Re: Emacs completion matches selection UI

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@IRO.UMontreal.CA>]

> I am trying to say that Emacs itself, outside of the
> window/frame/etc. logic, should have code to "show a list of choices and
> pick one."  An API to list selection, from the minibuffer or from a
> buffer, with consistent key bindings and no dependence on the context in
> which it was invoked.  This seems to be what `widget-choose' could do
> with some polish, and that's where I'd put effort.  Do you agree?

I could agree, but do note that one of the main design goals of
completion-in-region-mode was that the mode is exited as a side-effect
of the user's normal editing.  IOW, the user is free to ignore the list
of completions and do whatever else she wants to do, rather than having
to somehow indicate explicitly "oh, never mind, I won't choose any of
these options".

But IIUC the "choice" API you suggest would allow something like
completion-in-region-mode as one possible UI.

> To me, It seems crazy that there is no standard way to do this and
> that so many packages, internal and external, have invented their own
> UI to do it.

There is one, which is completing-read.  But this one size doesn't
fit all.  Maybe there is some other one size which does, but maybe not.


        Stefan