{"id":15037803,"url":"https://github.com/wilfred/helpful","last_synced_at":"2025-04-08T09:11:15.526Z","repository":{"id":19387534,"uuid":"86934008","full_name":"Wilfred/helpful","owner":"Wilfred","description":"A better Emacs *help* buffer","archived":false,"fork":false,"pushed_at":"2024-08-12T21:50:57.000Z","size":1211,"stargazers_count":1110,"open_issues_count":110,"forks_count":62,"subscribers_count":15,"default_branch":"master","last_synced_at":"2024-10-29T18:05:33.498Z","etag":null,"topics":["emacs","help"],"latest_commit_sha":null,"homepage":"","language":"Emacs Lisp","has_issues":true,"has_wiki":null,"has_pages":null,"mirror_url":null,"source_name":null,"license":null,"status":null,"scm":"git","pull_requests_enabled":true,"icon_url":"https://github.com/Wilfred.png","metadata":{"files":{"readme":"README.md","changelog":"CHANGELOG.md","contributing":null,"funding":null,"license":null,"code_of_conduct":null,"threat_model":null,"audit":null,"citation":null,"codeowners":null,"security":null,"support":null,"governance":null,"roadmap":null,"authors":null,"dei":null,"publiccode":null,"codemeta":null}},"created_at":"2017-04-01T18:32:36.000Z","updated_at":"2024-10-27T14:29:17.000Z","dependencies_parsed_at":"2023-01-13T20:20:49.450Z","dependency_job_id":"5af955a9-0ba8-4e99-a572-1cbf54d36398","html_url":"https://github.com/Wilfred/helpful","commit_stats":{"total_commits":508,"total_committers":38,"mean_commits":"13.368421052631579","dds":"0.16141732283464572","last_synced_commit":"4ba24cac9fb14d5fdc32582cd947572040e82b2c"},"previous_names":[],"tags_count":21,"template":false,"template_full_name":null,"repository_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/Wilfred%2Fhelpful","tags_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/Wilfred%2Fhelpful/tags","releases_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/Wilfred%2Fhelpful/releases","manifests_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/Wilfred%2Fhelpful/manifests","owner_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/owners/Wilfred","download_url":"https://codeload.github.com/Wilfred/helpful/tar.gz/refs/heads/master","host":{"name":"GitHub","url":"https://github.com","kind":"github","repositories_count":247809964,"owners_count":20999816,"icon_url":"https://github.com/github.png","version":null,"created_at":"2022-05-30T11:31:42.601Z","updated_at":"2022-07-04T15:15:14.044Z","host_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub","repositories_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories","repository_names_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repository_names","owners_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/owners"}},"keywords":["emacs","help"],"created_at":"2024-09-24T20:35:47.154Z","updated_at":"2025-04-08T09:11:15.480Z","avatar_url":"https://github.com/Wilfred.png","language":"Emacs Lisp","funding_links":[],"categories":[],"sub_categories":[],"readme":"# Helpful [![Coverage Status](https://coveralls.io/repos/github/Wilfred/helpful/badge.svg?branch=master)](https://coveralls.io/github/Wilfred/helpful?branch=master) [![MELPA](http://melpa.org/packages/helpful-badge.svg)](http://melpa.org/#/helpful)\n\nHelpful is an alternative to the built-in Emacs help that provides\nmuch more contextual information.\n\n![screenshot](screenshots/helpful.png)\n\n## Usage\n\nInstall from MELPA, then call one of the following commands:\n\n* `helpful-callable`\n* `helpful-function`\n* `helpful-macro`\n* `helpful-command`\n* `helpful-key`\n* `helpful-variable`\n* `helpful-at-point`\n\nIf you want to replace the default Emacs help keybindings, you can do\nso:\n\n``` emacs-lisp\n;; Note that the built-in `describe-function' includes both functions\n;; and macros. `helpful-function' is functions only, so we provide\n;; `helpful-callable' as a drop-in replacement.\n(global-set-key (kbd \"C-h f\") #'helpful-callable)\n\n(global-set-key (kbd \"C-h v\") #'helpful-variable)\n(global-set-key (kbd \"C-h k\") #'helpful-key)\n(global-set-key (kbd \"C-h x\") #'helpful-command)\n```\n\nI also recommend the following keybindings to get the most out of\nhelpful:\n\n``` emacs-lisp\n;; Lookup the current symbol at point. C-c C-d is a common keybinding\n;; for this in lisp modes.\n(global-set-key (kbd \"C-c C-d\") #'helpful-at-point)\n\n;; Look up *F*unctions (excludes macros).\n;;\n;; By default, C-h F is bound to `Info-goto-emacs-command-node'. Helpful\n;; already links to the manual, if a function is referenced there.\n(global-set-key (kbd \"C-h F\") #'helpful-function)\n```\n\n[Ivy](https://github.com/abo-abo/swiper) users can use Helpful with\ncounsel commands:\n\n``` emacs-lisp\n(setq counsel-describe-function-function #'helpful-callable)\n(setq counsel-describe-variable-function #'helpful-variable)\n```\n\n## Features\n\n### Source code\n\n![screenshot](screenshots/helpful_source.png)\n\nHelpful will try really hard to show the source code. It shows the\nsource code for interactively defined functions (unlike the built-in\nHelp) and falls back to the raw sexp if no source is available.\n\n### View Callers\n\n![screenshot](screenshots/helpful_refs.png)\n\nHelpful will show you where a function is being called!\n\n### Prettier Docstrings\n\n![screenshot](screenshots/helpful_docstring.png)\n\nDocstrings in helpful:\n\n* Highlight the summary (the first sentence)\n* Include cross-references to other functions/variables\n* Linkify references to Info nodes\n* Hide superfluous punctuation\n\n![screenshot](screenshots/helpful_view_in_manual.png)\n\nIf a symbol is also documented in the Info manual, helpful will\nprovide a link to the relevant section too.\n\n### Symbol Properties\n\n![screenshot](screenshots/helpful_props.png)\n\nHelpful will show you the properties that have been applied to the\ncurrent symbol. This provides visibility of features\nlike edebug or byte-code optimisation.\n\nHelpful will also highlight any symbol aliases.\n\n### Describe Commands\n\nHelpful provides a separate `helpful-command` function, for when you\njust want to view interactive functions.\n\n### View Keymaps\n\n![screenshot](screenshots/helpful_bindings.png)\n\nHelpful displays any keybindings that apply to interactive functions.\n\n### Integrated Tooling\n\n![screenshot](screenshots/helpful_tools.png)\n\nYou can trace, debug or disassemble functions from inside\nHelpful. This is discoverable and doesn't require memorisation of\ncommands.\n\n### Aliases\n\n![screenshot](screenshots/helpful_aliases.png)\n\nIf a function has multiple aliases in Emacs, Helpful will show all of\nthe aliases defined.\n\n## Inspirations\n\nThis project has been heavily influenced by:\n\n* [help+.el](https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/help+.el), help-fns+.el, help-mode+.el\n* [Dave Williams' demo of Lucid's Energize](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQQTScuApWk)\n\n## License\n\nGPLv3+.\n\nI am providing code in the repository to you under an open source\nlicense. Because this is my personal repository, the license you\nreceive to my code is from me and not my employer.\n","project_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Fwilfred%2Fhelpful","html_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/projects/github.com%2Fwilfred%2Fhelpful","lists_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Fwilfred%2Fhelpful/lists"}