Re: [Info] Get more from the command line

[Eli Zaretskii]

On Wed, 13 Feb 2002, Harry Putnam wrote:

> The following message is a courtesy copy of an article
> that has been posted to gnu.emacs.help as well.
> 
> [Note: Also posted to address@hidden

??? What does this have to do with Emacs?

> Summary: Info reader - Discusses various ways and ideas about getting
>          maximum information from the command line, in as focused a
>          manner as is obtainable with common tools.

Thanks for your insight.

> --subnodes
>    recurses and outputs the subnodes and most often is too much
>    information at one time. Unless one brings to bear other tools to
>    filter it. No problem there, but if one could get a list of the
>    subnodes available it would be more practical to ask for certain
>    ones.

Noted.

> --output=FILENAME
>    output selected nodes to FILENAME
> 
>    This would be more usefull if there was a choice of stdout or a
>    file.  I guess one could name tty as the file but that is kind of
>    hackish and not something one thinks of immediately.

Doesn't "--output=-" work?

>  --show-options, --usage
>    go to command-line options node.
> 
>    This would be much more useful if it could be directed to stdout
>    rather than invoking the reader.  Or better still would be some
>    switch to invoke stdout or open the reader.  
>   
>    I guess it could be coupled with  -output=filename but again that
>    assumes the user knows what the section is called.

No, you don't need to know the name of the section, --usage find it 
automatically; that's the reason for its existence.

So yes, --usage coupled with --output= should take care of this issue.

> The paging commands C-v M-v comes to mind.  Nearly every command I can
> think of that does a forward/backward up/down type of motion, its the
> right hand key that is the variable.  I don't think I will ever get
> used to or feel intuitive with changing the left hand operator
> instead. Its an emacs command but in emacs there are several other
> choice that are more usable like page up/down or C-x [/]

Info supports PageUp and PageDown (as well as arrows and other popular 
edit keys).  So I don't see how this could be a problem.

Besides, paging through the manual is easier with SPC and DEL keys, 
rather than with PageUp/PageDown.

> We need keys that do what emacs does with C-h m.  In info the C-h or ?
> lead to the full documentation rather than the documentatin about the
> mode you are in.  

There's no modes in the stand-alone Info.  What would you like the 
equivalent of C-h m to display?

> There should be some easily findable way to quit out of the help menu
> documentaiton. Its almost as if someone set a booby trap.

Doesn't "C-x 0" work?