Re: C-x C-b and C-x C-f bugging about confirmation

[Chong Yidong]

Stefan Monnier <address@hidden> writes:

>> why on earth does C-x C-b and C-x C-f ask me to confirm when I wish to
>> open a new buffer/file?
>
> So as to help prevent doing it by mistake when you mistyped.
> Set confirm-nonexistent-file-or-buffer to nil to get back the old
> behavior (or just hit RET twice, of course).

I see, I didn't realize you intended to make it the default.

I don't think it's a good default.  With minibuffer completion, typing
mistakes don't happen all that often, and it can be disconcerting to
have a RET rejected.  You might argue that it's no big deal to type a
second RET, but it's similarly no big deal to kill the buffer and try
again in the very few occasions that you make a mistake.  So this looks
like creeping featuritis if it's enabled by default.

Furthermore, nothing else in the core Emacs code, AFAICT, uses a
"[Confirm]" message of this sort where you have to type RET twice to do
what you want.  In cases like this, we usually use y-or-n prompts
instead.  Thus, even if there is a good reason in this case to prompt
the user in this unusual way, it leaves the user confused about what to
do (especially since the "[Confirm]" message is so cryptic).