From: Lennart Borgman <lennart.borgman@gmail.com>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>, 2473@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com
Cc: xah@xahlee.org, rms@gnu.org
Subject: bug#2473: usability issues on emacs's describe-mode
Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:31:29 +0100 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <e01d8a50902270331l1073f82ft53f8b62eafd98448@mail.gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <uzlg8p2e6.fsf@gnu.org>
On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 12:04 PM, Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:
>> I do see two ways to improve this:
>
> I see a 3rd way: make the buffer present an expandable list of modes,
> starting with just 2 items: the current major modes and "minor modes",
> e.g. similar to what we do in Speedbar, or maybe in Outline Mode
> (under "Hide Sublevels"). In ASCII art:
>
> + Major Mode: RMAIL Mode
> + Minor Modes
>
> Clicking on a plus near Major Mode would then expand to the text we
> currently show for that major mode, for example:
>
> - Major Mode: RMAIL mode
> Rmail Mode is used by M-x rmail for editing Rmail files.
> All normal editing commands are turned off.
> Instead, these commands are available:
>
> . Move point to front of this message.
> / Move point to bottom of this message.
> SPC Scroll to next screen of this message.
> DEL Scroll to previous screen of this message.
> n Move to Next non-deleted message.
> p Move to Previous non-deleted message.
>
> + Minor Modes
>
> Clicking on "Minor Modes" would show only the list of modes with short
> descriptions:
>
> - Minor Modes:
> + Auto-Compression -- automatic file compression and uncompression.
> + Blink-Cursor -- blink cursor in current window.
> + Desktop-Save -- save Emacs session on exit.
> + Display-Time -- display time, load average, and mail flag in modeline.
> + File-Name-Shadow -- shadow ignored part of file name in minibuffer.
>
> etc., you get the picture. (We could also have a tooltip on each line
> showing more info for that mode.) Clicking on any of the plus signs
> near a minor mode would display the full documentation for that minor
> mode, the one we show today unconditionally.
>
> This way, the user will be able to expand only the modes she is
> interested in. Using the short description, the user will be able to
> find out what is/are the modes she is interested in, if she doesn't
> know that in advance.
>
> For more functionality, we could add buttons and/or help-echo links to
> go to the manual where the mode is fully described.
>
> WDYT?
A very good suggestion.
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2009-02-27 11:31 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 15+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2009-02-25 19:40 bug#2473: usability issues on emacs's describe-mode xah lee
2009-02-26 15:15 ` Stefan Monnier
2022-04-13 1:50 ` Lars Ingebrigtsen
2009-02-27 10:10 ` Richard M Stallman
2009-02-27 11:04 ` Eli Zaretskii
2009-02-27 11:31 ` Lennart Borgman [this message]
2009-02-27 15:19 ` Drew Adams
2009-02-27 23:33 ` Richard M Stallman
2009-02-27 23:56 ` Lennart Borgman
2009-02-27 23:58 ` Drew Adams
2009-02-28 4:34 ` Stefan Monnier
2009-02-28 9:12 ` xah lee
2009-02-28 10:54 ` Eli Zaretskii
2009-02-28 11:05 ` Lennart Borgman
-- strict thread matches above, loose matches on Subject: below --
2009-03-01 11:25 Xavier Maillard
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