Emacs : Open buffer in vertical split by default

Question

I am very very new to emacs. I want something like this. Every time I open a new buffer, it should split current winodow vertically. How should I change .emacs file. Please provide some pointers.

What do you mean? When Emacs opens, it has a specific buffer opened up, vertically split? Or when you open a specific buffer, it splits vertically? Or something else. — zck
@Robin Green is correct. I like the emacs-startup-hook because it gives me more control over the location where it appears inside my user configuration files: (add-hook 'emacs-startup-hook (lambda () (split-window-right) )) . And, of course, you have all the options in the world to put inside it -- e.g, split-window-vertically; split-window-horizontally; do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around . . ., etc. — lawlist
Please specify exactly how you normally "open a new buffer" so that we can understand the exact result you want to achieve -- i.e., what are the exact steps that you take when "opening a new buffer". For example, are you using something like (find-file "foo.txt") or (get-buffer-create "foo.txt")? Also, do you want one window on the left and one window on the right? Or, do you want one window on top, and one window on bottom? And which window do you want your new buffer to appear in -- top, bottom, left, or right? And what do you want to appear in the other window? — lawlist
Also, what happens when you already have two windows open and you open a new buffer? Do you want 3 windows or 4 windows total, or do you want the new buffer to take over an existing window -- if so, what window should it take over -- left, right, top or bottom -- and what buffer should appear in the other window when opening a new buffer? There are quite a few options based upon your personal preferences. — lawlist

Robin Green Robin Green · Accepted Answer · 2013-11-23T21:13:15

You know that you can do this manually with C-x 3 right? So we can use this fact to learn how to add the command to do this to .emacs.

We just need to find out what the function is. So let's do C-h k C-x 3 to find the help for C-x 3. That shows:

C-x 3 runs the command split-window-right, which is an interactive compiled Lisp function in `window.el'.

So, open .emacs (C-x C-f ~/.emacs), go to the end of the file and add:

(split-window-right)

Then save the file, restart emacs and it should work. I just tested it.

Emacs : Open buffer in vertical split by default

4 Answers