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authorRichard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>1994-05-01 19:35:40 +0000
committerRichard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>1994-05-01 19:35:40 +0000
commitb9f7b3fb09b62b5817cac432fec9fcf1961a3c8b (patch)
treea658489fc7f7e8bee7d2b52b1cc717b76ab22efe /lispref/help.texi
parent4be5f359e4623aaca88be69b6f609aff011ad4ee (diff)
downloademacs-b9f7b3fb09b62b5817cac432fec9fcf1961a3c8b.tar.gz
entered into RCS
Diffstat (limited to 'lispref/help.texi')
-rw-r--r--lispref/help.texi69
1 files changed, 34 insertions, 35 deletions
diff --git a/lispref/help.texi b/lispref/help.texi
index 1aa2f654aa4..396d11b01ed 100644
--- a/lispref/help.texi
+++ b/lispref/help.texi
@@ -80,10 +80,10 @@ function @code{documentation-property} knows how to extract it.
@cindex @file{emacs/etc/DOC-@var{version}}
@cindex @file{etc/DOC-@var{version}}
To save space, the documentation for preloaded functions and variables
-(including primitive functions and autoloaded functions) are stored in
+(including primitive functions and autoloaded functions) is stored in
the file @file{emacs/etc/DOC-@var{version}}. The data structure inside
Emacs has an integer offset into the file, where the documentation
-string ought to be. The functions @code{documentation} the
+string ought to be. The functions @code{documentation} and
@code{documentation-property} read the documentation from the file
@file{emacs/etc/DOC-@var{version}} when they notice the integer there;
this is transparent to the user. Keeping the documentation strings out
@@ -134,13 +134,13 @@ bindings. (This is not done if @var{verbatim} is non-@code{nil}; the
@var{verbatim} argument exists only as of Emacs 19.)
The function @code{documentation} signals a @code{void-function} error
-unless @var{function} has a function definition. However, it is ok if
+if @var{function} has no function definition. However, it is ok if
the function definition has no documentation string. In that case,
@code{documentation} returns @code{nil}.
@end defun
@c Wordy to prevent overfull hboxes. --rjc 15mar92
- Here is an example of using the two functions, @code{documentation} and
+Here is an example of using the two functions, @code{documentation} and
@code{documentation-property}, to display the documentation strings for
several symbols in a @samp{*Help*} buffer.
@@ -275,12 +275,12 @@ In older Emacs versions, @code{exec-directory} was used for this.
@cindex keys in documentation strings
@cindex substituting keys in documentation
- When documentation strings refer to key sequences, they should do so
-based on the current, actual key bindings. They can do so using certain
-special text sequences described below. Accessing documentation strings
-in the usual way substitutes current key binding information for these
-special sequences. This works by calling @code{substitute-command-keys}.
-You can also call that function yourself.
+ When documentation strings refer to key sequences, they should use the
+current, actual key bindings. They can do so using certain special text
+sequences described below. Accessing documentation strings in the usual
+way substitutes current key binding information for these special
+sequences. This works by calling @code{substitute-command-keys}. You
+can also call that function yourself.
Here is a list of the special sequences and what they mean:
@@ -299,14 +299,14 @@ stands for no text itself. It is used for a side effect: it specifies
sequences in this documentation string.
@end table
-@strong{Please note:} each @samp{\} must be doubled when written in a
+@strong{Please note:} Each @samp{\} must be doubled when written in a
string in Emacs Lisp.
@defun substitute-command-keys string
This function scans @var{string} for the above special sequences and
replaces them by what they stand for, returning the result as a string.
This permits display of documentation that refers accurately to the
-users's own customized key bindings.
+user's own customized key bindings.
@end defun
Here are examples of the special sequences:
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ Emacs notation for keyboard input. A normal printing character appears
as itself, but a control character turns into a string starting with
@samp{C-}, a meta character turns into a string starting with @samp{M-},
and space, linefeed, etc.@: appear as @samp{SPC}, @samp{LFD}, etc. A
-function key symbol appears as itself. An event which is a list appears
+function key symbol appears as itself. An event that is a list appears
as the name of the symbol in the @sc{car} of the list.
@smallexample
@@ -421,21 +421,21 @@ about them, see @ref{Help, , Help, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. Here
we describe some program-level interfaces to the same information.
