GNU ELPA - bufferlo

This gives you separate buffer lists per frame and per (tab-bar) tab.

Bufferlo is a lightweight wrapper around Emacs's buffer-list frame parameter. In contrast to similar solutions, it integrates seamlessly with the standard frame and tab management facilities, including undeletion of frame and tabs, tab duplication and moving, frame cloning, and persisting sessions (via desktop.el).

A buffer is added to the local buffer list when it is displayed in the frame/tab (e.g., by opening a new file in the tab or by switching to the buffer from the global buffer list). In addition, bufferlo provides functions that allow the manipulation of the local buffer list. Bufferlo does not touch the global buffer list or the existing buffer-management facilities. Use the equivalent bufferlo variants to work with the frame/tab local buffer list.

The packages frame-bufs (unmaintained) and beframe provide similar functionality, but only at the frame level, without support for tabs and desktop.el.

You may also have a look at full workspace solutions like bufler (automatic rule-based workspace management and buffer grouping) or perspective (comprehensive workspace isolation, workspace merging, workspace persistence). They work quite differently than bufferlo.

1. Installation

Bufferlo is available in GNU ELPA. Install it via package-install and enable bufferlo-mode:

(bufferlo-mode 1)

Or use use-package:

(use-package bufferlo
 :ensure t
 :config
 (bufferlo-mode 1))

2. Usage

Use the bufferlo buffer-list commands as an alternative to the respective global commands:

bufferlo-switch-to-buffer: The switch-to-buffer command filtered for local buffers. Call it with the prefix argument to get the global list (all buffers).
bufferlo-ibuffer: ibuffer filtered for local buffers. Alternatively, use "/ l" in ibuffer.
bufferlo-ibuffer-orphans: ibuffer filtered for orphan buffers. Orphan buffers are buffers that are not in any frame/tab's local buffer list. Alternatively, use "/ L" in ibuffer.
bufferlo-list-buffers: Display a list of local buffers in a buffer-menu buffer.
bufferlo-list-orphan-buffers: Display a list of orphan buffers in a buffer-menu buffer. Orphan buffers are buffers that are not in any frame/tab's local buffer list.

Bufferlo provides functions to manage the local buffer lists:

bufferlo-clear: Clear the frame/tab's buffer list.
bufferlo-remove: Remove a buffer from the frame/tab's buffer list.
bufferlo-remove-non-exclusive-buffers Remove all buffers from the local list that are not exclusive to this frame/tab.
bufferlo-bury: Bury and remove the current buffer from the frame/tab's buffer list.
bufferlo-kill-buffers: Kill all buffers from the local list.
bufferlo-kill-orphan-buffers: Kill all buffers that are not in any local list.
bufferlo-delete-frame-kill-buffers: Delete the frame and kill all its local buffers.
bufferlo-tab-close-kill-buffers: Close the tab and kill all its local buffers.
bufferlo-isolate-project: Isolate a project in the frame or tab.
bufferlo-find-buffer: Switch to (one of) the frame/tab that contains the buffer in its local list.
bufferlo-find-buffer-switch: Switch to (one of) the frame/tab that contains the buffer in its local list, and select the buffer.

2.1. Consult Integration

You can integrate bufferlo with consult-buffer.

This is an example configuration:

(defvar my-consult--source-buffer
  `(:name "Other Buffers"
    :narrow   ?b
    :category buffer
    :face     consult-buffer
    :history  buffer-name-history
    :state    ,#'consult--buffer-state
    :items ,(lambda () (consult--buffer-query
			:predicate #'bufferlo-non-local-buffer-p
			:sort 'visibility
			:as #'buffer-name)))
    "Non-local buffer candidate source for `consult-buffer'.")

(defvar my-consult--source-local-buffer
  `(:name "Local Buffers"
    :narrow   ?l
    :category buffer
    :face     consult-buffer
    :history  buffer-name-history
    :state    ,#'consult--buffer-state
    :default  t
    :items ,(lambda () (consult--buffer-query
			:predicate #'bufferlo-local-buffer-p
			:sort 'visibility
			:as #'buffer-name)))
    "Local buffer candidate source for `consult-buffer'.")

