This patch is the result of a discussion in emacs dev:

  https://yhetil.org/emacs-devel/87v8smt9lp.fsf@web.de/

Further things mentioned in that discussion:

1.  Likewise we want to improve the docstrings of `read-string' and
`read-from-minibuffer'.  And as well (Arash Esbati):

  Emacs Lisp reference the text/descriptions in

   @node Text from Minibuffer
   @section Reading Text Strings with the Minibuffer

   @node Initial Input
   @section Initial Input

   @node Minibuffer Completion
   @subsection Completion and the Minibuffer

2.  Add a minor mode that automatically inserts a DEF into the
minibuffer, and add a defcustom to allow users to enable that mode in
their configuration.  Some people simply prefer that behavior.  This
would allow people to avoid using INITIAL-INPUT to get what they want.

3. Stefan Monnier:

  [...] the `initial-input` arg should be changed into `setup-function`
  (so we don't have to use the hideous `minibuffer-with-setup-function`
  hack) and using a string there should be deprecated (the rare places
  where inserting an initial string makes sense can use a setup-function
  instead).

  Also the prompt handling should be changed so that it automatically
  inserts the default into the prompt.  Doing that in a reliable and
  backward compatible way is not completely straightforward, tho, so maybe
  a simpler solution is to introduce a whole new function instead.

  Then a user-customization could also be used to choose between the
  current default (where the default is added to the prompt) or the other
  option of always inserting the default as initial value (pre-selected
  so it can be deleted with a quick DEL).


TIA,

Michael.


In GNU Emacs 29.0.50 (build 13, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.24.24, cairo version 1.16.0)
 of 2022-07-03 built on drachen
Repository revision: 0de355d8ee729ed6fec3ea379258d4a1f1d49021
Repository branch: master
Windowing system distributor 'The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.12011000
System Description: Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)