Re: org-insert-link completion by description (Re: what is the purpose of "This link has already been stored"?)

[Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@posteo.net>]

Samuel Wales <samologist@gmail.com> writes:

>> -UUU:**--F1  *Org Links*    Top L1     (Fundamental)
>
> this buffer contains nothing useful and shortens the above buffer.

This is fine. I assume that you can simply hide it away using
`display-buffer-alist'.

> ---------------
>> http:                      https:
>> id:                        id:e69336ca-ca50-4535-9bad-63a31e030f31
>> info:                      irc:
>> mailto:                    mhe:
>> news:                      rmail:
>> shell:                     title
>> w3m:
>
> these prefixes like http: i do not understand thier use.  i want
> descriptions of headings.  the id link is not one.

Org shows link prefixes, stored links, and link description in the
completion. The relevant code in `org-insert-link' is:

(org-completing-read
		   "Link: "
		   (append
		    (mapcar (lambda (x) (concat x ":")) all-prefixes)
		    (mapcar #'car org-stored-links)
                    ;; Allow description completion.  Avoid "nil" option
                    ;; in the case of `completing-read-default' and
                    ;; an error in `ido-completing-read' when some links
                    ;; have no description.
                    (delq nil (mapcar 'cadr org-stored-links)))
		   nil nil nil
		   'org-link--history
		   (caar org-stored-links))

>> Notice that "title" is present among the completion options.
>
> title does not show in my case and nots ure the signiricance.  i use
> large fonts.  that might or might nto be relevant.

Completing descriptions feature has been added by Max 10 months ago - it
is a fairly recent addition:

0432f4fe6ba9b07c17ac555beab1527d8f844234
Author:     Max Nikulin <manikulin@gmail.com>
ol.el: Restore complete by description for insert link

* lisp/ol.el (org-insert-link): Allow completion of link target by its
description.  Almost certainly the feature was removed unintentionally.

This commit is a part of Org 9.6.
May it be that you are using older Org version?

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
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