log of a learning curve 02/14/99

["T. V. Raman" <raman@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Anne--

This is definitely useful.

Make sure to choose the subject line for this log thread 
as you have for this one, 
i.e. subject for each of these should be "log of a learning
curve" followed by the date--
this will make it easier to later recover all these messages
from the archive--
--and the reason for that is --when you're done, you can
take the logs, take the responses and turn it into a
tutorial.

>>>>> "Ann" == Ann K Parsons <akp@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

    Ann> First of all, let me say that my system hasn't been
    Ann> completely configured.  I'm using Red Hat.  I have
    Ann> Telnet and I have the dialer configured, but
    Ann> nothing else yet.  I'm able to log into the Text
    Ann> Based Virtual Reality I run and talk to my friend
    Ann> in KS who is helping me to learn this new system.

I assume you're running this virtual reality mumble in a
term buffer  i.e. M-x term
--and not M-x shell.
If not, you should change over to M-x term --especially if
the VR app is a full screen application.

    Ann> So I talk to him in one buffer and try to access
    Ann> info and stuff in the other.

    Ann> I am finding that I have got to start keeping
    Ann> records of these commands because I can not
    Ann> remember them.  I also am discovering that using
    Ann> the c-h command isn't as simple as it sounds.  When
    Ann> I press c-h and follow it with say an A, nothing
    Ann> happens, I have to switch buffers in order to read
    Ann> the screen.  Now, this is fine, if you remember

The above is because you're coming at this with a
screenreader mindset --
which is natural and expected, but not really the way to
work with Emacs/Emacspeak.

Turning to teh specific case of C-h a --it runs apropos
--and 
it speaks the prompt 
"Apropos command (regexp)"
--it expects you to specify a pattern to search.
The resulting help is displayed in  a separate buffer as you
realized --but it's also in a separate window on the
screen. 
Hit C-e 1 to read the "other window" -- and use command
other-window to switch to it.

    Ann> how, but what if you don't?
If you don't you learn it.
No point in complaining about having to learn things--
Emacs and Emacspeak have a lot for you learn --it's the
user's choice as to what is worth learning.

    Ann> One nice thing about some DOS programs was that
    Ann> they had a status line at the top or bottom that
    Ann> told you what to do.
Well, this is not DOS, --nor are you using a screenreader.
For the record, emacs does put up a menu bar on the top of
    Ann> your screen--
but again, Emacspeak is not a screenreader --and you dont do
     things by examining portions of the screen.


  Anne>For example, I got into the
    Ann> Info system last night, but found that I could
First learn to use info --it's got a very simple overview
chapter on "how to use info".
it's described in the first screen that comes up when you
hit C-h i 

    Ann> neither exit the buffer nor could I move "up" in
    Ann> the tree of info.  I gould move down, and the links
    Ann> that were spoken in the different moice were *so*
    Ann> helpful, it was phenominal!  But I was lost in
    Ann> space, sor of.  If I could just figure out how to
    Ann> use the help system, I'd be a great deal further
    Ann> along.

    Ann> One other small problem I have is, I'd like to find
    Ann> out how to echo keystrokes as words instead of as
    Ann> letters.
Toggle character echo --C-e d k
>From the online help

emacspeak-toggle-character-echo is an interactive compiled Lisp function in `emacspeak-speak'.
(emacspeak-toggle-character-echo &optional PREFIX)

Toggle state of  Emacspeak  character echo. 
Interactive prefix arg means toggle  the global default value, and then set the
current local  value to the result. 

Note the phrase "interactive prefix arg" --this is something
you will find all through the Emacs documentation to give a
command an "interactive prefix arg" you hit C-u

    Ann> This is where I am, folks, this is a real life
    Ann> saga.  <grin> If it's boring to you programmers, or
    Ann> to you oldies, just skip this whole thread.

    Ann> Ann P.
 






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 Thanks, 
 --Raman

-- 
Best Regards,
--raman

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