sticky-scroll-mode

Sticky scroll mode is a minor mode to enable sticky scrolling in any buffer, language agnostic. If you'd prefer not to have a live sticky scroll window, and would rather have a temporary popup, you can use sticky-scroll-popup to briefly show the outer, offscreen context.

Example

Installation

You can install with MELPA

Melpa setup

(require 'package)
(add-to-list 'package-archives '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/") t)

Sticky scroll

(require 'sticky-scroll-mode)

use-package

(use-package sticky-scroll-mode
  :ensure t
  ;; example hook
  :hook
  (prog-mode . sticky-scroll-mode))

Usage

Sticky scroll window

The package exposes the sticky-scroll--max-window-height which can be thought of as "the max number of outer contexts shown". If the sticky scroll buffer has more lines than sticky-scroll--max-window-height, only the last sticky-scroll--max-window-height are shown. Otherwise, the sticky window shows all lines.

Example

An outer context of:

A {
  B {
    C {

with a sticky-scroll--max-window-height of 2 will show:

  B {
    C {

sticky-scroll-popup

Pop up the sticky window until you do another command (moving, typing, etc.)

Compatible with C-u N, it will invoke the window as if sticky-scroll--max-window-height is set to N.

Approach

Uses an indentation approach, to find offscreen lines that are levels of indentation lower than the current point.

This works surprising well and quickly.