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From: Ted Zlatanov <tzz@lifelogs.com>
To: emacs-devel@gnu.org
Subject: Re: Emacs completion matches selection UI
Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 16:15:31 -0500	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <877gc5fm30.fsf@flea.lifelogs.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: CAM9Zgm2NZ8DHzgyVEds9sqx59QDR4JKC24mfL_A2vAqdGE3tQg@mail.gmail.com

On Mon, 18 Nov 2013 22:00:33 +0200 Bozhidar Batsov <bozhidar@batsov.com> wrote: 

BB> On 18 November 2013 18:13, Ted Zlatanov <tzz@lifelogs.com> wrote:

>> In "(emacs.info) Completion Commands" there is help for using the
>> rudimentary buffer to select completion matches.  I was struck by how
>> hard to use this was, compared to more recent packages like these:
>> 
>> http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/AutoComplete
>> http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/CompanyMode
>> 
>> Is there any chance the default Emacs appearance for selecting
>> completion matches can be improved (not necessarily by default) for
>> 24.4?  I would help with this but don't know what's "state of the art"
>> and if there's already work in this direction.

BB> Unlike auto-complete-mode, Emacs's default completion system is rock-solid.
BB> :-) auto-complete uses some pretty messed up popup display library that
BB> doesn't play well with many packages. company-mode is much better in this
BB> regard.

(argh, I shouldn't have said "appearance" above, I meant "UI")

I just gave examples, without intending to promote either package. 

BB> I guess I'm so used to the default completion system that I don't see it as
BB> something primitive and hard to work with. That said, it might not be a bad
BB> idea to include a "more modern" completion system in Emacs itself, but I'd
BB> opt for simplicity and reliability over fancy UIs.

The completion system is fine.  The selection of matches is the problem:

1) see a new buffer popup with minimal help text and no highlighting
2) left, right, up, down don't work
3) realize problem, switch to candidates buffer (mouse click or `C-x o')
4) select candidate you want, get popped in original buffer

That's not simple!  It's not intuitive either, forcing me to use the
mouse unless I've read the manual node referenced above.

An alternative UI doesn't have to be fancy or graphical, only allow me
to select from among the candidates immediately, without switching
buffers, using the intuitive keys.  I hope that explains my request better.

