GNU bug report logs - #19013
25.0.50; Suggestions for M-x commands

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 25.0.50; Suggestions for M-x commands
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 22:51:03 +0100

I just typed `M-x eww RET foo RET', and after displaying the search
results, Emacs helpfully said

You can run the command `eww' with M-x ew RET

I don't think that's particularly helpful, actually.  Just distracting.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no

Message #8 received at 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
To: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19013: 25.0.50; Suggestions for M-x commands
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 20:38:08 -0500

> I just typed `M-x eww RET foo RET', and after displaying the search
> results, Emacs helpfully said
> You can run the command `eww' with M-x ew RET
> I don't think that's particularly helpful, actually.  Just distracting.

Maybe we should only display it if the shorthand is at least
2 chars shorter?


        Stefan

Message #11 received at 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Jay Belanger <jay.p.belanger <at> gmail.com>
To: 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Cc: jay.p.belanger <at> gmail.com
Subject: Re: bug#19013: 25.0.50; Suggestions for M-x commands
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 20:08:48 -0600

>> You can run the command `eww' with M-x ew RET
>> I don't think that's particularly helpful, actually.  Just distracting.
>
> Maybe we should only display it if the shorthand is at least
> 2 chars shorter?

I would think that if I was just starting off with Emacs, then some of
the M-x shortcuts would look cryptic and would still be more distracting
than helpful, particularly if I didn't know that the shortcut was the
minimum needed to complete to the actual command name.
Also, I wonder if the minimum shortcut could change if a user had  more
packages loaded. 

Message #14 received at 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
Cc: 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19013: 25.0.50; Suggestions for M-x commands
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 03:45:48 +0100

Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca> writes:

>> I just typed `M-x eww RET foo RET', and after displaying the search
>> results, Emacs helpfully said
>> You can run the command `eww' with M-x ew RET
>> I don't think that's particularly helpful, actually.  Just distracting.
>
> Maybe we should only display it if the shorthand is at least
> 2 chars shorter?

Or...  10 chars shorter?

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no

Message #17 received at 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
To: Jay Belanger <jay.p.belanger <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19013: 25.0.50; Suggestions for M-x commands
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 23:01:13 -0500

> Also, I wonder if the minimum shortcut could change if a user had  more
> packages loaded. 

Of course, it can (not that some other even shorter one can appear, but
rather that this shortcut becomes insufficient).


        Stefan

Message #20 received at 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
Cc: 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19013: 25.0.50; Suggestions for M-x commands
Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 20:39:20 +0100

Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca> writes:

>> I just typed `M-x eww RET foo RET', and after displaying the search
>> results, Emacs helpfully said
>> You can run the command `eww' with M-x ew RET
>> I don't think that's particularly helpful, actually.  Just distracting.
>
> Maybe we should only display it if the shorthand is at least
> 2 chars shorter?

I made it a five-char limit.  I don't think it makes sense to recommend
not-very-mnemonic commands to users if they aren't significantly
shorter.  And the shortcuts can change depending on what's loaded, so...

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no

Message #23 received at 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
Cc: 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19013: 25.0.50; Suggestions for M-x commands
Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 20:41:05 +0100

By the way, there are things like

        (unless (or binding executing-kbd-macro (not (symbolp function))
                    (<= (length (symbol-name function)) 2))

in the code, and reading it, I don't understand the reason for the
`(not (symbolp function))' bit.  It seems like something should have
bugged out a lot earlier if `function' isn't a symbol?  Am I misreading
the code?

(Not to mention that `(unless (or ...))' is...  Doubleplusungood.)

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no

Message #30 received at 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Ivan Shmakov <ivan <at> siamics.net>
To: 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19013: 25.0.50; Suggestions for M-x commands 
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 07:14:52 +0000

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

>>>>> Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org> writes:

 > I just typed `M-x eww RET foo RET', and after displaying the search
 > results, Emacs helpfully said

 > You can run the command `eww' with M-x ew RET

 > I don't think that's particularly helpful, actually.  Just
 > distracting.

	And even more so, – M-x beginning-of-visual-line RET; then,
	after some time, – M-x <up> RET – the same message gets shown,
	even though M-x <up> is for sure shorter than M-x b-v.

	I believe there should be a variable to customize this behavior
	(say, suggest-shorter-command-limit; defaulting to 5, but with
	nil as an option to disable such suggestions altogether.)  As a
	workaround, I’ve simply disabled it entirely (see the patch
	MIMEd.)

-- 
FSF associate member #7257  np. Epilogue (Relief) — Apocalyptica    … 230E 334A

[Message part 2 (text/diff, inline)]

--- a/lisp/simple.el
+++ b/lisp/simple.el
@@ -1680,7 +1680,7 @@ defun execute-extended-command (prefixarg &optional command-name typed)
                       ((numberp suggest-key-bindings) suggest-key-bindings)
                       (t 2)))))
       (when (and waited (not (consp unread-command-events)))
-        (unless (or binding executing-kbd-macro (not (symbolp function))
+        (unless (or t binding executing-kbd-macro (not (symbolp function))
                     (<= (length (symbol-name function)) 2))
           ;; There's no binding for CMD.  Let's try and find the shortest
           ;; string to use in M-x.

