GNU bug report logs - #58049
29.0.50; Obsolete url schemes "info" and "man"

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From: Augusto Stoffel <arstoffel <at> gmail.com>
To: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 58049 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#58049: 29.0.50; Obsolete url schemes "info" and "man"
Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2022 16:01:20 +0200

On Sat, 24 Sep 2022 at 19:05, Stefan Kangas wrote:

> Severity: wishlist
>
> I don't think non-standard URLs like these are used much, and they're
> probably not very useful.  They're more likely to cause confusion.
>
>     (url-retrieve-synchronously "info:url#Retrieving URLs")
>     (url-retrieve-synchronously "man:cat")

I can imagine many uses for this.  For instance, a completion table
could provide some kind of "further info" property so you can preview
the documentation of an item mid-completion.  Also, and eldoc source
could provide a "further info" hyperlink pointing to the info or man
page.  (This is mostly speculation, of course.)

If I were to retire something, it would be the (file)node syntax for
info pages.

(My digestif TeX language server provides links to the documentation of
various packages, typically PDF files.  It checks if the PDF exists
locally and gives a file:// link, otherwise a https:// link to CTAN.
But it would be much better to just provide a “texinfo:” link and let
the editor decide how to display that.  Of course I don't do this
because no editor would support it OOTB, but I think the concept makes
sense.)

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