Package: emacs;
Reported by: "H. Dieter Wilhelm" <dieter <at> duenenhof-wilhelm.de>
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2023 23:48:01 UTC
Severity: normal
Tags: patch
Found in version 30.0.50
View this message in rfc822 format
From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> To: "H. Dieter Wilhelm" <dieter <at> duenenhof-wilhelm.de>, Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca> Cc: 60587 <at> debbugs.gnu.org Subject: bug#60587: Patch for adding links to symbols' help documentation Date: Sat, 07 Jan 2023 09:38:28 +0200
> From: "H. Dieter Wilhelm" <dieter <at> duenenhof-wilhelm.de>
> Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2023 20:03:23 +0100
>
> I attached a patch for the current master branch build from git
> format-patch. And spliced the code to implement the linking of symbols
> in info manuals to the help documentation into lisp/info-xref.el.
Thanks.
I think this should be in info.el, or maybe in a separate
info-SOMETHING.el file. info-xref.el is for a certain job, of
interest primarily to Emacs maintainers, that is different from this
one, and I'm not sure conflating them is TRT.
More specific comments below.
> +;; This library provides links of symbols (functions, variables,
The "This library" part is a remnant of the previous life of this
code, and should be reworded to refer to specific command(s).
> +;; In any case all symbol names must be known to Emacs, i.e. their
> +;; names are found in the variable `obarray'.
I think a more useful way of saying this is
In any case, the symbol must be known to Emacs, which means it is
either a built-in, or its Lisp package is loaded in the current
Emacs session, or the symbol is auto-loaded.
> +;; Inform is checking if the Info documents are relevant Elisp and
^^^^^^
This should be adapted to the "new life" of Inform as part of Emacs.
> +;; Emacs related files to avoid false positives. Please see the
> +;; customization variable `inform-none-emacs-or-elisp-documents'.
^^^^^^
And this.
> +;;; Change Log:
> +
> +;; 1.3:
> +
> +;; Inform is checking if the Info documents are relevant Elisp and
> +;; Emacs related files to avoid false positives.
> +
> +;; 1.2:
> +
> +;; Link Elisp descriptions of symbols to their help documentation,
> +;; like the following function example: -- Function: eval form
> +
> +;; Distinguish color of texinfo links (`link' type) and Help links
> +;; (`font-lock-function-name-face')
Not sure if it makes sense to keep this change log.
> +;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
> +;; Does the following belong to customize.el?
> +
> +;; Generalise linking to "customization buffers" for the "easy
> +;; customization" info documentation see also the customization
> +;; section in the elisp manual
> +
> +;; - distinguish the Customization-links from Help- and Info-links
> +;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
> +
> +;;; Ideas:
> +
> +;; Link the help buffers back to higher level info manual subjects,
> +;; similar to help-fns+.el from Drew Adams.
> +
> +;; Twice clicking or RETurning removes *Help* buffer (idea: Drew
> +;; Adams)
> +
> +;; Different colors for different symbol types (idea: Drew Adams) see
> +;; package helpful and info+ / info-colors on Melpa and see
> +;; font-lock.el for common faces.
> +
> +;; - Do we need to indicate an already visited Help link with a
> +;; different color?
> +
> +;; - Would it be be good to overtake all colors of package
> +;; "info-colors"?
> +
> +;; - Do we need to distinguish the link FONTS? No, difficult to read!
> +
> +;; Back / Forward button in help buffer - back to info buffer or
> +;; remain in help mode?
> +
> +;; Linking of standard symbol properties?
> +
> +;; - (info "(elisp) Standard Properties")
> +
> +;; Elisp manual examples:
> +;; (symbol-name 'car) ... ?
> +
> +;; Shortening the verbose texinfo URLs? But how to handle the changed
> +;; indentation?
> +
> +;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
Please review this part and decide which portions should be kept,
perhaps after a suitable rewording, and which should be removed.
> +(require 'button)
> +(require 'cl-lib)
> +(require 'help-mode) ;redundant?
If this is added to an existing file, there should be a ^L and some
heading-style command before it.
> +;; activate inform without manually loading it. Is there a better way?
> +;; ;;;###autoload (require 'info-xref)
>
> +;; this is spawning lisp/info-xref.el's definition to 'info! This
> +;; group is sorted now in 'docs and 'info! -FIXME-
Comments should start with a capital letter.
> +;;;###autoload
> +(defcustom info-xref-make-xref-flag t
> + "Non-nil means create symbol links in info buffers."
> + :type '(choice (const :tag "Create links" t)
> + (const :tag "Do not link" nil))
> + :group 'info-xref)
I think we frown on autoloading defcustoms.
Also, every new defcustom should have a :version tag.
> +;; Info-director-list must be initialised
^^^^^^^^
Typo. Also, comments should be complete sentences, and end with a
period (here and elsewhere in the patch).
> +(info-initialize)
Why do you need to call this? and why on top level?
> +;; Turn into regexp list necessary? Stefan
> +;; Switch to alist with explanation of file name?
> +(defcustom info-xref-none-emacs-or-elisp-documents
> + '("aarm2012" ; Stefan: Ada manual, Elpa archive
> + "arm2012" ; Stefan: Ada manual
> + "sicp" ; T.V: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs,
> + ; Melpa archive
> + )
> + "List of all none GNU-Emacs or Elisp documentation.
> +Or other documents not to be checked for linking to their help
> +documentation. The list must contains only the base name of the
> +files (without their file name extension \".info\")."
> + :type '(repeat string)
> + :group 'info-xref)
Not sure what is this about, and what do the names above signify.
There are also typos: "none GNU-Emacs", "must contains".
> +(defun Info-xref-make-xrefs (&optional buffer)
> + "Parse and hyperlink documentation cross-references in the given BUFFER.
The doc string should tell what happens if BUFFER is omitted or nil.
> + (while (re-search-forward Info-xref-symbol-regexp nil t)
> + (let* ((data (match-string 8))
> + (sym (intern-soft data)))
> + (if sym
> + (cond
> + ((match-string 3) ; `variable' &c
> + (and (or (boundp sym) ; `variable' doesn't ensure
> + ; it's actually bound
> + (get sym 'variable-documentation))
> + (Info-xref-button 8 'Info-xref-variable sym)))
> + ((match-string 4) ; `function' &c
> + (and (fboundp sym) ; similarly
> + (Info-xref-button 8 'Info-xref-function sym)))
> + ((match-string 5) ; `face'
> + (and (facep sym)
> + (Info-xref-button 8 'Info-xref-face sym)))
> + ((match-string 6)) ; nothing for `symbol'
> + ((match-string 7)
> + (Info-xref-button 8 'Info-xref-function-def sym))
> + ((cl-some (lambda (x) (funcall (nth 1 x) sym))
> + describe-symbol-backends)
> + (Info-xref-button 8 'Info-xref-symbol sym)))))))
Can this be rewritten so as to avoid the need for error-prone updates
of the sub-expression numbers every time Info-xref-symbol-regexp is
modified?
Finally, this needs additions to the user manual and NEWS.
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Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham,
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1994-97 Ian Jackson.