Re: Emacs ignores modified state of "untitled" buffer

[Kevin Rodgers <kevin.d.rodgers@gmail.com>]

Drew Adams wrote:
> You've offered this as command `switch-to-new-buffer' and put it on the
> `Buffers' menu as `Select New Buffer'.
> 
> I would prefer that it be considered an improved behavior for `Visit New File',
> which is currently just `find-file'. The use of your command is, I think, for
> new file buffers only, so that intention should be reflected in both the command
> name and menu-item name. The `Buffers' menu is the wrong place for this, IMO.
> 
> So I would suggest changing the command name to something like `new-file' or
> `visit-new-file' and (more importantly) replacing the `File' > `Visit New File'
> menu item with it.

The term "visit" has a very specific meaning in Emacs, and switch-to-new-buffer
doesn't actually visit a file (buffer-file-name is nil).  I would prefer a name
like open-new-file, defined an alias for switch-to-new-buffer.

It seems to me the File menu entries are named backwards: "Visit New File"
should be "Open New File", "Open File..." should be "Visit File...", and
"Open Directory..." should be "Visit Directory..."

> Those who are most likely to use such a menu item are newbies who expect that
> behavior. Any Emacs veteran who prefers `find-file' will not be likely to use
> the menu and choose `Visit New File'. And it is clear what a `new-file' command
> is for.
> 
> I agree with Lennart that you should think about proposing this to emacs-devel.
> I would support it, especially with the changes I just mentioned.

OK, we'll see how it goes.

Thanks,

-- 
Kevin Rodgers
Denver, Colorado, USA