Re: Scratch buffer annoyance

[David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org>]

"Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:

> (defcustom visit-on-startup nil
>   "What Emacs visits when it starts up.
> A non-nil value is a string naming a directory, file, or buffer to visit.
> If nil, then the splash screen is displayed."
>   :type '(choice
>           (directory :tag "Directory"      :value "~/")
>           (file      :tag "File"           :value "~/new.txt")
>           (string    :tag "Buffer"         :value "*scratch*")
>           (const     :tag "Splash Screen"  nil))
>   :group 'startup-display)
>
> The value is a string or nil. If you choose `Buffer', then you can enter any
> string (without completion). If the string names a buffer that exists at
> startup, such as *scratch* or *Messages*, then that buffer is visited (in
> the proper mode). If the string names a nonexistent buffer, then that buffer
> is created and visited.

You mean: then that _file_ is visited.  It does not make sense to
visit a buffer.

> What am I missing? Why is this thread so Byzantine?

What does "exist at startup" mean?  At the time the splash screen
might get displayed, .emacs is already processed, and any number of
buffers might be loaded already (including a whole desktop).  Those
numbers in general _don't_ have a buffer name corresponding to an
actual complete file name (there certainly won't be a buffer named ~/
even if ~/ is already visited at the time the splash screen might get
displayed).

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum