The buffer list is a list of all live buffers. Creating a buffer adds it to this list, and killing a buffer deletes it. The order of the buffers in the list is based primarily on how recently each buffer has been displayed in the selected window.
Buffers move to the front of the list when they are selected and to the end when they are buried.
Several functions, notably other-buffer , use this ordering. A buffer list displayed for the user also follows this order. This function returns a list of all buffers, including those whose names begin with a space. The elements are actual buffers, not their names. Buffers whose names start with a space are not considered.