suggestion: add link to Emacs manual node `Bugs' in report-emacs-bug instructions

suggestion: add link to Emacs manual node `Bugs' in report-emacs-bug instructions

[Drew Adams]

Seems like we are forever repeating the excellent instructions found in the
Emacs manual node `Bugs' (and subnodes) to users in help-gnu-emacs. How about
including a link to that node in the `*mail*' buffer's instructions for
`report-emacs-bug'?

That is, instead of just saying "Please describe exactly what actions triggered
the bug and the precise symptoms of the bug", we give them a link to the manual
so they can see just what is recommended for such a description. Many users
could use some guidelines about what kinds of information are most helpful and
just what is meant by "precise symptoms".

Re: suggestion: add link to Emacs manual node `Bugs' in report-emacs-bug instructions

[Chong Yidong]

"Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:

> Seems like we are forever repeating the excellent instructions found
> in the Emacs manual node `Bugs' (and subnodes) to users in
> help-gnu-emacs. How about including a link to that node in the
> `*mail*' buffer's instructions for `report-emacs-bug'?

Do you mean a clickable link?  That would mean that report-emacs-bug
behaves differently from normal mail buffers.  That may not be a bad
thing; I'm not sure.  If someone implements this idea, we could consider
it after the release.

RE: suggestion: add link to Emacs manual node `Bugs' in report-emacs-bug instructions

[Drew Adams]

> > Seems like we are forever repeating the excellent instructions found
> > in the Emacs manual node `Bugs' (and subnodes) to users in
> > help-gnu-emacs. How about including a link to that node in the
> > `*mail*' buffer's instructions for `report-emacs-bug'?
> 
> Do you mean a clickable link?

Yes, that's what I was thinking. Clickable if you have a mouse, `RET'
followable, in any case.

> That would mean that report-emacs-bug behaves differently
> from normal mail buffers.

How so? I'm not familiar with other mail buffers. `report-emacs-bug' is about
the only thing I use Emacs for to prepare a mail message.

> That may not be a bad thing; I'm not sure. If someone
> implements this idea, we could consider it after the release.

Hope someone does. It might save us all time in the long run and lead to better
bug reports.

Re: suggestion: add link to Emacs manual node `Bugs' in report-emacs-bug instructions

[Lennart Borgman (gmail)]

Drew Adams wrote:
>>> Seems like we are forever repeating the excellent instructions found
>>> in the Emacs manual node `Bugs' (and subnodes) to users in
>>> help-gnu-emacs. How about including a link to that node in the
>>> `*mail*' buffer's instructions for `report-emacs-bug'?
>> Do you mean a clickable link?
> 
> Yes, that's what I was thinking. Clickable if you have a mouse, `RET'
> followable, in any case.
> 
>> That would mean that report-emacs-bug behaves differently
>> from normal mail buffers.
> 
> How so? I'm not familiar with other mail buffers. `report-emacs-bug' is about
> the only thing I use Emacs for to prepare a mail message.
> 
>> That may not be a bad thing; I'm not sure. If someone
>> implements this idea, we could consider it after the release.
> 
> Hope someone does. It might save us all time in the long run and lead to better
> bug reports.

Just insert a text button, try this

(defun insert-bug-info-link ()
  (let ((inhibit-read-only t))
    (insert-text-button "Reporting Bugs"
                        'action
                        (lambda (btn)
                          (info-other-window "(emacs) Bugs")))))

I think the best would be to install such a change right now. It will
help getting Emacs 23.1 out of the door.

RE: suggestion: add link to Emacs manual node `Bugs' in report-emacs-bug instructions

[Drew Adams]

> Just insert a text button, try this
> (defun insert-bug-info-link ()
>   (let ((inhibit-read-only t))
>     (insert-text-button "Reporting Bugs"
>                         'action
>                         (lambda (btn)
>                           (info-other-window "(emacs) Bugs")))))
> 
> I think the best would be to install such a change right now. It will
> help getting Emacs 23.1 out of the door.

I didn't try it, but if it works, sounds good - send a patch perhaps?

However, it would be better for the button to say "Bug Report Guidelines" or
some such, to let users know that it will show them information that will help
them fill out a bug report. It is not so much an action button as a button/link
that displays additional information, and its label should let users know that.


[FWIW, I disagree that we should now be getting 23.1 out the door. From what I
see it is far too unstable and still has tremendous bugs. I haven't had much
luck in debugging or tracking down the problems I see, but for my own
one-buffer-per-frame-by-default use it is, well, completely unusable. Not a
complaint, just a judgment that IMO it's nowhere near ready to "get out the
door".]

Re: suggestion: add link to Emacs manual node `Bugs' in report-emacs-bug instructions

[Stefan Monnier]

> Just insert a text button, try this

> (defun insert-bug-info-link ()
>   (let ((inhibit-read-only t))
>     (insert-text-button "Reporting Bugs"
>                         'action
>                         (lambda (btn)
>                           (info-other-window "(emacs) Bugs")))))

> I think the best would be to install such a change right now. It will
> help getting Emacs 23.1 out of the door.

Please make sure it also works if you have
(setq mail-user-agent 'message-user-agent) in your .emacs.


        Stefan

Re: suggestion: add link to Emacs manual node `Bugs' in report-emacs-bug instructions

[Reiner Steib]

On Tue, Oct 07 2008, Chong Yidong wrote:

> "Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:
>> How about including a link to that node in the `*mail*' buffer's
>> instructions for `report-emacs-bug'?
>
> Do you mean a clickable link?  That would mean that report-emacs-bug
> behaves differently from normal mail buffers.

It already behaves differently: The user cannot trim the inserted
instructions.  E.g. I often strip the part "Please write ... mailing
list." since it gives no useful to the reader, whereas "Please
describe ... the bug:" makes it obvious that the recipe follows.

When `mail-user-agent' is 'message-user-agent or 'gnus-user-agent it
behaves as expected.

Bye, Reiner.
-- 
       ,,,
      (o o)
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