Re: Leaving out non-applicable commands on Mx

[John Wiegley]

>>>>> Óscar Fuentes <address@hidden> writes:

> On the M-x prompt, the set of candidates is restricted to those that make
> sense given the current context. Leaving out functions that are specific to
> modes not enabled is a start. So if you are editing a C file and press `M-x
> g' almost all gnus* functions shall not be considered as candidates for
> completion.

This sounds like a feature that should evolve first as a separate package in
ELPA, and after proving itself, be considered for core. But I sense ways in
which this could go wrong: expecting to find a command, failing for some
undiscovered reason X, and then the user believing no such command exists.

> The M-x interface can be an improvement over both keybindings and the menu
> on terms of usability, given the correct methods, but having thousands of
> irrelevant candidates every time you invoke M-x is an inconvenience for that
> goal, not to say plain dumb.

Core Emacs behavior doesn't need to change to demonstrate this feature, does
it? Write a new execute-extended-command and see if it works as well as you
hope.

-- 
John Wiegley                  GPG fingerprint = 4710 CF98 AF9B 327B B80F
http://newartisans.com                          60E1 46C4 BD1A 7AC1 4BA2