how to switch to last visited buffer in other window ?

[Ben Barrowes]

When using emacs, I typically have 5 or so windows open in the same session.

Is there any way to save the current buffer name into a register? or 
somewhere where I can get it back?

At times, I would like to switch to a certain buffer with a name I know, 
say "*terminal*" or something, yank, and then return to the last visited 
buffer in the original buffer's window.

The problem is, I don't specifically know the name of the original 
buffer... it could be any of the other 4 buffers I have open.

I thought about saving the name of the buffer in the buffer-name-history 
and then return to the last visited:

  (lambda ()
    (add-to-list 'buffer-name-history
                 (abbreviate-file-name (buffer-name))))

ans call it whenever I (other-window 1),
but this breaks down when I have visited a buffer more than once as 
(apparently) emacs won't insert the buffer-name into a list that 
contains that exact entry earlier in the list. Therefore, I can't return 
to the last visited buffer because that name is not necessarily the last 
in the list.

Is there some excursion-type command I could use?


My workaround at the moment is, in the original buffer to 
switch-to-buffer *terminal* (so that I have 2 windows pointing to the 
same buffer), yank into *terminal*, then bury-buffer.

This seems inelegant. Any other way to do it?

Thanks,
Ben Barrowes