Question: can the window layout be preserved

[edkolev]

Hi, this package seems useful to me, thanks for sharing it through melpa.

Would it be possible to preserve the window layout? I would imagine the following workflow: after dumb-diff-set-region-as-buffer1 and dumb-diff-set-region-as-buffer2 are executed, a new window is created below (now windows get closed). Maybe the *Dumb Diff - 1* and *Dumb Diff - 2* windows become unnecessary, and the original windows can be used instead of these temporary windows.

[jacktasia]

Hi, thanks for the question!

Would it be possible to preserve the window layout?

Absolutely, I was actually just looking at the code for the built-in winner-mode for preserving my editing layout when I switch to dumb-diff and back.

I would imagine the following workflow: after dumb-diff-set-region-as-buffer1 and dumb-diff-set-region-as-buffer2 are executed, a new window is created below (now windows get closed). Maybe the Dumb Diff - 1 and Dumb Diff - 2 windows become unnecessary, and the original windows can be used instead of these temporary windows.

Thanks for sharing this. This makes a ton of sense. I will definitely be supporting this as either an option when calling dumb-diff or as its own interactive function (maybe something like dumb-diff-result-only).

[edkolev]

Nice!

Maybe this will be of help for restoring the window layout https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/elisp/Window-Configurations.html

I guess you'll need a dumb-diff-quit command which will restore the layout.

[jacktasia]

@edkolev First attempt at this (#3) is now available via MELPA. Please let me know if you have any feedback. Thanks!

[edkolev]

Hm, could you let me know in what order the commands 1. dumb-diff, 2. dumb-diff-set-region-as-buffer1, 3. dumb-diff-set-region-as-buffer2 should be executed?

This order of commands does it for me: 2, 3, 1, then dumb-diff-quit correctly restores the previous layout.

I would suggest that dumb-diff interactively prompts for 1 or 2 buffers in case dumb-diff-set-region-as-buffer1 / 2 hasn't been called yet.

Here's a small example (I haven't tested it) which always prompts for 2 buffers:

(defun dumb-diff (buf-a buf-b)
  (interactive
   (let* ((buffer-a
           (get-buffer
            (read-buffer
             "Buffer 1: " (current-buffer))))
          (get-buffer
           (read-buffer
            (format "[Buffer 1 %s] Buffer 2: " buffer-a)
            (window-buffer (next-window (selected-window) nil 0)))))
     (list buffer-a buffer-b)))
  ...
  )

The above snippet is copied and modified from vdiff

Regarding the implementation, here's a simple way to store the layout: https://github.com/LouisKottmann/zygospore.el/blob/master/zygospore.el#L50

And then restore it: https://github.com/LouisKottmann/zygospore.el/blob/master/zygospore.el#L55

Hope you don't mind the brain dump above, just shared some raw ideas :)

Regarding this specific issue #2, seems like it can be closed.

[edkolev]

One more thing: this snippet will bind C-c q globally:

(use-package dumb-diff
  :bind (("C-c d" . dumb-diff)
         ("C-c 1" . dumb-diff-set-region-as-buffer1)
         ("C-c 2" . dumb-diff-set-region-as-buffer2)
         ("C-c q" . dumb-diff-quit))
  :ensure t)

Would be better to bind dumb-diff-quit only when the minor mode is enabled (again, untested snippet):

(use-package dumb-diff
  :bind (("C-c d" . dumb-diff)
         ("C-c 1" . dumb-diff-set-region-as-buffer1)
         ("C-c 2" . dumb-diff-set-region-as-buffer2)
         :map dumb-diff-mode-map
         ("C-c q" . dumb-diff-quit))
  :ensure t)

[jacktasia]

Hm, could you let me know in what order the commands 1. dumb-diff, 2. dumb-diff-set-region-as-buffer1, 3. dumb-diff-set-region-as-buffer2 should be executed?

So for this case 2,3,1 or 3,2,1 should work.

I would suggest that dumb-diff interactively prompts for 1 or 2 buffers in case dumb-diff-set-region-as-buffer1 / 2 hasn't been called yet.

Thanks for this! I think I'll make this be an option (maybe (setq dumb-diff-prompt-for-empty-buffers t)?) because I want to keep it simple so if a novice calls dumb-diff they get a UI they can interact with immediately.

Regarding the implementation, here's a simple way to store the layout: [...]

Thanks again! Any idea if this is better than the current-window-configuration/set-window-configuration I am doing now?

Hope you don't mind the brain dump above, just shared some raw ideas :)

I don't mind at all. I really appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

One more thing: this snippet will bind C-c q globally

I was trying to keep it simple to illustrate usage (I am personally using a more complicated hydra), but you're right I should update it for anyone that blindly copies stuff.

[edkolev]

Any idea if this is better than the current-window-configuration/set-window-configuration I am doing now?

No, I'm not aware of the differences.

Here's a vim plugin which is similar to dumb-diff https://github.com/AndrewRadev/linediff.vim

It's main usage is: run :Linediff on two regions, then the "diff mode layout" is enabled. Just FYI