From: Ted Zlatanov <tzz@lifelogs.com>
To: emacs-devel@gnu.org
Subject: Re: Emacs completion matches selection UI
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2013 23:58:06 -0500 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <8738lmg5r5.fsf@flea.lifelogs.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: 87wqiyop4s.fsf@uwakimon.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp
On Sat, 21 Dec 2013 12:32:19 +0900 "Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@xemacs.org> wrote:
SJT> Ted Zlatanov writes:
SM> - what completion operations take place:
SM> - insert a few chars at point
SM> - bring up a list of candidates
SM> - ...
>>
>> I think this should be unified as much as possible into a single
>> operation that takes place in any context, outside of the user's
>> control. IOW this should be the place where Emacs standardizes to only
>> one completion/selection API, possibly through the `completion-*'
>> functions.
SJT> Please explain what you mean by "unify". If you mean
SJT> one-size-fits-all, I think that would be horrible. There are
SJT> completion contexts where I don't want a list at all (dabbrev), and
SJT> others where I really, really do (browser completion of long URLs from
SJT> long histories).
The context will be respected either by being a parameter or being
inferred from the invocation, or both. The idea is to have a single API
call for all contexts, not to make the operation's effect the same in
all contexts.
SJT> If you simply mean there should be one function to invoke the
SJT> completion system, or a small number of such functions, with a "small"
SJT> number of parameters, I agree.
Right, exactly.
SJT> I think this points out the need for a dispatching architecture,
SJT> where the completion function exposed in the API ends up
SJT> dispatching to several handlers: construct the candidate list,
SJT> filter it, prioritize it, optionally present it to the user, and
SJT> optionally edit the target text ("auto-complete" suggests that edit
SJT> will always happen, but it's not always what is desired of a
SJT> completion mechanism -- eg, something I've occasionally wished for
SJT> is a "uniquifying completer", so that I don't accidentally
SJT> duplicate identifiers -- "you can check out but you can never
SJT> leave" until the item is unique in scope :-).
See the company-mode frontend/backend split, for instance. This is a
common design. I don't have a strong opinion about the whole data flow,
I just want to improve the frontend right now, but perhaps these
opportunities will appear if the project takes off.
SM> - how to display the list of candidates:
SM> - in a separate buffer
SM> - at point, via clever overlay tricks
SM> - at point, via a special frame
SM> - at point, via a x-popup-menu
SM> - ...
>>
>> This should probably be customizable, but the default IMO should be
>> different between graphical and text mode, the way that `widget-choose'
>> does it.
SJT> If you architect the system as dispatching handlers to perform certain
SJT> tasks in sequence, you can postpone this decision (and, in fact, most
SJT> of the decisions you are discussing here, prematurely IMHO). It seems
SJT> to me that the custom "selectors" for instancing faces (or whatever
SJT> the "keys" in a defface are called) would be a good choice for
SJT> specifying completion "list display" handlers. Then you can start
SJT> with "one size fits all" with a selector of t and easily
SJT> generalize.
I think postponing these design decisions would not be optimal, but I
understand the temptation and will listen to advice when we get to that
point.
SJT> The only nasty task in this architecture would be if it becomes
SJT> necessary to split a handler into two. However, AFAICT from your
SJT> immediate agreement to the agenda Stefan set here, the three of us
SJT> (you, Stefan, me) agree 100% on what the options involved are, and I
SJT> suspect we could also agree quite quickly on what tasks deserve
SJT> separate handlers (some of the options probably need coordinated
SJT> decisions to avoid screwing each other up, so should not be in
SJT> separate handlers).
I still need a clear agreement from Stefan before proceeding. Then I
will try to get a team together and work outside of the normal Emacs
commit flow so we can iterate quickly.
SJT> That's only 3 people, but I think it's good evidence that agreement
SJT> is going to be widespread, given how disparate our opinions have
SJT> been on everything else in this thread.
