Re: general-purpose.el - a general-forms-resource-utility

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Thu, 06 Jul 2006 12:11:01 +0200
> From: Andreas Roehler <address@hidden>
> 
> There are general usable functions scattered in the
> source files, which are useful in a lot of
> circumstances and could be callable in a given context.

Why do we need a new file for these?  We already have subr.el, why not
add things to it?

> To have an (indexed) collection of all these goodies,
> not only developers would gain an additional - sorted -
> resource

I agree, but this just boils down to additions to the ELisp manual, or
(if the current size is already too much for print) for an additional
manual, perhaps included in the on-line version with the @ifnottex
conditionals we use in the user manual.

> At the moment I see the following requirements at such
> a general-resource-utility:
> 
> - take a given function or form where the point is in
>   and prompt the user where to sort it (as groups in
>   customize deliver a hierarchy and system)

An Info manual already supports a similar facility, so we could just
use it.

> - display a list of clickable functions or forms the
>   way `apropos' does; i.e. M-x `general-resource-utility'
>   RET `string-strip' should display several
>   string-strip-utilities to examine, insert at point etc.
> 
> - allow users to edit the collection via
>   copy-and-paste; provide some automated indexing
>   afterward

Is there something beyond completion here?

> - display related topics as customize does with
>   parent groups

There's a C-h subcommand to do that.