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[bpt/emacs.git] / lisp / emacs-lisp / helper.el
1 ;;; helper.el --- utility help package supporting help in electric modes
2
3 ;; Author: K. Shane Hartman
4 ;; Maintainer: FSF
5 ;; Last-Modified: 16 Mar 1991
6 ;; Keywords: help
7
8 ;; Copyright (C) 1985 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
9
10 ;; This file is part of GNU Emacs.
11
12 ;; GNU Emacs is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
13 ;; it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
14 ;; the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
15 ;; any later version.
16
17 ;; GNU Emacs is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
18 ;; but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
19 ;; MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
20 ;; GNU General Public License for more details.
21
22 ;; You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
23 ;; along with GNU Emacs; see the file COPYING. If not, write to
24 ;; the Free Software Foundation, 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
25
26 ;;; Code:
27
28 ; hey, here's a helping hand.
29
30 ;; Bind this to a string for <blank> in "... Other keys <blank>".
31 ;; Helper-help uses this to construct help string when scrolling.
32 ;; Defaults to "return"
33 (defvar Helper-return-blurb nil)
34
35 ;; Keymap implementation doesn't work too well for non-standard loops.
36 ;; But define it anyway for those who can use it. Non-standard loops
37 ;; will probably have to use Helper-help. You can't autoload the
38 ;; keymap either.
39
40
41 (defvar Helper-help-map nil)
42 (if Helper-help-map
43 nil
44 (setq Helper-help-map (make-keymap))
45 ;(fillarray Helper-help-map 'undefined)
46 (define-key Helper-help-map "m" 'Helper-describe-mode)
47 (define-key Helper-help-map "b" 'Helper-describe-bindings)
48 (define-key Helper-help-map "c" 'Helper-describe-key-briefly)
49 (define-key Helper-help-map "k" 'Helper-describe-key)
50 ;(define-key Helper-help-map "f" 'Helper-describe-function)
51 ;(define-key Helper-help-map "v" 'Helper-describe-variable)
52 (define-key Helper-help-map "?" 'Helper-help-options)
53 (define-key Helper-help-map (char-to-string help-char) 'Helper-help-options)
54 (fset 'Helper-help-map Helper-help-map))
55
56 (defun Helper-help-scroller ()
57 (let ((blurb (or (and (boundp 'Helper-return-blurb)
58 Helper-return-blurb)
59 "return")))
60 (save-window-excursion
61 (goto-char (window-start (selected-window)))
62 (if (get-buffer-window "*Help*")
63 (pop-to-buffer "*Help*")
64 (switch-to-buffer "*Help*"))
65 (goto-char (point-min))
66 (let ((continue t) state)
67 (while continue
68 (setq state (+ (* 2 (if (pos-visible-in-window-p (point-max)) 1 0))
69 (if (pos-visible-in-window-p (point-min)) 1 0)))
70 (message
71 (nth state
72 '("Space forward, Delete back. Other keys %s"
73 "Space scrolls forward. Other keys %s"
74 "Delete scrolls back. Other keys %s"
75 "Type anything to %s"))
76 blurb)
77 (setq continue (read-char))
78 (cond ((and (memq continue '(?\ ?\C-v)) (< state 2))
79 (scroll-up))
80 ((= continue ?\C-l)
81 (recenter))
82 ((and (= continue ?\177) (zerop (% state 2)))
83 (scroll-down))
84 (t (setq continue nil))))))))
85
86 (defun Helper-help-options ()
87 "Describe help options."
88 (interactive)
89 (message "c (key briefly), m (mode), k (key), b (bindings)")
90 ;(message "c (key briefly), m (mode), k (key), v (variable), f (function)")
91 (sit-for 4))
92
93 (defun Helper-describe-key-briefly (key)
94 "Briefly describe binding of KEY."
95 (interactive "kDescribe key briefly: ")
96 (describe-key-briefly key)
97 (sit-for 4))
98
99 (defun Helper-describe-key (key)
100 "Describe binding of KEY."
101 (interactive "kDescribe key: ")
102 (save-window-excursion (describe-key key))
103 (Helper-help-scroller))
104
105 (defun Helper-describe-function ()
106 "Describe a function. Name read interactively."
107 (interactive)
108 (save-window-excursion (call-interactively 'describe-function))
109 (Helper-help-scroller))
110
111 (defun Helper-describe-variable ()
112 "Describe a variable. Name read interactively."
113 (interactive)
114 (save-window-excursion (call-interactively 'describe-variable))
115 (Helper-help-scroller))
116
117 (defun Helper-describe-mode ()
118 "Describe the current mode."
119 (interactive)
120 (let ((name mode-name)
121 (documentation (documentation major-mode)))
122 (save-excursion
123 (set-buffer (get-buffer-create "*Help*"))
124 (erase-buffer)
125 (insert name " Mode\n" documentation)))
126 (Helper-help-scroller))
127
128 ;;;###autoload
129 (defun Helper-describe-bindings ()
130 "Describe local key bindings of current mode."
131 (interactive)
132 (message "Making binding list...")
133 (save-window-excursion (describe-bindings))
134 (Helper-help-scroller))
135
136 ;;;###autoload
137 (defun Helper-help ()
138 "Provide help for current mode."
139 (interactive)
140 (let ((continue t) c)
141 (while continue
142 (message "Help (Type ? for further options)")
143 (setq c (char-to-string (downcase (read-char))))
144 (setq c (lookup-key Helper-help-map c))
145 (cond ((eq c 'Helper-help-options)
146 (Helper-help-options))
147 ((commandp c)
148 (call-interactively c)
149 (setq continue nil))
150 (t
151 (ding)
152 (setq continue nil))))))
153
154 (provide 'helper)
155
156 ;;; helper.el ends here