bug#1722: Meta-Digit not working for info command

[Drew Adams]

Actually, I should have also mentioned trying `C-h k C-h i', not just reading
NEWS - the help I gave you was only partial. `C-h k C-h i' says this, among
other things:

"In interactive use, a non-numeric prefix argument directs
this command to read a file name from the minibuffer.
A numeric prefix argument selects an Info buffer with the prefix number
appended to the Info buffer name."

That indicates that this change was intentional, and that a numeric prefix arg
(e.g. `M-2') has a new meaning, which is to open Info with a buffer that adds
`2' to the buffer name. To be more precise, it should say that "<N>" is appended
to the buffer name, where N is the numeric prefix-arg value. So, e.g., `M-2'
opens buffer "*info*<2>".

IOW, it's not a bug but a feature. And plain `C-u' continues to give the
behavior you want: prompt for the Info file to use.

You say that there is no hint about this `C-u' behavior, but it is clearly
documented in the doc string of command `info', as shown by `C-h k C-h i' or
`C-h f info'. 

You looked for it in the doc for `C-u'. `C-u' has different behavior for
different keys it precedes, and its doc string cannot (and should not) try to
describe all such particular behaviors. See node `Arguments' of the Emacs
manual.

HTH - Drew

> From: Bruce Korb Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2008 9:18 AM 
> CF: email from help-gnu-emacs
> 
> From: "Drew Adams" To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> References: <4956B2A5.2050106@gmail.com>
> Subject: RE: How can I select a .info file for info mode?
> Date: Sat, 27 Dec 2008 23:50:51 -0800
> 
> > It used to be the case that ``ESC-2 CTL-h i'' gave me the 
> > opportunity to select the .info file to use for info mode.  Not any more.
> > Plowing through the docs doesn't give me a good enough hint about
> > how to do it either.  Please tell me there is still a way 
> > to do this?
> > Searching keybindings did not yield anything promising either.
> > I guess I could read the elisp for the previous emacs and my current
> > one, but that is too far over the top for me.  I don't grok elisp
> > very well anyway.
> 
> Yes, `ESC-2 C-h i' (or `M-2 C-h i') works in Emacs before the 
> Emacs 22 release. Dunno if this change was intentional or is a bug
> - you might check the NEWS file to see. If it was not intentional,
> then you might want to report a bug using `M-x report-emacs-bug'.
> 
> <<I didn't look.  IMHO, it is definitely a bug.>>
> 
> In any case, you can still use `C-u C-h i' to do the same 
> thing - it prompts you for the Info file to use.
> 
> <<This works, but there are not even any hints to get you there.
>   In fact, the doc for CTL-u seems to imply that ``CTL-u 2'' is
>   equivalent to ``Meta-2'', with some fuzzy words following that
>   seem to mean, "well, not quite exactly, but pretty much and you
>   need to see each individual command to really know".  Obviously,
>   it's not especially clear to me.>>