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Re: "About Emacs" menu item?


From: John Paul Wallington
Subject: Re: "About Emacs" menu item?
Date: 31 Jan 2002 17:59:50 +0000

Eli Zaretskii <address@hidden> wrote:

> On 31 Jan 2002, John Paul Wallington wrote:
> 
> > There is no reason why selecting the "about Emacs" menu item need
> > display the startup-message.  The startup-message tells the user about
> > important Help Menu and File Menu items, but doesn't tell an awful lot
> > About Emacs.
> > 
> > When the user has chosen to select the "about Emacs" menu item it is
> > fair to assume he is prepared to read a little, and to present him
> > with more information.
> 
> Actually, the Help->About item is a standard item in most GUI programs, 
> and normally all it displays is the version, the copyright, and little 
> else.

You are right.  It doesn't usually tell the user about important Help
Menu and File Menu items, either.

(is display-splash-screen the same as fancy-splash-screens?  my
version here is out of date)
 
> For example, in a random program I've just chosen, I see:
> 
>    - a full name of the program
>    - copyright
>    - "licensed to <name of the person who bought it>"
>    - some free memory information (who knows why)
>    - a small button labeled "more info" which, when pressed, displays 
>      versions of all the modules/shared libraries used by the program
> 
> > Selecting the "about Emacs" menu item could create a new buffer with
> > the Emacs logo at the top and then include a couple of paragraphs of
> > text about Emacs.  I'm not sure what information Emacs should convey
> > to a user about itself, however.
> 
> I think this is not what users expect from a "About" item.  Perhaps we 
> could add something like the "more info" button, though.

That sounds a good idea.

-- 
John Paul Wallington



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