Spyros Roum <spyros.roum@posteo.net> writes:

Hello all,

Recently, I started using `M-x compile` more but as I was used to my
shell suggesting past commands as I type (and tools like atuin)

In case anyone else hasn't heard of this, it describes itself as

  Atuin replaces your existing shell history with a SQLite database, and
  records additional context for your commands. Additionally, it
  provides optional and fully encrypted synchronisation of your history
  between machines, via an Atuin server.

(https://github.com/atuinsh/atuin)

Thanks for adding the description, I should have done that myself.

                                                               , I was
missing auto-complete a lot.
I managed to add this functionality by writing a simple function based
on compilation-read-command that uses completing-read instead of
read-shell-command.

Do you know about the `bash-completion' package?  It enhances
`read-shell-command' completion with completion data provided by bash.
It is very easy to set up,

  (use-package bash-completion :ensure t
    :init (bash-completion-setup))

should do it.

I was not aware of this, but it doesn't seem to do what I'm looking for.
For once, I am not using bash, but even ignoring that it doesn't seem to have the effect I'm looking for.

I'm trying to get the compile prompt to suggest completion based on past commands I've run.

Then I used advice-add to overwrite the
original compilation-read-command with mine.

So far this works well, and as far as I can tell there is no good
reason not to make compile auto-completing, it already has a history
that you can navigate anyway.

With that said, this is the first time I write here and the first time
I'm trying to contribute to emacs, so I'm not sure what the best way
to go from here would be.
I think some decisions would need to be taken, for once I am not sure
if it's acceptable to change the default and make it completing or if
there should be an option for it.

I am not sure if you meant to attach any code, but that would probably
be the best place to start.

Looking forward to your feedback, thanks

You are right I should have posted code, so here is what I have:

  (defun compilation-read-command-with-autocomplete (command)
    "Use `completing-read` to add autocomplete powers to compilation read"
    (completing-read "Compile command: " compile-history
      nil nil command
      (if (equal (car compile-history) command)
        '(compile-history . 1)
        'compile-history)))
 
  (advice-add
    #'compilation-read-command
    :override #'compilation-read-command-with-autocomplete)