Keybindings for navigating completing-read entries

Keybindings for navigating completing-read entries

[Heime]

I am trying to find the keybindings for navigating the entries when using
completing-read.  Am finding the search for the respective keybinding difficult
to locate.

Re: Keybindings for navigating completing-read entries

[Zhengyi Fu]

> 在 2024年4月11日，上午8:50，Heime <heimeborgia@protonmail.com> 写道：
> 
> I am trying to find the keybindings for navigating the entries when using
> completing-read.  Am finding the search for the respective keybinding difficult
> to locate.
> 
The keybindings when using completing-read depend on the completion framework you are using.  You should consult the documentation of your completion framework.

If you are not familiar with Emacs keybindings, I recommend using which-key, which can display available keybindings when entering an incomplete command.
- 
Zhengyi Fu
富钲壹

RE: [External] : Keybindings for navigating completing-read entries

[Drew Adams]

> I am trying to find the keybindings for navigating
> the entries when using completing-read.  Am finding
> the search for the respective keybinding difficult to locate.

https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/elisp/Minibuffer-Completion.html

https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/elisp/Text-from-Minibuffer.html

See what the manual says about different minibuffer keymaps.

Re: Keybindings for navigating completing-read entries

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 00:49:07 +0000
> From: Heime <heimeborgia@protonmail.com>
> 
> I am trying to find the keybindings for navigating the entries when using
> completing-read.  Am finding the search for the respective keybinding difficult
> to locate.

If you could describe in enough detail how you tried to search for
those bindings, we could think about improving the documentation
facilities to be more helpful in this matter.

Re: Keybindings for navigating completing-read entries

[Heime]

On Thursday, April 11th, 2024 at 6:24 PM, Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:

> > Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 00:49:07 +0000
> > From: Heime heimeborgia@protonmail.com
> > 
> > I am trying to find the keybindings for navigating the entries when using
> > completing-read. Am finding the search for the respective keybinding difficult
> > to locate.
> 
> 
> If you could describe in enough detail how you tried to search for
> those bindings, we could think about improving the documentation
> facilities to be more helpful in this matter.

Started reading from through "21.6 Completion".  It has been said 
that the keybindings when using completing-read depend on the 
completion framework one is using.  But it is quite tricky for
a user to determine what completion framework one is currently 
using and the associated key bindings for navigation.  

Perhaps there can be a command that returns the completion 
framework and the keybindings associated with using completing-read. 
Nevertheless, with completing-read the user simply gets a prompt
without much indication about completion frameworks and about
any keybinding shortcuts to traverse entries. 

Re: Keybindings for navigating completing-read entries

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 11:32:46 +0000
> From: Heime <heimeborgia@protonmail.com>
> Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> 
> > If you could describe in enough detail how you tried to search for
> > those bindings, we could think about improving the documentation
> > facilities to be more helpful in this matter.
> 
> Started reading from through "21.6 Completion".

You seem to be reading the wrong manual.  Try reading "9.4 Completion"
in the Emacs user manual instead.  It describes the commands in the
minibuffer when Emacs does completion, which is what you want.

> Nevertheless, with completing-read the user simply gets a prompt
> without much indication about completion frameworks and about
> any keybinding shortcuts to traverse entries.

Actually, if you type ? (question mark) at the prompt, Emacs will pop
up a buffer with some useful commands.

Re: Keybindings for navigating completing-read entries

[Heime]

Sent with Proton Mail secure email.

On Friday, April 12th, 2024 at 12:01 AM, Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:

> > Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 11:32:46 +0000
> > From: Heime heimeborgia@protonmail.com
> > Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> > 
> > > If you could describe in enough detail how you tried to search for
> > > those bindings, we could think about improving the documentation
> > > facilities to be more helpful in this matter.
> > 
> > Started reading from through "21.6 Completion".
> 
> 
> You seem to be reading the wrong manual. Try reading "9.4 Completion"
> in the Emacs user manual instead. It describes the commands in the
> minibuffer when Emacs does completion, which is what you want.

The html user manual uses bullets.  Could you introduce the section 
numbering instead, as it is more useful.
 
