Re: Stepping Back: A Wealth Of Completion systems Re: [ELPA] New package: vertico

[Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support>]

* Gregory Heytings <gregory@heytings.org> [2021-04-07 15:10]:
> > I have the feeling all these completion systems are encouraging
> > confusion around how to use completing-read. That is the 0th point that
> > is missing here: Are you completing (expanding text) or selecting
> > (narrowing options).
> > 
> 
> I've been thinking about this, and I'm not sure I understand what the real
> difference between "completing" and "selecting" is.  Do I understand
> correctly that the difference is between, for example, expanding command
> names (completing), and choosing an emoji in a list (selecting)?

It is comselecting. It is now with new completion packages completing
and selecting in the same time. It started with completing and it
evolved into selecting. Emacs is peculiar, we need to find new words.

Let me mention that I heavily use completion usually for more than
20000 items, sometimes 50000 or more, all candidates are imported from
a PostgreSQL database. I mention this that you keep it in mind while
developing packages.

And I often use lines with ID numbers, as that way I can easier use
completions which are not Helm. Helm allows me to complete with
candidate ABC which yields with ID number 123. But if I have a simple
list, I use it this way:

(rcd-completing-read-sql-hash "Choice: " "SELECT notes_id, notes_name
FROM notes" *cf*)

Which is using standard completing read and constructs candidates
like:

Possible completions are:
 * The large majority of the CU members will be Brazilian  [19252]
 1. You would not be able to advertise, however, you  [20225]
 3. generally take within 24hrs [20226]

Then when a string is selected, the ID is obtained from within
brackets.

I hope this not to interrupt with new developments.

> > It might therefore be necessary to actually implement a "selecting-read"
> > function, that could be used more or less like completing-read, but that
> > provides a better default UI not based around completing text but
> > actually selecting objects/items.

It maybe possible to improve tabulated-list-mode so that it may be
used for selection of items.

-- 
Jean

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