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authorStefan Kangas <stefan@marxist.se>2021-05-02 15:04:00 +0200
committerStefan Kangas <stefan@marxist.se>2021-05-02 15:04:00 +0200
commit6c1c3204e4761fd0d8bdbf22c6519d2328f60450 (patch)
treeb04218c2b2ab92cf0165fed8a143c565cdfd3dfa /doc/emacs
parentc842399ef01adf3f984e4c503411a9c5f025738f (diff)
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Add new help command 'describe-command'
* lisp/help-fns.el (describe-command): New command. (help-fns--describe-function-or-command-prompt): New helper function to prompt for a function or function. (Bug#46627) (describe-function): Use above new helper function. * lisp/help.el (help-map): Bind above new command to `C-h x'. (help-for-help): Add this new command to the help summary. * lisp/menu-bar.el (menu-bar-describe-menu): Add the new command to the help menu. * doc/emacs/help.texi (Help Summary, Name Help): Document 'describe-command', and update documentation on 'describe-function'. * etc/tutorials/TUTORIAL: Change reference from 'describe-function' to 'describe-command'.
Diffstat (limited to 'doc/emacs')
-rw-r--r--doc/emacs/help.texi43
1 files changed, 23 insertions, 20 deletions
diff --git a/doc/emacs/help.texi b/doc/emacs/help.texi
index 81cdeb4be54..90a2ddc809a 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/help.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/help.texi
@@ -107,8 +107,8 @@ Display the @file{*Messages*} buffer
(@code{view-echo-area-messages}). @xref{Misc Help}.
@item C-h f @var{function} @key{RET}
Display documentation on the Lisp function named @var{function}
-(@code{describe-function}). Since commands are Lisp functions,
-this works for commands too. @xref{Name Help}.
+(@code{describe-function}). Since commands are Lisp functions, this
+works for commands too, but you can also use @code{C-h x}. @xref{Name Help}.
@item C-h h
Display the @file{HELLO} file, which shows examples of various character
sets.
@@ -154,6 +154,9 @@ Display the documentation of the Lisp variable @var{var}
@item C-h w @var{command} @key{RET}
Show which keys run the command named @var{command} (@code{where-is}).
@xref{Key Help}.
+@item C-h x @var{command} @key{RET}
+Display documentation on the named @var{command}
+(@code{describe-command}). @xref{Name Help}.
@item C-h C @var{coding} @key{RET}
Describe the coding system @var{coding}
(@code{describe-coding-system}). @xref{Coding Systems}.
@@ -233,31 +236,31 @@ the button.
@node Name Help
@section Help by Command or Variable Name
-@kindex C-h f
-@findex describe-function
- @kbd{C-h f @var{function} @key{RET}} (@code{describe-function})
-displays the documentation of Lisp function @var{function}, in a
-window. Since commands are Lisp functions, you can use this method to
-view the documentation of any command whose name you know. For
-example,
+@kindex C-h x
+@findex describe-command
+ @kbd{C-h x @var{command} @key{RET}} (@code{describe-command})
+displays the documentation of the named @var{command}, in a
+window. For example,
@example
-C-h f auto-fill-mode @key{RET}
+C-h x auto-fill-mode @key{RET}
@end example
@noindent
-displays the documentation of @code{auto-fill-mode}. This is the only
-way to get the documentation of a command that is not bound to any key
+displays the documentation of @code{auto-fill-mode}. This is how you
+would get the documentation of a command that is not bound to any key
(one which you would normally run using @kbd{M-x}).
- @kbd{C-h f} is also useful for Lisp functions that you use in a Lisp
-program. For example, if you have just written the expression
+@kindex C-h f
+@findex describe-function
+ @kbd{C-h f @var{function} @key{RET}} (@code{describe-function})
+displays the documentation of Lisp @var{function}. This command is
+intended for Lisp functions that you use in a Lisp program. For
+example, if you have just written the expression
@code{(make-vector len)} and want to check that you are using
-@code{make-vector} properly, type @kbd{C-h f make-vector @key{RET}}.
-Because @kbd{C-h f} allows all function names, not just command names,
-you may find that some of your favorite completion abbreviations that
-work in @kbd{M-x} don't work in @kbd{C-h f}. An abbreviation that is
-unique among command names may not be unique among all function names.
+@code{make-vector} properly, type @w{@kbd{C-h f make-vector @key{RET}}}.
+Additionally, since all commands are Lisp functions, you can also use
+this command to view the documentation of any command.
If you type @kbd{C-h f @key{RET}}, it describes the function called
by the innermost Lisp expression in the buffer around point,
@@ -265,7 +268,7 @@ by the innermost Lisp expression in the buffer around point,
(That name appears as the default while you enter the argument.) For
example, if point is located following the text @samp{(make-vector
(car x)}, the innermost list containing point is the one that starts
-with @samp{(make-vector}, so @kbd{C-h f @key{RET}} describes the
+with @samp{(make-vector}, so @w{@kbd{C-h f @key{RET}}} describes the
function @code{make-vector}.
@kbd{C-h f} is also useful just to verify that you spelled a