From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Richard Stallman Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: Improved help from minibuffer prompts Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 18:53:44 -0400 Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Message-ID: References: Reply-To: rms@gnu.org NNTP-Posting-Host: deer.gmane.org X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1081983951 5893 80.91.224.253 (14 Apr 2004 23:05:51 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 23:05:51 +0000 (UTC) Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org, xsteve@riic.at Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Thu Apr 15 01:05:43 2004 Return-path: Original-Received: from quimby.gnus.org ([80.91.224.244]) by deer.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 1BDtRv-0008UR-00 for ; Thu, 15 Apr 2004 01:05:43 +0200 Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by quimby.gnus.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 1BDtRv-0000WP-00 for ; Thu, 15 Apr 2004 01:05:43 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.30) id 1BDtOy-0002hG-9Q for emacs-devel@quimby.gnus.org; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 19:02:40 -0400 Original-Received: from list by monty-python.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.30) id 1BDtKg-000123-Sa for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 18:58:14 -0400 Original-Received: from mail by monty-python.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.30) id 1BDtIb-0008E2-GF for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 18:56:37 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.164] (helo=fencepost.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.30) id 1BDtGi-0007SB-Cg for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 18:54:08 -0400 Original-Received: from rms by fencepost.gnu.org with local (Exim 4.24) id 1BDtGK-0003p1-Aw; Wed, 14 Apr 2004 18:53:44 -0400 Original-To: Miles Bader In-reply-to: (message from Miles Bader on 14 Apr 2004 15:49:58 +0900) X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.4 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:21655 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.devel:21655 Here's an idea: Use the normal binding for `describe-function' (`C-h f', or `F1 f') and either have it directly pop up the help for the currently executing command (i.e., don't prompt for a function name as usual), or else prompt as usual, but set the default value for the prompt to the function currently executing command (so that you'd typically use `C-h f RET' to get help in the situation you describe). Only experienced users will think of doing this. It is not adequate for the job, which is to help novices. It would not occur to a novice to type C-h f in the minibuffer to get help about the command that invoked it.