Re: [External] : Re: Updating *Completions* as you type

[Philip Kaludercic]

Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:

> FWIW:
>
> I'll mention some similar features in Icicles.  They
> were introduced together from the outset (in 2005!),
> and have proven useful.

You have mentioned Icicles a number of times, and one of the main
reasons I have never tried it out is that it is not available on ELPA or
any kind of official repository.  I believe wrote about this a while
back, but according to [0], the main issue remains that your libraries
overwrite Emacs primitives, as you mention in the main file:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
;;  ***** NOTE: These EMACS PRIMITIVES have been REDEFINED in Icicles:
;;
;;  `completing-read'              - (See below and doc string.)
;;  `display-completion-list'      - (See below and doc string.)
;;  `exit-minibuffer'              - Remove *Completion* window.
;;  `minibuffer-complete-and-exit' - Remove *Completion* window.
;;  `read-file-name'               - (See below and doc string.)
;;  `read-from-minibuffer'         - (See below and doc string.)
;;  `read-string'                  - (See below and doc string.)
;;
;;
;;  ***** NOTE: The following functions defined in `dabbrev.el' have
;;              been REDEFINED in Icicles:
;;
;;  `dabbrev-completion' - Use Icicles completion when you repeat
;;                         (`C-M-/').
;;
;;
;;  ***** NOTE: The following functions defined in `lisp.el' have
;;              been REDEFINED in Icicles:
;;
;;  `lisp-complete-symbol' - Selects `*Completions*' window even if on
;;                           another frame.
;;
;;
;;  ***** NOTE: The following functions defined in `mouse.el' have
;;              been REDEFINED in Icicles:
;;
;;  `mouse-choose-completion' - Return the number of the completion.
;;
;;
;;  ***** NOTE: The following functions defined in `simple.el' have
;;              been REDEFINED in Icicles:
;;
;;  `choose-completion-string' -
;;     Don't exit minibuffer after `lisp-complete-symbol' completion.
;;  `completion-setup-function' - 1. Put faces on inserted string(s).
;;                                2. Help on help.
;;  `switch-to-completions' - Always selects `*Completions*' window.
;;
;;  `next-history-element' (advised only) -
;;     Depending on `icicle-default-value', select minibuffer
;;     contents.
;;
;;  `repeat-complex-command' - Use `completing-read' to read command.
;;
;;  For descriptions of changes to this file, see `icicles-chg.el'.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

Is this really necessary?  Somehow all the other completion systems
appear to get by without these kinds of invasive changes, and it would
be a pity the barriers for trying out your package continue to be
unnecessarily high, if the functionality is so advanced.  At the very
least it would be nice if you could have your own ELPA, perhaps hosted
on Emacs Wiki to distribute these packages in a more standardised way.

[0] https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/icicles.el

-- 
Philip Kaludercic