3
<!-- Created by texi2html 1.56k from ess.texi on 6 August 2002 -->
5
<TITLE>ESS -- Emacs Speaks Statistics - Reading help files in ESS</TITLE>
8
Go to the <A HREF="ess_1.html">first</A>, <A HREF="ess_7.html">previous</A>, <A HREF="ess_9.html">next</A>, <A HREF="ess_16.html">last</A> section, <A HREF="ess_toc.html">table of contents</A>.
12
<H1><A NAME="SEC58" HREF="ess_toc.html#TOC58">Reading help files in ESS</A></H1>
18
ESS provides an easy-to-use facility for reading <B>S</B> help files from
19
within Emacs. From within the <B>ESS</B> process buffer or any ESS edit
20
buffer, typing <KBD>C-c C-v</KBD> (<CODE>ess-display-help-on-object</CODE>)
22
will prompt you for the name of an object for which you would like
23
documentation. Completion is provided over all objects which have help
28
If the requested object has documentation, you will be popped into a
29
buffer (named <CODE>*help(<VAR>obj-name</VAR>)*</CODE>) containing the help file.
30
This buffer is placed in a special `S Help' mode which disables the
31
usual editing commands but which provides a number of keys for paging
32
through the help file:
41
<KBD>?</KBD> (<CODE>ess-describe-help-mode</CODE>) <BR>
43
Pops up a help buffer with a list of the commands available in <B>S</B> help
48
<KBD>h</KBD> (<CODE>ess-display-help-on-object</CODE>) <BR>
50
Pop up a help buffer for a different object
57
<KBD>b</KBD> or <KBD>DEL</KBD> (<CODE>scroll-down</CODE>) <BR>
58
Move one page backwards through the help file.
62
<KBD>SPC</KBD> (<CODE>scroll-up</CODE>) <BR>
63
Move one page forwards through the help file.
67
<KBD>></KBD> (<CODE>beginning-of-buffer</CODE>) and <KBD><</KBD> (<CODE>end-of-buffer</CODE>)
69
Move to the beginning and end of the help file, respectively.
71
Section-based motion commands:
75
<KBD>n</KBD> (<CODE>ess-skip-to-next-section</CODE>) and <KBD>p</KBD>
76
(<CODE>ess-skip-to-previous-section</CODE>) <BR> Move to the next and previous
79
section header in the help file, respectively. A section header
80
consists of a number of capitalized words, followed by a colon.
82
In addition, the <KBD>s</KBD> key followed by one of the following letters
83
will jump to a particular section in the help file:
143
<DT><SAMP>`<'</SAMP>
145
Jumps to beginning of file
147
<DT><SAMP>`>'</SAMP>
153
Pops up a help buffer with a list of the defined section motion keys.
160
<KBD>r</KBD> (<CODE>ess-eval-region</CODE>) <BR>
161
<A NAME="IDX202"></A>
162
Send the contents of the current region to the <B>ESS</B> process. Useful
163
for running examples in help files.
167
<KBD>/</KBD> (<CODE>isearch-forward</CODE>) <BR>
168
Same as <KBD>C-s</KBD>.
174
<KBD>q</KBD> (<CODE>ess-switch-to-end-of-ESS</CODE>) <BR>
175
<A NAME="IDX203"></A>
176
Returns to the <B>ESS</B> process buffer in another window, leaving the
181
<KBD>k</KBD> (<CODE>kill-buffer</CODE>) <BR>
182
Kills the help buffer.
186
<KBD>x</KBD> (<CODE>ess-kill-buffer-and-go</CODE>) <BR>
187
Return to the <B>ESS</B> process, killing this help buffer.
191
In addition, all of the ESS commands available in the edit buffers are
192
also available in <B>S</B> help mode (see section <A HREF="ess_7.html#SEC50">Creating or modifying <B>S</B> objects</A>). Of course, the
193
usual (non-editing) Emacs commands are available, and for convenience
194
the digits and <KBD>-</KBD> act as prefix arguments.
198
If a help buffer already exists for an object for which help is
199
requested, that buffer is popped to immediately; the <B>ESS</B> process is
200
not consulted at all. If the contents of the help file have changed,
201
you either need to kill the help buffer first, or pass a prefix argument
202
(with <KBD>C-u</KBD>) to <CODE>ess-display-help-on-object</CODE>.
206
Help buffers are marked as temporary buffers in ESS, and are deleted
207
when <CODE>ess-quit</CODE> or <CODE>ess-cleanup</CODE> are called.
208
<A NAME="IDX204"></A>
209
<A NAME="IDX205"></A>
210
<A NAME="IDX206"></A>
214
Go to the <A HREF="ess_1.html">first</A>, <A HREF="ess_7.html">previous</A>, <A HREF="ess_9.html">next</A>, <A HREF="ess_16.html">last</A> section, <A HREF="ess_toc.html">table of contents</A>.