RE: [External] : Re: discoverability, better defaults and which-key in Emacs

[Drew Adams]

> > Another case is finding code in core Emacs and in ELPA to do
> > stuff so one don't spend time writing Elisp for that oneself.
> > This is an area where I failed big time myself. Maybe today
> > googling can offer more as much more code is available online?
> 
> The Emacs apropos commands, if used wisely, should help you.  You
> might find that some of our documentation needs to be enhanced to make
> discoverability easier, in which case please report the deficiencies,
> so we could make this better.
> 
> > I for one would be very interested to know what of my Elisp
> > I can discard in favor of using stuff in core Emacs.
> > But I don't have a confident answer how to find out.
> 
> Some Emacs commands I suggest for this are:
>   C-u M-x apropos
>   M-x apropos-documentation
>   C-h R elisp RET followed by 'i' (Info-index) and the subject

+1 to all of that.
___

The most important aid for users - esp. but not
only new users - is IMHO for them to learn how
to better "ask Emacs".  Emacs provides lots of
ways to discover and find things, from the most
common or superficial things (help keys, menus)
to those deepest in its belly (Lisp, C).

That fact isn't obvious to new users, and even
old users can benefit from being reminded of it.
Learning better how to ask Emacs is always
possible, regardless of level of familiarity or
years of use.
___

Every top-level, superficially obvious point of
entry could help pass the message to a user to
help yourself by learning better how to "ask
Emacs".  Top-level entry points can include
toolbar, menu-bar Help menu, splash screen,
`C-h t' tutorial,...
___

[ Maybe even every *Help* buffer could have a
  link (the same one-line link) to a manual
  entry or to some other presentation of info
  about asking Emacs (i.e., finding things).

  Perhaps with an added boost from AI-thingies,
  such a link could be *Help*-context sensitive.

  And perhaps (with AI) some actions that users
  take could (optionally) sometimes be followed
  by a popup tip about a handy (maybe quicker)
  way to ask Emacs about something they seem to
  be looking for or not be aware of. ]