GNU bug report logs - #1349
Calc interactive tutorial typo & suggestion

Previous Next

To add a comment to this bug, you must first unarchive it, by sending
a message to control AT debbugs.gnu.org, with unarchive 1349 in the body.
You can then email your comments to 1349 AT debbugs.gnu.org in the normal way.

Toggle the display of automated, internal messages from the tracker.

Message #5 received at submit <at> emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com (full text, mbox):

From: "Ben Wong" <ben <at> wongs.net>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: Calc interactive tutorial typo & suggestion
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:26:41 -0800

I have two tiny bugs for you, both having to do with returning to
Calc's interactive tutorial when switching buffers.

The interactive tutorial for calc says to use `C-x * i' to switch back
to the tutorial from the calculator.  However, that key sequence
brings up the main calc info page, which would leave most people lost
and frustrated.  I believe the correct sequence is `C-x * o'.

Specifically, the info file "calc-1", around line 1024, states:

    "The easiest way to read this tutorial on-line is to have two windows
  on your Emacs screen, one with Calc and one with the Info system.  (If
  you have a printed copy of the manual you can use that instead.)  Press
  `C-x * c' to turn Calc on or to switch into the Calc window, and press
  `C-x * i' to start the Info system or to switch into its window.  Or,
  you may prefer to use the tutorial in printed form."

I believe that paragraph should read:

    "The easiest way to read this tutorial on-line is to have two windows
  on your Emacs screen, one with Calc and one with the Info system.  (If
  you have a printed copy of the manual you can use that instead.) Press
  `C-x * i' to start the Info system.  Press `C-x * c' to turn Calc on or
  to switch into the Calc window, and press `C-x * o' to switch back to the
  Info window.  Or, you may prefer to use the tutorial in printed form."

I also have a second small suggestion for the tutorial.  There should be
a message at the end of the answer to the first exercise, at least,
stating:

    "If you are using the Emacs Info system, you may press 'l' to
  return to the last page you were viewing."

Currently, the tutorial mentions the 'l' key only in the question
section, which goes away when looking at the answer in Info.


In GNU Emacs 22.1.1 (mipsel--netbsd)
 of 2008-05-25 on lily.ziaspace.com
configured using `configure  '--localstatedir=/var' '--without-gif'
'--without-jpeg' '--without-png' '--without-tiff' '--without-x'
'--without-xpm' '--prefix=/usr/pkg' '--host=mipsel--netbsd'
'--infodir=/usr/pkg/info' '--mandir=/usr/pkg/man'
'host_alias=mipsel--netbsd' 'CC=cc' 'CFLAGS=-O2 -I/usr/include'
'LDFLAGS=-L/usr/lib -Wl,-R/usr/lib -Wl,-R/usr/pkg/lib' 'LIBS='
'CPPFLAGS=-I/usr/include''

Important settings:
  value of $LC_ALL: nil
  value of $LC_COLLATE: nil
  value of $LC_CTYPE: nil
  value of $LC_MESSAGES: nil
  value of $LC_MONETARY: nil
  value of $LC_NUMERIC: nil
  value of $LC_TIME: nil
  value of $LANG: nil
  locale-coding-system: nil
  default-enable-multibyte-characters: t

Major mode: Info

Minor modes in effect:
  menu-bar-mode: t
  file-name-shadow-mode: t
  global-font-lock-mode: t
  font-lock-mode: t
  unify-8859-on-encoding-mode: t
  utf-translate-cjk-mode: t
  auto-compression-mode: t
  line-number-mode: t

Recent input:
h t SPC SPC SPC 1 SPC C-x * c C-x * i C-z SPC SPC TAB
TAB l SPC C-x * x ESC x r e p o r t - e m a c s - b
u g RET

Recent messages:
Loading easymenu...done
Loading info...done
Welcome to the GNU Emacs Calculator!  Press `?' or `h' for help, `q' to quit
Welcome to the Calc Tutorial!
C-x *  (Type ? for a list of Calc options)
Welcome to the GNU Emacs Calculator!  Press `?' or `h' for help, `q' to quit
C-x *  (Type ? for a list of Calc options) [2 times]
Loading emacsbug...
Loading regexp-opt...done
Loading emacsbug...done

Message #10 received at 1349 <at> emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com (full text, mbox):

From: Jay Belanger <jay.p.belanger <at> gmail.com>
To: Ben Wong <ben <at> wongs.net>
Cc: 1349 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#1349: Calc interactive tutorial typo & suggestion
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:18:32 -0600

"Ben Wong" <ben <at> wongs.net> writes:

> The interactive tutorial for calc says to use `C-x * i' to switch back
> to the tutorial from the calculator.  However, that key sequence
> brings up the main calc info page, which would leave most people lost
> and frustrated.  I believe the correct sequence is `C-x * o'.

I see.  Both `C-x * c, C-x * i' and  `C-x * i, C-x * c, C-x * o'
seem to leave Emacs in the same state, neither of which is looking at
the tutorial.  The paragraph you mentioned talks about reading the
tutorial online, so it should probably be changed to `C-x * t', which
will set up the desired Emacs setup by itself, and a discussion of how
to switch between the info and Calc buffers.  In the future, perhaps
Calc commands that will manipulate the info buffer from within the Calc
buffer might be useful (for example, `i SPC' in the Calc buffer will
scroll the info buffer).

> I also have a second small suggestion for the tutorial.  There should be
> a message at the end of the answer to the first exercise, at least,
> stating:
>
>     "If you are using the Emacs Info system, you may press 'l' to
>   return to the last page you were viewing."

That's a good idea; I'll add a line like that to the info output.

Jay

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.