@deffn Command apropos regexp &optional do-all predicate
- This function finds all symbols whose names contain a match for the
-regular expression @var{regexp}, and returns a list of them.
-It also displays the symbols in a buffer named @samp{*Help*}, each with a
-one-line description.
+This function finds all symbols whose names contain a match for the
+regular expression @var{regexp}, and returns a list of them
+(@pxref{Regular Expressions}). It also displays the symbols in a buffer
+named @samp{*Help*}, each with a one-line description.
@c Emacs 19 feature
- If @var{do-all} is non-@code{nil}, then @code{apropos} also shows
+If @var{do-all} is non-@code{nil}, then @code{apropos} also shows
key bindings for the functions that are found.
- If @var{predicate} is non-@code{nil}, it should be a function to be
+If @var{predicate} is non-@code{nil}, it should be a function to be
called on each symbol that has matched @var{regexp}. Only symbols for
which @var{predicate} returns a non-@code{nil} value are listed or
displayed.
- In the first of the following examples, @code{apropos} finds all the
+In the first of the following examples, @code{apropos} finds all the
symbols with names containing @samp{exec}. In the second example, it
finds and returns only those symbols that are also commands.
(We don't show the output that results in the @samp{*Help*} buffer.)
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ execute-extended-command ESC x
@end ignore
@end smallexample
- The command @kbd{C-h a} (@code{command-apropos}) calls @code{apropos},
+The command @kbd{C-h a} (@code{command-apropos}) calls @code{apropos},
but specifies a @var{predicate} to restrict the output to symbols that
are commands. The call to @code{apropos} looks like this:
@@ -479,10 +479,10 @@ are commands. The call to @code{apropos} looks like this:
@deffn Command super-apropos regexp &optional do-all
This function differs from @code{apropos} in that it searches
documentation strings as well as symbol names for matches for
-@var{regexp}. By default, it searches only the documentation strings,
-and only those of functions and variables that are included in Emacs
-when it is dumped. If @var{do-all} is non-@code{nil}, it scans the
-names and documentation strings of all functions and variables.
+@var{regexp}. By default, it searches the documentation strings only
+for preloaded functions and variables. If @var{do-all} is
+non-@code{nil}, it scans the names and documentation strings of all
+functions and variables.
@end deffn
@defvar help-map
@@ -504,11 +504,10 @@ follows:
@end deffn
@defun print-help-return-message &optional function
-This function builds a string which is a message explaining how to
-restore the previous state of the windows after a help command. After
-building the message, it applies @var{function} to it if @var{function}
-is non-@code{nil}. Otherwise it calls @code{message} to display it in
-the echo area.
+This function builds a string that explains how to restore the previous
+state of the windows after a help command. After building the message,
+it applies @var{function} to it if @var{function} is non-@code{nil}.
+Otherwise it calls @code{message} to display it in the echo area.
This function expects to be called inside a
@code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} special form, and expects
@@ -562,7 +561,7 @@ The variable's default value is @code{describe-prefix-bindings}.
This function calls @code{describe-bindings} to display a list of all
the subcommands of the prefix key of the most recent key sequence. The
prefix described consists of all but the last event of that key
-sequence.
+sequence. (The last event is, presumably, the help character.)
@end defun
The following two functions are found in the library @file{helper}.
@@ -595,18 +594,18 @@ Emacs versions, @code{exec-directory} was used for this.
@c Emacs 19 feature
@defmac make-help-screen fname help-line help-text help-map
-This macro defines a help command named @var{fname} which acts like a
-prefix key which shows a list of the subcommands it offers.
+This macro defines a help command named @var{fname} that acts like a
+prefix key that shows a list of the subcommands it offers.
When invoked, @var{fname} displays @var{help-text} in a window, then
reads and executes a key sequence according to @var{help-map}. The
-string @var{help-text} should describe of the bindings available in
+string @var{help-text} should describe the bindings available in
@var{help-map}.
The command @var{fname} is defined to handle a few events itself, by
scrolling the display of @var{help-text}. When @var{fname} reads one of
those special events, it does the scrolling and then reads another
-event. When it reads an event which is not one of those few, and which
+event. When it reads an event that is not one of those few, and which
has a binding in @var{help-map}, it executes that key's binding and
then returns.