Re: Allow controlling the effect of visibility on buffer switching

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
> Cc: Thuna <thuna.cing@gmail.com>,  Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>,
>   emacs-devel@gnu.org
> Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2022 19:31:06 -0500
> 
> I think this discussion would benefit from a more constructive argument
> than habit.  Can you describe use cases where `C-x b`s current default
> is indeed the one the user wants yet it is not the last buffer (because
> the last buffer is already visible elsewhere)?

I can: when I mistakenly display (or cause Emacs to display) a buffer
in the wrong window/frame.  Then the fix is:

   . C-x b RET
   . go to the "correct" window/frame
   . C-x b RET

> - Users in group A arrange to (almost always) have one one window
>   displaying a given buffer.  In that case, they probably won't want to
>   `C-x b` to an already visible buffer (which suggests the current code
>   is right for them) *BUT* it also means that the "last buffer" is most
>   likely not visible either (since it would mean that this last buffer
>   was (back then) visible in two windows).
>   So for those users, either behavior will usually give the same result.
> 
> - Users in group B OTOH do take advantage of Emacs's (maybe not unique,
>   but somewhat unusual) ability to display the same buffer is several
>   windows at the same time.  For them it's just as likely they'll want
>   to use `C-x b` to display an already displayed buffer as any other.
>   For these users, the current behavior may be harmful since it just
>   makes it harder for them to predict what `C-x b`s default will be.

I'm in group B, but as I said earlier "C-x b M-n M-n" does the job
nicely, and the "C-x b"s default is important in some use cases.  (I
think in general disregarding the M-n/M-p history features in this
discussion makes it lopsided.)