Re: The minibuffer vs. Dialog Boxes (Re: Making XEmacs be more up-to-date)

[Brady Montz]

"Eli Zaretskii" <address@hidden> writes:

> > From: Brady Montz <address@hidden>
> > Date: 23 Apr 2002 11:20:43 -0700
> > 
> > 
> > So, how about a doc-ring between:
> > 
> > 1. the info node
> > 2. the source
> > 3. an example/howto
> > 4. the docstring
> > 5. the key binding
> > 6. the mode or greater package a command is in
> > 7. related commands/variables (by name, location, explicitly listed by
> >    a doc writer, whatever).
> > 8. the customize page
> > 9. home pages of packages (like gnus's home page).
> 
> Sounds good, but how does a user get into the ring in the first place?

Lessee, we currently have:
1. the help menu
2. the items on the splash page

those seem a good start. 

In addition, a general help dialog box might be nice. I imagine
something similar to the searching dialog boxes out there, a text
field and maybe some check boxes for what you want to find or where
you want to search. 

Something extra that would be sweet, but I don't know how feasible it
is, is a context-sensitive way of proposing the most likely help they'd
want. Ideas:
1. a button on the toolbar and/or in the menu to describe the current modes.
2. "what's this?" tooltips or buttons.
3. a minor mode like eldoc that makes the symbols in your elisp files
   clickable, just like we have for info and man pages. Click on a
   symbol to find out more. 

"What's this?" might be particularly useful for the modeline. 

-- 
 Brady Montz
 address@hidden