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comparison man/buffers.texi @ 25829:ac7e9e5e2ccb
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author | Dave Love <fx@gnu.org> |
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date | Wed, 29 Sep 1999 15:17:24 +0000 |
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children | 11c8496abbfb |
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1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual. | |
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc. | |
3 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. | |
4 @node Buffers, Windows, Files, Top | |
5 @chapter Using Multiple Buffers | |
6 | |
7 @cindex buffers | |
8 The text you are editing in Emacs resides in an object called a | |
9 @dfn{buffer}. Each time you visit a file, a buffer is created to hold the | |
10 file's text. Each time you invoke Dired, a buffer is created to hold the | |
11 directory listing. If you send a message with @kbd{C-x m}, a buffer named | |
12 @samp{*mail*} is used to hold the text of the message. When you ask for a | |
13 command's documentation, that appears in a buffer called @samp{*Help*}. | |
14 | |
15 @cindex selected buffer | |
16 @cindex current buffer | |
17 At any time, one and only one buffer is @dfn{selected}. It is also | |
18 called the @dfn{current buffer}. Often we say that a command operates on | |
19 ``the buffer'' as if there were only one; but really this means that the | |
20 command operates on the selected buffer (most commands do). | |
21 | |
22 When Emacs has multiple windows, each window has a chosen buffer which | |
23 is displayed there, but at any time only one of the windows is selected and | |
24 its chosen buffer is the selected buffer. Each window's mode line displays | |
25 the name of the buffer that the window is displaying (@pxref{Windows}). | |
26 | |
27 Each buffer has a name, which can be of any length, and you can select | |
28 any buffer by giving its name. Most buffers are made by visiting files, | |
29 and their names are derived from the files' names. But you can also create | |
30 an empty buffer with any name you want. A newly started Emacs has a buffer | |
31 named @samp{*scratch*} which can be used for evaluating Lisp expressions in | |
32 Emacs. The distinction between upper and lower case matters in buffer | |
33 names. | |
34 | |
35 Each buffer records individually what file it is visiting, whether it is | |
36 modified, and what major mode and minor modes are in effect in it | |
37 (@pxref{Major Modes}). Any Emacs variable can be made @dfn{local to} a | |
38 particular buffer, meaning its value in that buffer can be different from | |
39 the value in other buffers. @xref{Locals}. | |
40 | |
41 @menu | |
42 * Select Buffer:: Creating a new buffer or reselecting an old one. | |
43 * List Buffers:: Getting a list of buffers that exist. | |
44 * Misc Buffer:: Renaming; changing read-onlyness; copying text. | |
45 * Kill Buffer:: Killing buffers you no longer need. | |
46 * Several Buffers:: How to go through the list of all buffers | |
47 and operate variously on several of them. | |
48 * Indirect Buffers:: An indirect buffer shares the text of another buffer. | |
49 @end menu | |
50 | |
51 @node Select Buffer | |
52 @section Creating and Selecting Buffers | |
53 @cindex change buffers | |
54 @cindex switch buffers | |
55 | |
56 @table @kbd | |
57 @item C-x b @var{buffer} @key{RET} | |
58 Select or create a buffer named @var{buffer} (@code{switch-to-buffer}). | |
59 @item C-x 4 b @var{buffer} @key{RET} | |
60 Similar, but select @var{buffer} in another window | |
61 (@code{switch-to-buffer-other-window}). | |
62 @item C-x 5 b @var{buffer} @key{RET} | |
63 Similar, but select @var{buffer} in a separate frame | |
64 (@code{switch-to-buffer-other-frame}). | |
65 @end table | |
66 | |
67 @kindex C-x 4 b | |
68 @findex switch-to-buffer-other-window | |
69 @kindex C-x 5 b | |
70 @findex switch-to-buffer-other-frame | |
71 @kindex C-x b | |
72 @findex switch-to-buffer | |
73 To select the buffer named @var{bufname}, type @kbd{C-x b @var{bufname} | |
74 @key{RET}}. This runs the command @code{switch-to-buffer} with argument | |