Discussions of UI improvements are one of the rare occasions where
everyone has at least one strong opinion. I think this one has been
quite smooth, I've only thrown one keyboard out the window and AFAIK
I'm not yet in Stefan's killfile ;)
Ted
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2013-12-21 4:58 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 258+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2013-11-18 16:13 Emacs completion matches selection UI Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-18 20:00 ` Bozhidar Batsov
2013-11-18 20:54 ` Andreas Röhler
2013-11-18 21:15 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-19 0:43 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-19 9:52 ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-11-19 13:41 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-19 14:00 ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-11-19 14:58 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-19 17:50 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-19 21:07 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-20 0:28 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-20 1:30 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-20 3:22 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-20 17:52 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-20 19:10 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-20 20:00 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-20 15:57 ` Josh
2013-11-21 0:52 ` Juri Linkov
2013-11-21 3:48 ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-11-22 0:10 ` Juri Linkov
2013-11-22 7:36 ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-11-22 12:33 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-25 13:28 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-25 15:18 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-16 15:17 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-16 18:35 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-16 22:15 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-17 2:10 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-17 10:49 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-17 18:29 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-17 20:59 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-18 1:58 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-18 3:09 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-18 4:47 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-18 14:43 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-18 15:51 ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-12-18 16:38 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-18 17:05 ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-12-18 17:18 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-18 17:37 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-18 19:05 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-18 21:11 ` chad
2013-12-19 3:40 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-19 15:49 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-19 17:30 ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-19 18:44 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-19 21:44 ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-20 1:15 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-20 3:06 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-20 3:08 ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-20 11:49 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-20 13:18 ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-20 14:59 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-22 1:45 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-22 2:29 ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-22 11:07 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-22 16:07 ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-22 22:50 ` enabling company-capf support in cfengine.el (was: Emacs completion matches selection UI) Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-23 0:17 ` enabling company-capf support in cfengine.el Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-23 1:11 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-23 1:32 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-16 13:12 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-16 16:06 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-16 17:39 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-17 13:04 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-18 14:13 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-19 2:37 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-19 16:44 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-19 20:19 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-19 20:44 ` David Engster
2014-01-20 0:13 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-20 2:14 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2014-01-20 2:39 ` John Yates
2014-01-20 3:22 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2014-01-20 7:10 ` David Kastrup
2014-01-20 14:22 ` John Yates
2014-01-20 14:55 ` David Kastrup
2014-01-20 15:09 ` clang vs free software (was: enabling company-capf support in cfengine.el) Stefan Monnier
2014-01-20 19:47 ` clang vs free software David Engster
2014-01-21 14:42 ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-21 15:02 ` David Kastrup
2014-01-21 15:20 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-22 15:31 ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-22 17:24 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-21 15:34 ` John Yates
2014-01-21 16:00 ` Rüdiger Sonderfeld
2014-01-21 16:25 ` joakim
2014-01-21 16:34 ` Rüdiger Sonderfeld
2014-01-21 16:38 ` joakim
2014-01-21 18:50 ` Rüdiger Sonderfeld
2014-01-21 18:00 ` Thien-Thi Nguyen
2014-01-21 18:44 ` Rüdiger Sonderfeld
2014-01-23 10:55 ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-23 11:01 ` David Kastrup
2014-01-23 14:26 ` Helmut Eller
2014-01-25 23:02 ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-25 23:28 ` Daniel Colascione
2014-01-26 1:35 ` Lennart Borgman
2014-01-26 6:45 ` David Kastrup
2014-01-26 12:13 ` Daniel Colascione
2014-01-26 12:35 ` Lennart Borgman
2014-01-26 14:45 ` David Kastrup
2014-01-26 20:06 ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-26 20:06 ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-26 10:22 ` Helmut Eller
2014-01-26 11:12 ` David Kastrup
2014-01-26 12:36 ` Helmut Eller
2014-01-26 14:54 ` David Kastrup
2014-01-26 20:06 ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-26 15:12 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-26 15:15 ` Lennart Borgman
2014-01-26 15:35 ` David Kastrup
2014-01-26 15:46 ` Lennart Borgman
2014-01-23 16:35 ` Rüdiger Sonderfeld
2014-01-23 18:04 ` David Engster
2014-01-22 2:06 ` unic0rn
2014-01-20 15:57 ` enabling company-capf support in cfengine.el Stephen J. Turnbull
2014-01-20 3:32 ` Óscar Fuentes
2014-01-20 13:59 ` John Yates
2014-01-20 14:30 ` David Kastrup
2014-01-20 17:01 ` John Yates
