Helpful is an alternative to the built-in Emacs help that provides much more contextual information.

Install from MELPA, then call one of the following commands:

• helpful-callable
• helpful-function
• helpful-macro
• helpful-command
• helpful-key
• helpful-variable
• helpful-at-point

If you want to replace the default Emacs help keybindings, you can do so:

;; Note that the built-in `describe-function' includes both functions
;; and macros. `helpful-function' is functions only, so we provide
;; `helpful-callable' as a drop-in replacement.
(global-set-key (kbd "C-h f") #'helpful-callable)

(global-set-key (kbd "C-h v") #'helpful-variable)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-h k") #'helpful-key)

I also recommend you configure helpful-at-point to a convenient keybinding:

(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-.") #'helpful-at-point)

Helpful will try really hard to show the source code. It shows the source code for interactively defined functions (unlike the built-in Help) and falls back to the raw sexp if no source is available.

Helpful will show you where a function is being called!

Docstrings in helpful:

• Highlight the summary (the first sentence)
• Include cross-references
• Hide superfluous punctuation

If a symbol is also documented in the Info manual, helpful will provide a link to the relevant section too.

Helpful will show you the properties that have been applied to the current symbol. This provides visibility of features like edebug or byte-code optimisation.

Helpful provides a separate helpful-command function, for when you just want to view interactive functions.

Helpful displays any keybindings that apply to interactive functions.

You can trace, debug (coming soon) or disassemble functions from inside Helpful. This is discoverable and doesn't require memorisation of commands.

This project has been heavily influenced by:

• help+.el, help-fns+.el, help-mode+.el
• Dave Williams' demo of Lucid's Energize