how to ediff with the diff buffers in separate frames?

how to ediff with the diff buffers in separate frames?

[Ian Kelling]

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Seems like I have to write my own window setup function. Does anyone have one they
use? I do want the control panel to share a frame with one of the diff buffers.

What threw me off is that the manual suggests this is possible out of the box, but
I don't see how.

from the ediff manual:
"The files being compared, file-A,
file-B, and file-C (if applicable) are shown in separate windows (side
by side, one above the another, or in separate frames)"
I am using a recent development version of emacs.

- Ian


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Re: how to ediff with the diff buffers in separate frames?

[Michael Heerdegen]

Ian Kelling <ian@iankelling.org> writes:

> Seems like I have to write my own window setup function. Does anyone
> have one they use? I do want the control panel to share a frame with
> one of the diff buffers.

Have you tried all possible settings of `ediff-window-setup-function'?
When I understand correctly, you want a multiframe setup (right?), but
with no separate control panel frame.  Or do you want to create a new
frame that shows your buffers side by side with the panel beneath them
in this frame?

Michael.

Re: how to ediff with the diff buffers in separate frames?

[Eric Abrahamsen]

Ian Kelling <ian@iankelling.org> writes:

> Seems like I have to write my own window setup function. Does anyone have one they
> use? I do want the control panel to share a frame with one of the diff buffers.
>
> What threw me off is that the manual suggests this is possible out of the box, but
> I don't see how.
>
> from the ediff manual:
> "The files being compared, file-A,
> file-B, and file-C (if applicable) are shown in separate windows (side
> by side, one above the another, or in separate frames)"
> I am using a recent development version of emacs.
>
> - Ian

Have you tried customizing `ediff-window-setup-function'? It seems to me
that setting it to 'ediff-setup-windows-plain should do what you want...

Re: how to ediff with the diff buffers in separate frames?

[Ian Kelling]

On 03/21/2014 04:23 AM, Michael Heerdegen wrote:
> Ian Kelling <ian@iankelling.org> writes:
> 
>> Seems like I have to write my own window setup function. Does anyone
>> have one they use? I do want the control panel to share a frame with
>> one of the diff buffers.
> 
> Have you tried all possible settings of `ediff-window-setup-function'?

Yes.

> When I understand correctly, you want a multiframe setup (right?), but
> with no separate control panel frame.  

Yes. I often use 2 emacs frames. Each one is on a separate monitor. It would be
great to use them to ediff.

- Ian

Re: how to ediff with the diff buffers in separate frames?

[Michael Heerdegen]

Ian Kelling <ianowl@gmail.com> writes:

> > When I understand correctly, you want a multiframe setup (right?), but
> > with no separate control panel frame.  
>
> Yes. I often use 2 emacs frames. Each one is on a separate monitor. It
> would be great to use them to ediff.

By default, Ediff should reuse your two frames when they are already
displaying the buffers to diff.  Is that the case for you?  If yes, I'm
not sure I understand your intention.  What's the problem with having a
separate control panel frame?

Michael.

RE: how to ediff with the diff buffers in separate frames?

[Drew Adams]

> > > When I understand correctly, you want a multiframe setup (right?), but
> > > with no separate control panel frame.
> >
> > Yes. I often use 2 emacs frames. Each one is on a separate monitor. It
> > would be great to use them to ediff.
> 
> By default, Ediff should reuse your two frames when they are already
> displaying the buffers to diff.  Is that the case for you?  If yes, I'm
> not sure I understand your intention.  What's the problem with having a
> separate control panel frame?

Yes. FWIW, that's what I use: I start with the buffers in separate frames.
(I don't use multiple monitors, however.)

Re: how to ediff with the diff buffers in separate frames?

[Ian Kelling]

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On 03/24/2014 03:32 PM, Michael Heerdegen wrote:
> By default, Ediff should reuse your two frames when they are already
> displaying the buffers to diff.  Is that the case for you?  If yes, I'm
> not sure I understand your intention.  

No. That doesn't happen. Perhaps it is a problem with the dev version of emacs I'm
using. I will investigate further. Thanks.

> What's the problem with having a
> separate control panel frame?

That would be ok. The main thing I want is using one frame for each of the diff
buffers.


- Ian


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RE: how to ediff with the diff buffers in separate frames?

[Drew Adams]

> > By default, Ediff should reuse your two frames when they are already
> > displaying the buffers to diff.  Is that the case for you?  If yes, I'm
> > not sure I understand your intention.
> 
> No. That doesn't happen. Perhaps it is a problem with the dev version of
> emacs I'm using. I will investigate further. Thanks.

`M-x ediff-buffers' should do what you expect.
(I bind it to `C-= b', and I bind `C-= f' to `ediff-files'.)

If necessary, click in each frame first, to make those two buffers the
default choices.  Then just hit `RET' for each default choice.

Ensure that neither of the buffers is also displayed elsewhere (e.g. in
another frame) - that can confuse ediff.

Re: how to ediff with the diff buffers in separate frames?

[Michael Heerdegen]

Ian Kelling <ian@iankelling.org> writes:

> > By default, Ediff should reuse your two frames when they are already
> > displaying the buffers to diff.  Is that the case for you?  If yes, I'm
> > not sure I understand your intention.  
>
> No. That doesn't happen. Perhaps it is a problem with the dev version
> of emacs I'm using. I will investigate further. Thanks.

AFAIK, there are two possible reasons for that:


1.  Have a look at `ediff-get-visible-buffer-window'.  This is the
function that tries to find a frame (with a window) already displaying a
buffer to diff.  Depending on your setup, it could be the case that one
of your frames is not "visible".  For me, this is the case for example
when the frame is on another virtual desktop.  Change this defun to see
whether this is the problem in your case:

(defun ediff-get-visible-buffer-window (buff)
  (if (ediff-buffer-live-p buff)
      (if (featurep 'xemacs)
	  (get-buffer-window buff t)
	(get-buffer-window buff t))))
;; change this argument         ^


2.  There is a feature called "wide display".  If it is enabled, ediff
always uses a two windowed frame.  I'm not sure how it works and if it
is turned automatically.


Michael.