From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Richard Stallman Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: Scratch buffer annoyance Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:44:02 -0400 Message-ID: References: <871wf5cv6y.fsf@jurta.org> <7dbe73ed0707190725l426d0731u5f9c36cd14278f78@mail.gmail.com> <87k5st7iqt.fsf@jurta.org> <87sl7ebwtk.fsf@jurta.org> <87sl7d9w9s.fsf@jurta.org> <874pjp5xl5.fsf@jurta.org> <87abtfo9vr.fsf@jurta.org> Reply-To: rms@gnu.org NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-15 X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1185813777 9635 80.91.229.12 (30 Jul 2007 16:42:57 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:42:57 +0000 (UTC) Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org To: Juri Linkov Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Mon Jul 30 18:42:49 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 1IFYKV-0001BY-SL for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:42:48 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1IFYKV-00045B-C4 for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:42:47 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1IFYJf-0003fV-MI for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:41:55 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1IFYJd-0003eb-Un for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:41:55 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1IFYJd-0003eU-PF for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:41:53 -0400 Original-Received: from fencepost.gnu.org ([140.186.70.10]) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1IFYJd-0007kM-Hf for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:41:53 -0400 Original-Received: from rms by fencepost.gnu.org with local (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1IFYLi-00040b-QD; Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:44:02 -0400 In-reply-to: <87abtfo9vr.fsf@jurta.org> (message from Juri Linkov on Sun, 29 Jul 2007 12:18:08 +0300) X-detected-kernel: Linux 2.6, seldom 2.4 (older, 4) 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:75808 Archived-At: The name `initial-buffer' means what the current buffer the user gets after startup: a buffer with the home directory, a buffer with some specified file, the *scratch* buffer, or the buffer with startup screen. I don't see a better name. Maybe, `initial-display-buffer' or `initial-current-buffer'? Those names are no better. The problem is in the word "buffer". The value is never a buffer. >> > ! (const :tag "*scratch* buffer" :value "*scratch*") >> > ! (const :tag "Splash screen" nil)) >> >> That variable name is misleading because the value is not a buffer. >> Please change the variable name to one that fits the meaning. > > The name `initial-buffer' means what the current buffer the user gets > after startup: a buffer with the home directory, a buffer with some > specified file, the *scratch* buffer, or the buffer with startup screen. > > I don't see a better name. Maybe, `initial-display-buffer' or > `initial-current-buffer'? initial-visit maybe? Actually, "*scratch*" is a value with a different logic, so one should perhaps explain what makes it special. I could not guess, for example, what "*Messages*" would do here. It should treat all strings alike -- as file names. The value that means "scratch buffer" should not be a string. Here's an idea: if the value is a non-nil symbol, create a buffer called `*scratch*' and put it in that mode. Thus, the value that stands for the current scratch buffer would be `lisp-interaction-mode'.