suggestion for Help in xmaxima



There are (at least) two inadequacies for me with the current browser
in xmaxima.

1. there is no search facility (at least that I know of),

2. the list of functions now has no line breaks (5.9.3).

I use linux, so I simply added the function

man(sys) := system("konqueror
         /usr/local/src/maxima/doc/info/maxima.html")$

which, of course, brings up the html version of the manual in a
separate (searchable) window.

     (Note: konqueror is a web browser in RedHat Fedora. One could use
     firefox, mozilla, opera, etc. if desired)

This has the advantage that it also works in command line maxima.

So, I have a suggestion to whomever is in charge of the "browser"
package.  How about replacing the current "Help" in the tk window with
one which opens a separate browser window which, in turn, opens the
html manual?


-sen

P.S. extra comment:  Of course, any argument to "man" would work.
    e.g.   man(W);
   This last makes it very easy to type (on a US English
   keyboard).

I presume this sort of thing would work in Win-XP also, but I haven't
tried.

-sen
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  | Sheldon E. Newhouse            |    e-mail: sen1 at math.msu.edu           |
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