Xref: utzoo comp.emacs:10193 gnu.misc.discuss:2469 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!masscomp!andyo From: andyo@westford.ccur.com (Andy Oram) Newsgroups: comp.emacs,gnu.misc.discuss Subject: Quality of Emacs manual (was: GNU Emacs manual sales figures [summary]) Message-ID: Date: 27 Feb 91 22:23:47 GMT Sender: news@masscomp.westford.ccur.com Followup-To: comp.emacs Organization: Concurrent Computer Corporation - Westford, Ma Lines: 29 RMS's Emacs manual is deservedly a classic of computer documentation. It supports incremental learning, so that a very novice user (one who has just been through the on-line tutorial, say) can learn just what he or she feels is necessary about each topic, and then move on to another topic. There is a beautiful, smooth flow from high-level topics and models to low-level, nitty-gritty facts. And the book stands as proof that you don't need a reference manual to cover a product completely (it completely documents the user interface to Emacs, above the Lisp programming level). I haven't tried raw searching for functions in the hard-copy manual, which hollen@megatek.UUCP (Dion Hollenbeck) complained about -- perhaps that is a weakness, but a superficial one. I often cite this manual in workshops as a model for other computer documentation. Anyone who wants the theory behind my reasoning, please contact me -- I've got some articles I'll send you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Oram Concurrent Computer Corporation Analog Communications Routes: 38 High Haith Road (home address) Arlington, Mass. 02174 (617) 641-1261 Digital Communications Routes: andyo@westford.ccur.com {harvard,uunet,petsd}!masscomp!andyo This message is not an official statement from Concurrent, but my own opinion. Read George's lips -- this war will be a short one. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------