GNU bug report logs - #48013
28.0.50; `icomplete-vertical-mode` does not support annotations/affixations

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

From: Daniel Mendler <mail <at> daniel-mendler.de>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Cc: gregory <at> heytings.org
Subject: 28.0.50; `icomplete-vertical-mode` does not support
 annotations/affixations
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2021 11:36:02 +0200

The recently introduced `icomplete-vertical-mode` does not yet support
annotations as provided by `annotation/affixation-function`. Thanks to
the vertical UI, there is plenty of space to show annotations. Many
other vertical UIs already offer support, e.g., Ivy, Vertico,
external Icomplete-vertical (by Omar Antolín Camarena), etc. Is support
for annotations planned in `icomplete-vertical-mode`?

Message #8 received at 48013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Gregory Heytings <gregory <at> heytings.org>
To: Daniel Mendler <mail <at> daniel-mendler.de>
Cc: 48013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#48013: 28.0.50; `icomplete-vertical-mode` does not support
 annotations/affixations
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2021 09:49:49 +0000

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

>
> The recently introduced `icomplete-vertical-mode` does not yet support 
> annotations as provided by `annotation/affixation-function`. Thanks to 
> the vertical UI, there is plenty of space to show annotations. Many 
> other vertical UIs already offer support, e.g., Ivy, Vertico, external 
> Icomplete-vertical (by Omar Antolín Camarena), etc. Is support for 
> annotations planned in `icomplete-vertical-mode`?
>

Thanks for your bug report.  Yes, it was planned, although this wasn't a 
top priority until your bug report arrived.  It has now moved a bit closer 
to the top of the stack ;-)

Message #11 received at 48013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Daniel Mendler <mail <at> daniel-mendler.de>
To: Gregory Heytings <gregory <at> heytings.org>
Cc: 48013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#48013: 28.0.50; `icomplete-vertical-mode` does not support
 annotations/affixations
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2021 12:09:19 +0200

On 4/25/21 11:49 AM, Gregory Heytings wrote:
> Thanks for your bug report.  Yes, it was planned, although this wasn't a 
> top priority until your bug report arrived.  It has now moved a bit 
> closer to the top of the stack ;-)

That's good to hear. You are probably aware of this - it is important to 
annotate only the visible candidates, I think Omar's icomplete-vertical 
implementation originally called all annotators, which lead to a 
significant slowdown.

Thank you for working on this!

Message #14 received at 48013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Daniel Mendler <mail <at> daniel-mendler.de>
To: João Távora <joaotavora <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 48013 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] (icomplete-vertical-mode): Add support for affixations
 and, annotations
Date: Sun, 23 May 2021 13:10:00 +0200

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

On 5/23/21 11:37 AM, João Távora wrote:
> Can you give a visual example of what it looks like for a given completion
> table, ...

I attached two screenshots:

- M-x
- `describe-symbol` if `completions-detailed` is set

The layout is the same as in the usual *Completions* buffer, when
`completions-format` is set to `one-column`.

> ...along with the changes to the completion table code to take
> advantage of the new interface?

See for example `help--symbol-completion-table-affixation` in
help-fns.el or `read-extended-command--affixation` in simple.el.

There are more `annotation-function`s/`affixation-function`s present in
the Emacs code base if you grep.

See also minibuffer.el for the implementation for the *Completions* buffer.

> It seems that neither affixation or annotation were present in non-vertical
> icomplete.el before your patch.  Do you have an idea why?  Should they
> be added there, too?

There is not enough space in the vertical display. The only
annotations/affixations which would make sense are single character
annotations, maybe icons. But people who like the compact Ido/Icomplete
horizontal style probably would not want this additional noise.
Furthermore it makes the completions harder to read since you get
prefix-completion-suffix, prefix-completion-suffix, where everything is
mixed up. This is different from the vertical mode, where annotations
and candidates are visually separate and easier to distinguish.

Daniel

[describe-symbol.png (image/png, attachment)]

[Mx.png (image/png, attachment)]

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