GNU bug report logs - #64871
30.0.50; [FR] Add command and menu item to open user init file

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Message #17 received at 64871 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Po Lu <luangruo <at> yahoo.com>
Cc: yantar92 <at> posteo.net, 64871 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#64871: 30.0.50; [FR] Add command and menu item to open user
 init file
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2023 09:19:52 +0300

> From: Po Lu <luangruo <at> yahoo.com>
> Cc: yantar92 <at> posteo.net,  64871 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:44:39 +0800
> 
> Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> writes:
> 
> > Before concluding that this suggestion will cause trouble to the
> > over-crowded menu bar, we should talk about where this new items might
> > be placed.  If we place it in an existing sub-menu, then the problems
> > it will cause might not be that grave.  For example, how about the
> > Options->Customize Emacs sub-menu?
> 
> I don't think that the people who need help finding their initialization
> files are likely to look there.

Are people who want to customize Emacs likely to use the
Options->Customize Emacs menu?  If yes, why not have this one
additional item there?  If no, why do we have that menu at all?

> Maybe the tutorial could mention the locations where Emacs searches for
> initialization files, or we could put a link to the init files on the
> splash screen.

The tutorial is not the place to explain _where_ Emacs finds the init
file.

> > To be fair, the tool bar still has some free space on it.
> 
> Not on my phone, where the default tool-bar is about four items away
> from wrapping.  We certainly can't afford to waste that space on these
> items.

So we are now using a smartphone as the reference platform for making
UI decisions?  Smartphones might need a whole new approach to the
Emacs UI, and a bunch of very different UI decisions.  They should not
dictate what our UI looks like on desktop and laptop machines.

> > But I actually wonder about something else: what other applications
> > have a tool-bar button to access the init file, or even just the
> > customization menu?
> 
> Other applications don't treat their tool bars as disposal areas for
> anything they want to make prominent :-)

When did you last look at modern word processors and their tool bars?
They are, in fact, much more crowded than ours.

> On a slightly unrelated note, I think Emacs would be well served by an
> interactive tutorial, like the proverbial Clippy from MS Office.  It
> could be opened from a link on the splash screen.

We decided it would be a good idea long ago, and are since waiting for
Someone™ to actually make that happen.  IMNSHO, this is more important
than having Emacs run on Android (hint, hint).

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