Discussion: helpful-mode: derive from help-mode?

[nbfalcon]

Given that the Emacs-built-in describe-* commands create buffers that are in help-mode, and since helpful basically creates function help buffers, I would like propose for helpful-mode to be derived from help-mode as well. This would allow keybindings made for help-mode to be available in it automatically as well (in DOOM, q to close the window for example).

[rileyrg]

Seconded. Alternatively, have helpful at least use the same helpful mode buffer or have an option to do so. Setting helpful max buffers doesn't reuse existing visible buffer, it deletes it an created a new one which appears in a new place.

[amno1]

Built-in help and Helpful use completely different infrastructure to accomplish what they do. To make each one integrate efficiently with another would mean it has to be re-written in terms of the other. Otherwise, one could copy-paste buffer content, but that wouldn't be very efficient use of resources.

This would allow keybindings made for help-mode to be available in it automatically as well (in DOOM, q to close the window for example).

Built-in help offers very few keybindings, you can use s to open the source, i to open info-node, tab to jump between links and 6 different buttons to navigate back and forth between visited symbols :).

Helpful already gives you a key to open the source code file, RET, and you can jump between links with tab or 'p' and 'n'.

Helpful does not have stack of visited items, so this would need more work, but you can easily define key to open source or info node.:

(define-key helpful-mode-map (kbd "i")
  (lambda nil (interactive) (info-lookup 'symbol helpful--sym #'emacs-lisp-mode)))

So there you have your keys :).

Setting helpful max buffers doesn't reuse existing visible buffer

Yes, that one is a bit unfortunate. You could maybe use display-buffer-alist to specify where and how helpful buffer is placed.

[PhilHudson]

I came here to see if anyone had requested adding the 'c' (customize), 'i' (info), and 's' (source) help-mode bindings. Nice find, that 'i' binding above. I'm afraid it's not obvious to me how to implement the other two ('c' and 's') based on this though. Any tips?