RE: Emacs ignores modified state of "untitled" buffer

[Drew Adams]

> > 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.

OK by me.  But if you keep the original name also, I'd suggest modifying it to
`switch-to-new-file-buffer'. It is a buffer intended for a new file; it is not
just a new buffer.

`open' is not really clearer here than `visit', but it is less specific.  It is
true that in Emacs we speak of "visiting" a file as reading its content into a
buffer. 

Whether `buffer-file-name' is nil at that moment, so the buffer is not actually
visiting a file yet, is less important than the purpose (use) of the command,
which is to create a buffer that will be associated with a new file.  The buffer
switched to is intended for visiting a file, even if that file does not yet
exist.

> 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..."

IMO, `Open' in a menu item is OK for both existing and new.  But you are correct
that in Emacs jargon the more correct term for an existing file would be
`Visit'.

I would propose (and have proposed ;-)) simply `New File' as the menu item.  It
is common nowadays to have a menu item `New' for creation when the object to be
created is clear, and `New Foo' to make clear that it creates a foo object.  (I
use `New File' and `New Directory' in my own code, `menu-bar+.el'.)

Whether we use `Visit' or `Open' for an existing whatever is not so important.
What is important is to clearly distinguish the case of creation (`New').

> > 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.