* filename input wildcard `?' @ 2005-10-26 1:37 Drew Adams 2005-10-27 1:29 ` Richard M. Stallman 0 siblings, 1 reply; 4+ messages in thread From: Drew Adams @ 2005-10-26 1:37 UTC (permalink / raw) The Emacs manual says this in node Visiting: If the file name you specify contains shell-style wildcard characters, Emacs visits all the files that match it. Wildcards include `?', `*', and `[...]' sequences. No examples of using wildcard `?' are given, but presumably you would type `foo?.el' if you wanted to match all files `foo3.el', `fooz.el', and so on. However, `?' is bound in the minibuffer completion keymaps to `minibuffer-completion-help' - so how can you type `foo?.el'? The only ways I've found to input `foo?.el' are: 1) to copy it as text and then paste it into the minibuffer 2) to use ^Q to insert the `?' Is that right, or am I missing something? If these are the only ways to input a `?' as a file-name wildcard, shouldn't this be mentioned in the Emacs manual? As it stands, it gives (me) the impression that you can just type `foo?.el', which you cannot (AFAICT). It would also be good to have an example of `[...]' wildcard use. The aim is not to give a course on shell wildcards, but a short example of each would help. ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 4+ messages in thread
* Re: filename input wildcard `?' 2005-10-26 1:37 filename input wildcard `?' Drew Adams @ 2005-10-27 1:29 ` Richard M. Stallman 2005-10-27 15:39 ` Drew Adams 0 siblings, 1 reply; 4+ messages in thread From: Richard M. Stallman @ 2005-10-27 1:29 UTC (permalink / raw) Cc: emacs-devel If these are the only ways to input a `?' as a file-name wildcard, shouldn't this be mentioned in the Emacs manual? As it stands, it gives (me) the impression that you can just type `foo?.el', which you cannot (AFAICT). Thanks. ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 4+ messages in thread
* RE: filename input wildcard `?' 2005-10-27 1:29 ` Richard M. Stallman @ 2005-10-27 15:39 ` Drew Adams 2005-10-28 16:18 ` Richard M. Stallman 0 siblings, 1 reply; 4+ messages in thread From: Drew Adams @ 2005-10-27 15:39 UTC (permalink / raw) If these are the only ways to input a `?' as a file-name wildcard, shouldn't this be mentioned in the Emacs manual? As it stands, it gives (me) the impression that you can just type `foo?.el', which you cannot (AFAICT). Thanks. Thank you. I don't really want to open a can of worms, so ignore this if you think it's a bad idea or controversial: I wonder if we might consider allowing `?' to be bound, in the minibuffer, to `self-insert-command' instead of `minibuffer-completion-help', and use `C-h' for `minibuffer-completion-help'? That is: (define-key minibuffer-local-completion-map "?" 'self-insert-command) (define-key minibuffer-local-completion-map [remap help-command] 'minibuffer-completion-help) Advantages: 1) `?' would be available, without `C-q' quoting, not only as a file-name wildcard, but also as a normal, self-insertable character, for inclusion in command names, buffer names, menu items, data-entry values, ... , _any_ input for `completing-read'. Function `completing-read' is general, and it can be used by programmers for many different applications - why should it treat `?' specially when typed as input? If a programmer using `completing-read' wants to let users type `?' as input (without quoting), he must currently jump through a few hoops to make that happen. 2) `C-h' is a control character, not a printable character. It rarely needs to be included in an input string. Anyone wanting to include it will likely know about using `C-q' (which is not true for people typing `?'). 3) `C-h' (or <f1>) is more likely to be people's first guess at finding completion help. Except for those already in the habit, people are unlikely to expect `?' to do what it does now. 4) Less potential confusion. Currently, if people do `C-h' during minibuffer completion (perhaps by accident): a. They are prompted for another help-command character. ("Huh, whatzis?") b. The help command is processed. ("Whereami now?") c. They end up back in minibuffer completion. They need to look for, and notice, the minibuffer prompt, to recognize this (probably unexpected) state. It's easy to mistakenly think you're back at top level. ("Ah, finally back home, safe. ?!*??@!! whatzis?") This current behavior can be disorienting to the uninitiated - and some of the `help-for-help' options can disorient more than others, taking users far afield of minibuffer input and completion (imagine reading the News, then coming back to minibuffer completion!). Better to have `C-h' do only one, simple thing, and that one help action to be specific to input completion. People can always exit the minibuffer first (`C-g'), if they really want `help-for-help' or one of the other global help commands. Disadvantages: ? ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 4+ messages in thread
* Re: filename input wildcard `?' 2005-10-27 15:39 ` Drew Adams @ 2005-10-28 16:18 ` Richard M. Stallman 0 siblings, 0 replies; 4+ messages in thread From: Richard M. Stallman @ 2005-10-28 16:18 UTC (permalink / raw) Cc: emacs-devel I don't really want to open a can of worms, so ignore this if you think it's a bad idea or controversial: I wonder if we might consider allowing `?' to be bound, in the minibuffer, to `self-insert-command' instead of `minibuffer-completion-help', and use `C-h' for `minibuffer-completion-help'? I don't like the idea of an incompatible change here. I don't have time to do the kind of study that would be needed to judge it. So we won't make this change. ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 4+ messages in thread
end of thread, other threads:[~2005-10-28 16:18 UTC | newest] Thread overview: 4+ messages (download: mbox.gz follow: Atom feed -- links below jump to the message on this page -- 2005-10-26 1:37 filename input wildcard `?' Drew Adams 2005-10-27 1:29 ` Richard M. Stallman 2005-10-27 15:39 ` Drew Adams 2005-10-28 16:18 ` Richard M. Stallman
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