bug#17782: 24.3; package.el: searches don't see elided chars of package name

bug#17782: 24.3; package.el: searches don't see elided chars of package name

[Samuel Bronson]

When I search within the *Packages* buffer, my searches can't match on
parts of the package name that got elided to fit into the column width.

Couldn't this be remedied by displaying the ellipsis using an overlay,
rather than actually including it in the buffer text?

It would also be nice if there was some way to customize the column
widths.

(Also, when the user hovers the mouse over a truncated field in a
columnview, it's traditional to display the un-truncated text in a
"tooltip" that appears exactly on top of the truncated text, at least
when that's possible without the tooltip going past the edge of the
screen.  I'm not sure if an actual Emacs tooltip would be the best way
to do it though.  May not be worth bothering with, though, since it
sounds like an awful lot of work to do properly ...)

(One other thing that tends to bug me: when isearch scrolls my window
to the right because it matched something in a long summary, the next
match doesn't reverse this, and I *CANNOT SEE THE PACKAGE NAMES*.)

In GNU Emacs 24.3.1 (i486-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw3d scroll bars)
 of 2014-05-16 on babin, modified by Debian
Windowing system distributor `Colin Harrison', version 11.0.60900031
System Description:	Debian GNU/Linux testing (jessie)

Configured using:
 `configure '--build' 'i486-linux-gnu' '--build' 'i486-linux-gnu'
 '--prefix=/usr' '--sharedstatedir=/var/lib' '--libexecdir=/usr/lib'
 '--localstatedir=/var/lib' '--infodir=/usr/share/info'
 '--mandir=/usr/share/man' '--with-pop=yes'
 '--enable-locallisppath=/etc/emacs24:/etc/emacs:/usr/local/share/emacs/24.3/site-lisp:/usr/local/share/emacs/site-lisp:/usr/share/emacs/24.3/site-lisp:/usr/share/emacs/site-lisp'
 '--with-crt-dir=/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu' '--with-x=yes'
 '--with-x-toolkit=lucid' '--with-toolkit-scroll-bars' '--without-gconf'
 '--without-gsettings' 'build_alias=i486-linux-gnu' 'CFLAGS=-g -O2
 -fstack-protector --param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -Wformat
 -Werror=format-security -Wall' 'LDFLAGS=-Wl,-z,relro'
 'CPPFLAGS=-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2''

Important settings:
  value of $LC_COLLATE: C
  value of $LANG: en_US.UTF-8
  locale-coding-system: utf-8-unix
  default enable-multibyte-characters: t

Major mode: Package Menu

Minor modes in effect:
  shell-dirtrack-mode: t
  diff-auto-refine-mode: t
  xterm-mouse-mode: t
  show-paren-mode: t
  recentf-mode: t
  tooltip-mode: t
  mouse-wheel-mode: t
  tool-bar-mode: t
  menu-bar-mode: t
  file-name-shadow-mode: t
  global-font-lock-mode: t
  font-lock-mode: t
  auto-composition-mode: t
  auto-encryption-mode: t
  auto-compression-mode: t
  buffer-read-only: t
  line-number-mode: t
  transient-mark-mode: t

