Emacs: Open File Fast 👎

By Xah Lee. Date: 2013-01-01. Last updated: 2022-06-20.

2022-05-16

Page Obsolete

Note: this function xah-open-file-fast is now obsolete.

In Emacs 28 (Released 2022-04) , use bookmark-jump, and turn on Emacs: fido-mode (Minibuffer Name Completion)

Open File Fast from Bookmark

Here's a command that lets you open file fast by a fuzzy completion on file names in your bookmark.

First, you need to add files you use frequently to emacs bookmark. 〔see Emacs: Bookmark〕

Put the following in your emacs init file.

(defun xah-open-file-fast ()
  "Prompt to open a file from bookmark `bookmark-bmenu-list'.
This command is similar to `bookmark-jump', but use `ido-mode' interface, and ignore cursor position in bookmark.

URL `http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/emacs_hotkey_open_file_fast.html'
Version 2013-01-01 2022-05-16"
  (interactive)
  (require 'ido)
  (require 'bookmark)
  (bookmark-maybe-load-default-file)
  (let ((xbookmark
         (ido-completing-read "Open bookmark:" (mapcar (lambda (x) (car x)) bookmark-alist))))
    (find-file (bookmark-get-filename xbookmark))))

Alt+x xah-open-file-fast, then it will prompt with real-time name completion as you type.

Give this command a easy key, such as F8. 〔see Emacs Keys: Define Key〕

For best efficiency, add a unique digit or 2 letter sequence in front of each bookmark file name you use frequently, so that opening a file is just 3 keystrokes, for example, emacs blog can be eb emacs blog, so you can just type F8 e b Enter to open it.

Why ignore bookmarked cursor position?

emacs bookmark also records cursor position.
when you open bookmark with bookmark-jump, it goes to the bookmarked cursor position.
However, that may not be what you want. You want the last cursor position when you closed the file.
For example, when the file is a blog. You constantly edit it. The bookmarked position will be off. So, each time you open it with bookmark, you'll have to move cursor back to a proper position. Annoying.

So, now xah-open-file-fast ignores the position in bookmark.

Note, you should have save-place-mode on. It saves last cursor position. 〔see Emacs Init: Save Cursor Position〕