Next: List Buffers, Up: Buffers [Contents][Index]
Select or create a buffer named buffer
(switch-to-buffer).
Similar, but select buffer in another window
(switch-to-buffer-other-window).
Similar, but select buffer in a separate frame
(switch-to-buffer-other-frame).
Select the previous buffer in the buffer list
(previous-buffer).
Select the next buffer in the buffer list
(next-buffer).
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.
While entering the buffer name, you can use the usual completion and history commands (see Minibuffer). Note that C-x b, and related commands, use permissive completion with confirmation for minibuffer completion: if you type RET immediately after completing up to a nonexistent buffer name, Emacs prints ‘[Confirm]’ and you must type a second RET to submit that buffer name. See Completion Exit, for details.
If you specify a buffer that does not exist, C-x b
creates a new, empty buffer that is not visiting any file, and
selects it for editing. The default value of the variable
major-mode determines the new buffer’s major
mode; the default value is Fundamental mode. See Major Modes. One reason to
create a new buffer is to use it for making temporary notes. If
you try to save it, Emacs asks for the file name to use, and the
buffer’s major mode is re-established taking that file name
into account (see Choosing
Modes).
For conveniently switching between a few buffers, use the
commands C-x LEFT and
C-x RIGHT. C-x
LEFT
(previous-buffer) selects the previous buffer
(following the order of most recent selection in the current
frame), while C-x RIGHT
(next-buffer) moves through buffers in the reverse
direction.
To select a buffer in a window other than the current one,
type C-x 4 b
(switch-to-buffer-other-window). This prompts for a
buffer name using the minibuffer, displays that buffer in another
window, and selects that window.
Similarly, C-x 5 b
(switch-to-buffer-other-frame) prompts for a buffer
name, displays that buffer in another frame, and selects that
frame. If the buffer is already being shown in a window on
another frame, Emacs selects that window and frame instead of
creating a new frame.
See Displaying Buffers, for how the C-x 4 b and C-x 5 b commands get the window and/or frame to display in.
In addition, C-x C-f, and any other command for visiting a file, can also be used to switch to an existing file-visiting buffer. See Visiting.
C-u M-g M-g, that is goto-line with a
plain prefix argument, reads a number n using the
minibuffer, selects the most recently selected buffer other than
the current buffer in another window, and then moves point to the
beginning of line number n in that buffer. This is
mainly useful in a buffer that refers to line numbers in another
buffer: if point is on or just after a number,
goto-line uses that number as the default for
n. Note that prefix arguments other than just
C-u behave differently. C-u 4 M-g M-g goes
to line 4 in the current buffer, without reading a
number from the minibuffer. (Remember that M-g M-g
without prefix argument reads a number n and then
moves to line number n in the current buffer. See
Moving Point.)
Emacs uses buffer names that start with a space for internal purposes. It treats these buffers specially in minor ways—for example, by default they do not record undo information. It is best to avoid using such buffer names yourself.
Next: List Buffers, Up: Buffers [Contents][Index]