Re: kill-ring visualization

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>]

>> If you use a `substring' style completion, you're already closer (tho
>> it's not a regexp-search).
> Is the below what you mean?

Yes.  Here's my "not for installation" code, FWIW,


        Stefan


--- lisp/simple.el	2010-02-16 14:40:45 +0000
+++ lisp/simple.el	2010-03-24 14:52:19 +0000
@@ -3115,7 +3197,7 @@
 doc string for `insert-for-yank-1', which see."
   (interactive "*p")
   (if (not (eq last-command 'yank))
-      (error "Previous command was not a yank"))
+      (call-interactively 'yank-browse)
   (setq this-command 'yank)
   (unless arg (setq arg 1))
   (let ((inhibit-read-only t)
@@ -3135,7 +3217,7 @@
 	;; loop would deactivate the mark because we inserted text.
 	(goto-char (prog1 (mark t)
 		     (set-marker (mark-marker) (point) (current-buffer))))))
-  nil)
+    nil))
 
 (defun yank (&optional arg)
   "Reinsert (\"paste\") the last stretch of killed text.
@@ -3171,6 +3257,23 @@
       (setq this-command 'yank))
   nil)
 
+(defun yank-browse ()
+  "Browse the `kill-ring' to choose which entry to yank."
+  (interactive)
+  (minibuffer-with-setup-hook
+      (lambda ()
+        (set (make-local-variable 'completion-styles) '(substring))
+        ;; FIXME: use more separation between entries in *Completions*,
+        ;; somehow cleanup the \n in there as well.  Maybe indent the
+        ;; entries a little bit.
+        (minibuffer-completion-help))
+    (let* ((kills (delete-dups (append kill-ring-yank-pointer kill-ring)))
+           (entry (completing-read "Yank: " kills nil t))
+           )
+      (setq this-command 'yank)
+      (insert-for-yank entry))))
+
+
 (defun rotate-yank-pointer (arg)
   "Rotate the yanking point in the kill ring.
 With ARG, rotate that many kills forward (or backward, if negative)."