Re: Fast completion with visible cue?

[Simon Josefsson]

address@hidden (Kim F. Storm) writes:

> Simon Josefsson <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> Is the following possible with some ad-on package?  If so, would it
>> make sense to enable the ad-on by default?  If not, what do people
>> think about adding this feature?
>> 
>> I'm really sorry for the complicated explanation, there is probably a
>> really simple term for this idea, and I suspect it is already
>> implemented.  But if so, I'd like to vote for having it on by default.
>> Many GNOME and GTK programs have similar user experience.
>> 
>> 1. CWD is ~.  You wish to open a file
>>    ~/projects/src/foo/doc/drafts/template/help.txt, so you might press
>>    C-x C-f ~/proj TAB sr TAB f TAB doc TAB dr TAB tem TAB he TAB RET
>> 
>> 2. You edit the file for a while, then close it with C-x C-k.
>> 
>> 3. Hours pass and you edit lots of other files, however, consider for
>>    sake of example that all the files you edit are in ~/play/.
>> 
>> 4. You wish to edit the first file again.  You type
>>    C-x C-f ~/pro
>
> Try ido-mode.

Thanks!  This seem to be icomplete-mode, but for C-x C-f.

However, I see two major problems:

* It changes how file completion work.  When I type ~/sr and press TAB
  it scroll in the file *Ido Completion* buffer while displaying 'Find
  file: ~/sr{SRC/ | CVSROOT | .cvsrc | .newsrc | .newsrc.eld }' in the
  minibuffer.  It doesn't complete the input to ~/src/, which is the
  only matching entry.

* While the 'Find file: ~/{file | foo | bar | ... }' display,
  occupying up two three lines of the minibuffer by default, may be
  useful for experts, I think normal users will become afraid when
  they see it.  My original idea would only display one suggested
  filename, which seems friendlier.

> With that, you have several options here:
>
> 1) Since ido remembers the directories you have been editing, it
> puts the most recent directory as the first choice for completion:
>
>   C-x C-f ~/pro RET RET RET RET ... RET

Yes, I understand now how it wants me to use it.  But I think this is
a too big user interface change to be on by defaul.t

> 2) Since ido remembers the files you work on, this may also work:
>
>   C-x C-f help.txt M-s RET

It worked sometimes, but seemed a bit fragile.