Company mode for completion and prompting

(use-package company
  :ensure t
  :init
  (global-company-mode t)
  :config
  (setq company-idle-delay 0.3)
  :bind (:map company-active-map)
  ("C-n" . company-select-next)
  ("C-p" . company-select-previous))

Highlight Parentheses mode for highlighting matching parentheses up 6 levels in depth

(use-package highlight-parentheses
  :ensure t
  :init
  (global-highlight-parentheses-mode t))

Default theme of choice

The broad theme used is Zenburn, but with some customisations, the zenburn-custom theme is loaded

(use-package zenburn-theme
  :ensure t
  :config
  (load-theme 'zenburn-custom t))

When using spacemacs theme in org-mode, make sure to add a line between each heading/bullet item and the content that follows it, Or else the highlights that follow are very unpleasant.

Spaceline package modeline to change the default modeline. Further configurations incoming.

(use-package spaceline
  :ensure t
  :init
  (require 'spaceline-config)
  :config
  (spaceline-emacs-theme))

Ease of usage tweaks

Which-key: Key binding prompt

(use-package which-key
  :ensure t
  :init (which-key-mode))

Ido Mode

(setq ido-enable-flex-matching nil)
(setq ido-create-new-buffer 'always)
(setq ido-everywhere t)
(ido-mode 1)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x C-b") 'ido-switch-buffer)

Ido Vertical Mode (Requires Ido mode enabled)

(use-package ido-vertical-mode
  :ensure t
  :init
  (ido-vertical-mode 1))
(setq ido-vertical-define-keys 'C-n-and-C-p-only)

Ibuffer: More comprehensive buffer management

(global-set-key (kbd "C-x b") 'ibuffer)

Smex: M-x prompt in list view

(use-package smex
  :ensure t
  :init (smex-initialize)
  :bind ("M-x" . smex))

Beacon: A small temporary highlight to find current line when switching buffers

(use-package beacon
  :ensure t
  :init (beacon-mode 1))