Re: wishlist: implicit anchor for @deffn etc

[Per Bothner]

On 10/31/2017 08:35 PM, Eli Zaretskii wrote:
> > Cc: address@hidden
> > From: Per Bothner <address@hidden>
> > Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2017 14:18:29 -0700
> >
> > > IMO, if we are going to have such a feature, it should be a new
> > > command, like @defunidx or somesuch.
> >
> > How about @dref ?
>
> I'm not good with names, but @dref sounds like a command from the *ref
> family (@xref, @pxref, etc.), which it isn't.

Yes and no. Like @uref and the *ref family, it is a link (reference) to
another location.  I.e. a reference to a definition.

So @dref works quite well.

> > > and the usual way to find them
> > > quickly is to type "i FUNCTION" in the Info reader, which is almost as
> > > fast as following an explicit cross-reference.
> >
> > Fast but unreliable.  In HTML the marking (usually underline) for
> > a link makes it clear that it *is* a link, and selecting it will
> > take you to the correct place, rather than just one with the same name.
>
> I don't see what does this have to do with reliability.  Index-search
> is a very basic and important feature of Info.  If you are arguing for
> having each indexed phrase that is also literally in the text
> (something that frequently doesn't happen), then I think I'm in
> favor.  But that's a separate discussion, I think.

Just that an index may have multiple entries for a given NAME.
It may be a command or a function.  An index could also usefully have entries
to background information or usages examples.  When using a command or a 
function
is a discussion or an example, it can be helpful to link to the specific 
definition
of the name as used in the discussion or example.

Furthermore, there is familiarity of links:  Even if the 'i' keystroke is 
implemented
in a webpage (using JavaScript) it is useful to have an actual link to the 
definition,
because everybody knows what a link is, and most people may not know the 'i' 
shortcut.
--
        --Per Bothner
address@hidden   http://per.bothner.com/