75 @var{bufname}. You can use completion on an abbreviation for the buffer | |
76 name you want (@pxref{Completion}). An empty argument to @kbd{C-x b} | |
77 specifies the most recently selected buffer that is not displayed in any | |
78 window.@refill | |
79 | |
80 Most buffers are created by visiting files, or by Emacs commands that | |
81 want to display some text, but you can also create a buffer explicitly | |
82 by typing @kbd{C-x b @var{bufname} @key{RET}}. This makes a new, empty | |
83 buffer that is not visiting any file, and selects it for editing. Such | |
84 buffers are used for making notes to yourself. If you try to save one, | |
85 you are asked for the file name to use. The new buffer's major mode is | |
86 determined by the value of @code{default-major-mode} (@pxref{Major | |
87 Modes}). | |
88 | |
89 Note that @kbd{C-x C-f}, and any other command for visiting a file, | |
90 can also be used to switch to an existing file-visiting buffer. | |
91 @xref{Visiting}. | |
92 | |
93 Emacs uses buffer names that start with a space for internal purposes. | |
94 It treats these buffers specially in minor ways---for example, by | |
95 default they do not record undo information. It is best to avoid using | |
96 such buffer names yourself. | |
97 | |
98 @node List Buffers | |
99 @section Listing Existing Buffers | |
100 | |
101 @table @kbd | |
102 @item C-x C-b | |
103 List the existing buffers (@code{list-buffers}). | |
104 @end table | |
105 | |
106 @cindex listing current buffers | |
107 @kindex C-x C-b | |
108 @findex list-buffers | |
109 To display a list of all the buffers that exist, type @kbd{C-x C-b}. | |
110 Each line in the list shows one buffer's name, major mode and visited | |
111 file. The buffers are listed in the order that they were current; the | |
112 buffers that were current most recently come first. | |
113 | |
114 @samp{*} at the beginning of a line indicates the buffer is ``modified.'' | |
115 If several buffers are modified, it may be time to save some with @kbd{C-x s} | |
116 (@pxref{Saving}). @samp{%} indicates a read-only buffer. @samp{.} marks the | |
117 selected buffer. Here is an example of a buffer list:@refill | |
118 | |
119 @smallexample | |
120 MR Buffer Size Mode File | |
121 -- ------ ---- ---- ---- | |
122 .* emacs.tex 383402 Texinfo /u2/emacs/man/emacs.tex | |
123 *Help* 1287 Fundamental | |
124 files.el 23076 Emacs-Lisp /u2/emacs/lisp/files.el | |
125 % RMAIL 64042 RMAIL /u/rms/RMAIL | |
126 *% man 747 Dired /u2/emacs/man/ | |
127 net.emacs 343885 Fundamental /u/rms/net.emacs | |
128 fileio.c 27691 C /u2/emacs/src/fileio.c | |
129 NEWS 67340 Text /u2/emacs/etc/NEWS | |
130 *scratch* 0 Lisp Interaction | |
131 @end smallexample | |
132 | |
133 @noindent | |
134 Note that the buffer @samp{*Help*} was made by a help request; it is not | |
135 visiting any file. The buffer @code{man} was made by Dired on the | |
136 directory @file{/u2/emacs/man/}. | |
137 | |
138 @need 2000 | |
139 @node Misc Buffer | |
140 @section Miscellaneous Buffer Operations | |
141 | |
142 @table @kbd | |
143 @item C-x C-q | |
144 Toggle read-only status of buffer (@code{vc-toggle-read-only}). | |
145 @item M-x rename-buffer @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET} | |
146 Change the name of the current buffer. | |
147 @item M-x rename-uniquely | |
148 Rename the current buffer by adding @samp{<@var{number}>} to the end. | |
149 @item M-x view-buffer @key{RET} @var{buffer} @key{RET} | |
150 Scroll through buffer @var{buffer}. | |
151 @end table | |
152 | |
153 @kindex C-x C-q | |
154 @findex vc-toggle-read-only | |
155 @vindex buffer-read-only | |
156 @cindex read-only buffer | |
157 A buffer can be @dfn{read-only}, which means that commands to change | |
158 its contents are not allowed. The mode line indicates read-only buffers | |
159 with @samp{%%} or @samp{%*} near the left margin. Read-only buffers are | |
160 usually made by subsystems such as Dired and Rmail that have special | |
161 commands to operate on the text; also by visiting a file whose access | |
162 control says you cannot write it. | |
163 | |
164 If you wish to make changes in a read-only buffer, use the command | |
