What is the keybind in help-mode to go into link?

Question

There are always links in help-mode which suppose to be entered by the <return> button. Since I remapped the <return> button to indent-and-new-line, I can no longer enter the link. I would like to find the correct key map for the enter button.

Help mode defined in `help-mode.el' (`help-mode'):
Major mode for viewing help text and navigating references in it.
Entry to this mode runs the normal hook `help-mode-hook'.
Commands:
key             binding
---             -------

C-c             Prefix Command
TAB             forward-button
  (that binding is currently shadowed by another mode)
RET             help-follow
  (that binding is currently shadowed by another mode)
ESC             Prefix Command
SPC             scroll-up-command

I get this help from the describe mode. I tried the help-follow but it does not work. What should be the correct key bind?

Answer 1

By default RET runs push-button when on a link in help-mode. You should also be able to click on links with your primary mouse button if you like using the rodent. This function is not bound to any other keys out of the box.

I'm not sure how you're rebinding RET, but it probably makes sense to do it a bit more selectively. indent-and-new-line might make sense in most modes, but as you have discovered there are situations where you may want the default behaviour.

Perhaps you could do this via prog-mode-hook, so it only affects programming modes?

Alternatively you could bind some other key to push-button in help-mode.

By the way, here is a useful technique that would have let you discover this keybinding yourself:

1. Run Emacs with the -Q flag to suppress loading of your init file and the system init file.
2. Activate a buffer that uses help-mode, e.g. by using C-h f message RET to see the documentation for the message function and then C-x o to switch to the help window.
3. Press C-h k RET to see what function is bound to RET.