Re: Proposal for an improved `help-for-help'

[Stefan Kangas]

John Yates <john@yates-sheets.org> writes:

> Meta comment: I find it much easier to internalize
> commands for which I am offered an obvious mnemonic.
> I do not know if doing so is one of your goals, but
> if not might, I suggest it?  That would include using
> some form of highlighting to call out the mnemonic.

All things being equal, yes a mnemonic is better.

There are different kinds of balance one can strike in a text like this.
It is not necessarily a very easy text to write, as there are many
variables at play; it needs to be precise, brief, understandable,
skimmable, etc..

I will think a bit about your suggestion, but a priori I would suggest
proceeding along these lines:

1. First, find a working, brief text with the above mentioned qualities.

2. Later, look it all over and see if it is possible to add mnemonics
   if/where they are missing without compromising the other aspects too
   much.

3. Perhaps even stylize the mnemonics (I'd use a subtle color for this).