number N and move to line N in the most recently selected
       buffer other than the current buffer.

     The `C-x b' (`switch-to-buffer') command reads a buffer name using
  the minibuffer.  Then it makes that buffer current, and displays it in
  the currently-selected window.  An empty input specifies the buffer
  that was current most recently among those not now displayed in any
  window.

>>   (iswitchb-mode 1)

Iswitchb mode is a global minor mode that enables switching
between buffers using substrings.

So you can switch to 'sys-io.lisp' file by 'C-x b sys RET' or 'C-x b io RET'
or 'C-x b lisp RET'.

If you have partial match use 'C-s' and 'C-r' for cycling among matches!

>>   (setq iswitchb-regexp t)

Do regexp matching. To distinct JS file from JSP (first by 'js$', second by
'jsp').

>>   (setq iswitchb-use-virtual-buffers t)

If some file is not opened but previously used and this in your .emacs:

  (require 'recentf)
  (setq recentf-auto-cleanup 'never)
  (recentf-mode t)
  (setq recentf-max-saved-items 1000)
  (global-set-key (kbd "\e\eq")  'recentf-open-files)

you can quickly switch to this file if you know part of it name...

-- 
Best regards!

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Rami A]

Oleksandr,
Thanks for the extended reply.
I did actually check your dotemacs file...thanks for sharing it....so much to learn and pick from it.
It will take me a while to understand all this massive file.
All appreciated.


On Monday, April 1, 2013 1:53:59 PM UTC-7, Oleksandr Gavenko wrote:
> On 2013-03-31, Rami A wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> > Oleksandr,
> 
> > Thanks for your input.
> 
> >
> 
> > Could you explain more how you use C-left/C-right? I am trying to figure out
> 
> > also how to use your snippet of code in my dotemacs, how would I assign it
> 
> > to a key combination to do the job? Apologies, I am novice in emacs and
> 
> > lisp.
> 
> >
> 
> 
> 
> As novice Emacs user you MUST spend time in Emacs learning. Or leave it...
> 
> 
> 
> You can use very popular for noobs setting from:
> 
> 
> 
>   https://github.com/technomancy/emacs-starter-kit
> 
>   https://github.com/bbatsov/prelude
> 
> 
> 
> Also follow links from:
> 
> 
> 
>   http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7028055/where-i-can-find-the-most-popular-emacs-settings
> 
>   http://stackoverflow.com/questions/154097/whats-in-your-emacs
> 
> 
> 
> I dislike foreign pre-build settings and collect own during 6 years:
> 
> 
> 
>   http://sourceforge.net/u/gavenkoa/dot-emacs/ci/tip/tree/.emacs-my
> 
> 
> 
> Copy any piece of code into your .emacs, put cursor at some symbol and type:
> 
> 
> 
>   'C-h f' (for getting function docs)
> 
>   'C-h v' (for getting variable docs)
> 
> 
> 
> Reading foreign configs is one of fast method to learn Emacs...
> 
> 
> 
> It may be useful tips for debugging:
> 
> 
> 
>   http://gavenkoa.users.sourceforge.net/tips-html/emacs.html
> 
> 
> 
> > On Sunday, March 31, 2013 6:01:30 AM UTC-7, Oleksandr Gavenko wrote:
> 
> >>
> 
> >> While I use C-LEFT / C-RIGHT I also use:
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry I have in mind 'C-x left' and 'C-x right' key binding. From manual:
> 
> 
> 
>   (info "(emacs)Select Buffer")  <<== Put cursor after close parenthesis and
> 
>                                       type 'C-x e'
> 
> 
> 
>   19.1 Creating and Selecting Buffers
> 
>   ===================================
> 
> 
> 
>   `C-x b BUFFER <RET>'
> 
>        Select or create a buffer named BUFFER (`switch-to-buffer').
> 
> 
> 
>   `C-x 4 b BUFFER <RET>'
> 
>        Similar, but select BUFFER in another window
> 
>        (`switch-to-buffer-other-window').
> 
> 
> 
>   `C-x 5 b BUFFER <RET>'
> 
>        Similar, but select BUFFER in a separate frame
> 
>        (`switch-to-buffer-other-frame').
> 
> 
> 
>   `C-x <LEFT>'
> 
>        Select the previous buffer in the buffer list (`previous-buffer').
> 
> 
> 
>   `C-x <RIGHT>'
> 
>        Select the next buffer in the buffer list (`next-buffer').
> 
> 
> 
>   `C-u M-g M-g'
> 
>   `C-u M-g g'
> 
>        Read a number N and move to line N in the most recently selected
> 
>        buffer other than the current buffer.
> 
> 
> 
>      The `C-x b' (`switch-to-buffer') command reads a buffer name using
> 
>   the minibuffer.  Then it makes that buffer current, and displays it in
> 
>   the currently-selected window.  An empty input specifies the buffer
> 
>   that was current most recently among those not now displayed in any
> 
>   window.
> 
> 
> 
> >>   (iswitchb-mode 1)
> 
> 
> 
> Iswitchb mode is a global minor mode that enables switching
> 
> between buffers using substrings.
> 
> 
> 
> So you can switch to 'sys-io.lisp' file by 'C-x b sys RET' or 'C-x b io RET'
> 
> or 'C-x b lisp RET'.
> 
> 
> 
> If you have partial match use 'C-s' and 'C-r' for cycling among matches!
> 
> 
> 
> >>   (setq iswitchb-regexp t)
> 
> 
> 
> Do regexp matching. To distinct JS file from JSP (first by 'js$', second by
> 
> 'jsp').
> 
> 
> 
> >>   (setq iswitchb-use-virtual-buffers t)
> 
> 
> 
> If some file is not opened but previously used and this in your .emacs:
> 
> 
> 
>   (require 'recentf)
> 
>   (setq recentf-auto-cleanup 'never)
> 
>   (recentf-mode t)
> 
>   (setq recentf-max-saved-items 1000)
> 
>   (global-set-key (kbd "\e\eq")  'recentf-open-files)
> 
> 
> 
> you can quickly switch to this file if you know part of it name...
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> Best regards!

Re: switch to previous buffer

[Michael Heerdegen]

Rami A <rami.ammari@gmail.com> writes:

> Usually I switch between buffers going through the "buffer menu".
> So I would be in Buffer 1 -> C-x C-b "bufer menu" -> buffer 2
>
> I have the short cut:
> (global-set-key "\M-a" 'switch-to-previous-buffer)
>
> So I could switch back to the previous buffer.
> How is possible to skip the buffer menu when doing so.
>
> Basically,
> Buffer 1 -> C-x C-b "bufer menu" -> buffer 2 -> M-a -> buffer 1
> "without going back to buffer menu"

Have a look at winner.el, which is part of Gnu Emacs.  `winner-undo'
should do what you want.  It is very handy when it's on a good key, I
use it all the time.

Basically, winner.el is about window configurations, but since changing
a window's buffer is regarded as a change of the window
configuration... calling `winner-undo' gives you the previously shown
buffer in that window.  Moreover, winner.el also records the window
layout, so that you can "undo" popup windows etc.


Regards,

Michael.