Re: How to get rid of *GNU Emacs* buffer on start-up?

[Xah Lee]

On Sep 19, 7:35 pm, Kevin Rodgers <kevin.d.rodg...@gmail.com> wrote:
> XahLeewrote:
> > I don't agree that emacs does provide a user-level function for
> > creating a new buffer. The 2 practical methods to create a new buffer,
> > by find-file or switch-to-buffer, are both not designed to create a
> > new buffer for temp use, and each has serious problems in my opinion.
>
> > • There is no easy, intuitive way to create multiple scratch buffers.
> > (it is done by using the switch-to-buffer command (C-x b) and give
> > name that is not one of existing buffers.)
>
> > • Emacs does not provide a user level function to create a new
> > buffer.  It has “Open file...” (a wrapper to the find-file command),
> > which immediately prompt user for a full file path. This is annoying.
> > Modern apps's New File command actually just create a new untitled
> > file without prompting, and only when user save it it prompt a file
> > name.  If user closes it, it prompts for saving.
>
> > In summary: the problem with find-file is that it promps user to enter
> > a file name upfront. The problem with switch-to-buffer is that it
> > doesn't promp to save when user closes it. In both, the functions are
> > simply not designed for creating a new temp buffer.
>
> Wow, if you had put 1% of the effort into coding that you put into this
> thread, you could have come up with something like this:
>
> (defun switch-to-new-buffer ()
>    "Switch to a new *scratch* buffer."
>    (interactive)
>    (switch-to-buffer (generate-new-buffer "*scratch*"))
>    (setq switch-to-new-buffer t))
>
> If it's such a huge problem for 99% of users, you could propose to the
> maintainers that it be added to files.el

Thanks. But the issue is not about how to code a better switch-to-new-
buffer. The issue is about criticism of *scratch* buffer, and a
suggestion that emacs should remove it.

Please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking

If you didn't read the original article, please see:

http://xahlee.org/emacs/modernization_scratch_buffer.html

  Xah
∑ http://xahlee.org/

☄