Function: describe-package

describe-package is an autoloaded, interactive and byte-compiled function defined in package.el.gz.

Signature

(describe-package PACKAGE)

Documentation

Display the full documentation of PACKAGE (a symbol).

View in manual

Probably introduced at or before Emacs version 24.1.

Key Bindings

Source Code

;; Defined in /usr/src/emacs/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el.gz
;;;; Package description buffer.

;;;###autoload
(defun describe-package (package)
  "Display the full documentation of PACKAGE (a symbol)."
  (interactive
   (let* ((guess (or (function-called-at-point)
                     (symbol-at-point))))
     (require 'finder-inf nil t)
     ;; Load the package list if necessary (but don't activate them).
     (unless package--initialized
       (package-initialize t))
     (let ((packages (append (mapcar #'car package-alist)
                             (mapcar #'car package-archive-contents)
                             (mapcar #'car package--builtins))))
       (unless (memq guess packages)
         (setq guess nil))
       (setq packages (mapcar #'symbol-name packages))
       (let ((val
              (completing-read (format-prompt "Describe package" guess)
                               packages nil t nil nil (when guess
                                                        (symbol-name guess)))))
         (list (and (> (length val) 0) (intern val)))))))
  (if (not (or (package-desc-p package) (and package (symbolp package))))
      (message "No package specified")
    (help-setup-xref (list #'describe-package package)
                     (called-interactively-p 'interactive))
    (with-help-window (help-buffer)
      (with-current-buffer standard-output
        (describe-package-1 package)))))