Re: Scratch buffer annoyance

[Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>]

    > A string is a file name to visit.

    Then there is no distinction between file and directory names, but maybe
    this is not needed provided that this string is always used as an argument
    of `find-file'.

Exactly.

    > A symbol that's a command is an initial major mode for *scratch*.

    There is already a user option `initial-major-mode' that defines
    an initial major mode for *scratch*.  Using two user options
    for the same setting would be confusing.

We could alias this variable to `initial-major-mode', or we
could say that t means use a *scratch* buffer.

    > It does what we want and it is clear.

    Neither a string or a major mode makes it clear what the value is used for.

So what?  That's what the doc string is for.

    And I don't know what a variable name would be suitable for this option.

`initial-buffer-contents' seems good.

    If an idea of setting this option to a function call like
    (switch-to-buffer "*scratch*") is not acceptable (maybe this fits
    better to adding such a funcall to a hook variable), then what is wrong
    with using self-explanatory values like (buffer "foo") or (file "~/bar")?

This complexity is unnecessary.