bug#8492: 23.3; Time to use a different binding for completion?

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>]

>> Since this problem has been around for a long time and no good key has
>> popped up during this time, I believe that using TAB is the
>> way forward, which means we need to figure out ways to make it work in
>> the cases where it currently doesn't.
> I am inclined to agree that that is the path of least resistance; I
> think it remains to be demonstrated that two lots of magic can be
> loaded on to the same key, but I'm prepared to give it a go!

Of course, pursuing this route doesn't preclude pursuing other routes at
the same time.  So, people should feel free to suggest other keys to use
for completion.

One that comes to mind is C-M-/ (currently bound to dabbrev-completion,
so somewhat compatible) but I'm not sure if it's convenient enough.

Another one could be M-SPC, based on the idea that SPC performs
completion in many cases in the minibuffer, but that would be an
incompatible change since M-SPC currently calls just-one-space.

>> for those modes maybe completion should take precedence as
>> in "see if we're somewhere where completion makes sense and if not try
>> to reindent", so TAB would complete if point is in an identifier
>> but not if it's a BOL.
> And there's already code to do this.

I didn't know that.  Where is it?

> At least if there's a concerted effort to make this work and it fails,
> there's more incentive to come up with another solution.

And the failure itself might give us a clue as to what a better solution
might look like,


        Stefan