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bug#2473: usability issues on emacs's describe-mode
From: |
Xavier Maillard |
Subject: |
bug#2473: usability issues on emacs's describe-mode |
Date: |
Sun, 1 Mar 2009 12:25:02 +0100 |
User-agent: |
Rmail GNU emacs 23.0 on Slackware 12.2.0 |
> From: Richard M Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
> Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 05:10:49 -0500
> Cc: bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
>
> We list the minor mode info here as well as the major mode info,
> because otherwise we would need a separate command to give info about
> them, and that would be burdensome in another way. The way we present
> it is the best possible compromise between the various goals. It
> gives the minor mode info in brief form at the front, but puts most of
> it at the end, out of the way.
>
> 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.
[...]
WDYT?
This is a really good suggestion and would greatly improve C-h m
usability (which is the OP's main complaint.
Xavier
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