Balance and Equalize Windows in Emacs

The ability to split emacs windows is highly useful, whether you are using it to view related information in the same window or others. However, after the initial 50-50 split, splitting again will result in 50-25-25, 50-12.5-12.5-12.5-12.5, etc; this becomes unsightly quickly. The solution is the `balance-windows` command, bound by default to C-x++. This equalizes the sizes of all windows, without you needing to reach for the mouse to drag window boundaries.

I frequently split my windows in order to keep track of where I’m reading/editing while consulting something earlier on in the window. It’s the equivalent of keeping a finger in place on a paper page. Of course, it’s also useful if you want an IDE-like environment with complementary information in differing splits. In this case, also be sure to check out winner-mode, which allows you to rapidly recover/navigate between differing window setups.