GNU bug report logs - #14748
emacs: ses.el: ses is not self-documenting

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: era <era+emacsbugs <at> iki.fi>
To: submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: emacs: ses.el: ses is not self-documenting
Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 11:14:00 +0300

Package: emacs
Version: 24.3
Severity: minor
Tags: patch
X-Debbugs-Cc: era+emacsbugs <at> iki.fi

As a long-time user of Emacs, but a total newcomer to SES, I had been
hoping the barrier to entry for new users would have been a little
lower. I was basically unable to do anything useful at all until I had
browsed the better parts of the manual (which as such is good, but
again, not very geared towards new users) way into the "advanced"
chapter.

I have collected some notes in
http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/81105/ but at this point, my
proposal for a quick and unintrusive fix would amount to the following;

1. Create an (autoloading) alias "spreadsheet-mode" so that ses-mode is
easier to discover (included below).

2. Expand the ses-mode documentation string.

My proposal follows in-line, but please accept this as (a draft for) a
patch against lisp/ses.el starting at line 1888 of the current trunk
version.

;;;###autoload
(defalias 'spreadsheet-mode 'ses-mode)
;;;###autoload
(defun ses-mode ()
  "Major mode for Simple Emacs Spreadsheet.

When you invoke SES in a new buffer, it is divided into cells
which you can enter data into.  You can navigate the cells with
the arrow keys and add more cells with the tab key.  The contents
of these cells can be numbers, text, or Lisp expressions. (To
enter text, enclose it in double quotes.)

In an expression, you can use cell coordinates to refer to the
contents of another cell.  For example, you can sum a range of
cells with `(+ A1 A2 A3)'.  There are specialized functions like
`ses+' (addition for ranges with empty cells), `ses-average' for
performing calculations on cells, and `ses-range' and `ses-select'
for extracting ranges of cells.

Each cell also has a print function which controls how it is
displayed.

Each SES buffer is divided into a print area and a data area.
Normally, you should simply use SES to look at and manipulate the
print area, and let SES manage the data area outside the visible
region.

See \"ses-example.ses\" (in `data-directory') for an example
spreadsheeet and the Info documentation `(emacs) Ses.'

Notice the separate keymaps for cell editing mode and print mode
specifications, below.

Key definitions:
\\{ses-mode-map}
These key definitions are active only in the print area (the visible
part):
\\{ses-mode-print-map}
These are active only in the minibuffer, when entering or editing a
formula:
\\{ses-mode-edit-map}"

-- 
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Message #8 received at 14748 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>
To: era <era+emacsbugs <at> iki.fi>
Cc: 14748 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#14748: emacs: ses.el: ses is not self-documenting
Date: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 11:54:04 -0400

era wrote:

> 2. Expand the ses-mode documentation string.

Thank you. Would you be willing to complete an FSF copyright assignment
so that we can apply this patch to Emacs?

Message #11 received at 14748 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: era eriksson <era+emacsbugs <at> iki.fi>
To: 14748 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Cc: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#14748: emacs: ses.el: ses is not self-documenting
Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 15:20:36 +0300

On Tue, Jul 2, 2013, at 18:54, Glenn Morris wrote:
> era wrote:
> > 2. Expand the ses-mode documentation string.
> Thank you. Would you be willing to complete an FSF copyright assignment
> so that we can apply this patch to Emacs?

For the record, I finally got the final remaining paperwork from my
employer's solicitor yesterday.  Depending on how reliable paper mail is
in your country (I hope the USPS is not affected by the furlough?) you
should have it in a couple of weeks.

/* era */

-- 
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Message #14 received at 14748 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> IRO.UMontreal.CA>
To: era eriksson <era+emacsbugs <at> iki.fi>
Cc: 14748 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#14748: emacs: ses.el: ses is not self-documenting
Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 10:26:28 -0400

>> > 2. Expand the ses-mode documentation string.
>> Thank you. Would you be willing to complete an FSF copyright assignment
>> so that we can apply this patch to Emacs?
> For the record, I finally got the final remaining paperwork from my
> employer's solicitor yesterday.  Depending on how reliable paper mail is
> in your country (I hope the USPS is not affected by the furlough?) you
> should have it in a couple of weeks.

Great, thank you,


        Stefan

Message #17 received at 14748 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: era eriksson <era+emacsbugs <at> iki.fi>
To: 14748 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#14748: emacs: ses.el: ses is not self-documenting
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 17:58:46 +0300

> > 2. Expand the ses-mode documentation string.
> Thank you. Would you be willing to complete an FSF copyright assignment
> so that we can apply this patch to Emacs?

With the paperwork out of the way on my side, I have uploaded a slightly
revised patch to GitHub [0].

[0]: https://github.com/tripleee/emacs

There are two branches with fixes: bug14748 [1] contains the slightly
revised patch from before, and bug14748bis [2] contains a slightly more
intrusive -- and, regrettably, for the time being, untested -- patch for
the Info documentation.

Should I file a separate bug for the latter, or are you prepared to pull
them both in one go?

/* era */

[1]: https://github.com/tripleee/emacs/tree/bug14748
[2]: https://github.com/tripleee/emacs/tree/bug14748bis

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Message #20 received at 14748 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>
To: era eriksson <era+emacsbugs <at> iki.fi>
Cc: 14748 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#14748: emacs: ses.el: ses is not self-documenting
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 11:37:47 -0400

era eriksson wrote:

> With the paperwork out of the way on my side,

It still needs to be received and acknowledged by the FSF. IIRC they
inform you when this happens - let us know when you hear.

> There are two branches with fixes: bug14748 [1] contains the slightly
> revised patch from before, and bug14748bis [2] contains a slightly more
> intrusive -- and, regrettably, for the time being, untested -- patch for
> the Info documentation.
>
> Should I file a separate bug for the latter, or are you prepared to pull
> them both in one go?

Please do test it, and when you are finished send both patches here.
Thanks.

Message #23 received at 14748 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>
To: era eriksson <era+emacsbugs <at> iki.fi>
Cc: 14748 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#14748: emacs: ses.el: ses is not self-documenting
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 03:16:22 -0400

Looks to me like your assignment is complete.
Could you send the latest versions of the patch(es)?

Message #26 received at 14748 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: era eriksson <era+emacsbugs <at> iki.fi>
To: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#14748: emacs: ses.el: ses is not self-documenting
Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 14:17:12 +0200

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

On Thu, Oct 24, 2013, at 9:16, Glenn Morris wrote:
> Looks to me like your assignment is complete.
> Could you send the latest versions of the patch(es)?

Here goes, sorry for the delay.

I split this into two patches in case you want to review the second in
some more detail.  The changes in the second patch are to parts I am
less familiar with.

-- 
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[0001-lisp-ses.el-import-patch-from-bug-report-14748.patch (text/x-patch, attachment)]

[0002-doc-misc-ses.texi-add-whirlwind-intro-and-more-index.patch (text/x-patch, attachment)]

Message #31 received at 14748-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>
To: 14748-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#14748: emacs: ses.el: ses is not self-documenting
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 03:58:17 -0500

Version: 24.4

Thanks. Applied w. tweaks (e.g. the texinfo did not even compile, which
was disappointing.)

(Also; please send things to the bug address rather than just to me.)

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