24.4 Displaying in Another Window

C-x 4 is a prefix key for commands that select another window (splitting the window if there is only one) and select a buffer in that window. Different C-x 4 commands have different ways of finding the buffer to select.

C-x 4 b bufname <RET>

Select buffer bufname in another window. This runs switch-to-buffer-other-window.

C-x 4 C-o bufname <RET>

Display buffer bufname in another window, but don't select that buffer or that window. This runs display-buffer.

C-x 4 f filename <RET>

Visit file filename and select its buffer in another window. This runs find-file-other-window. See Visiting.

C-x 4 d directory <RET>

Select a Dired buffer for directory directory in another window. This runs dired-other-window. See Dired.

C-x 4 m

Start composing a mail message in another window. This runs mail-other-window; its same-window analogue is C-x m (see Sending Mail).

C-x 4 .

Find a tag in the current tags table, in another window. This runs find-tag-other-window, the multiple-window variant of M-. (see Tags).

C-x 4 r filename <RET>

Visit file filename read-only, and select its buffer in another window. This runs find-file-read-only-other-window. See Visiting.

By default, these commands split the window vertically when there is only one. You can customize the variables split-height-threshold and split-width-threshold to split the window horizontally instead.