Load-path shadows:
/home/naesten/system/emacs/dist/elpa/w3-4.0.49/ssl hides /usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/wl/ssl
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/css-mode/css-mode hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/css-mode/css-mode
/usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/autoconf/autotest-mode hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/autotest-mode
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/cmake-data/cmake-mode hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/cmake-mode
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/flim/md4 hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/md4
/home/naesten/system/emacs/dist/elisp/loaddefs hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/loaddefs
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/flim/hex-util hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/hex-util
/home/naesten/system/emacs/dist/elpa/json-1.2/json hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/json
/home/naesten/system/emacs/dist/elisp/t-mouse hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/t-mouse
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/html-helper-mode/tempo hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/tempo
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/css-mode/css-mode hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/textmodes/css-mode
/usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/rst hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/textmodes/rst
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/dictionaries-common/ispell hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/textmodes/ispell
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/dictionaries-common/flyspell hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/textmodes/flyspell
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/flim/sasl-digest hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/net/sasl-digest
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/flim/sasl-cram hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/net/sasl-cram
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/flim/hmac-md5 hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/net/hmac-md5
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/flim/hmac-def hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/net/hmac-def
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/flim/sasl-ntlm hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/net/sasl-ntlm
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/flim/ntlm hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/net/ntlm
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/flim/sasl hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/net/sasl
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/wl/rfc2368 hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/mail/rfc2368
/home/naesten/system/emacs/dist/elisp/package hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/emacs-lisp/package
/home/naesten/system/emacs/dist/elpa/tabulated-list-0/tabulated-list hides /usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/emacs-lisp/tabulated-list
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/toolbar-x hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/toolbar-x
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/tex-style hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/tex-style
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/tex-bar hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/tex-bar
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/tex-fold hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/tex-fold
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/preview hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/preview
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/context hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/context
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/context-nl hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/context-nl
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/prv-emacs hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/prv-emacs
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/context-en hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/context-en
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/tex-jp hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/tex-jp
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/plain-tex hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/plain-tex
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/bib-cite hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/bib-cite
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/tex-font hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/tex-font
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/tex-mik hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/tex-mik
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/font-latex hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/font-latex
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/texmathp hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/texmathp
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/tex-info hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/tex-info
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/latex hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/latex
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/multi-prompt hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/multi-prompt
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/tex hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/tex
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/auctex/tex-buf hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/auctex/tex-buf
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/html-helper-mode/hhm-config hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/html-helper-mode/hhm-config
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/html-helper-mode/visual-basic-mode hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/html-helper-mode/visual-basic-mode
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/html-helper-mode/tempo hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/html-helper-mode/tempo
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/html-helper-mode/html-helper-mode hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/html-helper-mode/html-helper-mode
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mc-toplev hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mc-toplev
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mc-remail hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mc-remail
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mc-pgp6 hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mc-pgp6
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mc-pgp5 hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mc-pgp5
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mc-pgp hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mc-pgp
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mc-gpg hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mc-gpg
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mailcrypt hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mailcrypt
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/mailcrypt/expect hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/mailcrypt/expect
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mc-setversion hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/mailcrypt/mc-setversion
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-edit hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-edit
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-charent hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-charent
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/psgml/psgml hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/psgml/psgml
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-other hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-other
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-api hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-api
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-sysdep hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-sysdep
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-init hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-init
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-parse hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-parse
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-info hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-info
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-ids hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-ids
/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-dtd hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/psgml/psgml-dtd
/usr/share/emacs/24.3/lisp/gnus/.dir-locals hides /home/naesten/system/emacs/dist/elisp/magit/.dir-locals

