Re: [friedman@splode.com: some other observations on pcomplete]

[Miles Bader <miles@lsi.nec.co.jp>]

John Wiegley <johnw@gnu.org> writes:
> These behaviors are all configurable.  Perhaps we should simple tell
> shell.el to configure pcomplete so that it behaves like Emacs'
> standard (and dumb yet straightforward) completion.

This seems like the wrong answer -- the `cycling' behavior is potentially
very convenient, it's just that the implementation has some rough edges.

For instance, how about if, when in `cycling mode', pcomplete were to
display a note saying how many more completions there are left to cycle
through.  Then you would know that it's cycling, and wouldn't think that
there's only one completion.

It could either display these messages in the minibuffer, or perhaps as
a temporary `tag' following the completed entry like completion in the
minibuffer does, e.g.:

   If the buffer contains (_ is the cursor):

     $ cat /tmp/fo_

   and /tmp contains `foo1' and `foo2', then hitting TAB at eob would display:

     $ cat /tmp/foo1_  [1 more completion]

   at this point, hitting any key except TAB (or just waiting a while
   would result in the message going away, and whatever state pcomplete
   holds for cycling to be reset).  However, hitting TAB before that
   time would cycle to `foo2':

     $ cat /tmp/foo2_  [No more completions]

I think that would be kind of whizzy...  :-,

-Miles
-- 
We live, as we dream -- alone....

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