bug#30206: 27.0.50; Minibuffer completion should not complete internal names

bug#30206: 27.0.50; Minibuffer completion should not complete internal names

[Philipp Stephani]

C-h f abbrev TAB

You'll get completions for internal functions such as abbrev--describe.
By default minibuffer completions shouldn't complete such internal
names, as users aren't supposed to use them directly.


In GNU Emacs 27.0.50 (build 3, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.22.24)
 of 2018-01-22 built on localhost
Repository revision: d0fd9809d7574c67a181225fcc1c59afdbb1295c
Windowing system distributor 'The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.11903000
System Description: Debian GNU/Linux

Recent messages:
For information about GNU Emacs and the GNU system, type C-h C-a.

Configured using:
 'configure --without-threads --enable-gcc-warnings=warn-only
 --enable-gtk-deprecation-warnings --without-pop --with-mailutils
 --enable-checking --enable-check-lisp-object-type --with-modules
 'CFLAGS=-O0 -ggdb3''

Configured features:
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ZLIB TOOLKIT_SCROLL_BARS GTK3 X11 MODULES JSON

Important settings:
  value of $LANG: en_US.UTF-8
  locale-coding-system: utf-8-unix

Major mode: Lisp Interaction

Minor modes in effect:
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Load-path shadows:
None found.

Features:
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Memory information:
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 (symbols 48 20322 1)
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bug#30206: 27.0.50; Minibuffer completion should not complete internal names

[Drew Adams]

> C-h f abbrev TAB
> 
> You'll get completions for internal functions such as abbrev--describe.

Of course.  As well you should.

> By default minibuffer completions shouldn't complete such internal
> names, as users aren't supposed to use them directly.

This is ridiculous, IMHO.  Users are not supposed to use
"internal" functions directly?  Nonsense.

Besides which, "use" is meaningless here.  Completing
a name doesn't imply calling the name as a function or
evaluating it as a variable.  And there is nothing wrong
with doing either of things, anyway.  Would you also
forbid `mapatoms' from using (acting on) "internal" names?

"Minibuffer completions" means multiple things, anyway.

Anyone can use `completing-read' or any other minibuffer
completion function in a way that does not complete
"internal" names, if they want to.

bug#30206: 27.0.50; Minibuffer completion should not complete internal names

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Philipp Stephani <p.stephani2@gmail.com>
> Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2018 11:09:05 +0100
> 
> C-h f abbrev TAB
> 
> You'll get completions for internal functions such as abbrev--describe.
> By default minibuffer completions shouldn't complete such internal
> names, as users aren't supposed to use them directly.

I disagree: "C-h f" is not only for users, it's also for developers.

bug#30206: 27.0.50; Minibuffer completion should not complete internal names

[Lars Ingebrigtsen]

Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

>> From: Philipp Stephani <p.stephani2@gmail.com>
>> Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2018 11:09:05 +0100
>> 
>> C-h f abbrev TAB
>> 
>> You'll get completions for internal functions such as abbrev--describe.
>> By default minibuffer completions shouldn't complete such internal
>> names, as users aren't supposed to use them directly.
>
> I disagree: "C-h f" is not only for users, it's also for developers.

It seemed like everybody who chimed in didn't support the suggestion, so
I'm closing this bug report.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no

bug#30206: 27.0.50; Minibuffer completion should not complete internal names

[Charles A. Roelli]

> From: Philipp Stephani <p.stephani2@gmail.com>
> Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2018 11:09:05 +0100
> 
> C-h f abbrev TAB
> 
> You'll get completions for internal functions such as abbrev--describe.
> By default minibuffer completions shouldn't complete such internal
> names, as users aren't supposed to use them directly.

How do you define "internal functions", and who says users can't use
them?  If that is indeed true, it should be written in big letters
somewhere.

See also Bug#29876, which is about clarifying the "internal function"
idea.