Re: position on changing defaults?

[Gregory Collins]

Richard Stallman <address@hidden> writes:

>     When doing C-x b it will start by showing in the minibuffer a list of
>     the buffers.
>
> I think I would find that very annoying.  I tend to have 50 buffers or
> more.
>
> I don't think this should be the default, not just for C-x b,
> and not for anything else either.

I think you should try the function out before being so eager to dismiss
it. Iswitchb-mode (and the very similar ido-mode, which I prefer) can
save a lot of keystrokes; e.g. I can call up my "*haskell*" buffer more
quickly by typing "C-x b ask RET", or my "*Summary list.emacs*" buffer
by typing "C-x b .e RET". Stock switch-to-buffer will only do completion
on prefixes, and then only when you hit "TAB".

The reason that it displays a (partial, btw) list of the buffers is so
that you can interactively see how the list is being narrowed by your
keystroke input. Usually you can uniquely identify the buffer you want
within three or four keystrokes. I also keep a large number of buffers
open (hundreds, sometimes), and I don't think I could ever go back to
the stock behaviour.

You can make an argument that this kind of thing is a "power user"
feature that shouldn't be made default, but that decision shouldn't be
made by a snap judgment based on a prima facie reading of a one-sentence
description of its behaviour.

G.