From: Xavier Maillard <xma@gnu.org>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
Cc: xah@xahlee.org, rms@gnu.org, 2473@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com
Subject: bug#2473: usability issues on emacs's describe-mode
Date: Sun, 1 Mar 2009 12:25:02 +0100 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <200903011125.n21BP2VU029502@zogzog.maillard.mobi> (raw)
In-Reply-To: message from Eli Zaretskii on Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:04:01 +0200
> From: Richard M Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
> Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 05:10:49 -0500
> Cc: bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
>
> We list the minor mode info here as well as the major mode info,
> because otherwise we would need a separate command to give info about
> them, and that would be burdensome in another way. The way we present
> it is the best possible compromise between the various goals. It
> gives the minor mode info in brief form at the front, but puts most of
> it at the end, out of the way.
>
> I do see two ways to improve this:
I see a 3rd way: make the buffer present an expandable list of modes,
starting with just 2 items: the current major modes and "minor modes",
e.g. similar to what we do in Speedbar, or maybe in Outline Mode
(under "Hide Sublevels"). In ASCII art:
+ Major Mode: RMAIL Mode
+ Minor Modes
Clicking on a plus near Major Mode would then expand to the text we
currently show for that major mode, for example:
- Major Mode: RMAIL mode
Rmail Mode is used by M-x rmail for editing Rmail files.
All normal editing commands are turned off.
Instead, these commands are available:
. Move point to front of this message.
/ Move point to bottom of this message.
SPC Scroll to next screen of this message.
DEL Scroll to previous screen of this message.
n Move to Next non-deleted message.
p Move to Previous non-deleted message.
+ Minor Modes
Clicking on "Minor Modes" would show only the list of modes with short
descriptions:
- Minor Modes:
+ Auto-Compression -- automatic file compression and uncompression.
+ Blink-Cursor -- blink cursor in current window.
+ Desktop-Save -- save Emacs session on exit.
+ Display-Time -- display time, load average, and mail flag in modeline.
+ File-Name-Shadow -- shadow ignored part of file name in minibuffer.
etc., you get the picture. (We could also have a tooltip on each line
showing more info for that mode.) Clicking on any of the plus signs
near a minor mode would display the full documentation for that minor
mode, the one we show today unconditionally.
[...]
WDYT?
This is a really good suggestion and would greatly improve C-h m
usability (which is the OP's main complaint.
Xavier
--
http://www.gnu.org
http://www.april.org
http://www.lolica.org
next reply other threads:[~2009-03-01 11:25 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 15+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2009-03-01 11:25 Xavier Maillard [this message]
-- strict thread matches above, loose matches on Subject: below --
2009-02-25 19:40 bug#2473: usability issues on emacs's describe-mode xah lee
2009-02-26 15:15 ` Stefan Monnier
2022-04-13 1:50 ` Lars Ingebrigtsen
2009-02-27 10:10 ` Richard M Stallman
2009-02-27 11:04 ` Eli Zaretskii
2009-02-27 11:31 ` Lennart Borgman
2009-02-27 15:19 ` Drew Adams
2009-02-27 23:33 ` Richard M Stallman
2009-02-27 23:56 ` Lennart Borgman
2009-02-27 23:58 ` Drew Adams
2009-02-28 4:34 ` Stefan Monnier
2009-02-28 9:12 ` xah lee
2009-02-28 10:54 ` Eli Zaretskii
2009-02-28 11:05 ` Lennart Borgman
Reply instructions:
You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:
* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
and reply-to-all from there: mbox
Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style
* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
switches of git-send-email(1):
git send-email \
--in-reply-to=200903011125.n21BP2VU029502@zogzog.maillard.mobi \
--to=xma@gnu.org \
--cc=2473@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com \
--cc=eliz@gnu.org \
--cc=rms@gnu.org \
--cc=xah@xahlee.org \
/path/to/YOUR_REPLY
https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html
* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line
before the message body.
Code repositories for project(s) associated with this external index
https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git
https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs/org-mode.git
This is an external index of several public inboxes,
see mirroring instructions on how to clone and mirror
all data and code used by this external index.