Ted




  parent reply	other threads:[~2013-11-18 21:15 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 258+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2013-11-18 16:13 Emacs completion matches selection UI Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-18 20:00 ` Bozhidar Batsov
2013-11-18 20:54   ` Andreas Röhler
2013-11-18 21:15   ` Ted Zlatanov [this message]
2013-11-19  0:43     ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-19  9:52       ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-11-19 13:41         ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-19 14:00           ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-11-19 14:58             ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-19 17:50               ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-19 21:07                 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-20  0:28                   ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-20  1:30                     ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-20  3:22                       ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-20 17:52                         ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-20 19:10                           ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-20 20:00                             ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-20 15:57                     ` Josh
2013-11-21  0:52                       ` Juri Linkov
2013-11-21  3:48                         ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-11-22  0:10                           ` Juri Linkov
2013-11-22  7:36                             ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-11-22 12:33                               ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-25 13:28                                 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-25 15:18                                   ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-16 15:17                                     ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-16 18:35                                       ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-16 22:15                                         ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-17  2:10                                           ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-17 10:49                                             ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-17 18:29                                               ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-17 20:59                                                 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-18  1:58                                                   ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-18  3:09                                                     ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-18  4:47                                                       ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-18 14:43                                                         ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-18 15:51                                                           ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-12-18 16:38                                                             ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-18 17:05                                                               ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-12-18 17:18                                                                 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-18 17:37                                                           ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-18 19:05                                                             ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-18 21:11                                                               ` chad
2013-12-19  3:40                                                                 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-19 15:49                                                                   ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-19 17:30                                                                     ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-19 18:44                                                                       ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-19 21:44                                                                         ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-20  1:15                                                                           ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-20  3:06                                                                             ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-20  3:08                                                                             ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-20 11:49                                                                               ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-20 13:18                                                                                 ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-20 14:59                                                                                   ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-22  1:45                                                                                     ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-22  2:29                                                                                       ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-22 11:07                                                                                         ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-22 16:07                                                                                           ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-22 22:50                                                                                             ` enabling company-capf support in cfengine.el (was: Emacs completion matches selection UI) Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-23  0:17                                                                                               ` enabling company-capf support in cfengine.el Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-23  1:11                                                                                                 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-23  1:32                                                                                                   ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-16 13:12                                                                                                 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-16 16:06                                                                                                   ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-16 17:39                                                                                                     ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-17 13:04                                                                                                       ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-18 14:13                                                                                                         ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-19  2:37                                                                                                           ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-19 16:44                                                                                                             ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-19 20:19                                                                                                               ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-19 20:44                                                                                                                 ` David Engster
2014-01-20  0:13                                                                                                                 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-20  2:14                                                                                                                   ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2014-01-20  2:39                                                                                                                     ` John Yates
2014-01-20  3:22                                                                                                                       ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2014-01-20  7:10                                                                                                                         ` David Kastrup
2014-01-20 14:22                                                                                                                         ` John Yates
2014-01-20 14:55                                                                                                                           ` David Kastrup
2014-01-20 15:09                                                                                                                           ` clang vs free software (was: enabling company-capf support in cfengine.el) Stefan Monnier
2014-01-20 19:47                                                                                                                             ` clang vs free software David Engster
2014-01-21 14:42                                                                                                                               ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-21 15:02                                                                                                                                 ` David Kastrup
2014-01-21 15:20                                                                                                                                 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-22 15:31                                                                                                                                   ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-22 17:24                                                                                                                                     ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-21 15:34                                                                                                                                 ` John Yates
2014-01-21 16:00                                                                                                                                   ` Rüdiger Sonderfeld
2014-01-21 16:25                                                                                                                                     ` joakim
2014-01-21 16:34                                                                                                                                       ` Rüdiger Sonderfeld
2014-01-21 16:38                                                                                                                                         ` joakim
2014-01-21 18:50                                                                                                                                           ` Rüdiger Sonderfeld
2014-01-21 18:00                                                                                                                                         ` Thien-Thi Nguyen
2014-01-21 18:44                                                                                                                                           ` Rüdiger Sonderfeld
2014-01-23 10:55                                                                                                                                   ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-23 11:01                                                                                                                                     ` David Kastrup
2014-01-23 14:26                                                                                                                                       ` Helmut Eller
2014-01-25 23:02                                                                                                                                         ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-25 23:28                                                                                                                                           ` Daniel Colascione
2014-01-26  1:35                                                                                                                                             ` Lennart Borgman
2014-01-26  6:45                                                                                                                                             ` David Kastrup
2014-01-26 12:13                                                                                                                                               ` Daniel Colascione
2014-01-26 12:35                                                                                                                                                 ` Lennart Borgman
2014-01-26 14:45                                                                                                                                                 ` David Kastrup
2014-01-26 20:06                                                                                                                                                 ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-26 20:06                                                                                                                                             ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-26 10:22                                                                                                                                           ` Helmut Eller
2014-01-26 11:12                                                                                                                                             ` David Kastrup
2014-01-26 12:36                                                                                                                                               ` Helmut Eller
2014-01-26 14:54                                                                                                                                                 ` David Kastrup
2014-01-26 20:06                                                                                                                                             ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-26 15:12                                                                                                                                           ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-26 15:15                                                                                                                                             ` Lennart Borgman
2014-01-26 15:35                                                                                                                                               ` David Kastrup
2014-01-26 15:46                                                                                                                                                 ` Lennart Borgman
2014-01-23 16:35                                                                                                                                       ` Rüdiger Sonderfeld
2014-01-23 18:04                                                                                                                                         ` David Engster
2014-01-22  2:06                                                                                                                                 ` unic0rn
2014-01-20 15:57                                                                                                                           ` enabling company-capf support in cfengine.el Stephen J. Turnbull
2014-01-20  3:32                                                                                                                       ` Óscar Fuentes
2014-01-20 13:59                                                                                                                         ` John Yates
2014-01-20 14:30                                                                                                                           ` David Kastrup
2014-01-20 17:01                                                                                                                             ` John Yates
