Emacs: Open Last Closed File 📜

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

This page shows a command to open last closed file.

put this in your Emacs Init File:

(defcustom xah-recently-closed-buffers-max 40 "The maximum length for `xah-recently-closed-buffers'."
  :type 'integer)

(defvar xah-recently-closed-buffers nil "A Alist of recently closed buffers.
Each element is (bufferName . filePath).
The max number to track is controlled by the variable `xah-recently-closed-buffers-max'.")

(defun xah-add-to-recently-closed (&optional BufferName BufferFileName)
  "Add to `xah-recently-closed-buffers'.
Version: 2023-03-02"
  (let ((xbn (if BufferName BufferName (buffer-name)))
        (xbfn (if BufferFileName BufferFileName buffer-file-name)))
    (setq xah-recently-closed-buffers (cons (cons xbn xbfn) xah-recently-closed-buffers)))
  (when (> (length xah-recently-closed-buffers) xah-recently-closed-buffers-max)
    (setq xah-recently-closed-buffers (butlast xah-recently-closed-buffers 1))))

(defvar xah-create-buffer-backup nil "If true, `xah-close-current-buffer' creates a backup file when closing non-file buffer. Version: 2024-11-09")

(setq xah-create-buffer-backup t)

(defvar xah-temp-dir-path nil "Path to temp dir used by xah commands.
by default, the value is dir named temp at `user-emacs-directory'.
Version: 2023-03-21")

(setq xah-temp-dir-path (concat user-emacs-directory "temp/"))

(defun xah-open-last-closed ()
  "Open the last closed file.
URL `http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/elisp_close_buffer_open_last_closed.html'
Created: 2016-06-19
Version: 2022-03-22"
  (interactive)
  (if (> (length xah-recently-closed-buffers) 0)
      (find-file (cdr (pop xah-recently-closed-buffers)))
    (progn (message "No recently close buffer in this session."))))

(defun xah-open-recently-closed ()
  "Open recently closed file.
Prompt for a choice.

URL `http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/elisp_close_buffer_open_last_closed.html'
Created: 2016-06-19
Version: 2023-09-19"
  (interactive)
  (find-file
   (let ((completion-ignore-case t))
     (completing-read
      "Open:"
      (mapcar (lambda (f) (cdr f)) xah-recently-closed-buffers)
      nil t
      ))))

(defun xah-list-recently-closed ()
  "List recently closed file.

URL `http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/elisp_close_buffer_open_last_closed.html'
Version: 2016-06-19"
  (interactive)
  (let ((xbuf (generate-new-buffer "*recently closed*")))
    (switch-to-buffer xbuf)
    (mapc (lambda (xf) (insert (cdr xf) "\n"))
          xah-recently-closed-buffers)))

(defun xah-close-current-buffer ()
  "Close the current buffer with possible backup.

• If the buffer is a file and not modified, kill it. If is modified, do nothing. Print a message.
• If the buffer is not a file, and variable `xah-create-buffer-backup' is true, then save a backup to `xah-temp-dir-path' named untitled_‹datetime›_‹randomhex›.txt.

If `universal-argument' is called first, call `kill-buffer'. (this is useful to force kill.)

If the buffer is a file, add the path to the list `xah-recently-closed-buffers'.

URL `http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/elisp_close_buffer_open_last_closed.html'
Created: 2016-06-19
Version: 2025-04-13"
  (interactive)
  (widen)
  (cond
   (current-prefix-arg (kill-buffer))
   ;; ((eq major-mode 'minibuffer-inactive-mode) (minibuffer-keyboard-quit))
   ;; ((active-minibuffer-window) (minibuffer-keyboard-quit))
   ((minibufferp (current-buffer)) (minibuffer-keyboard-quit))

   ((eq major-mode 'dired-mode)
    (xah-add-to-recently-closed (buffer-name) default-directory)
    (kill-buffer))

   ((and buffer-file-name (not (buffer-modified-p)))
    (xah-add-to-recently-closed (buffer-name) buffer-file-name)
    (kill-buffer))

   ((and buffer-file-name (buffer-modified-p))
    (message "buffer file modified. Save it first.\n%s" buffer-file-name))
   ((and xah-create-buffer-backup (not buffer-file-name) (xah-user-buffer-p) (not (eq (point-max) 1)))
    (let ((xnewName (format "%suntitled_%s_%x.txt"
                            xah-temp-dir-path
                            (format-time-string "%Y-%m-%d_%H%M%S")
                            (random #xfffff))))
      (when (not (file-exists-p xah-temp-dir-path)) (make-directory xah-temp-dir-path))
      (write-region (point-min) (point-max) xnewName)
      (xah-add-to-recently-closed (buffer-name) xnewName)
      (kill-buffer)))
   (t (kill-buffer))))

Give these commands keys:

〔see Emacs Keys: Define Key〕