Emacs: Fullscreen vs Multiple Windows

Full Screen Emacs Workflow

The fullscreen workflow is not efficient because:

• You have to constantly fix your carefully crafted split-windows config. Because, any emacs output such as Alt+x describe-function will often disrupt it.
• You also have to keep vigil on which file shows in which pane.

There are various packages that help you restore your split-panes config. 〔see Emacs: Save Split Windows Configuration〕 But they just add more work to your fingers.

Multi-Window Emacs Workflow

A much better workflow, is multiple windows. (aka multiple emacs frames)

When you start emacs, create 2 windows (aka emacs frames) side-by-side.

In this workflow, you control windows, not split-panes.

It's better because:

• The operating system provides much more powerful commands and keys to control window position and size.
• Emacs never changes your window size or position as side-effects of commands.
• Now you can split/unsplit panes in emacs for many purposes, such as viewing different parts of the same file. Your workflow is now not dependent on the exact split-pane config.
• Now you can exploit creating new windows (aka new emacs frame) just for working on a sub-task, then close it when done.

2014-05-26 This essay is originally inspired from a blog by Jon Snader (aka jcs) about ace-windows mode, see: http://irreal.org/blog/?p=2699