Re: Order of eshell/pcomplete completions when cycling

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

> As far as I can tell, I don't see any difference to before, i.e., all
> pcomplete/<command> functions are still considered, and also the order
> when cycling completions is now test/, test1/, test11/, test2/ so my
> value of `eshell-cmpl-compare-entry-function' seems to take effect.

Yes, it still uses the pcomplete machinery, but the UI is implemented by
the generic completion code.

> It seems I can also remove the this-command workaround for bug#13293
> without any negative effect.  (But I didn't test too hard.)

Yes, there's some clean that could take place.
But first we have to address things like the M-? and backtab bindings
which currently are bound to pcomplete-list and pcomplete-reverse (or
something like that) and would need to be changed to a corresponding
command in minibuffer.el.

If someone's interested, here's a kind of "todo" list in this regard, in
the form of a patch with FIXMEs.


        Stefan


diff --git a/lisp/pcomplete.el b/lisp/pcomplete.el
index 7bcf2c1..7ec73aa 100644
--- a/lisp/pcomplete.el
+++ b/lisp/pcomplete.el
@@ -477,6 +477,7 @@ Same as `pcomplete' but using the standard completion UI."
   "Support extensible programmable completion.
 To use this function, just bind the TAB key to it, or add it to your
 completion functions list (it should occur fairly early in the list)."
+  (declare (obsolete completion-at-point "25.1"))
   (interactive "p")
   (if (and interactively
 	   pcomplete-cycle-completions
@@ -519,6 +520,7 @@ completion functions list (it should occur fairly early in the list)."
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun pcomplete-reverse ()
   "If cycling completion is in use, cycle backwards."
+  (declare (obsolete ?? "25.1"))        ;FIXME!
   (interactive)
   (call-interactively 'pcomplete))
 
@@ -527,12 +529,15 @@ completion functions list (it should occur fairly early in the list)."
   "Expand the textual value of the current argument.
 This will modify the current buffer."
   (interactive)
+  ;; FIXME: Either make obsolete or make it use completion-at-point.
   (let ((pcomplete-expand-before-complete t))
     (pcomplete)))
 
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun pcomplete-continue ()
   "Complete without reference to any cycling completions."
+  ;; It doesn't seem to be used, so it's OK if we don't have a substitute.
+  (declare (obsolete nil "25.1"))
   (interactive)
   (setq pcomplete-current-completions nil
 	pcomplete-last-completion-raw nil)
@@ -560,6 +565,7 @@ This will modify the current buffer."
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun pcomplete-help ()
   "Display any help information relative to the current argument."
+  (declare (obsolete ?? "25.1"))        ;FIXME!
   (interactive)
   (let ((pcomplete-show-help t))
     (pcomplete)))
@@ -567,6 +573,7 @@ This will modify the current buffer."
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun pcomplete-list ()
   "Show the list of possible completions for the current argument."
+  (declare (obsolete completion-help-at-point "25.1"))
   (interactive)
   (when (and pcomplete-cycle-completions
 	     pcomplete-current-completions