Re: Semi-unhelpful error message given when trying to (provide 'CUA-mode)

[Alan Mackenzie]

Good morning, Kim!

On Sat, 20 May 2006, Kim F. Storm wrote:

>Alan Mackenzie <address@hidden> writes:

>> In Emacs-22.0.50, if you try to load a legacy cua-mode.el (or whatever),
>> an eval-after-load form tells you to set the CUA option via the menu.
>> This is useful only to users who have a mouse and like using it.
>>
>> For the benefit of other users, M-x cua-mode should also be mentioned.

>M-x cua-mode only enables CUA for the current session, so I think this
>is better:

People will want to enable CUA only for the current session, just to try
it out.

>CUA-mode is now part of the standard GNU Emacs distribution, so you may
>now enable it by customizing `cua-mode' or via the Options menu.

The canonical way of giving commands in Emacs is with M-x foo.  Why
should this one be different?  If your aim were to make it as difficult
as possible for a GUI hating user to find out that the command is called
`cua-mode', you could hardly do better than what you suggest.  Remember,
C-h c and friends don't work in menus, unless you're willing to click the
mouse (See my other bug report from yesterday).  Why the obfuscation?

I am myself a GUI hating user, and I detest being forced to click menu
items with mouse buttons, and I'm less than fond of the M-` style menus
and the baroque customization stuff.  The kind of error message which
says "... via the options menu" without giving me the option of doing it
"properly" gets me screaming with rage.  What am I meant to write into my
.emacs?  What on earth am I supposed to give to C-h f?  Have I really got
to go through the hassle of C-h i?

Please put the name of the command `cua-mode' into this error message
somehow.  I think my suggested patch is a reasonable way of doing this.

>Kim F. Storm

-- 
Alan.