165 @kbd{C-x C-q} (@code{vc-toggle-read-only}). It makes a read-only buffer | |
166 writable, and makes a writable buffer read-only. In most cases, this | |
167 works by setting the variable @code{buffer-read-only}, which has a local | |
168 value in each buffer and makes the buffer read-only if its value is | |
169 non-@code{nil}. If the file is maintained with version control, | |
170 @kbd{C-x C-q} works through the version control system to change the | |
171 read-only status of the file as well as the buffer. @xref{Version | |
172 Control}. | |
173 | |
174 @findex rename-buffer | |
175 @kbd{M-x rename-buffer} changes the name of the current buffer. Specify | |
176 the new name as a minibuffer argument. There is no default. If you | |
177 specify a name that is in use for some other buffer, an error happens and | |
178 no renaming is done. | |
179 | |
180 @kbd{M-x rename-uniquely} renames the current buffer to a similar name | |
181 with a numeric suffix added to make it both different and unique. This | |
182 command does not need an argument. It is useful for creating multiple | |
183 shell buffers: if you rename the @samp{*Shell*} buffer, then do @kbd{M-x | |
184 shell} again, it makes a new shell buffer named @samp{*Shell*}; | |
185 meanwhile, the old shell buffer continues to exist under its new name. | |
186 This method is also good for mail buffers, compilation buffers, and most | |
187 Emacs features that create special buffers with particular names. | |
188 | |
189 @findex view-buffer | |
190 @kbd{M-x view-buffer} is much like @kbd{M-x view-file} (@pxref{Misc | |
191 File Ops}) except that it examines an already existing Emacs buffer. | |
192 View mode provides commands for scrolling through the buffer | |
193 conveniently but not for changing it. When you exit View mode with | |
194 @kbd{q}, that switches back to the buffer (and the position) which was | |
195 previously displayed in the window. Alternatively, if you exit View | |
196 mode with @kbd{e}, the buffer and the value of point that resulted from | |
197 your perusal remain in effect. | |
198 | |
199 The commands @kbd{M-x append-to-buffer} and @kbd{M-x insert-buffer} | |
200 can be used to copy text from one buffer to another. @xref{Accumulating | |
201 Text}.@refill | |
202 | |
203 @node Kill Buffer | |
204 @section Killing Buffers | |
205 | |
206 @cindex killing buffers | |
207 If you continue an Emacs session for a while, you may accumulate a | |
208 large number of buffers. You may then find it convenient to @dfn{kill} | |
209 the buffers you no longer need. On most operating systems, killing a | |
210 buffer releases its space back to the operating system so that other | |
211 programs can use it. Here are some commands for killing buffers: | |
212 | |
213 @c WideCommands | |
214 @table @kbd | |
215 @item C-x k @var{bufname} @key{RET} | |
216 Kill buffer @var{bufname} (@code{kill-buffer}). | |
217 @item M-x kill-some-buffers | |
218 Offer to kill each buffer, one by one. | |
219 @end table | |
220 | |
221 @findex kill-buffer | |
222 @findex kill-some-buffers | |
223 @kindex C-x k | |
224 | |
225 @kbd{C-x k} (@code{kill-buffer}) kills one buffer, whose name you | |
226 specify in the minibuffer. The default, used if you type just @key{RET} | |
227 in the minibuffer, is to kill the current buffer. If you kill the | |
228 current buffer, another buffer is selected; one that has been selected | |
229 recently but does not appear in any window now. If you ask to kill a | |
230 file-visiting buffer that is modified (has unsaved editing), then you | |
231 must confirm with @kbd{yes} before the buffer is killed. | |
232 | |
233 The command @kbd{M-x kill-some-buffers} asks about each buffer, one by | |
234 one. An answer of @kbd{y} means to kill the buffer. Killing the current | |
235 buffer or a buffer containing unsaved changes selects a new buffer or asks | |
236 for confirmation just like @code{kill-buffer}. | |
237 | |
238 The buffer menu feature (@pxref{Several Buffers}) is also convenient | |
239 for killing various buffers. | |
240 | |
241 @vindex kill-buffer-hook | |
242 If you want to do something special every time a buffer is killed, you | |
