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add Help item to Text Properties menu -> Emacs manual node Editing Forma


From: Drew Adams
Subject: add Help item to Text Properties menu -> Emacs manual node Editing Format Information
Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 16:38:35 -0700

1. Subject says most of it. The Text Properties menu is handy for what it
offers, even, I think, for some people who don't usually use menus. However,
it's not obvious what some of the menu items are for, even if their names
are as suggestive as possible. Suggestion: Add a Help item at the end of the
menu - it would just open the Emacs manual at node Editing Format Info,
where the Text Properties menu is described.

[Possible general enhancement: It would be good if users could, generally,
click the title of a popup menu (e.g. Text Properties) to bring up the
corresponding help in the manual. I've never seen that anywhere, but I think
it would be helpful. Alternative, which would work for all menus, not just
popups: Whenever a menu name or menu item is selected (inverse video), be
able to click C-h or F1 to bring up its help.]

2. Info node Text Properties should have a list of the submenus also, with
an Info menu to each of the nodes that follow where those submenus are
described.

3. In those subsequent nodes, some menu items of the Text Properties menu
are described, with no mention of the context. Node Format Colors (not a
good name for the node, BTW) mentions "each color menu", but there is no
explanation of what that means or where one might find such a color menu.
The node should mention submenus Foreground Color and Background Color of
menu Text Properties, which is the context. (BTW, is it normal that these
submenus have only one item each, Other?)

4. Similarly, node Format Faces (not a good name either) mentions the Faces
submenu, but it doesn't say what it is a submenu of. Saying "Faces submenu
of the Text Properties menu" would help. If suggestion #2 were followed (an
Info menu pointing to the nodes describing the submenus), then `u' would let
you know the context, but it doesn't hurt to remind readers where they are.
You don't necessarily read hypertext from front to back.

5. The Other menu item is not mentioned in node Format Faces, even though it
is more important than all the rest, which are described (it does what the
others do, and more).

6. Nodes Format Indentation, Format Justification, and Format Properties
(again, the names are not so great - why repeat Format?) make no reference
to the Text Properties menu at all. They should at least mention the
corresponding Text Properties submenus. Ideally, the node order would
reflect the order of the submenus (change one or the other). The order is in
fact reversed: Special Properties, Justification, then Indentation. Also, it
is confusing that the menu item in node Formatted Text that leads to node
Format Properties is called Other.

7. Node Editing Format Information should link to nodes Standard Faces (for
item Display Faces) and Colors (for item Display Colors). It is fine for the
manual structure to not reflect the menu structure, but it's good to provide
orientation. A reader should be able to follow the complete doc for the Text
Properties menu by following hyperlinks. Again, this is not so important for
some other menus, IMO, but people who use Text Properties will appreciate
finding the doc easily.






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