These commands find the documentation for any item at the current point (see ThingAtPoint).
Command ‘help-on-click/key’, in library Lisp:help+.el (see also HelpPlus) describes any key/menu sequence or any object clicked with the mouse. Bind it to, for instance, ‘C-h RET’. The object can be any part of an Emacs window or any name appearing in a buffer. You can do any of the following:
‘C-M-s’)‘Files’ > `Open File…’)‘apropos-documentation’ and ‘apropos’ provide information on the nameDescribe function/variable or function call. Found here: http://www.sugarshark.com/elisp/init/lisp.el.html
;;; describe this point lisp only
(defun describe-foo-at-point ()
"Show the documentation of the Elisp function and variable near point.
This checks in turn: -- for a function name where point is
-- for a variable name where point is
-- for a surrounding function call
"
(interactive)
(let (sym)
;; sigh, function-at-point is too clever. we want only the first half.
(cond ((setq sym (ignore-errors
(with-syntax-table emacs-lisp-mode-syntax-table
(save-excursion
(or (not (zerop (skip-syntax-backward "_w")))
(eq (char-syntax (char-after (point))) ?w)
(eq (char-syntax (char-after (point))) ?_)
(forward-sexp -1))
(skip-chars-forward "`'")
(let ((obj (read (current-buffer))))
(and (symbolp obj) (fboundp obj) obj))))))
(describe-function sym))
((setq sym (variable-at-point)) (describe-variable sym))
;; now let it operate fully -- i.e. also check the
;; surrounding sexp for a function call.
((setq sym (function-at-point)) (describe-function sym))))) (define-key emacs-lisp-mode-map [(f1)] 'describe-foo-at-point)
(define-key emacs-lisp-mode-map [(control f1)] 'describe-function)
(define-key emacs-lisp-mode-map [(shift f1)] 'describe-variable) This is very similar to a replacement to `\M-.’ I’ve had in my config for awhile (on my homepage) – SeanO