nushell/nushell

Idea: `help about` subcommand

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#9,109 opened on May 5, 2023

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 (8 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)Rust (39,478 stars) (2,129 forks)batch import
A:help-systemA:std-librarycategory:documentationcategory:enhancementgood first issue

Description

Related problem

Current Nu help doesn't have any explanation for core concepts you need to know to work with Nu: the various quotes for string literals, pipelines. These are explained in the book, but are not available at a command prompt.

Describe the solution you'd like

A help about subcommand with articles about general language concepts or syntax that aren't specific to one command or module. These articles should be discoverable through help --find, like other types of help content.

Describe alternatives you've considered

No response

Additional context and details

Based on Powershell, which has a series of about_* articles. Hopefully, Nu's equivalent would be a bit less pedantic and verbose.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
rust
Domain
clidocumentation
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Rust programmingNushell internalsHelp command structure
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
45
Research direction
Examine the existing help command implementation in the Nushell codebase, particularly the `help` subcommand handling in `crates/nu cli/src/commands/help.rs`. Look at how other help subcommands like `help commands` are structured. The new 'about' subcommand should define a set of articles on core concepts such as quotes and pipelines. The implementation may involve adding a new variant to an enum and providing markdown content. Also review the ` find` flag integration to ensure discoverability. No linked PRs or assignees exist, so the issue is available.
Idea: `help about` subcommand · nushell/nushell#9109 | Good First Issue