Homepage: https://github.com/dimitri/switch-window
Author: Dimitri Fontaine, Feng Shu
Updated:
A *visual* way to switch window
* What is switch-window :README:
switch-window is an Emacs window switch tool, which offer a
*visual* way to choose a window to switch to, delete, split
or other operations.
[[./snapshots/switch-window.png]]
** Installation
1. Config melpa source, please read: http://melpa.org/#/getting-started
2. M-x package-install RET switch-window RET
Note: User can install switch-window with [[http://github.com/dimitri/el-get][El-Get]] too.
** Configure and Usage
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
(require 'switch-window)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x o") 'switch-window)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x 1") 'switch-window-then-maximize)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x 2") 'switch-window-then-split-below)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x 3") 'switch-window-then-split-right)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x 0") 'switch-window-then-delete)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x 4 d") 'switch-window-then-dired)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x 4 f") 'switch-window-then-find-file)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x 4 m") 'switch-window-then-compose-mail)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x 4 r") 'switch-window-then-find-file-read-only)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x 4 C-f") 'switch-window-then-find-file)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x 4 C-o") 'switch-window-then-display-buffer)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x 4 0") 'switch-window-then-kill-buffer)
#+END_EXAMPLE
When switch-window is enabled, user can use the below five keys:
| key | command description |
|-----+-----------------------|
| "i" | Move the border up |
| "k" | Move the border down |
| "j" | Move the border left |
| "l" | Move the border right |
| "b" | Balance windows |
|"SPC"| Resume auto-resize |
If you want to customize this feature, please see variable:
`switch-window-extra-map'.
Note: if you use auto-resize window feature, you *must* know
that when you execute above window operate commands, auto-resize
feature will be disabled temporarily, you should use above "SPC"
key to resume.
** Tips
*** I want to select a window with "a-z" instead of "1-9".
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
(setq switch-window-shortcut-style 'qwerty)
#+END_EXAMPLE
Note: user can arrange qwerty shortcuts by variable
`switch-window-qwerty-shortcuts'.
*** I want to let window to show bigger label.
The face of label is switch-window-label, user can change it :height
with custiomize-face
*** I want to *hide* window label when window's number < 3
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
(setq switch-window-threshold 2)
#+END_EXAMPLE
*** I want to select minibuffer with label "z".
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
(setq switch-window-minibuffer-shortcut ?z)
#+END_EXAMPLE
*** I want to auto resize a window when switch to it
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
(setq switch-window-auto-resize-window t)
(setq switch-window-default-window-size 0.8) ;80% of frame size
(switch-window-mouse-mode) ;auto resize when switch window with mouse
#+END_EXAMPLE
Advanced usage:
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
(setq switch-window-auto-resize-window
(lambda ()
(equal (buffer-name) "*scratch*"))) ;when return t, run auto switch
(setq switch-window-default-window-size '(0.8 . 0.6)) ;80% width and 60% height of frame
#+END_EXAMPLE
By the way, you can use package [[https://github.com/roman/golden-ratio.el][golden-ratio]] also.
*** Switch-window seem to conflict with Exwm, how to do?
By default, switch-window get user's input with the help
of function `read-event', this approach does not work well
with [[https://github.com/ch11ng/exwm][Exwm]] (Emacs X window manager),
user should set the below variable and use minibuffer
to get input instead:
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
(setq switch-window-input-style 'minibuffer)
#+END_EXAMPLE
Note: if you use minibuffer to get input, the feature about
`switch-window-minibuffer-shortcut' will not work well.
*** I use text terminal, but I want *bigger* label.
The only choice is using asciiart, which *draw* a bigger label
with *small* ascii char.
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
(setq switch-window-shortcut-appearance 'asciiart)
#+END_EXAMPLE
[[./snapshots/switch-window-3.png]]
*** I want to use image or icon as label.
1. Prepare your label images, rename them to:
1.png ... 9.png, a.png ... z.png.
You can use other image types supported by
Emacs, please see: `image-types'.
2. Put all above images to directory:
`switch-window-image-directory'.
3. Set variable: `switch-window-shortcut-appearance'
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
(setq switch-window-shortcut-appearance 'image)
#+END_EXAMPLE
[[./snapshots/switch-window-2.png]]
*** `switch-window-shortcut-appearance' can't satisfy my need. how to do?
All you should do is hacking you own label buffer function,
for example: my-switch-window-label-buffer-function, and set
the below variable:
#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
(setq switch-window-label-buffer-function
'my-switch-window-label-buffer-function)
#+END_EXAMPLE
*** Have any other similar package exist?
- [[https://github.com/abo-abo/ace-window][ace-window]]
** Changelog
*** 1.6.0 - 2018-06-06
1. Add switch-window-label face to control the appearance of label.
2. Remove `switch-window-increase', use switch-window-label face instead.
3. Show orig text with label: see `switch-window-background'
4. Switch between frames: see `switch-window-multiple-frames'
5. [incompatible] `switch-window-label-buffer-function''s arguments have changed,
user should update when use it.
*** 1.5.0 - 2017-04-29
- Implement commands:
1. switch-window-then-maximize
2. switch-window-then-delete
3. switch-window-then-split-below
4. switch-window-then-split-right
5. switch-window-then-split-horizontally
6. switch-window-then-split-vertically
7. switch-window-then-swap-buffer
- Let switch-window work well with Exwm (Emacs X window manager).
- User can customize switch-window label's appearance.
*** 1.0.0 - 2015-01-14
- Please fixme.
*** 0.11 - 2013-09-14
- restore point to end-of-buffer for windows where it was the case after
switching, fixing an anoying bug.
*** 0.10 - 2011-06-19
- implement M-x delete-other-window (thanks developernotes on github)
*** 0.9 - 2010-11-11 - emacs22 called, it wants some support
- implement a propertize based hack to support emacs22
*** 0.8 - 2010-09-13 - 999
- Suport more than 9 windows (with a single key to type)
- Use quail-keyboard-layout to choose single key labels for windows
*** 0.7 - 2010-08-23 - window-dedicated-p
- temporarily unset the window dedicated flag for displaying the
numbers, patch from René Kyllingstad
- fix timeout and RET handling wrt to not changing window selection
*** 0.6 - 2010-08-12 - *Minibuf-1*
- add support for selecting the minibuffer when it's active
- some try at a better horizontal centering
- assorted cleanup
*** 0.5 - 2010-08-08 - Polishing
- dim:switch-window-increase is now a maximum value