Only destroy an empty panes if 'core.destroyEmptyPanes' is true

spec/pane-spec.coffee

@@ -146,19 +146,27 @@ describe "Pane", ->
           expect(item1.isDestroyed()).toBe false
 
     describe "when the last item is destroyed", ->
-      it "destroys the pane", ->
-        pane.destroyItem(item) for item in pane.getItems()
-        expect(pane.isDestroyed()).toBe true
+      describe "when the 'core.destroyEmptyPanes' config option is false (the default)", ->
+        it "does not destroy the pane, but leaves it in place with empty items", ->
+          expect(atom.config.get('core.destroyEmptyPanes')).toBe false
+          pane.destroyItem(item) for item in pane.getItems()
+          expect(pane.isDestroyed()).toBe false
+          expect(pane.activeItem).toBeUndefined()
+
+      describe "when the 'core.destroyEmptyPanes' config option is true", ->
+        it "destroys the pane", ->
+          atom.config.set('core.destroyEmptyPanes', true)
+          pane.destroyItem(item) for item in pane.getItems()
+          expect(pane.isDestroyed()).toBe true
 
   describe "::destroyItems()", ->
-    it "destroys all items and the pane", ->
+    it "destroys all items", ->
       pane = new Pane(items: [new Item("A"), new Item("B"), new Item("C")])
       [item1, item2, item3] = pane.items
       pane.destroyItems()
       expect(item1.isDestroyed()).toBe true
       expect(item2.isDestroyed()).toBe true
       expect(item3.isDestroyed()).toBe true
-      expect(pane.isDestroyed()).toBe true
       expect(pane.items).toEqual []
 
   describe "when an item emits a destroyed event", ->
@@ -280,11 +288,21 @@ describe "Pane", ->
       expect(pane2.items).toEqual [item4, item2, item5]
 
     describe "when the moved item the last item in the source pane", ->
-      it "destroys the pane, but not the item", ->
+      beforeEach ->
         item5.destroy()
-        pane2.moveItemToPane(item4, pane1, 0)
-        expect(pane2.isDestroyed()).toBe true
-        expect(item4.isDestroyed()).toBe false
+
+      describe "when the 'core.destroyEmptyPanes' config option is false (the default)", ->
+        it "does not destroy the pane or the item", ->
+          pane2.moveItemToPane(item4, pane1, 0)
+          expect(pane2.isDestroyed()).toBe false
+          expect(item4.isDestroyed()).toBe false
+
+      describe "when the 'core.destroyEmptyPanes' config option is true", ->
+        it "destroys the pane, but not the item", ->
+          atom.config.set('core.destroyEmptyPanes', true)
+          pane2.moveItemToPane(item4, pane1, 0)
+          expect(pane2.isDestroyed()).toBe true
+          expect(item4.isDestroyed()).toBe false
 
   describe "split methods", ->
     [pane1, container] = []

spec/workspace-view-spec.coffee

@@ -561,7 +561,8 @@ describe "WorkspaceView", ->
       expect(workspace.getActivePaneItem().getUri()).toBe 'a'
 
   describe "core:close", ->
-    it "closes the active editor until there are none", ->
+    it "closes the active pane item until isn't one", ->
+      atom.config.set('core.destroyEmptyPanes', true)
       atom.project.openSync('../sample.txt')
       expect(atom.workspaceView.getActivePane().getItems()).toHaveLength 1
       atom.workspaceView.trigger('core:close')

src/pane.coffee

@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ class Pane extends Model
   Serializable.includeInto(this)
 
   @properties
-    container: null
-    activeItem: null
+    container: undefined
+    activeItem: undefined
     focused: false
 
   # Public: Only one pane is considered *active* at a time. A pane is activated
@@ -139,11 +139,15 @@ class Pane extends Model
   removeItem: (item, destroying) ->
     index = @items.indexOf(item)
     return if index is -1
-    @activateNextItem() if item is @activeItem and @items.length > 1
+    if item is @activeItem
+      if @items.length is 1
+        @activeItem = undefined
+      else
+        @activateNextItem()
     @items.splice(index, 1)
     @emit 'item-removed', item, index, destroying
     @container?.itemDestroyed(item) if destroying
-    @destroy() if @items.length is 0
+    @destroy() if @items.length is 0 and atom.config.get('core.destroyEmptyPanes')
 
   # Public: Moves the given item to the specified index.
   moveItem: (item, newIndex) ->

src/workspace-view.coffee

@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ class WorkspaceView extends View
     themes: ['atom-dark-ui', 'atom-dark-syntax']
     projectHome: path.join(fs.getHomeDirectory(), 'github')
     audioBeep: true
+    destroyEmptyPanes: false
 
   # Private:
   @content: ->