Message #33 received at 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Ivan Shmakov <ivan <at> siamics.net>
To: 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
 19152 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, 19152-submitter <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19013: 25.0.50; Suggestions for M-x commands 
Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 11:50:45 +0000

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

>>>>> Ivan Shmakov <ivan <at> siamics.net> writes:

	(BTW, what about merging #19013 and #19152?)

[…]

 > M-x beginning-of-visual-line RET; then, after some time, – M-x <up>
 > RET – the same message gets shown, even though M-x <up> is for sure
 > shorter than M-x b-v.

 > I believe there should be a variable to customize this behavior
 > (say, suggest-shorter-command-limit; defaulting to 5, but with nil as
 > an option to disable such suggestions altogether.)  As a workaround,
 > I’ve simply disabled it entirely (see the patch MIMEd.)

	Please consider the patch MIMEd.

	* lisp/simple.el
	(suggest-shorter-command-limit): New customizable variable.
	(execute-extended-command--shorter): Respect
	`suggest-shorter-command-limit'.
	(execute-extended-command): Likewise.

-- 
FSF associate member #7257  np. Your Leaving — Jami Sieber   … B6A0 230E 334A

[Message part 2 (text/diff, inline)]

--- a/lisp/simple.el	2014-11-21 09:21:50 +0000
+++ b/lisp/simple.el	2014-11-23 11:34:08 +0000
@@ -1598,6 +1598,13 @@
                  (integer :tag "time" 2)
                  (other :tag "on")))
 
+(defcustom suggest-shorter-command-limit 5
+  "Only suggest the equivalent M-x invocation when shorter by this amount.
+If the value is nil, do not suggest shorter M-x key-bindings at all."
+  :group 'keyboard
+  :type '(choice (const :tag "off" nil)
+                 (integer :tag "characters")))
+
 (defun execute-extended-command--shorter-1 (name length)
   (cond
    ((zerop length) (list ""))
@@ -1623,7 +1630,7 @@ defun execute-extended-command--shorter (name typed)
                                       name len)))
                   ;; Don't show the help message if the binding isn't
                   ;; significantly shorter than the M-x command the user typed.
-                  (< len (- max 5))))
+                  (< len (- max suggest-shorter-command-limit))))
       (let ((candidate (pop candidates)))
         (when (equal name
                        (car-safe (completion-try-completion
@@ -1680,7 +1687,8 @@ defun execute-extended-command (prefixarg &optional command-name typed)
                       ((numberp suggest-key-bindings) suggest-key-bindings)
                       (t 2)))))
       (when (and waited (not (consp unread-command-events)))
-        (unless (or binding executing-kbd-macro (not (symbolp function))
+        (unless (or (not suggest-shorter-command-limit)
+                    binding executing-kbd-macro (not (symbolp function))
                     (<= (length (symbol-name function)) 2))
           ;; There's no binding for CMD.  Let's try and find the shortest
           ;; string to use in M-x.

Message #36 received at 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> IRO.UMontreal.CA>
To: Ivan Shmakov <ivan <at> siamics.net>
Cc: 19152-submitter <at> debbugs.gnu.org, 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
 19152 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19152: bug#19013: 25.0.50; Suggestions for M-x commands
Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 23:11:22 -0500

>> M-x beginning-of-visual-line RET; then, after some time, – M-x <up>
>> RET – the same message gets shown, even though M-x <up> is for sure
>> shorter than M-x b-v.

Sounds like a plain bug.

>> I believe there should be a variable to customize this behavior
>> (say, suggest-shorter-command-limit; defaulting to 5, but with nil as
>> an option to disable such suggestions altogether.)  As a workaround,
>> I’ve simply disabled it entirely (see the patch MIMEd.)

I don't think that's needed.


        Stefan

Message #39 received at 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Ivan Shmakov <ivan <at> siamics.net>
To: 19013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, 19152 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19152: 25.0.50; Suggestions for M-x commands 
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 07:01:56 +0000

>>>>> Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> IRO.UMontreal.CA> writes:

 >> M-x beginning-of-visual-line RET; then, after some time, – M-x <up>
 >> RET – the same message gets shown, even though M-x <up> is for sure
 >> shorter than M-x b-v.

 > Sounds like a plain bug.

	One more reason for the new features to provide a way for the
	user to opt out, – just in case they turn to be buggy.

	Frankly, I do not consider this feature helpful, and have no
	intent on fixing this particular issue in its implementation.

	If anything, I’d just live with the workaround I’ve provided
	earlier [1].

[1] http://debbugs.gnu.org/19013#msg30

 >> I believe there should be a variable to customize this behavior
 >> (say, suggest-shorter-command-limit; defaulting to 5, but with nil
 >> as an option to disable such suggestions altogether.)  As a
 >> workaround, I’ve simply disabled it entirely (see the patch MIMEd.)

 > I don't think that's needed.

	The mere fact that bug#19152 was filed suggests otherwise.

-- 
FSF associate member #7257  http://boycottsystemd.org/  … 3013 B6A0 230E 334A

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