GNU bug report logs - #49166
Writing in help-buffer does not show in history

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

From: philip-agee <at> africamel.net
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: Writing in help-buffer does not show in history
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2021 23:44:24 +0200 (CEST)

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

Have written the following function that inserts text in the
help-buffer.

Was curious to see whether the inserted text persist if one uses
the buttons or commands in the Help Buffer that take you
back/forth in the history of visited entries (you can invoke
those commands with 'l' for left ('help-go-back') and 'r' for
right ('help-go-forward')).



It does not show in the history when using ('help-go-back').


Does it make sense to include the text in the history?


--------



(defun brief ()
  "todo docstring"
  (interactive)

  (with-help-window (help-buffer)
    (with-current-buffer (help-buffer)

      (insert "Abbreviated Capabilities\n\n")

      (insert "* orderless minibuffer completion\n")
      (princ "   orderless-enable\n")
      (princ "   orderless-disable\n\n")

      (insert "* ivy minibuffer completion\n")
      (princ "   ivy-enable\n")
      (princ "   ivy-disable\n\n")

      (insert "* Minibuffer Completion Style\n")
      (princ "   complt-style\n")  )) )

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

Message #8 received at 49166 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: "Basil L. Contovounesios" <contovob <at> tcd.ie>
To: philip-agee <at> africamel.net
Cc: 49166 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#49166: Writing in help-buffer does not show in history
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2021 10:34:22 +0100

philip-agee <at> africamel.net writes:

> Have written the following function that inserts text in the
> help-buffer.
>
> Was curious to see whether the inserted text persist if one uses
> the buttons or commands in the Help Buffer that take you
> back/forth in the history of visited entries (you can invoke
> those commands with 'l' for left ('help-go-back') and 'r' for
> right ('help-go-forward')).
>
> It does not show in the history when using ('help-go-back').

These history commands rely on help-xref-stack being set up
appropriately, which is done with the function help-setup-xref.

See (info "(elisp) Help Functions") [0] and the linked
example in (info "(elisp) Accessing Documentation") [1]
(or look at the definitions of describe-function, etc.).

[0]: https://gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/elisp/Help-Functions.html
[1]: https://gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/elisp/Accessing-Documentation.html

HTH,

-- 
Basil

Message #11 received at 49166 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: philip-agee <at> africamel.net
Cc: 49166 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#49166: Writing in help-buffer does not show in history
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2021 15:30:06 +0200

philip-agee <at> africamel.net writes:

> Have written the following function that inserts text in the
> help-buffer.
>
> Was curious to see whether the inserted text persist if one uses
> the buttons or commands in the Help Buffer that take you
> back/forth in the history of visited entries (you can invoke
> those commands with 'l' for left ('help-go-back') and 'r' for
> right ('help-go-forward')).
>
> It does not show in the history when using ('help-go-back').
>
> Does it make sense to include the text in the history?

The *Help* history doesn't save the actual text in the buffer, but
regenerates it based on the parameters given -- so if you go back to the
documentation for, say `describe-mode', it'll regenerate the buffer
based on the current documentation for that command.  This also means
that if you change the documentation (loading a new version, for
instance), you'll get the new version of the doc string, and not the old
one.

So this is working as intended, and I'm closing this bug report.

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

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