RE: [External] : Re: help doesn't buttonize some functions

RE: [External] : Re: help doesn't buttonize some functions

[Drew Adams]

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> Maybe some regexp somewhere where functions that contain
> non-alphanums aren't buttonized?
> 
> E.g., `string=' isn't buttonized

Yes, it is.

Quoted names beginning with non-word chars aren't
buttonized.  Other names are.

The fault (but by design, I'm sure) is with this
variable defined in `help-mode.el':

(defconst help-xref-symbol-regexp
  (purecopy (concat "\\(\\<\\(\\(variable\\|option\\)\\|"  ; Link to var
 		    "\\(function\\|command\\|call\\)\\|"   ; Link to function
 		    "\\(face\\)\\|"			   ; Link to face
 		    "\\(symbol\\|program\\|property\\)\\|" ; Don't link
		    "\\(source \\(?:code \\)?\\(?:of\\|for\\)\\)\\)"
		    "[ \t\n]+\\)?"
		    ;; Note starting with word-syntax character:
		    "['`']\\(\\sw\\(\\sw\\|\\s_\\)+\\|`\\)['']"))
  "Regexp matching doc string references to symbols.

The words preceding the quoted symbol can be used in doc strings to
distinguish references to variables, functions and symbols.")

This is the culprit - it says that the quoted name
must begin with a word-constituent char (\sw):

 ;; Note starting with word-syntax character:
 "['`']\\(\\sw\\(\\sw\\|\\s_\\)+\\|`\\)['']"
          ^^^^

You need to change that to this (and remove the call
to `purecopy'):

 "['`']\\(\\(\\sw\\|\\s_\\)+\\|`\\)['']"

But first `M-x load-library help-mode.el' (not .elc),
then redefine var `help-xref-symbol-regexp' as above.

You can use setq or defconst - doesn't matter:

(setq help-xref-symbol-regexp
      (concat "\\(\\<\\(\\(variable\\|option\\)\\|"	 ; Link to var
 	      "\\(function\\|command\\|call\\)\\|" ; Link to function
 	      "\\(face\\)\\|"			   ; Link to face
 	      "\\(symbol\\|program\\|property\\)\\|" ; Don't link
	      "\\(source \\(?:code \\)?\\(?:of\\|for\\)\\)\\)"
	      "[ \t\n]+\\)?"
	      ;; Note starting with word-syntax character:
	      "['`']\\(\\(\\sw\\|\\s_\\)+\\|`\\)['']"))

Then you can test with this:

(defun test-fun ()
  "`=foo' is not `foo=' or `string='." )
(defun =foo () "EEEEEEEEEEEEEE" 42)
(defun foo= () "OOOOOOOOOOOOOO" "42")

Then `C-h f test-fun' buttonizes all of those.

This is using the Emacs 27.2 version of that var.
Other Emacs versions use different regexps for it,
but they all insist that the function, variable,
etc. name start with a word-constituent char.

The likely reason is that otherwise stuff gets
buttonized that shouldn't be.  IOW, starting with
a word char is a heuristic/trade-off.


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Re: [External] : Re: help doesn't buttonize some functions

[Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor]

Drew Adams wrote:

>> Maybe some regexp somewhere where functions that contain
>> non-alphanums aren't buttonized?
>> 
>> E.g., `string=' isn't buttonized
>
> Yes, it is.

Not in ERC. `string-equal' is.

> Quoted names beginning with non-word chars aren't
> buttonized. Other names are.
>
> The fault (but by design, I'm sure) is with this variable
> defined in `help-mode.el' [...]
>
> The likely reason is that otherwise stuff gets buttonized
> that shouldn't be.

What stuff?

-- 
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal

Re: [External] : Re: help doesn't buttonize some functions

[Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor]

>>> E.g., `string=' isn't buttonized
>>
>> Yes, it is.
>
> Not in ERC. `string-equal' is.

An idea would be to have the regexps that control
buttonization be the same for help and ERC.

And perhaps other modes as well, e.g. `gnus-article-mode'
where it doesn't happen at all (well, for URLs it does, but
not for Emacs symbols).

-- 
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal

RE: [External] : Re: help doesn't buttonize some functions

[Drew Adams]

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> > Quoted names beginning with non-word chars aren't
> > buttonized. Other names are.
> >
> > The fault (but by design, I'm sure) is with this variable
> > defined in `help-mode.el' [...]
> >
> > The likely reason is that otherwise stuff gets buttonized
> > that shouldn't be.
> 
> What stuff?

Dunno.  I gave you the key.  Unlock and see for
yourself, if you're curious.  Or wait for Emacs 28.

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Re: [External] : Re: help doesn't buttonize some functions

[Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor]

Drew Adams wrote:

>>> The likely reason is that otherwise stuff gets buttonized
>>> that shouldn't be.
>> 
>> What stuff?
>
> Dunno. I gave you the key. Unlock and see for yourself, if
> you're curious.

I don't think people use `this' notation so often so "false
buttons" I don't think will be be a concern, but if it is,
cannot one simply look for a symbol, if it exists or not?
As there isn't a `this' symbol here, it doesn't have to
be buttonized, can't one do it like that, simply/better?

Let's confirm with (symbolp 'this) ; t

Hm ... maybe one can just use `when'?

> Or wait for Emacs 28.

Well, good that "they" fixed it but please tell me what
version number Emacs 28 will start on since mine

  GNU Emacs 28.0.50 (build 1, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, cairo
  version 1.16.0) of 2021-08-27

is somewhere in (27, 28) limbo.

-- 
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal

RE: [External] : Re: help doesn't buttonize some functions

[Drew Adams]

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> > Or wait for Emacs 28.
> 
> Well, good that "they" fixed it but please tell me what
> version number Emacs 28 will start on since mine
> 
>   GNU Emacs 28.0.50 (build 1, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, cairo
>   version 1.16.0) of 2021-08-27
> 
> is somewhere in (27, 28) limbo.

Someone else will have to tell you that.  My
Emacs 28 is the latest - and only - MS Windows
binary posted by GNU Emacs, and it dates from
2021-01-15:

https://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/emacs/pretest/windows/emacs-28/

So ... older than yours by almost 8 months.

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Re: [External] : Re: help doesn't buttonize some functions

[Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor]

> I don't think people use `this' notation so often so "false
> buttons" I don't think will be be a concern, but if it is,
> cannot one simply look for a symbol, if it exists or not?
> As there isn't a `this' symbol here, it doesn't have to be
> buttonized, can't one do it like that, simply/better?

This already happens with help and docstrings,
`undefined-symbol' isn't buttonized.

With ERC an `undefined-symbol' will instead be a button
to `apropos'!

-- 
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal