Make Helpful buffers behave better

[Townk]

I have essentially two problems with Helpful:

1. Every time I check a definition using it, Helpful create some persistent buffers (at least 2), one for the searched function source file and one for the Helpful buffer itself.
   I think Helpful should use with-temp-buffer instead of find-file to visit the references (I found this article referencing this trade-off: http://ergoemacs.org/emacs/elisp_find-file_vs_with-temp-buffer.html), this way it wouldn't create a persistent buffer for the source file, and it would be faster.

2. I can't configure Helpful to play nice with Shackle.
   This point probably spills over the first one (and that is why I didn't open two issues). Helpful is using switch-to-buffer to show its content. Unfortunately, this function does not use the display-buffer-alist and is harder to manage the window/buffers it creates. Also, if Helpful would use a function like display-buffer instead, it would create a persistent buffer for itself.

[Wilfred]

Thanks for reporting!

Your first issue is a bug with elisp-refs. Would you mind opening an issue there?

The second issue has been fixed in #35 :)

[Townk]

I'll be more than happy to file a bug on elisp-refs, but can you give me a bit more specifics on it? For instance, why calling find-file should not create a persistent buffer on my Emacs?

If that is the expected behavior, how are you trying to not have the persistent buffer when calling find'file?

[Wilfred]

OK, I may have misunderstood you. Suppose you look up a function foo-bar in a file foo.el. Are you saying that:

1. M-x helpful-function RET foo-bar RET is also opening foo.el in a buffer, or:

2. Pressing RET on a reference in the Helpful buffer is opening foo.el in a buffer?

Option 1 would be a bug, whereas 2 is intended behaviour (but all behaviour is open for discussion if it doesn't fit your workflow).

[Townk]

What happens is 1

[naclander]

@Wilfred this is actually one of the few things that's preventing me moving to helpful full time, can you confirm that this is a bug with helpful?

[Wilfred]

OK, this should now be fixed. Let me know if not.

[Townk]

Unfortunately, it's not.

If you open emacs and call describe-function, then choose enable-theme. Helpful will open 2 buffers:

1. *helpful: enable-theme*
2. custom.el.gz

I just updated emacs and helpful just to be sure, and the behavior is still the same.
Also, if I describe anything else, hepful will keep one buffer for each "help" I get. I understand that some people might find that useful, but wouldn't be possible to have a flag to make it behave just like plain old help (one buffer for all help messages you can get)?

[Wilfred]

Sure, I understand creating multiple helpful buffers may not be to everyone's taste :). Would you mind creating a separate issue?

[Townk]

Sure, just ask as a question. Some project have an adamant opinion about features. Just wanted to get the feel :)

[Wilfred]

Are you sure you'd upgraded? I've added a test too, to confirm this bug is fixed.