tramp inconsistent completion over default directory

tramp inconsistent completion over default directory

[Yuri D'Elia]

Using emacs+tramp from master here.
When I try to open a location using the syntax:

/-:remote:<TAB>

the contents of the home directory on the remote host are shown.
Assuming a "projects/" subdirectory exists, when I try to complete it:

/-:remote:proj<TAB>

I get "no match". But if I type manually the path until the first slash:

/-:remote:projects/<TAB>

everything works from then onwards. So it seems that completion in the
home directory doesn't work as a special case (again, no slash?).

If I explicitly use ~ (/-:remote:~/proj<TAB>) the completion works as
intended.

Re: tramp inconsistent completion over default directory

[Michael Albinus]

Yuri D'Elia <wavexx@thregr.org> writes:

Hi Yuri,

> So it seems that completion in the home directory doesn't work as a
> special case (again, no slash?).

It is intended that Tramp starts with remote file name completion only
if it sees a slash. You could always add a slash if needed, like

/-:remote:./proj<TAB>

Completing an empty remote file name like

/-:remote:<TAB>

was not planned, this must be a side effect I'm not aware of ...

Best regards, Michael.

Re: tramp inconsistent completion over default directory

[Yuri D'Elia]

On Tue, May 22 2018, Michael Albinus wrote:
> It is intended that Tramp starts with remote file name completion only
> if it sees a slash. You could always add a slash if needed, like
>
> /-:remote:./proj<TAB>
>
> Completing an empty remote file name like
>
> /-:remote:<TAB>
>
> was not planned, this must be a side effect I'm not aware of ...

Not only the completion works, but you can open /-:remote: and it will
load the home directory into dired.

Personally I'd love to being able to work without the extra "./" or "~/"
(I find it redundant), but if it's ambiguous for the tramp syntax, then
I'd prevent that to happen for consistency.

Re: tramp inconsistent completion over default directory

[Michael Albinus]

Yuri D'Elia <wavexx@thregr.org> writes:

> Not only the completion works, but you can open /-:remote: and it will
> load the home directory into dired.

For sure. This is another case; which doesn't need completion.

> Personally I'd love to being able to work without the extra "./" or "~/"
> (I find it redundant), but if it's ambiguous for the tramp syntax, then
> I'd prevent that to happen for consistency.

IIRC, we have done this because people have claimed that Tramp starts
completion when not intended yet. Time consuming. So we have decided
that we need a clear indication that the user want's completion. A slash
is such a sign.

(Well, it is a discussion from 10+ years ago. If I would be urged to
find the pointers, it would be real work ...)

Best regards, Michael.

Re: tramp inconsistent completion over default directory

[Yuri D'Elia]

On Tue, May 22 2018, Michael Albinus wrote:
> IIRC, we have done this because people have claimed that Tramp starts
> completion when not intended yet. Time consuming. So we have decided
> that we need a clear indication that the user want's completion. A
> slash is such a sign.

When using multi-hops, perhaps? Although the syntax doesn't seem
ambiguous to me by another cursory look.

Maybe with the old syntax it was possible though.

Re: tramp inconsistent completion over default directory

[Michael Albinus]

Yuri D'Elia <wavexx@thregr.org> writes:

> When using multi-hops, perhaps? Although the syntax doesn't seem
> ambiguous to me by another cursory look.
>
> Maybe with the old syntax it was possible though.

Likely, it was related to the ambigous old syntax, when you didn't know
whether "foo" is a method or a hostname, after typing "/foo:". So it was
unclear, whether "baz" would be a remote file name to be completed,
after typing "/foo:baz<TAB>". An additional slash "/foo:./baz<TAB>" made
it obvious.

I'll check whether I could improve this, now with the changed syntax.

Best regards, Michael.

Re: tramp inconsistent completion over default directory

[Michael Albinus]

Michael Albinus <michael.albinus@gmx.de> writes:

Hi Yuri,

> I'll check whether I could improve this, now with the changed syntax.

Finally, it was a stupid Tramp bug, introduced while rewriting for
changed Tramp syntax. I've pushed a fix to master, could you pls check?

Best regards, Michael.

Re: tramp inconsistent completion over default directory

[Yuri D'Elia]

On Thu, May 24 2018, Michael Albinus wrote:
> Finally, it was a stupid Tramp bug, introduced while rewriting for
> changed Tramp syntax. I've pushed a fix to master, could you pls check?

Works perfectly now, thanks!
This is a great usability improvement.