help-for-help

help-for-help

[martin rudalics]

`help-for-help-internal' - some naive remarks:


a  command-apropos.  Give a list of words or a regexp, to get a list of
        commands whose names match.  See also the  apropos  command.

"list of commands whose names match" is ambiguous.  I'd prefer "Give a
pattern (a list of words or a regexp), to get a list of commands whose
names match that pattern." just as for the "d" option.

How can I "see" the apropos command from here?  What's the purpose of
the extra spaces around "apropos"?



c  describe-key-briefly.  Type a command key sequence;
	it prints the function name that sequence runs.

What is a "command key sequence", what am I expected to type?  Does a
sequence run a "function name"?



d  apropos-documentation.  Give a pattern (a list or words or a regexp), and
	see a list of functions, variables, and other items whose built-in
	doucmentation string matches that pattern.  See also the apropos command.

"list or words" should be probably "list of words".

"doucmentation" should be "documentation".



e  view-echo-area-messages.  Show the buffer where the echo-area messages
	are stored.

I think "View the log of recent echo-area messages" as in the doc-string
is better.



F  Info-goto-emacs-command-node.  Type a function name;
	it takes you to the on-line manual's section that describes
	the command.

"function name" is wrong: `Info-goto-emacs-command-node' uses
`commandp'.



K Info-goto-emacs-key-command-node.  Type a command key sequence;
	it takes you to the on-line manual's section that describes
	the command bound to that key.

Insert a space after "K".



S  info-lookup-symbol.  Display the definition of a specific symbol
        as found in the manual for the language this buffer is written in.

The term "language" is ambiguous here (there's already an "L" option).



Finally, clicking on a modeline after C-h C-h gets me things like

help-for-help: Wrong type argument: commandp, 1
mouse-minibuffer-check: Wrong type argument: window-live-p, #<window 13>

which might be disconcerting (for the naive).



Below find my proposal for `help-for-help-internal':

(make-help-screen help-for-help-internal
  "a b c C e f F i I k C-k l L m p r s t v w C-c C-d C-f C-n C-p C-t C-w . or ? :"
  "You have typed %THIS-KEY%, the help character.  Type a Help option:
\(Use SPC or DEL to scroll through this text.  Type \\<help-map>\\[help-quit] to exit the Help command.)

a  command-apropos.  Enter a pattern (a list of words or a regexp), to get
        a list of commands whose names match that pattern.
b  describe-bindings.  Display table of all key bindings.
c  describe-key-briefly.  Type a key sequence to get the name of
	the command bound to that sequence.
C  describe-coding-system.  This describes either a specific coding system
        (if you type its name) or the coding systems currently in use
	(if you type just RET).
d  apropos-documentation.  Give a pattern (a list of words or a regexp),
	and see a list of functions, variables, and other items whose
	built-in documentation strings match that pattern.
e  view-echo-area-messages.  View log of messages that were recently
        displayed in the echo area.
f  describe-function.  Type a function name and get its documentation.
F  Info-goto-emacs-command-node.  Type the name of a command to view
	the section of the on-line manual describing that command.
h  Display the HELLO file which illustrates various scripts.
i  info.  The Info documentation reader: read on-line manuals.
I  describe-input-method.  Describe a specific input method (if you type
	its name) or the current input method (if you type just RET).
k  describe-key.  Type a key sequence and get the full documentation for
        the command run by that sequence.
K  Info-goto-emacs-key-command-node.  Type a key sequence to view the
	on-line manual's section describing the command bound to that
	sequence.
l  view-lossage.  Show last 100 characters you typed.
L  describe-language-environment.  This describes either a
	specific language environment (if you type its name)
	or the current language environment (if you type just RET).
m  describe-mode.  Display documentation of current minor modes,
	and the current major mode, including their special commands.
n  view-emacs-news.  Display news of recent Emacs changes.
p  finder-by-keyword.  Find packages matching a given topic keyword.
r  info-emacs-manual.  Display the Emacs manual in Info mode.
s  describe-syntax.  Display contents of syntax table, plus explanations.
S  info-lookup-symbol.  Display the definition of a specific symbol
        as found in the manual for the current major mode.
t  help-with-tutorial.  Select the Emacs learn-by-doing tutorial.
v  describe-variable.  Type name of a variable to display the variable's
        documentation and value.
w  where-is.  Type command name to retrieve which keystrokes invoke
        that command.
.  display-local-help.  Display any available local help at point
        in the echo area.

C-c Display Emacs copying permission (GNU General Public License).
C-d Display Emacs ordering information.
C-e Display info about Emacs problems.
C-f Display the Emacs FAQ.
C-m Display how to order printed Emacs manuals.
C-n Display news of recent Emacs changes.
C-p Display information about the GNU project.
C-t Display the Emacs TODO list.
C-w Display information on absence of warranty for GNU Emacs."
  help-map)

Re: help-for-help

[John S. Yates, Jr.]

martin rudalics <rudalics@gmx.at> writes:
...
>a  command-apropos.  Give a list of words or a regexp, to get a list of
>        commands whose names match.  See also the  apropos  command.
...
>c  describe-key-briefly.  Type a command key sequence;
>	it prints the function name that sequence runs.
...
>d  apropos-documentation.  Give a pattern (a list or words or a regexp), and
>	see a list of functions, variables, and other items whose built-in
>	doucmentation string matches that pattern.  See also the apropos command.

In a similar vein...  What is the difference between "give"
and "type"?  Even if terminology is not unified around "type"
I suggest that input in response to a prompt is more commonly
"entered" than "given".

I can see some symmetry in the description of command-apropos:
give / get.  The same does not hold for the description of
apropos-documentation.

/john

Re: help-for-help

[Richard Stallman]

    In a similar vein...  What is the difference between "give"
    and "type"?

Let's change "give" to "type".  Thanks.

Re: help-for-help

[Richard Stallman]

    Finally, clicking on a modeline after C-h C-h gets me things like

    help-for-help: Wrong type argument: commandp, 1
    mouse-minibuffer-check: Wrong type argument: window-live-p, #<window 13>

    which might be disconcerting (for the naive).

I tried changing help-macro.el to ignore these commands, and my change
seems to do that; but there is still an error, and I am not sure what
causes it.  I ran out of time and had to give up working on it.

Can someone else please try?