From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Eli Zaretskii Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: "What's This?" in Describe submenu Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 22:22:09 +0300 Message-ID: References: <4308398B.60401@gmx.at> <200508230008.j7N081514425@raven.dms.auburn.edu> <200508230423.j7N4NZX14856@raven.dms.auburn.edu> Reply-To: Eli Zaretskii NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1124825847 11163 80.91.229.2 (23 Aug 2005 19:37:27 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 19:37:27 +0000 (UTC) Cc: rudalics@gmx.at, emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Tue Aug 23 21:37:18 2005 Return-path: Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by ciao.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1E7eZ4-0005Uf-RW for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Tue, 23 Aug 2005 21:36:07 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1E7ecr-0001kg-T1 for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Tue, 23 Aug 2005 15:40:01 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1E7ea5-0000sV-4R for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 23 Aug 2005 15:37:09 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1E7eZy-0000nm-8U for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 23 Aug 2005 15:37:02 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1E7eZx-0000aG-FG for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 23 Aug 2005 15:37:01 -0400 Original-Received: from [192.114.186.66] (helo=romy.inter.net.il) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.34) id 1E7eMV-0007O5-DZ; Tue, 23 Aug 2005 15:23:07 -0400 Original-Received: from HOME-C4E4A596F7 (IGLD-80-230-203-14.inter.net.il [80.230.203.14]) by romy.inter.net.il (MOS 3.5.8-GR) with ESMTP id CET02674 (AUTH halo1); Tue, 23 Aug 2005 22:22:09 +0300 (IDT) Original-To: Luc Teirlinck , rms@gnu.org In-reply-to: <200508230423.j7N4NZX14856@raven.dms.auburn.edu> (message from Luc Teirlinck on Mon, 22 Aug 2005 23:23:35 -0500 (CDT)) X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:42360 Archived-At: > Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 23:23:35 -0500 (CDT) > From: Luc Teirlinck > CC: rudalics@gmx.at, emacs-devel@gnu.org > > Eli Zaretskii wrote: > > Cynicism aside, what you say is a general complaint about our doc > strings, not specific to the menu item we are discussing. > > What I am saying is that the really useful commands for beginners are > C-K and C-F, not C-k and C-f. Surely, it should be possible to explain what some menu or button does without going to the manual! > The latter are often more for Elisp programmers, or at least for > more advanced users I don't think that was the intent. I think doc strings are supposed to be for unsophisticated users as well. > (or a last resort if C-K or C-F do not find any docs in the > manuals). I think it was supposed to be the other way around: you first read the doc string, and if that is not enough information, go to the manual. Perhaps Richard could give the definitive answer about the intent of the doc strings.