Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!samsung!uunet!talos!kjones
From: kjones@talos.uu.net (Kyle Jones)
Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.bug
Subject: Re: Use ^X^F to create buffers
Message-ID: <1990Jan9.151300.23477@talos.uu.net>
Date: 9 Jan 90 15:13:00 GMT
References: <9001090335.AA18400@decwrl.dec.com>
Reply-To: kjones@talos.uu.net
Lines: 34

J. Spencer Love writes:
 > The key is "modified buffers with pathnames".
 > 
 > You can associate a pathname with a buffer by using ^X^W, or by creating it
 > with ^X^F.  If you create a buffer with ^Xb, it has a name but no pathname.
 > Emacs doesn't know that it is associated with a file.  This is a feature,
 > because otherwise all sorts of buffers like *Help* would complain on
 > exit.

The above advice is sound, but since this is a technical newsgroup I
feel compelled to point out that the Lisp variable buffer-offer-save
controls whether Emacs will offer to save a buffer not associated with a
file.

Quoth C-h v buffer-offer-save,

    buffer-offer-save's value is nil

    Documentation:
    *Non-nil in a buffer means offer to save the buffer on exit
    even if the buffer is not visiting a file.  Automatically local in
    all buffers.

If you want Emacs to query about ALL modified buffers before exiting,
put the following line in your .emacs file:

   (setq-default buffer-offer-save t)

You won't be nagged with questions about *Help* & friends because Emacs
is careful to mark these buffers unmodified before presenting them.

kyle jones   <kjones@talos.uu.net>   ...!uunet!talos!kjones
"Give your analytical hemisphere a break now and then...
 it's both a candy *and* a breath mint!"  --- Cam Spillman