What is the role of the buried-buffer-list frame parameter in Emacs

Question

In emacs, I've read the following code snippet in simple.el :

(frame-parameter frame 'buried-buffer-list)

What is the exact meaning of buried-buffer-list parameter ? What it is used for ?

Answer 1

The result of M-x describe function RET frame-parameter is

frame-parameter is a built-in function.

(frame-parameter FRAME PARAMETER)

Return FRAME's value for parameter PARAMETER. If FRAME is nil, describe the currently selected frame.

Also, have a look in the Elisp info manual for the node called 'Frame/Frame Parameters". There isn't a specific reference to 'buried-buffer-list that I could find.

You might be able to get the same thing by doing

(cdr (frame-parameter FRAME 'buffer-list))

since a "buried buffer" is just a buffer in the list that isn't at the top.

Answer 2

A quick look at http://www.update.uu.se/~ams/slask/emacs/src/frame.h returns:

List of buffers that were viewed, then buried in this frame.  The
most recently buried buffer is first.

So in theory you can use cdr to obtain the same list as Ben Collins said.