Start Emacs, create new file and execute functions

Question

I would like to automate the following when emacs start:

• open a new buffer
• launch a foo function (create-name) that writes something on the buffer and copy to clipboard a name YYY for the buffer
• save the buffer with name YYY

Thanks for suggestions!

Answer 1

The earlier answers give some good help. Here are a few more hints that you may find helpful:

(generate-new-buffer "foo") will create a new buffer that is not associated with any file. This new buffer if not made current buffer so, in order to write into it, you want to do (switch-to-buffer (generate-new-buffer "foo")).

(kill-new "YYY") will not only push "YYY" on top of the kill ring, it will copy it to the clipboard.

(write-file "YYY") will save the current buffer in file YYY where YYY might be a relative or an absolute path.

(kill-buffer) will delete the current buffer.

Answer 2

In my .emacs file:

(defun make-buffer-notes()
  "Make notes-file at NOTES default folder (on desktop for windows)"
  (setq notes-path "c:/default/path/for/notes/")
  (setq notes-timestamp (concatenate 'string "NOTES-" (format-time-string "%Y-%_0m-%d-%H%M" (current-time))))
  (setq notes-full-path (concatenate 'string notes-path notes-timestamp  ".org"))
  (find-file notes-full-path)
  (insert "* " notes-timestamp  " :NOTES:\b\n"))

(make-buffer-notes)

Answer 3

This is exactly what Keyboard Macros are for!

Start recording C-x (
Accomplish what it is you want to do
Stop recording C-x )
Name your new macro M-x name-last-kbd-macro
Save it to init M-x insert-kbd-macro

Now you can even assign it to a keybind!

Example:
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c a") 'my-macro)

Don't worry about getting the steps when defining the macro perfect. If you make a mistake just correct it and keep going, all that matters is the end result is what you desire.