Features:
(package-x descr-text shadow emacsbug tmm url-handlers nnweb mm-url
nnregistry html-mode jsp-html-helper-mode asp-html-helper-mode
php-html-helper-mode html-helper-mode w3m-form w3m-cookie w3m-bookmark
w3m-tabmenu w3m-session w3m doc-view image-mode w3m-hist w3m-fb
bookmark-w3m w3m-ems w3m-ccl ccl w3m-favicon w3m-image w3m-proc w3m-util
gnus-cus conf-mode python xmtn-dvc dvc-status xmtn-conflicts xmtn-ids
xmtn-match xmtn-automate xmtn-compat xmtn-run xmtn-basic-io xmtn-base
sh-script smie executable tramp-sh debian-control-mode
debian-bts-control debian-changelog-mode tramp-cache rx tramp
tramp-compat tramp-loaddefs shell pcomplete dpkg-dev-el-loaddefs ido
find-file-in-git-repo dired-aux loadhist autoload lisp-mnt url-http
url-gw url-cache url-auth finder-inf cperl-mode perl-mode tabify man
make-mode debug gnus-salt gnus-kill uudecode flow-fill spam-report
mule-util gnus-async gnus-bcklg gnus-topic nndraft nnmh nnfolder
bbdb-gnus nnnil gnus-registry registry eieio-base spam spam-stat gnus-uu
yenc gnus-eform gnus-agent gnus-srvr gnus-score score-mode nnvirtual
gnus-ml netrc gnutls network-stream starttls tls nntp gnus-cache
psgml-info shr mm-archive psgml-dtd psgml-parse psgml-api psgml-ids
psgml-other psgml-sysdep psgml-edit browse-url sgml-mode psgml
psgml-html info cpp apropos face-remap bbdb-hooks cc-langs inform-mode
imenu term disp-table ehelp electric ispell qp rmailmm rmail two-column
iso-transl misearch multi-isearch jka-compr parse-time smiley gnus-cite
gnus-msg gnus-art mm-uu mml2015 epg-config mm-view mml-smime smime dig
gnus-sum nnoo gnus-group gnus-undo nnmail mail-source gnus-start
gnus-spec gnus-int gnus-range gnus-win gnus gnus-ems nnheader bbdb-snarf
bbdb-com view magit-bisect magit-key-mode magit mail-extr sort tla
smerge-mode dvc-state dvc-config diff tla-gnus dvc-gnus dvc-cmenu
dvc-about dvc-version thingatpt mailcrypt message sendmail format-spec
rfc822 mml mml-sec mm-decode mm-bodies mm-encode mail-parse rfc2231
mailabbrev mail-utils gmm-utils mailheader reporter help-mode debian-bug
rfc2047 rfc2045 ietf-drums vc-git xgit-dvc xgit cus-edit xgit-annotate
rect dvc-annotate xgit-log dvc-revlist dvc-diff uniquify dvc-fileinfo
bzr-core tla-core pp tla-autoconf tla-defs dvc-log dvc-unified dvc-tips
dired-x dired ffap commit-patch-buffer log-edit pcvs-util add-log vc
vc-dispatcher diff-mode easy-mmode ediff-merg ediff-diff ediff-wind
ediff-help ediff-util ediff-mult ediff-init ediff xdarcs-core xgit-core
xhg-core xmtn-minimal server derived xcscope arc-mode archive-mode
asm-mode my-asm slime-autoloads dvc-autoloads dvc-core dvc-lisp
dvc-buffers dvc-ui dvc-register dvc-utils dvc-emacs ewoc dvc-defs
dvc-site cc-mode cc-fonts cc-guess cc-menus cc-cmds cc-styles cc-align
cc-engine cc-vars cc-defs elisp-depend ps-print-bg-fixup bbdb timezone
wgrep grep compile comint ansi-color ring edebug warnings trace xt-mouse
paren recentf tree-widget wid-edit cus-start cus-load
eldoc-eval-autoloads elisp-cache-autoloads erc-hl-nicks-autoloads
fill-column-indicator-autoloads find-file-in-git-repo-autoloads
mo-git-blame-autoloads smartparens-autoloads dash-autoloads
synonyms-autoloads tabulated-list-autoloads w3-autoloads wgrep-autoloads
yagist-autoloads json-autoloads yasnippet-bundle-autoloads
yasnippet-bundle dropdown-list advice help-fns advice-preload yasnippet
easymenu assoc package find-func cl-macs gv w3m-load psgml-init
proof-site proof-autoloads pg-vars mmm-auto mmm-vars mmm-compat cl
cl-lib mailcrypt-init haskell-mode-autoloads edmacro kmacro tempo url
url-proxy url-privacy url-expand url-methods url-history url-cookie
url-domsuf url-util url-parse auth-source eieio byte-opt bytecomp
byte-compile cconv gnus-util time-date mm-util mail-prsvr password-cache
url-vars mailcap xml-parse doxymacs debian-el debian-el-loaddefs
bbdb-autoloads preview-latex tex-site auto-loads tooltip ediff-hook
vc-hooks lisp-float-type mwheel x-win x-dnd tool-bar dnd fontset image
regexp-opt fringe tabulated-list newcomment lisp-mode register page
menu-bar rfn-eshadow timer select scroll-bar mouse jit-lock font-lock
syntax facemenu font-core frame cham georgian utf-8-lang misc-lang
vietnamese tibetan thai tai-viet lao korean japanese hebrew greek
romanian slovak czech european ethiopic indian cyrillic chinese
case-table epa-hook jka-cmpr-hook help simple abbrev minibuffer loaddefs
button faces cus-face macroexp files text-properties overlay sha1 md5
base64 format env code-pages mule custom widget hashtable-print-readable
backquote make-network-process dbusbind dynamic-setting
font-render-setting x-toolkit x multi-tty emacs)