2014-01-20  2:17                                                                                                                   ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-19 16:54                                                                                                             ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-19 20:21                                                                                                               ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-19 23:57                                                                                                                 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-20  2:20                                                                                                                   ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-20  2:33                                                                                                                     ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-20 13:41                                                                                                                       ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-23  1:36                                                                                             ` Emacs completion matches selection UI Stefan Monnier
2013-12-23  2:12                                                                                               ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-23 13:33                                                                                                 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-20  1:19                                                                         ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-20  1:17                                                                     ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-20 14:32                                                                     ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-20 15:54                                                                       ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-21  3:32                                                                         ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-21  4:58                                                                           ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-22  2:05                                                                         ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-22 23:15                                                                           ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-23  1:59                                                                             ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-23 12:28                                                                               ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-23 13:42                                                                                 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-23 14:52                                                                                   ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-30 20:47                                                                                     ` Toby Cubitt
2013-12-31  0:20                                                                                       ` Leo Liu
2013-12-31  7:48                                                                                         ` joakim
2013-12-31 14:30                                                                                       ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-31 15:52                                                                                         ` Toby Cubitt
2013-12-31 17:45                                                                                           ` joakim
2014-01-02 18:54                                                                                             ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-02 18:10                                                                                           ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-03 17:49                                                                                             ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-03 19:36                                                                                               ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-04  0:48                                                                                               ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-04  3:45                                                                                                 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-06  4:47                                                                                                   ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-06 23:38                                                                                                 ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-07  3:57                                                                                                   ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-04  9:21                                                                                               ` João Távora
2014-01-06 23:21                                                                                                 ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-02 20:20                                                                                           ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-02 22:58                                                                                             ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-03  2:40                                                                                               ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-03 14:30                                                                                                 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-03 16:23                                                                                                   ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-03 16:48                                                                                                     ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-03 19:32                                                                                                       ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-03 22:06                                                                                                         ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-04  3:39                                                                                                           ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-06  4:00                                                                                                             ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-03 16:35                                                                                               ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-03 17:46                                                                                                 ` Thierry Volpiatto
2014-01-04  2:39                                                                                               ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-04  3:54                                                                                                 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-05  4:08                                                                                                   ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-05 16:04                                                                                                     ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-06  4:25                                                                                                       ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-06  5:25                                                                                                         ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-06  2:39                                                                                                 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-06  4:03                                                                                                   ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-06  5:35                                                                                                     ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-06  5:55                                                                                                       ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-06 14:47                                                                                                       ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-06 15:54                                                                                                         ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-06 20:53                                                                                                           ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-06 23:45                                                                                                     ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-06  7:36                                                                                                   ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-06 15:51                                                                                                     ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-07  0:17                                                                                                       ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-07  3:32                                                                                                         ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-07 23:23                                                                                                           ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-08  2:58                                                                                                             ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-08  3:38                                                                                                               ` Bob Bobeck
2014-01-08  3:47                                                                                                                 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-08  9:27                                                                                                                 ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-08 15:37                                                                                                                 ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-08  4:49                                                                                                               ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-08 15:33                                                                                                                 ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-08 16:11                                                                                                                   ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-09  7:12                                                                                                               ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-23 13:45                                                                               ` John Yates
2013-12-23 16:02                                                                                 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-24  2:47                                                                                   ` John Yates
2013-12-28 14:02                                                                                     ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-28 16:43                                                                                       ` John Yates
2013-12-30 12:55                                                                                         ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-30 16:32                                                                                           ` João Távora
2014-01-04 23:02                                                                                             ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-05  2:13                                                                                               ` João Távora
2014-01-05 16:11                                                                                                 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-06 23:48                                                                                                   ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-07  3:15                                                                                                     ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-07 16:13                                                                                                       ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-07 17:18                                                                                                       ` João Távora
2014-01-07 18:10                                                                                                         ` Josh
2014-01-07 19:42                                                                                                           ` David Kastrup
2014-01-08  3:54                                                                                                             ` Josh
2014-01-07  3:16                                                                                                     ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-07 16:12                                                                                                       ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-28 15:59                                                                                     ` João Távora
2013-12-28 17:00                                                                                       ` John Yates
2013-12-28 17:40                                                                                         ` Josh
2013-12-19  4:53                                                                 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-19  5:45                                                                   ` chad
2013-12-19  7:03                                                                     ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-19  7:59                                                                       ` Aaron Ecay
2013-12-19 15:29                                                                         ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-19 17:41                                                                       ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-12-19 18:46                                                                         ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-20  0:53                                                                         ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-19  6:23                                                               ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-11-19 16:24             ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-11-21 10:17               ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-11-21 16:30                 ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-11-22  5:38                   ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-11-22 15:19                     ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-11-23 10:03                       ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-11-19 13:48       ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-19 18:03         ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-20  0:10         ` Gregor Zattler
2013-11-20  1:25           ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-20 17:59             ` John Yates
2013-11-19  0:47     ` Juri Linkov
2013-11-19 11:18       ` Tom
2013-11-19 14:00         ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-20  0:45           ` Juri Linkov
2013-11-20  7:34             ` martin rudalics
2013-11-20  7:50               ` Tom
2013-11-21  0:45               ` Juri Linkov
2013-11-21  7:41                 ` martin rudalics
2013-11-22  0:18                   ` Juri Linkov
2013-11-22 10:26                     ` martin rudalics
2013-11-19 19:44       ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-11-20  7:39         ` Eric Abrahamsen
2013-11-19 17:33 ` Sebastian Wiesner
  -- strict thread matches above, loose matches on Subject: below --
2013-12-30 20:35 Barry OReilly
2014-01-01 18:12 ` Stefan Monnier

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