RE: special buffer frames again

[Drew Adams]

> I'm working out the bumps in setting up my special buffer frames. So
> far so good, except: if I c-x c-f to load a file, hit tab, the
> completions frame opens up. However, after selecting the completion I
> want, the window minimizes itself, and stays minimized for subsequent
> calls to the special frame. With fluxbox, this means I can't see the
> window without selecting its icon from the toolbar, which is awkward
> with keyboard shortcuts, and basically requires me to use the
> mouse.
>
> This also affects help windows. For example, if I c-h v, then use
> completions to select the variable I want to see, and then exit the
> help window with q, I end up with a completions frame and a help
> frame, both minimized on the toolbar. They update themselves with
> subsequent calls to help or completions, but don't restore themselves
> to be visible when they do so.
>
> If I c-x k the special frame it dies nicely, and when it is up I can
> m-tab back and forth between the special buffer and the main emacs
> frame as I want to.
>
> How can I have this buffer either stay up or delete itself when I'm
> done with it?
>
> I'm running emacs21 on debian lenny with fluxbox. I've tried
> window-dedicated-p, without effect, but couldn't find any other
> variables that looked helpful.

I hate to say it, but this is a general problem with Emacs, IMO. Emacs is
not very frames friendly, especially when it comes to displaying buffers
that it traditionally thinks of as "temporary". My impression is that those
who design and test Emacs generally do not test much using `pop-up-frames' =
t (separate frames), and they tend to use functions such as `bury-buffer' to
end use of a temporary window. The result, when you use frames, is
iconification of frames and other uglinesses, when all you want is for the
frame to be deleted.

I use `pop-up-frames' = t, and I've tweaked a number of Emacs primitives and
other basic functions to try to make things work better with frames. I've
used these tweaks for many years, and I think they take care of the problems
you describe, but I don't claim that everything is perfect. If you are
interested, either to try my code or to use it as inspiration for your own
tweaks, here are some links:

Doc: http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/OneOnOneEmacs
Code: http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/oneonone.el

If you don't want to take a look, at least keep this in mind: You will
probably need to redirect the focus of the frame that displays *Completions*
to the frame that has your minibuffer. That won't help your minimization
problems, but it will help with possible focus problems during completion.

HTH.