Re: Stepping Back: A Wealth Of Completion systems Re: [ELPA] New package: vertico

[Daniel Mendler]

On 4/7/21 9:13 PM, Philip Kaludercic wrote:
> I'm still thinking about all of this, and have to find the time to
> implement a prototype. It might make sense to have a similar approach to
> completing-read, where a variable like completing-read-function can
> change everything.
>
> A tree-like visualisation would probably make more sense, as long as it
> can be manipulated using the keyboard. I mentioned org-mode thinking of
> the org-cycle command, and how it allows you to hide and show subtrees.

I am looking forward to seeing a prototype!

> I use the default completion system, so for me it is not about filtering
> a data set but expanding a string. Just to reiterate, this is exactly
> the point I am bringing this up.

Well, but what does this mean in the context of opening a file? I guess, 
you are not interested in the string (the file name) alone but in the 
end you want to select a file?

> Well FWIW I'm not. I used Ivy for a long while, but ultimately gave it
> up. There has been a lot of talk about {Selectrum,Embark,Orderless,...}
> recently but I am not convinced that the approach these packages take
> are on the right level. The only way to find out is to try something
> else on the level I suspect there might be more potential for a better
> solution.

Why? I would love to hear a more detailed criticism since I am involved 
with those packages. You are again a bit vague. These packages just try 
to work with what we have API-wise from the side of Emacs. But regarding 
the presentation of the completion results, the views of the authors of 
the respective packages you mention vary. Omar, the author of Embark and 
Orderless, has written four completion UIs which are mostly derived from 
default completion, Clemens has Selectrum, I have recently made Vertico. 
But all these packages somehow cooperate despite the different preferences.

Daniel