-- 
Hi! I'm a .signature virus! Copy me into your ~/.signature to help me spread!

bug#17782: 24.3; package.el: searches don't see elided chars of package name

[Lars Ingebrigtsen]

Samuel Bronson <naesten@gmail.com> writes:

> When I search within the *Packages* buffer, my searches can't match on
> parts of the package name that got elided to fit into the column width.
>
> Couldn't this be remedied by displaying the ellipsis using an overlay,
> rather than actually including it in the buffer text?

I've now done this in Emacs 27 -- in all tabulated list modes, which may
or may not be controversial.

If people feel like this is a bad change, feel free to revert.  It seems
nice to me: `C-s' works more reliably in these buffers, even when bits
are shortened.  But perhaps there's a bad user interaction somewhere...

> It would also be nice if there was some way to customize the column
> widths.

In Emacs 27, the '}' command can be used to widen column widths.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no

bug#17782: 24.3; package.el: searches don't see elided chars of package name

[Stefan Kangas]

Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org> writes:

> I've now done this in Emacs 27 -- in all tabulated list modes, which may
> or may not be controversial.

Sounds like a good change to me, FWIW.  Thanks.

Best regards,
Stefan Kangas

bug#17782: 24.3; package.el: searches don't see elided chars of package name

[Basil L. Contovounesios]

Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org> writes:

> Samuel Bronson <naesten@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> When I search within the *Packages* buffer, my searches can't match on
>> parts of the package name that got elided to fit into the column width.
>>
>> Couldn't this be remedied by displaying the ellipsis using an overlay,
>> rather than actually including it in the buffer text?
>
> I've now done this in Emacs 27 -- in all tabulated list modes, which may
> or may not be controversial.
>
> If people feel like this is a bad change, feel free to revert.  It seems
> nice to me: `C-s' works more reliably in these buffers, even when bits
> are shortened.  But perhaps there's a bad user interaction somewhere...

I'm curious to know why the ellipsis is added as a display property in
truncate-string-to-width[1] instead of making the relevant text
invisible[2].  Isn't this behaviour too specific to this use case to
justify extending truncate-string-to-width with it?

[1]: Use text properties instead of truncating strings
67830e7569 2019-10-07 20:11:26 +0200
https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git/commit/?id=67830e756911f0c262bb3a447e58b9ff6739a60f

[2]: (info "(elisp) Invisible Text")

Thanks,

-- 
Basil

bug#17782: 24.3; package.el: searches don't see elided chars of package name

[Lars Ingebrigtsen]

"Basil L. Contovounesios" <contovob@tcd.ie> writes:

> I'm curious to know why the ellipsis is added as a display property in
> truncate-string-to-width[1] instead of making the relevant text
> invisible[2].  Isn't this behaviour too specific to this use case to
> justify extending truncate-string-to-width with it?

Sorry, I don't quite understand?  Making the text invisible would make
it look visually different than what it used to look like, so the
ellipsis have to be added to avoid changing the look.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no