243 can add hook functions to the hook @code{kill-buffer-hook} (@pxref{Hooks}). | |
244 | |
245 @findex clean-buffer-list | |
246 If you run one Emacs session for a period of days, as many people do, | |
247 it can fill up with buffers that you used several days ago. The command | |
248 @kbd{M-x clean-buffer-list} is a convenient way to purge them; it kills | |
249 all the unmodified buffers that you have not used for a long time. An | |
250 ordinary buffer is killed if it has not been displayed for three days; | |
251 however, you can specify certain buffers that should never be killed | |
252 automatically, and others that should be killed if they have been unused | |
253 for a mere hour. | |
254 | |
255 @cindex Midnight mode | |
256 @vindex midnight-mode | |
257 @vindex midnight-hook | |
258 You can also have this buffer purging done for you, every day at | |
259 midnight, by enabling Midnight mode. Midnight mode operates each day at | |
260 midnight; at that time, it runs @code{clean-buffer-list}, or whichever | |
261 functions you have placed in the normal hook @code{midnight-hook} | |
262 (@pxref{Hooks}). | |
263 | |
264 To enable Midnight mode, use the Customization buffer to set the | |
265 variable @code{midnight-mode} to @code{t}. @xref{Easy Customization}. | |
266 | |
267 @node Several Buffers | |
268 @section Operating on Several Buffers | |
269 @cindex buffer menu | |
270 | |
271 The @dfn{buffer-menu} facility is like a ``Dired for buffers''; it allows | |
272 you to request operations on various Emacs buffers by editing an Emacs | |
273 buffer containing a list of them. You can save buffers, kill them | |
274 (here called @dfn{deleting} them, for consistency with Dired), or display | |
275 them. | |
276 | |
277 @table @kbd | |
278 @item M-x buffer-menu | |
279 Begin editing a buffer listing all Emacs buffers. | |
280 @end table | |
281 | |
282 @findex buffer-menu | |
283 The command @code{buffer-menu} writes a list of all Emacs buffers into | |
284 the buffer @samp{*Buffer List*}, and selects that buffer in Buffer Menu | |
285 mode. The buffer is read-only, and can be changed only through the | |
286 special commands described in this section. The usual Emacs cursor | |
287 motion commands can be used in the @samp{*Buffer List*} buffer. The | |
288 following commands apply to the buffer described on the current line. | |
289 | |
290 @table @kbd | |
291 @item d | |
292 Request to delete (kill) the buffer, then move down. The request | |
293 shows as a @samp{D} on the line, before the buffer name. Requested | |
294 deletions take place when you type the @kbd{x} command. | |
295 @item C-d | |
296 Like @kbd{d} but move up afterwards instead of down. | |
297 @item s | |
298 Request to save the buffer. The request shows as an @samp{S} on the | |
299 line. Requested saves take place when you type the @kbd{x} command. | |
300 You may request both saving and deletion for the same buffer. | |
301 @item x | |
302 Perform previously requested deletions and saves. | |
303 @item u | |
304 Remove any request made for the current line, and move down. | |
305 @item @key{DEL} | |
306 Move to previous line and remove any request made for that line. | |
307 @end table | |
308 | |
309 The @kbd{d}, @kbd{C-d}, @kbd{s} and @kbd{u} commands to add or remove | |
310 flags also move down (or up) one line. They accept a numeric argument | |
311 as a repeat count. | |
312 | |
313 These commands operate immediately on the buffer listed on the current | |
314 line: | |
315 | |
316 @table @kbd | |
317 @item ~ | |
318 Mark the buffer ``unmodified.'' The command @kbd{~} does this | |
319 immediately when you type it. | |
320 @item % | |
321 Toggle the buffer's read-only flag. The command @kbd{%} does | |
322 this immediately when you type it. | |
323 @item t | |
324 Visit the buffer as a tags table. @xref{Select Tags Table}. | |
325 @end table | |
326 | |
327 There are also commands to select another buffer or buffers: | |
328 | |
329 @table @kbd | |
330 @item q | |
331 Quit the buffer menu---immediately display the most recent formerly | |
332 visible buffer in its place. | |
333 @item @key{RET} | |
