This is a generalization of an idea by Mickey Petersen of masteringemacs fame: Use one keystroke to jump from a code buffer to the corresponding repl buffer and back again. This works even if you do other stuff in between, as the last buffer used to jump to a repl is stored in a buffer local variable in the repl buffer. `repl-toggle-mode` will automatically be activated for `prog-mode` major modes and configured and the started repl-buffers. There are no repl/mode combinations preconfigured, put something like the following in your emacs setup for php and elisp repl: (setq rtog/fullscreen t) (require 'repl-toggle) (setq rtog/mode-repl-alist '((php-mode . php-boris) (emacs-lisp-mode . ielm))) This defines a global minor mode, indicated with 'rt' in the modeline, that grabs "C-c C-z" as repl toggling key-binding. I don't know with which repl modes this actually works. If you use this mode, please tell me your ~rtog/mode-repl-alist~, so that I can update the documentation. ** ~pop~ or ~switch~: ~rtog/goto-buffer-fun~ Emacs -- of course -- has more than one function to switch between buffers. You can customize ~rtog/goto-buffer-fun~ to accommodate your needs. The default is ~switch-to-buffer~; to move focus to another frame that already shows the other buffer, instead of switching the current frame to it, use ~pop-to-buffer~. (setq rtog/goto-buffer-fun 'pop-to-buffer) ** Configurations known to work - ~(php-mode . psysh)~ - ~(emacs-lisp-mode . ielm)~ - ~(elixir-mode . elixir-mode-iex)~ - ~(ruby-mode . inf-ruby)~ - ~(js2-mode . nodejs-repl)~ and ~(js3-mode . nodejs-repl)~ *** Switch to shell buffer If the mode you want to use doesn't jump to an existing repl-buffer, but always starts a new one, you can use `rtog/switch-to-shell-buffer' in your configuration to get that behaviour, e.g. for `octave-mode': (rtog/add-repl 'octave-mode (rtog/switch-to-shell-buffer 'inferior-octave-buffer 'inferior-octave)) ** Pass code at point to the REPL When you supply the universal prefix argument to the switching function, - C-u passes the current line or active region - C-u C-u passes the current defun - C-u C-u C-u passes the whole current buffer to the repl buffer you switch to. ** fullscreen REPL If you set =rtog/fullscreen= to true, the repl-commands will be executed fullscreen, i.e. as single frame, restoring the window-layout on switching back to the originating buffer. (setq rtog/fullscreen t)~ ** Fallback REPL function The custom variable =rtog/fallback-repl= can be customized with a function; this function will be called if no REPL is associated with the current buffers major mode.