From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail
From: Bruce Korb <bruce.korb@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help
Subject: Re: how do I visit a file in info mode?
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2010 17:21:55 -0800
Message-ID: <668c430c1003011721v7dce4de7x7f6582959fe99f8c@mail.gmail.com>
References: <4B8C5803.6090201@gmail.com>
	<9667A1A3265745E1926D77A9E5864F4A@us.oracle.com> 
	<668c430c1003011652j3ddd4e0emc79a560ddee5dd1c@mail.gmail.com> 
	<938FD473372B43A9A6EE53B2DFA3E3EA@us.oracle.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
X-Trace: dough.gmane.org 1267492968 9305 80.91.229.12 (2 Mar 2010 01:22:48 GMT)
X-Complaints-To: usenet@dough.gmane.org
NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2010 01:22:48 +0000 (UTC)
Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
To: Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com>
Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Tue Mar 02 02:22:43 2010
Return-path: <help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org>
Envelope-to: geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org
Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165])
	by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69)
	(envelope-from <help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org>)
	id 1NmGos-0001kD-OP
	for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:22:43 +0100
Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:53331 helo=lists.gnu.org)
	by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43)
	id 1NmGor-0003Sy-Ec
	for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:22:41 -0500
Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43)
	id 1NmGoT-0003Rf-Te
	for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:22:17 -0500
Original-Received: from [140.186.70.92] (port=55561 helo=eggs.gnu.org)
	by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1NmGoT-0003Qh-4W
	for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:22:17 -0500
Original-Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.69)
	(envelope-from <bruce.korb@gmail.com>) id 1NmGoS-0008FR-C9
	for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:22:17 -0500
Original-Received: from mail-yx0-f183.google.com ([209.85.210.183]:50697)
	by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69)
	(envelope-from <bruce.korb@gmail.com>) id 1NmGoS-0008FL-7r
	for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:22:16 -0500
Original-Received: by yxe13 with SMTP id 13so4294979yxe.14
	for <help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>; Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:22:15 -0800 (PST)
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma;
	h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:received:in-reply-to:references
	:from:date:message-id:subject:to:cc:content-type
	:content-transfer-encoding;
	bh=4v698+7oUciPSw+CBxyuYlTWNhm91slYj1PY2cm01hU=;
	b=sQ+fVxqrXHlKFGOgseBEBApnDJ9VK0bcKEvfztkjAEPyWqclt9UzuwK0OO9sk4GMp3
	HvWKqZcfJ3C8IG9Bz+PW+dmqQ60iY2Z1UrItCmUvD5kAGPdjfoPUZYB/SloDG9DzmJdb
	tW1c5yQGKDaXT/PzZMyX4xqcXWtSHs17MfCbs=
DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma;
	h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:from:date:message-id:subject:to
	:cc:content-type:content-transfer-encoding;
	b=QFIgf+LSHpmEHKbR7/4/V/7DmbxuC0OcEZvVcuAAVJNZuRJSeFHBoAWvlYvbb49jmH
	cpxv3vSTjtXxjXzp8u185jz/1BvbxHCZRo9xD2Uy4UPDgeA+pTgjKH+Po178p0EgPFIq
	bpX2EmwgXE4m2YhR+FC6ovd6qcEKYxK7z1TqY=
Original-Received: by 10.101.11.14 with SMTP id o14mr6977495ani.196.1267492935118; Mon, 
	01 Mar 2010 17:22:15 -0800 (PST)
In-Reply-To: <938FD473372B43A9A6EE53B2DFA3E3EA@us.oracle.com>
X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: GNU/Linux 2.6 (newer, 2)
X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor <help-gnu-emacs.gnu.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/help-gnu-emacs>,
	<mailto:help-gnu-emacs-request@gnu.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.gnu.org/pipermail/help-gnu-emacs>
List-Post: <mailto:help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>
List-Help: <mailto:help-gnu-emacs-request@gnu.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/help-gnu-emacs>,
	<mailto:help-gnu-emacs-request@gnu.org?subject=subscribe>
Original-Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org
Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org
Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:72284
Archived-At: <http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.help/72284>

Hi Drew,

Thanks.

On Mon, Mar 1, 2010 at 5:03 PM, Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com> wrote:
>> > So try `C-u C-h i' instead of `M-2 C-h i'.
>>
>> That was it. =A0Thank you!!
>> Completely unclear why it was necessary to change it, though.
>
> Most changes are not strictly necessary. ;-)

Yeah, I know.  As a developer, I am acutely sensitive to both sides of the
issue.  The result:  never change things unless there's a real reason,
and when there is a real reason, leave around some bread crumbs
so nobody has to go Googling to figure things out.  Here, the new code
just quietly ignores the numeric prefix (a technique I've been using for
30 years now).  It left me grumpy.  :)  Thank you.  I will now retrain
my fingers to prefix this particular command with Ctl-u.  Ick.  :(
"non-numeric prefix" is a new feature that must have cropped up in the
last 20 years.  :-D

> The more common use of a prefix arg is as `C-u'. A numeric prefix arg som=
etimes
> serves, like here, to provide a numeric value (or to provide some other
> alternative behavior).
>
> In this case, from the doc string (`C-h k C-h i'):
>
> "In interactive use, a non-numeric prefix argument directs
> this command to read a file name from the minibuffer.
> A numeric prefix argument selects an Info buffer with the
> prefix number appended to the Info buffer name."

I know the stuff is always documented somewhere.  The problem is
finding it.  Thank you again.  Regards, Bruce