Re: A wish, a plea

[Davis Herring]

>> The simple answer here is M-x auto-save-mode.  You can of course put
>> (auto-save-mode 1) in .emacs, since *scratch* is current when it runs.
>
> It may work.

Does for me as the only line in .emacs, if you were doubting.

>> Actually getting rid of *scratch* is somewhat harder.
>
> Maybe an alternative is to make it read-only.
> Or maybe add a first-change-hook that requests a file name from the user?

That's a neat idea, the hook.  Perhaps:

(defun set-buffer-file-name (name)
  "Set the current buffer's file name, prompting interactively."
  (interactive "FNew file name: ")
  (setq buffer-file-name name))
(defun guarantee-buffer-file-name ()
  "Prompt the user for a file name for the current buffer.
Do nothing if that buffer has a file name already or is in a special mode."
  (unless (or buffer-file-name (eq (get major-mode 'mode-class) 'special))
    (call-interactively 'set-buffer-file-name)))
(add-hook 'first-change-hook 'guarantee-buffer-file-name)

Davis

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