() Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
() Thu, 20 Dec 2012 12:06:54 -0500

   You mean like

      (unless (or files commands)
        (let ((buf
               (cond
                ((stringp initial-buffer-choice)
                 (find-file-noselect initial-buffer-choice))
                ((buffer-live-p initial-buffer-choice) initial-buffer-choice)
                (t "*scratch*"))))
          (switch-to-buffer (get-buffer-create buf) 'norecord)))

Almost.  To rid ourselves of the last local var:

 (unless (or files commands)
   (switch-to-buffer 
    (get-buffer-create 
     (cond ((stringp initial-buffer-choice)
            (find-file-noselect initial-buffer-choice))
           ((buffer-live-p initial-buffer-choice) 
            initial-buffer-choice)
           (t "*scratch*")))
    'norecord))

or (hewing closer to OP approach):

 (unless (or files commands)
   (switch-to-buffer 
    (get-buffer-create 
     (or (case (type-of initial-buffer-choice)
           (string (find-file-noselect initial-buffer-choice))
           (buffer (when (buffer-live-p initial-buffer-choice)
                     initial-buffer-choice)))
         "*scratch*"))
    'norecord))

Same difference; more stack, less state...  Since we're talking style,
i'd say the most important thing is sane indentation, but luckily we
have Emacs for that.  :-D

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Thien-Thi Nguyen ..................................... GPG key: 4C807502
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