Re: Question about xref and adding "find all references" button to built-in help

[Arthur Miller]

Dmitry Gutov <dgutov@yandex.ru> writes:

> On 20.09.2021 08:47, Arthur Miller wrote:
>> Dmitry Gutov <dgutov@yandex.ru> writes:
>> 
>>> Hi!
>>>
>>> On 19.09.2021 23:17, Arthur Miller wrote:
>>>> If I would like to add a link as there is one in Helpful, to find all 
>>>> references
>>>> for a current symbol in help-mode buffer; which xref functionality should 
>>>> I look
>>>> at? Is there a ready made function already, or do I have to write 
>>>> something?
>>>
>>> We have functionality to searching for references in the current project 
>>> (also
>>> works when inside an Emacs sources checkout) and throughout the load-path.
>> As extensive as helpful's help-ref? He searches through each and every source
>> file found in the load-path. Where do I look, can you give me some pointer I 
>> can
>> start playing with? Or should I do build my own search?
>
> That's just 'M-x xref-find-references'. Try it in an Elisp buffer.
>
> The implementation is fairly simple: see 'xref-backend-references' in xref.el
> and elisp-load-path-roots.

Thank you that was what I needed. I have tried it, will have to test and look
around a bit more.

> For your own backend, you will probably not dispatch through project.el 
> method,
> and use load-path directly combined with package-user-dir. Maybe after pruning
> it for entries that reside inside other entries.

Yes probably. I thought I could skip writing a backend; but i'll see.

>>> But you probably want this to work in installed Emacs as well?
>> What do you mean by "installed Emacs"? Emacs without sources? Sorry, I just
>> woke
>> up, have to get that coffein going up :).
>
> Without sources or with compressed sources.

Yes. Maybe it would be possible to search in elc files? I mean some functions
have opcodes, but more are called by name. But I meant just when sources are
avialable, when 'source-directory' is not nil.

>> What about to just have a keyboard shortcuts; say 'R', instead of link. With
>> source code displayed it already looks a bit crouded. I think helpfuls buffer
>> looks a bit busy with all the links.
>> I could imagine living with just a shortcut and maybe a context menu item.
>
> I don't really have an opinion on the UI part of this. It can be a button,
> command, whatever.
>
>> I attached a screeshots of helpful and built-in help with my yserdays patch 
>> both
>> showing source code for the comparison.
>
> UI for references and definitions will probably need to be different, no?

A whole ui? :) I just meant a key, like for sources of info view. Helpful has a
link, but I would like to skip the link.