2014-01-20 2:17 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-19 16:54 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-19 20:21 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-19 23:57 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-20 2:20 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-20 2:33 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-20 13:41 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-23 1:36 ` Emacs completion matches selection UI Stefan Monnier
2013-12-23 2:12 ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-23 13:33 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-20 1:19 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-20 1:17 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-20 14:32 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-20 15:54 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-21 3:32 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-21 4:58 ` Ted Zlatanov [this message]
2013-12-22 2:05 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-22 23:15 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-23 1:59 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-23 12:28 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-23 13:42 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-23 14:52 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-30 20:47 ` Toby Cubitt
2013-12-31 0:20 ` Leo Liu
2013-12-31 7:48 ` joakim
2013-12-31 14:30 ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-31 15:52 ` Toby Cubitt
2013-12-31 17:45 ` joakim
2014-01-02 18:54 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-02 18:10 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-03 17:49 ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-03 19:36 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-04 0:48 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-04 3:45 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-06 4:47 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-06 23:38 ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-07 3:57 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-04 9:21 ` João Távora
2014-01-06 23:21 ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-02 20:20 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-02 22:58 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-03 2:40 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-03 14:30 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-03 16:23 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-03 16:48 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-03 19:32 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-03 22:06 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-04 3:39 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-06 4:00 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-03 16:35 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-03 17:46 ` Thierry Volpiatto
2014-01-04 2:39 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-04 3:54 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-05 4:08 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-05 16:04 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-06 4:25 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-06 5:25 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-06 2:39 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-06 4:03 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-06 5:35 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-06 5:55 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-06 14:47 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-06 15:54 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-06 20:53 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-06 23:45 ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-06 7:36 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-06 15:51 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-07 0:17 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-07 3:32 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-07 23:23 ` Dmitry Gutov
2014-01-08 2:58 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-08 3:38 ` Bob Bobeck
2014-01-08 3:47 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-08 9:27 ` Richard Stallman
2014-01-08 15:37 ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-08 4:49 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-08 15:33 ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-08 16:11 ` Toby Cubitt
2014-01-09 7:12 ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-12-23 13:45 ` John Yates
2013-12-23 16:02 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-24 2:47 ` John Yates
2013-12-28 14:02 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-28 16:43 ` John Yates
2013-12-30 12:55 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-12-30 16:32 ` João Távora
2014-01-04 23:02 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-05 2:13 ` João Távora
2014-01-05 16:11 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-06 23:48 ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-07 3:15 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-07 16:13 ` Ted Zlatanov
2014-01-07 17:18 ` João Távora
2014-01-07 18:10 ` Josh
2014-01-07 19:42 ` David Kastrup
2014-01-08 3:54 ` Josh
2014-01-07 3:16 ` Stefan Monnier
2014-01-07 16:12 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-28 15:59 ` João Távora
2013-12-28 17:00 ` John Yates
2013-12-28 17:40 ` Josh
2013-12-19 4:53 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-19 5:45 ` chad
2013-12-19 7:03 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-19 7:59 ` Aaron Ecay
2013-12-19 15:29 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-19 17:41 ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-12-19 18:46 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-12-20 0:53 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-12-19 6:23 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-11-19 16:24 ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-11-21 10:17 ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-11-21 16:30 ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-11-22 5:38 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-11-22 15:19 ` Eli Zaretskii
2013-11-23 10:03 ` Stephen J. Turnbull
2013-11-19 13:48 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-19 18:03 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-20 0:10 ` Gregor Zattler
2013-11-20 1:25 ` Ted Zlatanov
2013-11-20 17:59 ` John Yates
2013-11-19 0:47 ` Juri Linkov
2013-11-19 11:18 ` Tom
2013-11-19 14:00 ` Stefan Monnier
2013-11-20 0:45 ` Juri Linkov
2013-11-20 7:34 ` martin rudalics
2013-11-20 7:50 ` Tom
2013-11-21 0:45 ` Juri Linkov
2013-11-21 7:41 ` martin rudalics
2013-11-22 0:18 ` Juri Linkov
2013-11-22 10:26 ` martin rudalics
2013-11-19 19:44 ` Dmitry Gutov
2013-11-20 7:39 ` Eric Abrahamsen
2013-11-19 17:33 ` Sebastian Wiesner
-- strict thread matches above, loose matches on Subject: below --
2013-12-30 20:35 Barry OReilly
2014-01-01 18:12 ` Stefan Monnier
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