How should libraries integrate with IDO?

How should libraries integrate with IDO?

[Philipp Stephani]

Hi,

what should a library do that wants to use `completing-read', but
optionally support IDO?
- just call `completing-read' and tell the user to set
`completing-read-function' to `ido-completing-read'?
- provide a library-specific customization option, like
`magit-completing-read-function'?
- use `ido-completing-read' whenever ido.el is loaded?
- or something else?

If this isn't documented yet in the ELisp or IDO manuals, please document
it there.

Thanks,
Philipp

Re: How should libraries integrate with IDO?

[Stefan Monnier]

> what should a library do that wants to use `completing-read', but
> optionally support IDO?

In my opinion, the best answer is:
- help integrate IDO functionality into icomplete-mode (and into the
  default completion system).

but the more realistic one should be:

> - just call `completing-read' and tell the user to set
>   `completing-read-function' to `ido-completing-read'?

Tho just setting it like that might not work 100%, so better use
ido-ubiquitous, which should hopefully deal with the special cases (I
have no idea whether it does, tho).


        Stefan

Re: How should libraries integrate with IDO?

[Philipp Stephani]

Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> schrieb am Sa., 18. Feb. 2017 um
19:56 Uhr:

> > what should a library do that wants to use `completing-read', but
> > optionally support IDO?
>
> In my opinion, the best answer is:
> - help integrate IDO functionality into icomplete-mode (and into the
>   default completion system).
>

Wouldn't that be orthogonal? Ideally `completing-read' would provide the
superset of ido, iswitchb, icomplete, ivy, etc.


>
> but the more realistic one should be:
>
> > - just call `completing-read' and tell the user to set
> >   `completing-read-function' to `ido-completing-read'?
>
> Tho just setting it like that might not work 100%, so better use
> ido-ubiquitous, which should hopefully deal with the special cases (I
> have no idea whether it does, tho).
>
>
OK, thanks. So I guess the best approach is to ignore the existence of
ido-completing-read and direct users to ido-ubiquitous.

Re: How should libraries integrate with IDO?

[Stefan Monnier]

>> > what should a library do that wants to use `completing-read', but
>> > optionally support IDO?
>> In my opinion, the best answer is:
>> - help integrate IDO functionality into icomplete-mode (and into the
>> default completion system).
> Wouldn't that be orthogonal? Ideally `completing-read' would provide the
> superset of ido, iswitchb, icomplete, ivy, etc.

icomplete is already integrated with completing-read, and should already
provide a more-or-less superset of iswitchb, yes.  Not sure if ivy's
model really fits into completing-read, but at least I can't see any
strong reason why we couldn't extend the current completing-read system
to provide all ido features.

> OK, thanks. So I guess the best approach is to ignore the existence of
> ido-completing-read and direct users to ido-ubiquitous.

I think so, yes,


        Stefan