GNU bug report logs - #27277
25.2; Be able to get back to the *Help* of query-replace

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Message #15 received at 27277 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 27277 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: RE: bug#27277: 25.2; Be able to get back to the *Help* of
 query-replace
Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2019 14:10:47 -0700 (PDT)

> > 1. Use `M-%' to do some query-replacing.  Hit `?' during
> > query-replacing, to see the query-replace help, in buffer *Help*.
> >
> > 2. Use a help command, such as `C-h f'.  The contents of *Help* do
> not
> > show a Back button, to get to the query-replace help.  They should.
> 
> I don't agree -- that seems like such a context-dependent help buffer
> that it's not very helpful to include that in the stack of help
> buffers.  Other help buffers usually have links to things you can jump
> to and the like.  Closing.

No.  Forward links from *Help* to, say,
function-name *Help* display could be
considered to be for related information.

The [back] link is explicitly NOT that.

It's purely a chronological link, to take you
back to the _previously shown_ *Help* content,
whatever that might be.  Similarly, for
[forward].

`C-h f completing-read' followed by `C-h v
fill-column' has nothing to do with related
information.  [back] just goes back in time.

You've apparently misunderstood what [back]
and the help-stack is for.

If we wanted only links to related information,
and no chronological backtracking links, then
we would not have the stack - no [back] and
[forward].  (That's what we had in the old days.)

The [back] and [forward] links in *Help* are,
like `l' and `r' in Info, and like the Back and
Forward links in your browser, purely chronological.

Info has Up, Next, and Previous links for
structural navigation.  And it has inline (See)
links for related information.  Such things are
not to be confused with chronological-visit
links.

Please consider reopening this bug.  Thx.

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