how do I visit a file in info mode?

how do I visit a file in info mode?

[Bruce Korb]

It used to be the case that I only had to put a non-zero prefix
on the "info" command.  e.g.  Esc-2 Ctl-h i
and I was queried as to which .info file to visit.
I cannot figure out how to do that any more.
Google doesn't get me there.
I do not want to install the thing before I've viewed it.
What can I do?  Thank you.  Regards, Bruce

Re: how do I visit a file in info mode?

[Thien-Thi Nguyen]

() Bruce Korb <bruce.korb@gmail.com>
() Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:12:51 -0800

   Google doesn't get me there.

That's a relief!

   What can I do?

Well, `C-h i' is a keybinding to a command,
so it is succeptible to doing `C-h k' first,
i.e., `C-h k C-h i'.  Have you tried that?

thi

RE: how do I visit a file in info mode?

[Drew Adams]

> It used to be the case that I only had to put a non-zero prefix
> on the "info" command.  e.g.  Esc-2 Ctl-h i
> and I was queried as to which .info file to visit.
> I cannot figure out how to do that any more.
> Google doesn't get me there.
> I do not want to install the thing before I've viewed it.
> What can I do?  Thank you.  Regards, Bruce

You don't mention your Emacs version.

In Emacs prior to version 22, any prefix arg gave the behavior you're looking
for. Starting with Emacs 22, you need to use a non-numeric prefix arg to get
that behavior.

So try `C-u C-h i' instead of `M-2 C-h i'.

Re: how do I visit a file in info mode?

[Bruce Korb]

Hi Drew,

On Mon, Mar 1, 2010 at 4:28 PM, Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com> wrote:
> You don't mention your Emacs version.
>
> In Emacs prior to version 22, any prefix arg gave the behavior you're looking
> for. Starting with Emacs 22, you need to use a non-numeric prefix arg to get
> that behavior.
>
> So try `C-u C-h i' instead of `M-2 C-h i'.

That was it.  Thank you!!
Completely unclear why it was necessary to change it, though.

Regards, Bruce

RE: how do I visit a file in info mode?

[Drew Adams]

> > So try `C-u C-h i' instead of `M-2 C-h i'.
> 
> That was it.  Thank you!!
> Completely unclear why it was necessary to change it, though.

Most changes are not strictly necessary. ;-)

The more common use of a prefix arg is as `C-u'. A numeric prefix arg sometimes
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."

Re: how do I visit a file in info mode?

[Bruce Korb]

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.  Thank 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 sometimes
> 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

Re: how do I visit a file in info mode?

[Kevin Rodgers]

Bruce Korb wrote:

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

When you install a new version of Emacs, `C-h n' is the first thing
to try:

* Changes in Specialized Modes and Packages in Emacs 22.1:
...
** Info mode changes
...
*** A numeric prefix argument of `info' selects an Info buffer
with the number appended to the `*info*' buffer name (e.g. "*info*<2>").

-- 
Kevin Rodgers
Denver, Colorado, USA

Re: how do I visit a file in info mode?

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Bruce Korb <bruce.korb@gmail.com>
> Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2010 17:21:55 -0800
> Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> 
> Here, the new code just quietly ignores the numeric prefix

??? How do you mean ``ignore''?  If I type "C-u 100 C-h i", I get a
buffer "*info*<100>" with the Info main directory.

> "non-numeric prefix" is a new feature that must have cropped up in the
> last 20 years.  :-D

It's been in Emacs since day one, actually.  Maybe you are just
unfamiliar with the term, which means "there is an argument, but it is
not a number".

> > 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.

The doc string of the command is not ``somewhere''.  It's generally
the first place to look.