kakoune/doc/pages/buffers.asciidoc

= Buffers

== Commands

To open buffers or navigate through the buffers list see
<<commands#files-and-buffers,`:doc commands files-and-buffers`>>.

== Scratch Buffers

Scratch buffers are useful for volatile data and quick prototyping.
They are not linked to files.

One particular scratch buffer, named *\*scratch*\*, is automatically
created when there are no other buffers left in the current
session. (which is also the case at Kakoune's startup when no files to
open have been provided)

A scratch buffer can be created by passing the `-scratch` switch to the
`:edit` command.

== Debug Buffers

Debug buffers are used to gather diagnostics. They are not accessible
while cycling over the buffers list.

A specific *\*debug*\* buffer is used by Kakoune to write errors or
warnings.  This is also where the ouput of the `:debug` and the `:echo
-debug` commands will land.

A scratch buffer can be created by passing the `-debug` switch to the
`:edit` command.

== FIFO Buffers

The `:edit` command can take a `-fifo` switch:

---------------------------------------------
:edit -fifo <filename> [-scroll] <buffername>
---------------------------------------------

In this case, a buffer named `<buffername>` is created which reads
its content from the fifo (also called "named pipe") `<filename>`.
When the fifo is written to, the buffer is automatically updated.

If the `-scroll` switch is specified, the window displaying the buffer
will scroll so that the newest data is always visible.

This is very useful for running some commands asynchronously while
displaying their result in a buffer. See `rc/make.kak` and `rc/grep.kak`
for examples.

When the buffer is deleted, the fifo will be closed, so any program
writing to it will receive `SIGPIPE`. This is useful as it permits to
stop the writing program when the buffer is deleted.