Re: Q: Is there a built-in way to read multiple file names?

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> From: Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@posteo.net>
> Cc: mardani29@yahoo.es, emacs-devel@gnu.org
> Date: Sun, 07 Jul 2024 17:47:56 +0000
> 
> Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:
> 
> > We have Ibuffer and Dired (and other similar features), which
> > functions that return lists of marked entities.  That is what needs
> > to be used for multiple selections, not some loop over read-file-name
> > and its ilk.
> 
> My concern about dired and similar is that it is not possible to exit
> them and go back to the original place as easily as C-g in the
> completion prompt. Interactive narrowing is also not as easy as in the
> completion.

I didn't mean Dired as use it for browsing a directory.  I meant a UI
for selecting multiple files that reuses Dired, and lets users exit it
with "C-c C-c" or somesuch.

IOW, my intent was to point out the features to generalize and extend
in order to have what you want.  (For buffers, I think Ibuffer already
offers an almost complete solution.)

> >> I wish that *completions* buffer allowed selecting multiple candidates
> >> at once when using `completing-read-multiple' or similar commands.
> >
> > I think completion is the wrong framework for this purpose, because
> > the user might want to select files/buffers/whatever whose names don't
> > share anything in common.
> 
> IMHO, helm proves that completion framework can be used for very quick
> selection. It does it via:
> 
> 1. The notion of "current" candidate from the list that can be navigated
>    right from the minibuffer (like next/previous-completion in the
>    *completions*)
> 2. minibuffer command to mark/unmark candidates quickly
> 3. ability to retain marked candidates even the prompt input changes
> 
> I find it quick and convenient to use, despite being a completion
> framework.
> 
> I also do not see why the same cannot be done based on the basis of
> completion-list-mode.

The display parts might be suitable for selection, but the entire
completion machinery behind this makes absolutely no sense for the
purpose of selection based on attributes that are not names or
collection of strings.