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

[Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com>]

> > 1. Wrt "marking" files for some action:
> >
> > Icicles calls this "saving" instead of
> > "marking" a completion candidate.
> > ...
> 
> This is similar to what I had in mind, yes.
> Even better - you can maintain multiple "marked sets".

Yes.  And "maintaining" and creating can
involve using different set operations
(interactively, during completion).

https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/Icicles_-_Candidate_Sets#SetOperations

By default, candidates are saved to, and
retrieved from, variable
`icicle-saved-completion-candidates'.  You
can use other variables (a prefix arg to
a saving or retrieving command prompts you
for the var).

Why is it important to be able to have
multiple saved sets of candidates?  You
can go to the trouble of creating a saved
set of candidates just once (however you
want, whether with Icicles interactively -
matching, filtering, selecting - or by
editing a list, or by program), then reuse
that set any time later.

You can also save a candidate set to a
file, persisting it so you can retrieve it
in other Emacs sessions.

> Visual highlighting of the "marked"/"saved"
> candidates is also a very good idea.

It's essential, especially if you want to
interactively UNmark (for saving) some of
currently marked candidates at some point.

> > 5. You can mark file names in Dired and
> > create, or add to, "saved" sets of names
> > for subsequent use in file-completion
> > commands (retrieve sets as candidates).
> 
> This is also an interesting idea, thanks!

Works also for other Dired-like buffers,
such as those from commands such as
`find-name-dired' or `find-grep-dired'.
You can use such a command as a starting
point, mark some of the found files, then
save those marked as a candidate set.

> I think that `dired-dwim-target-directory'
> is doing something similar

That just gives you a different directory
for use with commands in Dired.  It has
nothing to do with marking/selecting files
for use later as completion candidates.