RE: C-h C-b to view "Reporting Bugs" section of the manual

[Drew Adams]

>  > When you look for the doc about a command (including 
>  > `r-e-b'), why not have immediately a set of links to its
>  > doc in the manuals (with the manual names and nodes in the links).
> 
> Well, isn't that basic functionality already available as
> `Info-elisp-ref' (aka C-h C-f in my emacs)?  Again (in my emacs) when
> I use C-h f to get the docstring (which defaults to using the symbol
> at point already), point ends up on the name of the function in the
> help buffer, so C-h C-f RET takes me to the manual.

In GNU Emacs -Q, `C-h C-f' is `view-emacs-FAQ'.  Gnu Emacs has no command
`Info-elisp-ref'.  That's XEmacs, and it apparently looks only in the Elisp
manual.

GNU Emacs has `Info-goto-emacs-command-node', which is bound to `C-h F'.  But it
looks only in the Emacs manual, and it looks only for commands.  (There is also
`Info-goto-emacs-key-command-node' (`C-h K'), which looks up a key in the Emacs
manual.)

What I'm talking about can cover anything you want - by default: functions,
variables, keymaps, modes, faces, and packages.

Anyway, as you say:

> Links are more discoverable

Discoverable?  Well, that's one way of putting it!  If you're _looking_ at a
link there's not a whole lot of "discovery" needed.  (And if you're not looking
at it then good luck discovering it!)  But whatever.

> I suppose, but they're also annoying because they're
> always in your face.

Why don't you look at the thread I cited, or even at the patches?

There is only one link (or none, if the user so chooses) - hardly in-your-face.
Clicking it takes you to a virtual Info index of links to the relevant manual
nodes.

And not just one manual, but a user-configurable list of manuals (by default:
Emacs and Elisp).  It works for the Org Mode manual and the Gnus manual and the
Semantic manual and the Widget manual and ... whatever manuals you want.

It is likewise a user choice whether to check the manuals ahead of time (so not
show any link if there is no manual coverage) or to check them only if you click
the link (costs nothing until you click).

> They also require moving the mouse, 

No.  TAB RET works just as well for following links.  Links are not just for
mice.  (Nothing new.)

> which direct invocation of Info-elisp-ref won't (because if you invoked
> `describe-function' via the mouse, the pointer is most likely on the
> function in the source buffer).
> 
> It's not clear to me that adding links to the original function's
> documentation (as opposed to links to docs for other symbols that are
> referenced in the help buffer) is doing anybody any favors.

I suggest you read the thread.  Only one link is added:

  For more information check the _manuals_.

where _manuals_ is a link to an Info index for the sought thingie.  That index
lists manuals and nodes, with links.