> > Nevertheless, with completing-read the user simply gets a prompt
> > without much indication about completion frameworks and about
> > any keybinding shortcuts to traverse entries.
> 
> 
> Actually, if you type ? (question mark) at the prompt, Emacs will pop
> up a buffer with some useful commands.

Re: Keybindings for navigating completing-read entries

[Heime]

Sent with Proton Mail secure email.

On Friday, April 12th, 2024 at 4:23 AM, Heime <heimeborgia@protonmail.com> wrote:

> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent with Proton Mail secure email.
> 
> 
> On Friday, April 12th, 2024 at 12:01 AM, Eli Zaretskii eliz@gnu.org wrote:
> 
> > > Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 11:32:46 +0000
> > > From: Heime heimeborgia@protonmail.com
> > > Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> > > 
> > > > If you could describe in enough detail how you tried to search for
> > > > those bindings, we could think about improving the documentation
> > > > facilities to be more helpful in this matter.
> > > 
> > > Started reading from through "21.6 Completion".
> > 
> > You seem to be reading the wrong manual. Try reading "9.4 Completion"
> > in the Emacs user manual instead. It describes the commands in the
> > minibuffer when Emacs does completion, which is what you want.
> 
> 
> The html user manual uses bullets. Could you introduce the section
> numbering instead, as it is more useful.

I must have encountered another version, rather than the official gnu one.
 
> > > Nevertheless, with completing-read the user simply gets a prompt
> > > without much indication about completion frameworks and about
> > > any keybinding shortcuts to traverse entries.
> > 
> > Actually, if you type ? (question mark) at the prompt, Emacs will pop
> > up a buffer with some useful commands.

Re: Keybindings for navigating completing-read entries

[Heime]

On Friday, April 12th, 2024 at 12:01 AM, Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:

> > Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 11:32:46 +0000
> > From: Heime heimeborgia@protonmail.com
> > Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> > 
> > > If you could describe in enough detail how you tried to search for
> > > those bindings, we could think about improving the documentation
> > > facilities to be more helpful in this matter.
> > 
> > Started reading from through "21.6 Completion".
> 
> 
> You seem to be reading the wrong manual. Try reading "9.4 Completion"
> in the Emacs user manual instead. It describes the commands in the
> minibuffer when Emacs does completion, which is what you want.
> 
> > Nevertheless, with completing-read the user simply gets a prompt
> > without much indication about completion frameworks and about
> > any keybinding shortcuts to traverse entries.
> 
> 
> Actually, if you type ? (question mark) at the prompt, Emacs will pop
> up a buffer with some useful commands.

Yes, if I type ? I get some useful commands.  Because I had been using INITIAL
with "completing-read", it was not evident that one has to clear the prompt 
to invoke "?".

The manual could state that ? displays some useful completion help in addition
to only "Display a list of completions".  It would help to have a short 
"An Introduction to Emacs" like there is "An Introduction to Programming in Emacs
Lisp".  Which would describe completion with examples.

Re: Keybindings for navigating completing-read entries

[tpeplt]

Heime <heimeborgia@protonmail.com> writes:

>
> On Friday, April 12th, 2024 at 12:01 AM, Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:
>
>> > Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 11:32:46 +0000
>> > From: Heime heimeborgia@protonmail.com
>> > Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
>> > 
>> > > If you could describe in enough detail how you tried to search for
>> > > those bindings, we could think about improving the documentation
>> > > facilities to be more helpful in this matter.
>> > 
>> > Started reading from through "21.6 Completion".
>> 
>> 
>> You seem to be reading the wrong manual. Try reading "9.4 Completion"
>> in the Emacs user manual instead. It describes the commands in the
>> minibuffer when Emacs does completion, which is what you want.
>
> The html user manual uses bullets.  Could you introduce the section 
> numbering instead, as it is more useful.

If you evaluate (by typing C-x C-e) the following Lisp expression from
within Emacs, then the built-in Info reader should be displayed at the
"Completion" section of the "Minibuffer" chapter in the Emacs user
manual:

   (info "(emacs) Completion")

You could also copy that expression and paste it after the "Eval: "
prompt following the key sequence M-:

-- 
The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.
- Geoffrey Chaucer, The Parliament of Birds.