From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.io!.POSTED.blaine.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Stefan Kangas Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.bugs Subject: bug#46627: [PATCH] Add new help command 'describe-command' Date: Sun, 21 Feb 2021 01:18:02 -0600 Message-ID: References: <835z2o4fes.fsf@gnu.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Injection-Info: ciao.gmane.io; posting-host="blaine.gmane.org:116.202.254.214"; logging-data="29043"; mail-complaints-to="usenet@ciao.gmane.io" Cc: larsi@gnus.org, 46627@debbugs.gnu.org To: rms@gnu.org Original-X-From: bug-gnu-emacs-bounces+geb-bug-gnu-emacs=m.gmane-mx.org@gnu.org Sun Feb 21 08:19:11 2021 Return-path: Envelope-to: geb-bug-gnu-emacs@m.gmane-mx.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([209.51.188.17]) by ciao.gmane.io with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.92) (envelope-from ) id 1lDj1L-0007Ok-Ez for geb-bug-gnu-emacs@m.gmane-mx.org; Sun, 21 Feb 2021 08:19:11 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:35946 helo=lists1p.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1lDj1K-0003CO-Gi for geb-bug-gnu-emacs@m.gmane-mx.org; Sun, 21 Feb 2021 02:19:10 -0500 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:470:142:3::10]:50902) by lists.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1lDj1D-0003Bv-2h for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Sun, 21 Feb 2021 02:19:03 -0500 Original-Received: from debbugs.gnu.org ([209.51.188.43]:41916) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_128_GCM_SHA256:128) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1lDj1C-0006n2-Rp for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Sun, 21 Feb 2021 02:19:02 -0500 Original-Received: from Debian-debbugs by debbugs.gnu.org with local (Exim 4.84_2) (envelope-from ) id 1lDj1C-0006Yr-OK for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Sun, 21 Feb 2021 02:19:02 -0500 X-Loop: help-debbugs@gnu.org Resent-From: Stefan Kangas Original-Sender: "Debbugs-submit" Resent-CC: bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org Resent-Date: Sun, 21 Feb 2021 07:19:02 +0000 Resent-Message-ID: Resent-Sender: help-debbugs@gnu.org X-GNU-PR-Message: followup 46627 X-GNU-PR-Package: emacs X-GNU-PR-Keywords: patch Original-Received: via spool by 46627-submit@debbugs.gnu.org id=B46627.161389189025146 (code B ref 46627); Sun, 21 Feb 2021 07:19:02 +0000 Original-Received: (at 46627) by debbugs.gnu.org; 21 Feb 2021 07:18:10 +0000 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:53461 helo=debbugs.gnu.org) by debbugs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.84_2) (envelope-from ) id 1lDj0L-0006XQ-Og for submit@debbugs.gnu.org; Sun, 21 Feb 2021 02:18:10 -0500 Original-Received: from mail-pl1-f178.google.com ([209.85.214.178]:33729) by debbugs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.84_2) (envelope-from ) id 1lDj0K-0006Wv-9C for 46627@debbugs.gnu.org; Sun, 21 Feb 2021 02:18:08 -0500 Original-Received: by mail-pl1-f178.google.com with SMTP id d13so5735532plg.0 for <46627@debbugs.gnu.org>; Sat, 20 Feb 2021 23:18:08 -0800 (PST) X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:from:in-reply-to:references:mime-version:date :message-id:subject:to:cc; bh=ltYDA6gOAqd6+AjX6X82qubYYLPwWTZhQ8rJt+LjqWQ=; b=gZePlBggoVf14ZTAuGA/cWu7yPzTSEHju0ECcmZ4x1/7vCMsBG7IG2BTzc7jjWBSfw Uofpvg69BX3zSjX2a+meZxDI3UI1pHjhJBQ9OJGij6AHQ/NsUlFSMNk5dMVpkCacEpcD YQ30Ueg7L6q/3ET+sA5XEU102xyhvBUvfxaLu3MCEmDBwC7RrNHIWSEr2QFrj/ITFygo WLDW0wzUsF5UJdoZjXXPb+c9IDp0G/5RVqwMlhH08OGf1nzFapZID/KBi1YNxkwX36Dh fFN8m4OxcECs6wos9By0U3azs0tH+sY94NRvwj7WXqN420bG9cPpy6USyfphcntq/ZC8 lVKg== X-Gm-Message-State: AOAM531DyHoioaNEamk9nHpjzCj1AamKegtS+jAyzcIuF6sbT+4w58z0 8UVGUbDmJzi+saq0nfbmmulOCsHSncsm1mh7TMY= X-Google-Smtp-Source: ABdhPJxB+zhfe5ca2EiG0GWoKYLchI6P3a/aRxUpkJ1+p2rJGodl5rceOaPsFbSplYmzjPgTB8dsJ9s/IvZSxR5WDWc= X-Received: by 2002:a17:90a:1389:: with SMTP id i9mr16849627pja.104.1613891882687; Sat, 20 Feb 2021 23:18:02 -0800 (PST) Original-Received: from 753933720722 named unknown by gmailapi.google.com with HTTPREST; Sun, 21 Feb 2021 01:18:02 -0600 In-Reply-To: X-BeenThere: debbugs-submit@debbugs.gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.18 Precedence: list X-BeenThere: bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org List-Id: "Bug reports for GNU Emacs, the Swiss army knife of text editors" List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: bug-gnu-emacs-bounces+geb-bug-gnu-emacs=m.gmane-mx.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: "bug-gnu-emacs" Xref: news.gmane.io gmane.emacs.bugs:200479 Archived-At: Richard Stallman writes: > Is this really what people do? I am surprised people find it useful, > surprised that you can ever find a command name that way. Yes, we have evidence of this on emacs-devel. I do it myself at times. > If you have seen users do it, can you say more about the situations > where it is effective? I can't claim that it is the most effective technique in general. I would use it when I am certain that I almost know the name of a command -- I would know it if I see it. In such situations, firing up apropos is an extra step and not what I want. Today, I just use `C-h f' and manually filter for what is likely the command I am looking for. With `describe-command', this would be a better experience. But I think the use of `describe-command' goes beyond this one use-case. In particular, I don't think end-users should need to filter through a massive, intimidating list of functions when they are just looking for a command. (BTW, in the completion framework I often use, `ivy', there is a command to run the action associated with the minibuffer without leaving the minibuffer. That is, I run `C-h f', type in some text to complete on, and then hit `C-M-n' to repeatedly see the full documentation for a number of commands. This is a very effective way to scan for the correct function, often much more effective than apropos. But vanilla Emacs currently does not support this, AFAIK.)