Do not change/set `switchbuf=useopen`

[blueyed]

It gets set using setlocal, but is a global setting.

https://github.com/fs111/pydoc.vim/blob/master/ftplugin/python_pydoc.vim#L120

[fs111]

we could guard it with a config setting, which is on by default for backwards compatibility. Do you feel like giving that a try?

[blueyed]

I would not add a config option for this: after all this is a config that the user is meant to make (globally).

If it was particular useful in special cases, it could be set/changed using a FileType autocommand for example. The docs could mention how to do this and provide a link to this setting's documentation.

An idea might be to use autocommands to override it when the user enters a pydoc buffer (and restore it), but that's probably not worth it.

[fs111]

It has been like this for roughly 12 years, so it should be backwards compatible IMO

[blueyed]

It has been like this for roughly 12 years, so it should be backwards compatible IMO

You have a point there, but I would consider it to be just an old bug then, especially given that it uses setlocal, while it's a global setting.

It took me quite some effort back then to figure out that pydoc was changing this setting, and I think that more users are being annoyed by this than being helped.

Adding a setting for this just feels wrong, but you could start with the following patch:

diff --git i/ftplugin/python_pydoc.vim w/ftplugin/python_pydoc.vim
index 88d1ebd..f19f7fa 100644
--- i/ftplugin/python_pydoc.vim
+++ w/ftplugin/python_pydoc.vim
@@ -117,7 +117,12 @@ if !exists('g:pydoc_open_cmd')
     let g:pydoc_open_cmd = 'split'
 endif

-setlocal switchbuf=useopen
+" Override `switchbuf` setting by default, unless g:pydoc_no_switchbuf is
+" provided.
+if !exists('g:pydoc_no_switchbuf')
+    set switchbuf=useopen
+endif
+
 highlight pydoc cterm=reverse gui=reverse

 function! s:GetWindowLine(value)

I have just removed this line locally.