(setq consult-buffer-sources '(consult--source-hidden-buffer
			       my-consult--source-local-buffer
			       my-consult--source-buffer
			       ;; ... other sources ...
			       ))

Fig.1: All buffers are shown; the local buffers are grouped separately.

You can also configure consult-buffer to hide the non-local buffers by default:

(defvar my-consult--source-buffer
  `(:name "All Buffers"
    :narrow   ?a
    :hidden   t
    :category buffer
    :face     consult-buffer
    :history  buffer-name-history
    :state    ,#'consult--buffer-state
    :items ,(lambda () (consult--buffer-query
			:sort 'visibility
			:as #'buffer-name)))
  "All buffer candidate source for `consult-buffer'.")

(defvar my-consult--source-local-buffer
  `(:name nil
    :narrow   ?b
    :category buffer
    :face     consult-buffer
    :history  buffer-name-history
    :state    ,#'consult--buffer-state
    :default  t
    :items ,(lambda () (consult--buffer-query
			:predicate #'bufferlo-local-buffer-p
			:sort 'visibility
			:as #'buffer-name)))
  "Local buffer candidate source for `consult-buffer'.")

(setq consult-buffer-sources '(consult--source-hidden-buffer
			       my-consult--source-buffer
			       my-consult--source-local-buffer
			       ;; ... other sources ...
			       ))

Fig.2: By entering 'a'+<space>, the global buffer list is shown ("All Buffers").

A good alternative is to bind space to "All Buffers" (via :narrow 32). By default, space is used for hidden buffers (consult--source-hidden-buffer). If you still need the hidden buffer list, you can make a new source for it, for example, with period as the narrowing key (:narrow ?.).

2.2. Ivy Integration

You can also integrate bufferlo with ivy.

(defun ivy-bufferlo-switch-buffer ()
  "Switch to another local buffer.
If the prefix arument is given, include all buffers."
    (interactive)
    (if current-prefix-arg
	(ivy-switch-buffer)
      (ivy-read "Switch to local buffer: " #'internal-complete-buffer
		:predicate (lambda (b) (bufferlo-local-buffer-p (cdr b)))
		:keymap ivy-switch-buffer-map
		:preselect (buffer-name (other-buffer (current-buffer)))
		:action #'ivy--switch-buffer-action
		:matcher #'ivy--switch-buffer-matcher
		:caller 'ivy-switch-buffer)))

2.3. Initial Buffer

By default, the currently active buffer is shown in a newly created tab, so this buffer inevitably ends up in the new tab's local list. You can change the initial buffer by customizing tab-bar-new-tab-choice:

(setq tab-bar-new-tab-choice "*scratch*")

This lets new tabs always start with the scratch buffer.

You can also create a local scratch buffer for each tab:

(setq tab-bar-new-tab-choice #'bufferlo-create-local-scratch-buffer)

You can customize the name of the local scratch buffers by setting bufferlo-local-scratch-buffer-name accordingly.

The same can be achieved for new frames. Use this to set the scratch buffer as the initial buffer for new frames:

(add-hook 'after-make-frame-functions #'bufferlo-switch-to-scratch-buffer)

Alternatively, create a new local scratch buffer for new frames:

(add-hook 'after-make-frame-functions #'bufferlo-switch-to-local-scratch-buffer)

Of course, you can also set an arbitrary buffer as the initial frame buffer:

(defun my-set-initial-frame-buffer (frame)
  (with-selected-frame frame
    (switch-to-buffer "<BUFFER_NAME>")))
(add-hook 'after-make-frame-functions #'my-set-initial-frame-buffer)

bufferlo-0.4.tar.lz	2023-Nov-19	10.5 KiB
bufferlo-0.3.tar.lz	2023-Nov-11	8.96 KiB
bufferlo-0.2.tar.lz	2023-Nov-05	34.8 KiB

GNU ELPA - bufferlo

bufferlo

Full description

1. Installation

2. Usage

2.1. Consult Integration

2.2. Ivy Integration

2.3. Initial Buffer

Old versions