bug#9054: [External] : bug#9054: 24.0.50; show source in other window

[martin rudalics]

>   Command
>   Function
>   Option
>   Variable
>   Face
>   Key
>   File

I suppose you mean to show 'Command' and 'Option' as substitutes for
'Function' and 'Variable' whenever applicable.  I'd still stick to
'Function' and 'Variable' as Juri does now already.

I don't understand what 'Key' would tell the user here.  'File' could be
treated like a link at the mouse position to follow.  'Face' finally
should be part of the character at the mouse position, accessible via
'describe-char'.

> And even the vanilla Help > Describe has key,
> function, variable, and face.

Again I'd say that 'describe-key' is hardly related to the position of
the mouse pointer.

> FWIW, I don't think writing out the name of
> the symbol (or face or whatever) is needed.

It would disambiguate the object clicking would describe.

> In the case of symbols, the symbol name is
> being pointed at.  Yes, in the case of a
> face or some other thing that's not showing
> its name, the name might help, but just
> trying the menu item shows a user what's
> involved right away.

But we do not handle any symbol - we handle only predefined ones.  For
the rest we currently get some mysterious text in the echo area or no
information at all.  When I write

(setq x 3)

and right click on "x" I get no useful hint at what to try further.
When I evaluate that form via C-x C-e I get instead


x’s value is 3

Not documented as a variable.

  Probably introduced at or before Emacs version 1.4.


which is better (but for that last line).  So maybe in the unevaluated
case a user should get


x's value is void

Not documented as a variable.


instead.

martin