RE: Scratch buffer annoyance

[Drew Adams]

> > 2. Wrt #2, I prefer my idea of having a user option,
> `visit-on-startup', to
> > specify the startup behavior. The default value could be
> whatever you like,
> > but users should be able to customize it. I personally prefer that the
> > default behavior be to visit a directory with Dired, and that
> the default
> > directory be `~/':
> >
> > (defcustom visit-on-startup "~/"
> >   "What Emacs visits initially."
> >   :type '(choice
> >           (directory :tag "Directory"        :value "~/")
> >           (file      :tag "File"             :value "~/new.txt")
> >           (const     :tag "*scratch* buffer" :value "*scratch*")
> >           (const     :tag "Splash screen"    nil))
> >   :group 'emacs)
>
> The default depends on the question what is Emacs?  If Emacs is a file
> browser then the default should be to visit the HOME directory with Dired.
> If Emacs is a web browser then the default should be to visit its home
> page.  If Emacs is a Lisp interpreter then the default should be the
> *scratch* buffer in lisp-interaction-mode (as is supposed now).
>
> Since Emacs can do everything then the splash screen could contain links
> to the most common initial actions, e.g.:
>
> [Visit home directory]
> [Open new file]
> [Open buffer for notes you don't want to save]
> [Emacs Tutorial]
> [Emacs FAQ]
> [Read the Emacs Manual]
> ...

Good idea: provide for more than just visiting *scratch* or a file or
directory.

But rather than putting a bunch of links on the splash page, we should
define the defcustom in such a way that users can customize it to do the
kinds of things you mention. The doc string and/or the tags of
`visit-on-startup' can make clear the kinds of things you can do.

This would be analogous to defining one's startup page for a Web browser:
some people want it to be Google, some people want it to be `blank', and so
on.