Emacs Basics - Frames Buffers Windows
Understanding the basic terminology will help make the most out of Spacemacs and allow very effective use.
| Terminology | Description |
|---|---|
| File | A file on the file system |
| Buffer | A container to display a file or other information (file navigation, REPL, data inspector, test report, etc.) |
| Window | Contains a buffer, organises multiple buffers in a frame |
| Frame | Holds one or more windows. Opening another frame gives you another instance of Emacs |
| Status bar | Information about current window and buffer, e.g. window number, buffer mode & name, location of cursor. Also referred to as the mode line. |
| Mini-buffer | A command line for Emacs - shows commands and some results, acts as an interactive prompt for some commands |
Spacemacs also adds Layouts to manage a set of buffers within the scope of a project and Workspaces allow multiple window configurations
Working with Frames
By default, Spacemacs opens with a frame that contains a single window, that window containing the Spacemacs home buffer.
SPC F n creates a new frame containing a single window that contains a buffer.
SPC F d closes the current frame, unless its the last Emacs frame running, then Emacs itself closes.
SPC q q to quit Emacs closes all frames.
Working with windows
Each frame contains one or more windows. Each window is assigned a unique number when created, even across multiple frames.
SPC followed by a number jumps to the window with that number, e.g. SPC 1 jumps to window number 1.
Windows are used to display multiple buffers (files, REPL, error messages, etc) within the same frame
| Key Binding | Description |
|---|---|
SPC w . |
Open Window transient state menu for multiple command |
SPC w 2 |
2 window layout - shows current buffer in new window |
SPC w 3 |
3 window layout - shows current buffer in new windows |
SPC w m |
maximise the current buffer |
SPC w d |
delete current window |
SPC t g |
toggles golden ratio view of windows |
Working with windows
A buffer is the fundamental presentation of information in Emacs. Buffers can show the contents of a file, search results in a helm-popup, an interactive process e.g. REPL buffer, etc.
SPC TAB toggles between the current buffer and the last active buffer
| Key Binding | Description |
|---|---|
SPC b . |
Open buffer transient state menu for multiple command |
SPC b b |
Show list of open buffers and recently opened buffers |
SPC b d |
Kill current buffer |
SPC b h |
Open Spacemacs Home buffer |
SPC b m |
Open Spacemacs *messages* buffer - log of Emacs actions and commands |
SPC b s |
Open Spacemacs scratch buffer - a persistent buffer for random note taking |
SPC b w |
Toggle read-only mode on a buffer (Spacemacs Org docs open in Read-only mode by default) |
SPC b x |
Kill buffer and the window containing it |
SPC b R |
Revert buffer to file saved on disk (causes .dir-locals.el to load into Emacs) |
SPC b Y |
Copy contents of a whole buffer |
Golden Ratio
Golden-ratio automatically lays out windows in a Fibonacci style pattern. The active window becomes the largest window and all other windows are automatically shrunk so they are out of the way, but still visible.