[PATCH] ol.el: Recommend `browse-url' to `:follow' links

[PATCH] ol.el: Recommend `browse-url' to `:follow' links

[Max Nikulin]

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I think, it might be helpful to mention the `browse-url' package in the 
docs for the :follow property of `org-link-parameters'. Writing code to 
launch an external application may be tricky, so it is better to 
delegate the task to existing utilities.

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From 9d6b216d4bd654f976cd889dec2f805f05f76428 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Max Nikulin <manikulin@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2023 22:31:51 +0700
Subject: [PATCH] ol.el: Recommend `browse-url' to `:follow' links

* lisp/ol.el (org-link-parameters): Recommend the `browse-url' function
for calling external protocol handlers in the docstring.

This is indirect follow-up of the
https://list.orgmode.org/3218434.44csPzL39Z@linux.fritz.box/ thread.
---
 lisp/ol.el | 14 ++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 14 insertions(+)

diff --git a/lisp/ol.el b/lisp/ol.el
index 9e4781f6e..dd883ab29 100644
--- a/lisp/ol.el
+++ b/lisp/ol.el
@@ -109,6 +109,20 @@ (defcustom org-link-parameters nil
   Here, you may use `org-link-open-as-file' helper function for
   types similar to \"file\".
 
+  To invoke an external handler of specific URI scheme such as \"irc:\",
+  consider delegating the task to `browse-url', for details
+  see Info node `(emacs) Browse-URL'.
+
+    (lambda (path &optional arg)
+      (browse-url (concat type \":\" path) arg))
+
+  Either ensure that a system-wide protocol handler is configured or
+  add an entry to `browse-url-handlers' for Emacs-28 and newer
+  or define `browse-url-browser-function' as alist for older versions.
+  The advantage of this approach is that the same handler
+  will be available for `goto-address-mode'
+  (see Info node `(emacs) Goto Address mode').
+
 `:export'
 
   Function that accepts four arguments:
-- 
2.25.1

Re: [PATCH] ol.el: Recommend `browse-url' to `:follow' links

[Ihor Radchenko]

Max Nikulin <manikulin@gmail.com> writes:

> I think, it might be helpful to mention the `browse-url' package in the 
> docs for the :follow property of `org-link-parameters'. Writing code to 
> launch an external application may be tricky, so it is better to 
> delegate the task to existing utilities.

Maybe better add this to "A.3 Adding Hyperlink Types" section of the manual?

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>

Re: [PATCH] ol.el: Recommend `browse-url' to `:follow' links

[Max Nikulin]

On 10/02/2023 18:13, Ihor Radchenko wrote:
> Max Nikulin writes:
> 
>> I think, it might be helpful to mention the `browse-url' package in the
>> docs for the :follow property of `org-link-parameters'. Writing code to
>> launch an external application may be tricky, so it is better to
>> delegate the task to existing utilities.
> 
> Maybe better add this to "A.3 Adding Hyperlink Types" section of the manual?

If you you believe that the (info "(org) Adding Hyperlink Types") 
section should be expanded then a complete example is necessary, some 
ideas may be picked from

https://orgmode.org/worg/org-faq.html#mailto-links
https://orgmode.org/worg/org-faq.html#mid-url-handler

While the manual section and the `org-link-parameters' docstring as the 
reference may be cross-linked, some note on `browse-url' still may be 
helpful in the latter.

Re: [PATCH] ol.el: Recommend `browse-url' to `:follow' links

[Ihor Radchenko]

Max Nikulin <manikulin@gmail.com> writes:

>> Maybe better add this to "A.3 Adding Hyperlink Types" section of the manual?
>
> If you you believe that the (info "(org) Adding Hyperlink Types") 
> section should be expanded then a complete example is necessary, some 
> ideas may be picked from
>
> https://orgmode.org/worg/org-faq.html#mailto-links
> https://orgmode.org/worg/org-faq.html#mid-url-handler
>
> While the manual section and the `org-link-parameters' docstring as the 
> reference may be cross-linked, some note on `browse-url' still may be 
> helpful in the latter.

I believe that examples like yours really belong to the manual, not to
the docstring. Your example is the shortest possible way to define a new
link type as opposed to writing a whole new library - something rather
hard to achieve for less experienced users.

So, I suggest to
1. Put your example to the beginning of "Adding Hyperlink Types" section
   of the manual as the simplest way to define a new link type and
   use ol-man as a more complex example if more features are needed.

2. Refer to (info "(org) Adding Hyperlink Types") from the docstring of
   `org-link-parameters'.

WDYT?

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>