Hyperbole 2: Buttons
Today we are going to be looking at "Buttons" in the package Hyperbole by Bob Weiner:
www.gnu.org/software/hyperbole
Hyperbole offers the wonderful ability to create buttons in any buffer or in files of any kind that allow you to quickly navigate to places or execute actions.
THIS IS A BUTTON: "~/Pictures/" THE BUTTON IS A METAPHOR
It's a button because when you click on it, you launch something. LIKE A ROCKET
There are two main types of buttons: Implicit, Explicit
Implicit and Explicit buttons can also be used "globally" in which case they are called "Global Buttons". Such buttons are located this file:
"home/red.hyperb/HYPB"
OR,
{C-h h b p} - Navigates to your personal button file of global buttons
Global Buttons can be accessed from anywhere in Emacs, not only from a particular file or buffer.
wf
Implicit Buttons
"Implicit buttons are text patterns recognized by context."
Examples of URL implicit buttons:
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe5excZqMeG1CIW-YhMTCEQ" simple
Copy to scratch
<[Google Calendar]> "https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/r:" a button with a name
Name the implicit button below
With point on an implicit button, {C-h h i l} will label/name it.
<[hyperbole-man]> https://www.gnu.org/software/hyperbole/man/hyperbole.html
"https://www.gnu.org/software/hyperbole/man/hyperbole.html#Buttons"
One can use # hash to mark sections – works with markdown/org files as well
Examples of file path implicit buttons:
"~/files/people.org:3:5" go to a line in a file
#section links can also precede the :line:col numbers
hyperbole understands relative paths
"hyrolo.el"
"${HOME}\files"
"${data-directory}\NEWS"
Any variable that exists in your Emacs or Shell environment will work there as well.
Examples of key series:
One can construct a series of keys, as one normally does in Emacs to create a "key series"
{C-x b scratch RET} simple
<org-roam-find-file "emacs">
<[Customize UI]>: {M-x customize-group RET RET}
The Action Key activates any highlighted Emacs pushbuttons like those in the Customization buffer as well.
{M-x hyperbole-web-search RET Google RET}
Note: Key series buttons are not limited to single key bindings; some are more like keyboard macros that do a series of things:
{C-x 1 C-h i d m hyperbole RET s Smart Keys RET C-x 2 C-h h d d}
<[Bookmarks]>: {C-x x e}
Email buttons
<[Email FSF]>: <info@fsf.org> email
<action buttons> - These turn Emacs function calls, or variables, into buttons
They are a generalised type of Implicit buttons
<abbrev-file-name> value of a variable <menu-bar-mode 1> <menu-bar-mode 0> <tool-bar-mode 1> <tool-bar-mode 0> <diary> <diary 2> <hanoi 3>
I use Emacs diary to organise my schedule. I can add links to files, emails, etc. for record keeping purposes.
Go to one's github repository and even to a commit – special features built in for git users
<[My Github Page]>: github@revrari
Explicit Buttons
Explicit and implicit buttons use the same set of action types, so they can do similar things but you have great control of what you want to do with explicit buttons whereas the context of an implicit button, including its own text, determines what action it will perform.
When you are not creating single line buttons, you can create Explicit Buttons which embed in the text. They are better to look at than "Implicit Buttons".
They can be created using the interactive Menu {C-h h e c}
<(NEW Notes File)>
"~/files/notes.txt:1"
<(Gmail)>
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox
Show metadata by invoking {C-h A}
They also provide greater control for creating links to specific places:
c:/rari/files/test-headings.org
Create an explicit button here: {C-h h e c}
—>
This one cannot do in orgmode because to jump to a heading like this in an orgmode file one would need to be in an org file, whereas with Hyperbole, it does not matter what kind of file one is in.
Org users may argue that there is org-minor-mode which allows you to use org links/buttons outside of Org mode. But you have to follow Org's link syntax which lacks the visual flexibility that Hyperbole has to blend your buttons into text naturally. Plus, it is not a global minor mode so it is not automatically enabled everywhere, so you can't just activate buttons wherever you like.
Also, links in orgmode are not easy to do, but with Hyperbole, they are made with ease. The great thing is that the file need not even be an orgmode file.
I create links now in ALL my files!
Create a central location from where you do everything
When you realise the power of implicit and explicit buttons you are led to the creation of a hub. A hub is a place from where you can launch all your activity.
- Navigate your files
- Browse the web
- Execute actions
Let me open up my button file where I have both implicit and explicit buttons.
{C-h h b p}, to open up personal global button file
Any explicit or named implicit buttons in this file automatically become global buttons, activated by name.
All the buttons in this file can in addition be accessed globally from anywhere in Emacs
{C-h h g a}