From: Juri Linkov <juri@jurta.org>
To: emacs-devel@gnu.org
Subject: Virtual Info Help manual
Date: Sat, 17 Apr 2010 02:45:45 +0300 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <87aat3klle.fsf@mail.jurta.org> (raw)
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There are two different sources of information about Emacs now:
1. Info manuals
2. Help documentation
They have different UI for the same purpose.
If the online Help documentation were in an Info manual,
that would have several advantages:
1. the same UI for browsing online documentation -
Info manuals or Help documentation alike.
2. consistent cross references between Info manuals.
For instance, a cross reference (info "(*Help*) Function car")
will go to a virtual Info node equivalent to `C-h f car RET'.
Previously visited cross references will be highlighted
in a different face.
3. common history
The `l' command will go back in the history to the last Info node
with a function's docstring, etc.
4. other rich Info functionality will be available
for the online Help documentation.
All this is easy to do using virtual Info manuals.
The patch below implements a virtual Info manual *Help*
with the following virtual nodes:
* Top - a menu of top nodes.
* About Emacs - like the About screen (`C-h C-a')
displays the current version string and some useful links
to other Emacs manuals.
* Statistics - the memory usage (garbage collection stats, etc.)
* Functions Index - a list of all defined functions
* Functions by Prefix
* Functions by Suffix - a list of functions grouped
by common prefix/suffux
* Function <name> - like the output of `C-h f'
with cross references to other Info nodes.
* Variables Index - a list of all defined variables
* Variables by Prefix
* Variables by Suffix - a list of variables grouped
by common prefix/suffux
* Variable <name> - like the output of `C-h v'
with cross references to other Info nodes.
* Buffers - a list of buffers
* Buffer <name> - complete information about buffer: name, major mode,
cross references to nodes of its minor modes and buffer-local
variables.
* Mule Diagnosis - a menu for all chapters of `describe-*' functions
** Input Methods
** Coding Systems
** Character Sets
...
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--
Juri Linkov
http://www.jurta.org/emacs/
reply other threads:[~2010-04-16 23:45 UTC|newest]
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