334 @itemx f | |
335 Immediately select this line's buffer in place of the @samp{*Buffer | |
336 List*} buffer. | |
337 @item o | |
338 Immediately select this line's buffer in another window as if by | |
339 @kbd{C-x 4 b}, leaving @samp{*Buffer List*} visible. | |
340 @item C-o | |
341 Immediately display this line's buffer in another window, but don't | |
342 select the window. | |
343 @item 1 | |
344 Immediately select this line's buffer in a full-screen window. | |
345 @item 2 | |
346 Immediately set up two windows, with this line's buffer in one, and the | |
347 previously selected buffer (aside from the buffer @samp{*Buffer List*}) | |
348 in the other. | |
349 @item b | |
350 Bury the buffer listed on this line. | |
351 @item m | |
352 Mark this line's buffer to be displayed in another window if you exit | |
353 with the @kbd{v} command. The request shows as a @samp{>} at the | |
354 beginning of the line. (A single buffer may not have both a delete | |
355 request and a display request.) | |
356 @item v | |
357 Immediately select this line's buffer, and also display in other windows | |
358 any buffers previously marked with the @kbd{m} command. If you have not | |
359 marked any buffers, this command is equivalent to @kbd{1}. | |
360 @end table | |
361 | |
362 All that @code{buffer-menu} does directly is create and switch to a | |
363 suitable buffer, and turn on Buffer Menu mode. Everything else | |
364 described above is implemented by the special commands provided in | |
365 Buffer Menu mode. One consequence of this is that you can switch from | |
366 the @samp{*Buffer List*} buffer to another Emacs buffer, and edit there. | |
367 You can reselect the @samp{*Buffer List*} buffer later, to perform the | |
368 operations already requested, or you can kill it, or pay no further | |
369 attention to it. | |
370 | |
371 The only difference between @code{buffer-menu} and @code{list-buffers} | |
372 is that @code{buffer-menu} switches to the @samp{*Buffer List*} buffer | |
373 in the selected window; @code{list-buffers} displays it in another | |
374 window. If you run @code{list-buffers} (that is, type @kbd{C-x C-b}) | |
375 and select the buffer list manually, you can use all of the commands | |
376 described here. | |
377 | |
378 The buffer @samp{*Buffer List*} is not updated automatically when | |
379 buffers are created and killed; its contents are just text. If you have | |
380 created, deleted or renamed buffers, the way to update @samp{*Buffer | |
381 List*} to show what you have done is to type @kbd{g} | |
382 (@code{revert-buffer}) or repeat the @code{buffer-menu} command. | |
383 | |
384 @node Indirect Buffers | |
385 @section Indirect Buffers | |
386 @cindex indirect buffer | |
387 @cindex base buffer | |
388 | |
389 An @dfn{indirect buffer} shares the text of some other buffer, which | |
390 is called the @dfn{base buffer} of the indirect buffer. In some ways it | |
391 is the analogue, for buffers, of a symbolic link between files. | |
392 | |
393 @table @kbd | |
394 @findex make-indirect-buffer | |
395 @item M-x make-indirect-buffer @var{base-buffer} @key{RET} @var{indirect-name} @key{RET} | |
396 Create an indirect buffer named @var{indirect-name} whose base buffer | |
397 is @var{base-buffer}. | |
398 @end table | |
399 | |
400 The text of the indirect buffer is always identical to the text of its | |
401 base buffer; changes made by editing either one are visible immediately | |
402 in the other. But in all other respects, the indirect buffer and its | |
403 base buffer are completely separate. They have different names, | |
404 different values of point, different narrowing, different markers, | |
405 different major modes, and different local variables. | |
406 | |
407 An indirect buffer cannot visit a file, but its base buffer can. If | |
408 you try to save the indirect buffer, that actually works by saving the | |
409 base buffer. Killing the base buffer effectively kills the indirect | |
410 buffer, but killing an indirect buffer has no effect on its base buffer. | |
411 | |
412 One way to use indirect buffers is to display multiple views of an | |
413 outline. @xref{Outline Views}. |