Re: Inactive Minibuffer Requires Redisplay for Input Methods

[Kenichi Handa <handa@m17n.org>]

In article <m2k7hijihz.fsf@owlbear.local>, Andrew Choi <akochoi@shaw.ca> writes:

> Certain Quail input methods display a list of word choices in an
> /inactive/ minibuffer for the user to select by typing 0 to 9.  The
> change below in xdisp.c (redisplay_window) prevents this minibuffer from
> being displayed.

> To see a manifestation of the problem, switch to the input method
> chinese-ctlaub, for example, and type `ngoh'.  Before the change, a list
> of choices labeled by their respective numbers are displayed in the
> minibuffer.  After the change they don't appear.

> -----
> 2002-12-22  Richard M. Stallman  <rms@gnu.org>

> 	* xdisp.c (try_cursor_movement): Don't call try_window here.
> 	(redisplay_window): Never redisplay minibuffer when inactive.

The reason why Quail does that is that the text must be shown
with some face.  Previously, we couldn't use `message' for
that.   But, now we can do something like this:
  (message (propertize "hello" 'face 'highlight))
So, if requested, I can make quail to use `message' instead
of minibuffer.  Actually, that change will make the code
simpler.  The only drawback I can think of now is that it
consumes *Messages* buffer too much.

---
Ken'ichi HANDA
handa@m17n.org