bug#4897: 23.1.50; Info-index and ? in minibuffer

bug#4897: 23.1.50; Info-index and ? in minibuffer

[Helmut Eller]

The key binding for ? in the minibuffer can be very annoying for the
Info-index command.  Some languages, e.g. Forth or Scheme, have the
convention to append a question mark to predicate names and so typing a
plain ? is needed rather often.

Also, ? seems to do almost the same as TAB.
Please make ? a self-inserting command in the minibuffer.

Helmut

bug#4897: 23.1.50; Info-index and ? in minibuffer

[Glenn Morris]

severity 4897 wishlist
stop

Helmut Eller wrote:

> The key binding for ? in the minibuffer can be very annoying for the
> Info-index command.

It behaves the same way as in the stand-alone info reader.
You can use `C-q ?' for a literal '?'.

bug#4897: 23.1.50; Info-index and ? in minibuffer

[Stefan Kangas]

Glenn Morris <rgm@gnu.org> writes:

> severity 4897 wishlist
> stop
>
> Helmut Eller wrote:
>
>> The key binding for ? in the minibuffer can be very annoying for the
>> Info-index command.
>
> It behaves the same way as in the stand-alone info reader.
> You can use `C-q ?' for a literal '?'.

IMO, it would be better to remove the "?" binding.  One could use
the more natural "TAB" binding instead.

However, given that this is very long-standing behaviour, can we
really change it now?  Any opinions?

Best regards,
Stefan Kangas

bug#4897: 23.1.50; Info-index and ? in minibuffer

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Stefan Kangas <stefan@marxist.se>
> Date: Sat, 02 Nov 2019 06:25:07 +0100
> Cc: Helmut Eller <eller.helmut@gmail.com>, 4897@debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> >> The key binding for ? in the minibuffer can be very annoying for the
> >> Info-index command.
> >
> > It behaves the same way as in the stand-alone info reader.
> > You can use `C-q ?' for a literal '?'.
> 
> IMO, it would be better to remove the "?" binding.  One could use
> the more natural "TAB" binding instead.
> 
> However, given that this is very long-standing behaviour, can we
> really change it now?  Any opinions?

It is very unusual for an index entry to include the question mark, so
I think the case for the change is quite weak.

bug#4897: 23.1.50; Info-index and ? in minibuffer

[Stefan Kangas]

tags 4897 + wontfix
close 4897
thanks

Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>:
>
> > From: Stefan Kangas <stefan@marxist.se>
> > Date: Sat, 02 Nov 2019 06:25:07 +0100
> > Cc: Helmut Eller <eller.helmut@gmail.com>, 4897@debbugs.gnu.org
> >
> > >> The key binding for ? in the minibuffer can be very annoying for the
> > >> Info-index command.
> > >
> > > It behaves the same way as in the stand-alone info reader.
> > > You can use `C-q ?' for a literal '?'.
> >
> > IMO, it would be better to remove the "?" binding.  One could use
> > the more natural "TAB" binding instead.
> >
> > However, given that this is very long-standing behaviour, can we
> > really change it now?  Any opinions?
>
> It is very unusual for an index entry to include the question mark, so
> I think the case for the change is quite weak.

That makes sense.  I'm consequently closing the bug as wontfix.

Best regards,
Stefan Kangas

bug#4897: 23.1.50; Info-index and ? in minibuffer

[Drew Adams]

> > It behaves the same way as in the stand-alone info reader.
> > You can use `C-q ?' for a literal '?'.
> 
> IMO, it would be better to remove the "?" binding.  One could use
> the more natural "TAB" binding instead.
> 
> However, given that this is very long-standing behaviour, can we
> really change it now?  Any opinions?

One opinion: go ahead and remove it.
Anyone who really wants it can add it back
individually.

But it would be good to hear from others,
including anyone who uses it.

bug#4897: 23.1.50; Info-index and ? in minibuffer

[Drew Adams]

> It is very unusual for an index entry to include the question mark, so
> I think the case for the change is quite weak.

That's true.  And the fact that using `?'
immediately shows `*Help*' helps (especially if
that help tells you about `?' - see below).

So I retract my vote to remove it.
___

However, it might be better for the displayed help
to not immediately disappear if you click it or
try to search it (`C-s'), etc., and to put it into
a separate window.  I.e., let it just do what
`C-h m' does.

And it might be better for the displayed help to
put this first line before other key descriptions:

?	Display this help.  (`C-q ?' inserts `?'.)
h	Invoke the Info tutorial.
q	Quit Info: reselect previously selected buffer.