From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: storm@cua.dk (Kim F. Storm) Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: Improved help from minibuffer prompts Date: 15 Apr 2004 03:23:57 +0200 Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: deer.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1081985589 8848 80.91.224.253 (14 Apr 2004 23:33:09 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 23:33:09 +0000 (UTC) Cc: xsteve@riic.at, emacs-devel@gnu.org, Miles Bader Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Thu Apr 15 01:32:49 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 1BDts9-0001V0-00 for ; Thu, 15 Apr 2004 01:32:49 +0200 Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by quimby.gnus.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 1BDts8-0000vn-00 for ; Thu, 15 Apr 2004 01:32:48 +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 1BDtmn-0007NJ-Na for emacs-devel@quimby.gnus.org; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 19:27:17 -0400 Original-Received: from list by monty-python.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.30) id 1BDtko-00068b-24 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 19:25:14 -0400 Original-Received: from mail by monty-python.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.30) id 1BDtk4-0005YH-TP for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 19:25:00 -0400 Original-Received: from [195.41.46.235] (helo=pfepa.post.tele.dk) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.30) id 1BDtjs-0005Nr-FS; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 19:24:16 -0400 Original-Received: from kfs-l.imdomain.dk.cua.dk (0x503e2644.bynxx3.adsl-dhcp.tele.dk [80.62.38.68]) by pfepa.post.tele.dk (Postfix) with SMTP id 5624547FE03; Thu, 15 Apr 2004 01:24:11 +0200 (CEST) Original-To: rms@gnu.org In-Reply-To: Original-Lines: 23 User-Agent: Gnus/5.09 (Gnus v5.9.0) Emacs/21.3.50 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:21660 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.devel:21660 Richard Stallman writes: > 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). > > Only experienced users will think of doing this. > It is not adequate for the job, which is to help novices. > It would not occur to a novice to type C-h f in the minibuffer > to get help about the command that invoked it. The problem with using just C-h or f1 is that it would block the ability to use C-h b or C-h k in the minibuffer. I use that quite often to track down problems. Maybe C-h C-h would be ok. -- Kim F. Storm http://www.cua.dk