GNU bug report logs - #77118
31.0.50; help-key-binding face in help buffer

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From: Stephen Berman <stephen.berman <at> gmx.net>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: rudalics <at> gmx.at, arash <at> gnu.org, 77118 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, stefankangas <at> gmail.com, monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca
Subject: bug#77118: 31.0.50; help-key-binding face in help buffer
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2025 14:50:57 +0200

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

On Fri, 11 Apr 2025 14:46:10 +0300 Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> wrote:

>> From: Stephen Berman <stephen.berman <at> gmx.net>
>> Cc: martin rudalics <rudalics <at> gmx.at>,  stefankangas <at> gmail.com,
>>   arash <at> gnu.org,  monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca,  77118 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
>> Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2025 12:23:55 +0200
>>
>> Is the patch below creative enough?
>>
>> Steve Berman
>>
>> diff --git a/lisp/help.el b/lisp/help.el
>> index b0c003ed16a..c7419b0d0ad 100644
>> --- a/lisp/help.el
>> +++ b/lisp/help.el
>> @@ -2190,8 +2190,11 @@ help-form-show
>>    "Display the output of a non-nil `help-form'."
>>    (let ((msg (eval help-form t)))
>>      (if (stringp msg)
>> -	(with-output-to-temp-buffer " *Char Help*"
>> -	  (princ msg)))))
>> +	(let ((bufname " *Char Help*"))
>> +          (with-output-to-temp-buffer bufname)
>> +          (with-current-buffer bufname
>> +            (let (buffer-read-only)
>> +              (insert msg)))))))
>>
>>  (defun help--append-keystrokes-help (str)
>>    (let* ((keys (this-single-command-keys))
>
> Yes, if this does the job, it's much simpler and safer, IMO.

Ok.

> But let's see if anyone else has comments.

Sure.

> P.S. Why do we still need with-output-to-temp-buffer, if we just doing
> the 'insert' part inside the body?

It's with-output-to-temp-buffer that displays the buffer and insures
that it's content is up-to-date and also that the buffer is in Help mode
(the latter is done, IIUC, in the C code via
read_char_help_form_unwind).  We can avoid with-output-to-temp-buffer
here with the following patch:

[Message part 2 (text/x-patch, inline)]

diff --git a/lisp/help.el b/lisp/help.el
index b0c003ed16a..6b591761177 100644
--- a/lisp/help.el
+++ b/lisp/help.el
@@ -2190,8 +2190,13 @@ help-form-show
   "Display the output of a non-nil `help-form'."
   (let ((msg (eval help-form t)))
     (if (stringp msg)
-	(with-output-to-temp-buffer " *Char Help*"
-	  (princ msg)))))
+	(let ((bufname " *Char Help*"))
+          (with-current-buffer (get-buffer-create bufname)
+            (let (buffer-read-only)
+              (erase-buffer)
+              (insert msg)
+              (help-mode)))
+          (display-buffer bufname)))))

 (defun help--append-keystrokes-help (str)
   (let* ((keys (this-single-command-keys))

[Message part 3 (text/plain, inline)]

I think this would also make some of the code in read_char that
processes the help character superfluous.  Is it preferable to avoid
calling help-form-show from C?

Steve Berman

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