bug#41086: [PATCH] Add user-defined column widths to package-list (package.el)

[Chris McMahan <cmcmahan@gmail.com>]

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When executing the function `package-list-packages', the column widths are
too narrow, cutting off a significant
portion of the package names.

This minor patch adds four variables that can be set by the user to adjust
the width of each column within the package list.

Changelog entry
--------------------------------
2020-05-04  Chris McMahan  <cmcmahan@gmail.com>

* package.el ((define-derived-mode package-menu-mode tabulated-list-mode
"Package Menu"):
User can now adjust column widths of the package list by setting the values
of the following:
package-name-column-width (defaults to 30 columns)
package-version-column-width (14 column)
package-status-column-width (12 columns)
package-archive-column-width (14 columns)
--------------------------------

Patch is attached:


-- 
*Chris McMahan <cmcmahan@gmail.com <cmcmahan@gmail.com>>*

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--- v27.0.90_package.el	2020-05-04 15:49:33.387845600 -0400
+++ package.el	2020-05-04 15:50:13.190789400 -0400
@@ -397,6 +397,29 @@
   :type 'boolean
   :version "25.1")
 
+(defcustom package-name-column-width 30
+  "Column width of the 'Package' name within the package list
+invoked through `package-list-packages'."
+  :type 'number
+  :version "27.1")
+
+(defcustom package-version-column-width 14
+  "Column width of the package 'version' within the package list
+invoked through `package-list-packages'."
+  :type 'number
+  :version "27.1")
+
+(defcustom package-status-column-width 12
+  "Column width of the package 'status' within the package list
+invoked from the `package-list-packages' command"
+  :type 'number
+  :version "27.1")
+
+(defcustom package-archive-column-width 14
+  "Width of the archive column in the package list."
+  :type 'number
+  :version "27.1")
+
 \f
 ;;; `package-desc' object definition
 ;; This is the struct used internally to represent packages.
@@ -2750,18 +2773,18 @@
 
 (define-derived-mode package-menu-mode tabulated-list-mode "Package Menu"
   "Major mode for browsing a list of packages.
-Letters do not insert themselves; instead, they are commands.
-\\<package-menu-mode-map>
-\\{package-menu-mode-map}"
+  Letters do not insert themselves; instead, they are commands.
+  \\<package-menu-mode-map>
+  \\{package-menu-mode-map}"
   (setq mode-line-process '((package--downloads-in-progress ":Loading")
                             (package-menu--transaction-status
                              package-menu--transaction-status)))
   (setq tabulated-list-format
-        `[("Package" 18 package-menu--name-predicate)
-          ("Version" 13 package-menu--version-predicate)
-          ("Status"  10 package-menu--status-predicate)
+        `[("Package" ,package-name-column-width package-menu--name-predicate)
+          ("Version" ,package-version-column-width package-menu--version-predicate)
+          ("Status"  ,package-status-column-width  package-menu--status-predicate)
           ,@(if (cdr package-archives)
-                '(("Archive" 10 package-menu--archive-predicate)))
+                '(("Archive" ,package-archive-column-width package-menu--archive-predicate)))
           ("Description" 0 package-menu--description-predicate)])
   (setq tabulated-list-padding 2)
   (setq tabulated-list-sort-key (cons "Status" nil))