Re: Completions and history

[Ergus <spacibba@aol.com>]

On Tue, Apr 12, 2022 at 08:12:02PM +0300, Juri Linkov wrote:
>>> One problem is that completions are sorted alphabetically that
>>> makes no sense for history items which are sorted chronologically.
>>> So the first thing to do would be to add sorting keys in Completions
>>> that will allow switching the order between alphabetical and unsorted
>>> (history items are in chronological order, so unsorted should keep it)
>>> that will change the value of 'completions-sort'.
>>
>> A comment about this... completion-at-point-functions accept a list with
>> a format (START END COLLECTION . PROPS)
>>
>> The PROPS can be any :completion-extra-properties plus predicate and
>> exclusive.. maybe the way to do this is to add a property :sort or
>> similar... Then on the other side we use that property to select the
>> sorting method... Does it makes sense?
>
>It already works fine with:
>
>```
>(defun minibuffer-complete-history ()
>  "Complete the minibuffer history as far as possible.
>Like `minibuffer-complete' but completes on the history items
>instead of the default completion table."
>  (interactive)
>  (let ((completions-sort nil))
>    (completion-in-region (minibuffer--completion-prompt-end) (point-max)
>                          (symbol-value minibuffer-history-variable)
>                          nil)))
>
>(define-key minibuffer-local-map [C-tab] 'minibuffer-complete-history)
>```
>
>So the only question is whether this should have a new defcustom?
>Maybe 'minibuffer-complete-history-sort'?
>
>>> Another question: should duplicate history items be retained
>>> in the Completions window when history-delete-duplicates is nil?
>>
>> In principle yes... unless you add another custom for that... But the
>> first is the important part.. to have the history list in order...
>
>Another defcustom?  Maybe 'minibuffer-complete-history-delete-duplicates'?

Hi Juri, somehow this does not work for me completely fine (at least not
as I was expecting)...

  I mean, then we TAB the completion is updated but with normal, not
history completions... I would expect that C-tab (or any key) somehow
toggle the completions to a history list... so when using history to
complete they persist until I toggle them back to normal
completion....

Is that too much to request?? If so, then I will try to be used to this
one, but somehow I feel it a bit confusing.