GNU bug report logs - #26504
patch for efaq-w32.texi

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

From: Tak Kunihiro <tkk <at> misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Cc: tkk <at> misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp
Subject: patch for efaq-w32.texi
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2017 08:42:29 +0900 (JST)

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

I added a recipe NOT to have the second Emacs.

[efaq-w32.texi.patch (text/x-patch, inline)]

--- efaq-w32.texi	2017-04-15 07:41:13.130868400 +0900
+++ efaq-w32-b.texi	2017-04-15 08:39:53.665649200 +0900
@@ -706,6 +706,18 @@
 defines a number of other keys (C-v, Shift selection), and can be turned
 on from the @emph{Options} menu.
 
+@node No double Emacs
+@subsection No double Emacs
+
+Emacs should be launched by @command{runemacs.exe} and referred by
+@command{emacsclientw.exe}.  When you choose Emacs (to be exact, a
+shortcut with target @command{C:\emacs-26.1\bin\runemacs.exe}) from
+Start menu as if a Window app, you may launch another Emacs.  To avoid
+having double Emacs, change target of the shortcut to
+@code{C:\emacs-26.1\bin\emacsclientw.exe "" --alternate-editor
+C:\emacs-26.1\bin\runemacs.exe}.
+
+
 @node Window operations
 @section Window operations
 @cindex maximize frames from lisp

Message #8 received at 26504 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Tak Kunihiro <tkk <at> misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp>
Cc: 26504 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#26504: patch for efaq-w32.texi
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2017 10:23:23 +0300

> Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2017 08:42:29 +0900 (JST)
> From: Tak Kunihiro <tkk <at> misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp>
> Cc: tkk <at> misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp
> 
> I added a recipe NOT to have the second Emacs.

Thanks.

However, I don't think I understand the rationale for this addition.
The Emacs User Manual already includes a detailed description of how
Emacs can be invoked on MS-Windows, see the node "Windows Startup"
there.  If something is incorrect or unclear there, we should fix it
in the manual, not in the FAQ.

> +Emacs should be launched by @command{runemacs.exe} and referred by
> +@command{emacsclientw.exe}.  When you choose Emacs (to be exact, a
> +shortcut with target @command{C:\emacs-26.1\bin\runemacs.exe}) from
> +Start menu as if a Window app, you may launch another Emacs.  To avoid
> +having double Emacs, change target of the shortcut to
> +@code{C:\emacs-26.1\bin\emacsclientw.exe "" --alternate-editor
> +C:\emacs-26.1\bin\runemacs.exe}.

I'm not sure I understand what this says, but if you are saying that
the desktop icon should invoke emacsclientw instead of runemacs, I
think I disagree.  For starters, it's entirely possible that the user
actually _wants_ to launch "another Emacs"; one situation where this
happens a lot is when you work on developing Emacs and have an older
version used for routine work (including Emacs development).  So I
don't think we should advice users one way or another, we could at
most describe the situation and make users aware of the subtleties, so
that they could do what's right for their use cases.

Message #11 received at 26504 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Tak Kunihiro <tkk <at> misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp>
To: eliz <at> gnu.org
Cc: tkk <at> misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp, 26504 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#26504: patch for efaq-w32.texi
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2017 17:42:32 +0900 (JST)

>> +Emacs should be launched by @command{runemacs.exe} and referred by
>> +@command{emacsclientw.exe}.  When you choose Emacs (to be exact, a
>> +shortcut with target @command{C:\emacs-26.1\bin\runemacs.exe}) from
>> +Start menu as if a Window app, you may launch another Emacs.  To avoid
>> +having double Emacs, change target of the shortcut to
>> +@code{C:\emacs-26.1\bin\emacsclientw.exe "" --alternate-editor
>> +C:\emacs-26.1\bin\runemacs.exe}.
> 
> I'm not sure I understand what this says, but if you are saying that
> the desktop icon should invoke emacsclientw instead of runemacs, I
> think I disagree.  For starters, it's entirely possible that the user
> actually _wants_ to launch "another Emacs"; one situation where this
> happens a lot is when you work on developing Emacs and have an older
> version used for routine work (including Emacs development).  So I
> don't think we should advice users one way or another, we could at
> most describe the situation and make users aware of the subtleties, so
> that they could do what's right for their use cases.

I do not insist that the desktop icon should invoke emacsclientw
instead of runemacs.

On Windows, I suppose user launches App by choosing icon from Start
Menu.  After a while, spending minutes outside of the App, user wants
to switch back to the App.  The easiest way is choosing the same icon
from Start Menu again (without worrying if App is already running).
This works in Emacs on Mac.

Q: How do I launch and switch to Emacs by choosing the same icon in
   Start Menu?

The paragraph answers the question and shows recipe.  Since Q and A
about Windows, I thought it is good to have in FAQ.

> emacsclientw.exe "" --alternate-editor runemacs.exe

It took me a while to find out solution (that is just giving empty
argument).  If I am the one who had such a question, this is not
frequent, and I agree this should go to nowhere.

Message #14 received at 26504 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Tak Kunihiro <tkk <at> misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp>
Cc: 26504 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#26504: patch for efaq-w32.texi
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2017 12:42:56 +0300

> Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2017 17:42:32 +0900 (JST)
> Cc: 26504 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, tkk <at> misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp
> From: Tak Kunihiro <tkk <at> misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp>
> 
> On Windows, I suppose user launches App by choosing icon from Start
> Menu.

That's a possibility, but I think it's a rare one.  I personally never
use it.

The most popular ways, I think, are either by double-clicking on a
desktop icon, or by having an Emacs icon pinned to the task bar.

> After a while, spending minutes outside of the App, user wants
> to switch back to the App.  The easiest way is choosing the same icon
> from Start Menu again (without worrying if App is already running).
> This works in Emacs on Mac.

On Windows, each running application that has an open window
(a.k.a. "frame" in Emacs parlance) has a corresponding icon on the
taskbar, so all one needs to return to the application is to click on
that taskbar icon.  This is standard Windows usage, not something
specific to Emacs, so every Windows user knows about that.

> Q: How do I launch and switch to Emacs by choosing the same icon in
>    Start Menu?
> 
> The paragraph answers the question and shows recipe.  Since Q and A
> about Windows, I thought it is good to have in FAQ.

Like I said, we have Windows-specific issues described in the manual,
so any clarifications should be considered for the manual first.

> > emacsclientw.exe "" --alternate-editor runemacs.exe
> 
> It took me a while to find out solution (that is just giving empty
> argument).  If I am the one who had such a question, this is not
> frequent, and I agree this should go to nowhere.

Given the above information about the taskbar icons, do you still
think there's a need to add anything?

Message #17 received at 26504 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: Tak Kunihiro <tkk <at> misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp>, 26504 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#26504: patch for efaq-w32.texi
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2019 18:48:26 +0200

Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> writes:

>> > emacsclientw.exe "" --alternate-editor runemacs.exe
>> 
>> It took me a while to find out solution (that is just giving empty
>> argument).  If I am the one who had such a question, this is not
>> frequent, and I agree this should go to nowhere.
>
> Given the above information about the taskbar icons, do you still
> think there's a need to add anything?

That was over two years ago, so I'm closing this bug report.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no

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