23.0.60; Unexpected splash screen

23.0.60; Unexpected splash screen

[Stephen Berman]

In GNU Emacs 23.0.60.9 (i686-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 2.12.0)
 of 2008-05-29 on escher
Windowing system distributor `The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.70200000

1. Start Emacs like this:[1] 
   emacs -q --eval '(calendar)'
   Emacs starts with a frame containing vertically split windows, with
   the buffers *scratch* above and *Calendar* (appropriately sized)
   below.

2. Save the file /tmp/test.el with only this line:
   (calendar)

3. Start a new Emacs session like this:
   emacs -q -l /tmp/test.el
   Emacs again starts with a frame containing vertically split windows,
   with the buffer *scratch* above, but the lower window contains the
   splash screen, yet its height is as in a normal *Calendar* window, so
   most of the splash screen is truncated.  Typing `q' then reveals the
   Calendar.

I had hoped the above command line invocations of Emacs would produce
identical results, in particular, the one in 1.

Note too, that if ~/.emacs contains only the line `(calendar)', then
invoking Emacs just as `emacs' produces the same result as in 3.  Here
too, I would expect and prefer the result in 1.

Similar effects occur with other commands that are executed during the
Emacs invocation.  For example, doing step 1 with `(gnus)' instead of
`(calendar)' first shows the Gnus splash screen, then the Summary buffer
occupying the whole frame, i.e., no Emacs splash screen is seen.  But
doing step 3 with /tmp/test.el containing just `(gnus)' again first
shows the Gnus splash screen, but then the Emacs splash screen appears.
After typing `q' the Gnus Summary buffer appears.

Steve Berman

Footnotes: 
[1]  I also have to include an -fn command line option to get an Emacs
frame under X, but I assume that is irrelevant to the behavior described
above.