From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Miles Bader Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: Improved help from minibuffer prompts Date: 14 Apr 2004 15:49:58 +0900 Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Message-ID: References: Reply-To: Miles Bader NNTP-Posting-Host: deer.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1081925847 11605 80.91.224.253 (14 Apr 2004 06:57:27 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 06:57:27 +0000 (UTC) Cc: emacs-devel Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Wed Apr 14 08:57:16 2004 Return-path: Original-Received: from quimby.gnus.org ([80.91.224.244]) by deer.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 1BDeKh-0007ZR-00 for ; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 08:57:15 +0200 Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by quimby.gnus.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 1BDeKh-0004ou-00 for ; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 08:57:15 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.30) id 1BDeKL-0003sa-0N for emacs-devel@quimby.gnus.org; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 02:56:53 -0400 Original-Received: from list by monty-python.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.30) id 1BDeGA-0001Uh-UC for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 02:52:34 -0400 Original-Received: from mail by monty-python.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.30) id 1BDeFA-0000en-R5 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 02:52:03 -0400 Original-Received: from [202.32.8.214] (helo=TYO201.gate.nec.co.jp) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.30) id 1BDeE1-0008WF-IS; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 02:50:21 -0400 Original-Received: from mailgate3.nec.co.jp (mailgate53.nec.co.jp [10.7.69.160] (may be forged)) by TYO201.gate.nec.co.jp (8.11.7/3.7W01080315) with ESMTP id i3E6o2h06907; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 15:50:02 +0900 (JST) Original-Received: (from root@localhost) by mailgate3.nec.co.jp (8.11.7/3.7W-MAILGATE-NEC) id i3E6o2R16783; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 15:50:02 +0900 (JST) Original-Received: from edsgm02.lsi.nec.co.jp ([10.50.208.12]) by mailsv5.nec.co.jp (8.11.7/3.7W-MAILSV4-NEC) with ESMTP id i3E6o1502337; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 15:50:01 +0900 (JST) Original-Received: from mcsss2.ucom.lsi.nec.co.jp (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by edsgm02.lsi.nec.co.jp (8.12.10/8.12.10) with ESMTP id i3E6nxQe012918; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 15:50:00 +0900 (JST) Original-Received: from mcspd15 (mcspd15 [10.30.114.174]) by mcsss2.ucom.lsi.nec.co.jp (8.12.10/8.12.8/EDcg v2.01-mc/1046780839) with ESMTP id i3E6nwnX021863; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 15:49:58 +0900 (JST) Original-Received: by mcspd15 (Postfix, from userid 31295) id 7DADF437; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 15:49:58 +0900 (JST) Original-To: =?iso-8859-1?q?Stefan_Reich=F6r?= System-Type: i686-pc-linux-gnu Blat: Foop In-Reply-To: Original-Lines: 35 X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.4 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:21617 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.devel:21617 Stefan Reich=F6r writes: > > It seems like a good idea to me; the main question I have is whether > > having F1 (or C-h) act differently in the minibuffer is natural for most > > users or not. As the normal help-menu binding for those keys already > > acts weirdly in the minibuffer -- it doesn't display the help prompt -- > > maybe that suggests that it's unusual to use them in the minibuffer. >=20 > I have the following use for the C-h bindings from the minibuffer: > C-h b to describe the bindings >=20 > I think that binding should be still accessible. >=20 > I think of two possibilities to get the command help explained by me: > f1 ... preferred by me - easy accessible (f1 bindings are=20 > still on the C-h map available) > f1 ... One key more to type, F1 map is untouched I think it would be bad to have F1 and C-h be sometimes the same and sometimes different. `F1 RET' also doesn't seem particularly intuitive, and since the help menu isn't displayed in the minibuffer, might be hard for people to remember. Here's an idea: Use the normal binding for `describe-function' (`C-h f', or `F1 f') and either have it directly pop up the help for the currently executing command (i.e., don't prompt for a function name as usual), or else prompt as usual, but set the default value for the prompt to the function currently executing command (so that you'd typically use `C-h f RET' to get help in the situation you describe). Since users will probably be used to `C-h f' to get function help in other contexts, it should be easier to remember in the minibuffer too. -Miles --=20 `To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems' --Homer J. Simpson