Re: propose adding Icicles to Emacs

[Juri Linkov <juri@jurta.org>]

> The current candidate for action (including help display) is not only
> highlighted in *Completions* but also inserted in the minibuffer so that you
> can edit it or accept it as is. That is, you hit RET or C-RET to act on the
> current candidate, which is in the minibuffer.

When I browse completion candidates using <C-next> and <C-prev>, I look
not at their names in the minibuffer or in *Completions* window, but at
the output window of the action performed on them (displaying help for
a function/variable/face, or a file).  The mismatch between the window
that displays the result of action on the completion candidate (which
often contains the name of the completion candidate) and the name of the
completion candidate highlighted in the *Completions* window and in the
minibuffer is not only confusing but also *dangerous*.  It might lead to
deleting (with S-DEL) a wrong item (including a wrong file).  I don't want
to lose a file through misleading UI.

> I cannot convince you, but I'd suggest that you not focalize only on
> candidate help, where the action is displaying help on the current
> candidate. "Act on" can mean anything, depending on the context, and I think
> in most contexts the current behavior is preferable.

You could try to separate displaying help and performing other actions
to different keys.

-- 
Juri Linkov
http://www.jurta.org/emacs/