hi
This is my first post here, so I hope this is the right place for asking
beginner questions.

My question is simple: When I list some files in dired mode I select one
file to edit. Now how can I close this file and go back to dired without
closing emacs?

thanks

ben

On Jul 21, 11:59 am, Ben Aurel gmail.com> wrote:

To close the file, use the menu “File‣Close”. Emacs doesn't have a
keyboard shortcut for this due the fact that emacs has build on the
1980's mindset and havn't modernized. But you can add one by putting
the following in your emacs preference file. (the file at “~/.emacs”):

(global-set-key (kbd "C-w") 'kill-this-buffer) ; close

This will let you press Ctrl+w to close the current file.

To switch to files or directories you have opened before, you can use
the menu “Buffers”. The “buffer” is term used in the 1980s. Today you
just call it “Tabs” or “workspace”.

So, for example, to switch to the previous tab, press Ctrl+x Ctrl+←.
(this is in the graphical menu Buffers too.)

Ben Aurel gmail.com> writes:

C-x k RET

is one way.

[Don't pay too much attention to xahlee about keybindings -- he's
... kinda nuts on that issue...]

-MIles

Xah gmail.com> writes:

Or because the concept of "File" is not as central as the concept of
"buffer". It is not a question of being modern or not. In the 1980's
the notion of "file" already existed, and today, projects like OLPC are
putting it aside.

Please don't suggest this.

C-x k RET

closes a file. to switch between files you can use ibuffer

M-x ibuffer or you can bound it to a key.

(define-key global-map [(meta \])] 'ibuffer)

Xah wrote:

PS i forgot to mention, that Ctrl+w is emacs default shortcut to copy
text. So, if you set Close to Ctrl+w, then you should find another key
for Copy. You can set emacs to Copy by Ctrl+c, by going to the menu
“Options‣C-x/C-c/C-v Cut and Paste (CUA)”, Then use menu “Options‣Save
Options”.

For some details about these, see:
http://xahlee.org/emacs/emacs_make_modern.html

Xah
∑ http://xahlee.org/

☄

On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 10:23, Bastien Guerry altern.org> wrote:

But Xah Lee is not arguing against the concept. He is arguing against
the terminology...

I don't think the notion of "buffer" is Emacs specific; as Xah Lee has
said, in other environments (editors, IDEs, etc.) they exist, it's
just that they exist under a different name ("workspace" being a nice
alternative).

Juanma

nakkaya@gmail.com writes:

Alternatively, you can use quit-window that allow to quit window without
killing buffer (with arg t, it will quit and kill buffer)

"Juanma Barranquero" gmail.com> writes:

My sentence above was a reaction to Xah's sentence:

"Emacs doesn't have a keyboard shortcut for this due the fact that
emacs has build on the 1980's mindset and havn't modernized."

I think that the reason Emacs doesn't have a keybinding for "Close"
is because the concept of a buffer is more central to Emacs than the
concept of a file.

Open/Close is bound to file manipulation, and many buffer manipulations
are not related to files at all - think of dired, for example.

On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 18:46, Bastien Guerry altern.org> wrote:

Even so, I don't think he was arguing against the *concept* of buffers.

We'll have to disagree, at least partially.

Juanma