RE: Configure SPACE as file auto-complete character

["Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com>]

> Interesting... I've had the following line in my ~/.emacs for quite a
> while for precisely this reason:
>
> ;;; disable 'SPC' completion in minibuffer
> (substitute-key-definition 'minibuffer-complete-word
> 'self-insert-command minibuffer-local-completion-map)
>
> However, I believe my substitution disables auto-completion across the
> board, not just file name auto-completion.

And that's a good thing, IMO.  I doubt that you regret it.

Completion using `completing-read' is general; there is nothing that
suggests that it should be mainly for text that doesn't contain spaces. Why
does Emacs limit space self-insertion to file-name completion?

Thank goodness for at least that change. It was due at least in part to the
widespread use of MS Windows (and also to the fact that word-by-word
completion is not so useful).

FWIW - In Icicles, each of these characters self-inserts in the minibuffer:
`?', `C-j' (newline), and `SPC' - regardless of the input type. You can
still do word-by-word completion, using `M-SPC' (configurable), but I'm sure
that any use of word-by-word completion is rare.