From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: David Reitter Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: *scratch* buffer (was: A wish, a plea) Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:48:25 +0100 Message-ID: <93CF6922-CA47-4100-9644-D2BC7C182FAF@gmail.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v752.2) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1182509310 4807 80.91.229.12 (22 Jun 2007 10:48:30 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 10:48:30 +0000 (UTC) To: emacs- devel Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Fri Jun 22 12:48:28 2007 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1I1ggm-0005nv-Ef for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:48:28 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1I1ggm-0001kD-2s for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Fri, 22 Jun 2007 06:48:28 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1I1ggh-0001j9-E2 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 22 Jun 2007 06:48:23 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1I1ggf-0001hp-DF for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 22 Jun 2007 06:48:22 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1I1ggf-0001hW-3e for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 22 Jun 2007 06:48:21 -0400 Original-Received: from ug-out-1314.google.com ([66.249.92.170]) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1I1gge-0000aV-Ku for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Fri, 22 Jun 2007 06:48:20 -0400 Original-Received: by ug-out-1314.google.com with SMTP id 34so863944ugf for ; Fri, 22 Jun 2007 03:48:19 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=beta; h=domainkey-signature:received:received:mime-version:content-transfer-encoding:message-id:content-type:to:from:subject:date:x-mailer; b=BsuYrD8Yjsh4tMBp8ZllBSMypxT1d/U1vRZrMU5Nnnevbs8XhhNcgg3ISd+sFAqSFhzmT/NREW31Giq7vyCp/eCByMZ5DL/19PVWM2dX+XCWz6yiJSEPRNTh6CdNopbT+oKQ3yEFXQh9mtnmvK8rMPW8bc3mOj5doqUfKYL3IT4= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=beta; h=received:mime-version:content-transfer-encoding:message-id:content-type:to:from:subject:date:x-mailer; b=Wu29yuvA0fe6Tkm9pWYtPIO3em6H0BsoAPul5Do20f4BO9DRhziiprMqDNipsHdEW3Y2oWEdvrBIPQN0BrLoSiW2EuPtF5ZcSl9FrVpiuJDLxnUbUwNhcyo5JETfMuSlGc3bN22XQlJNqtrVTZyXf7jPRyrp1T0Z3lJenKnpj2U= Original-Received: by 10.66.254.2 with SMTP id b2mr2753466ugi.1182509298895; Fri, 22 Jun 2007 03:48:18 -0700 (PDT) Original-Received: from ?129.215.174.81? ( [129.215.174.81]) by mx.google.com with ESMTP id k28sm5432517ugd.2007.06.22.03.48.17 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=OTHER); Fri, 22 Jun 2007 03:48:17 -0700 (PDT) X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.752.2) X-detected-kernel: Linux 2.4-2.6 (Google crawlbot) X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:73605 Archived-At: Here's what we do in Aquamacs. Perhaps this applies to all of Emacs: `initial-major-mode' and `default-major-mode' default to `text-mode'. We assume that most people want to write one or another form of text or code in some language other than elisp. Text-mode provides basic support for that. We are pretty sure that the majority of users doesn't know much elisp, and of those who know it, only a minority will use Emacs predominantly to configure or extend Emacs. The initial message in the *scratch* buffer is not shown. We want its function to be self-evident. Users are not required to read text before they get going (most people, even newbies, presumably don't read it anyways). I am also intending to make the *scratch* buffer persistent across sessions. That way, users will not be bothered to give it a name and to explicitly save it. But they will retain its contents across crashes and intentional restarts. If the desktop is a good analogy: when I come into my office in the morning, all my scratch papers are still on my desk. Even in companies that operate a "clean desk policy", the cleaners are not instructed to throw away everything that's on people's desks at 7am. (Or do they?)