GNU bug report logs - #41424
26.1; default-directory in *Completions* buffer

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

From: Omar Antolín Camarena <omar <at> matem.unam.mx>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 26.1; default-directory in *Completions* buffer
Date: Wed, 20 May 2020 12:49:23 -0500

There is a bit of logic in `complete-setup-function' (from simple.el) to set the default directory in the *Completions* buffer:

;; FIXME: This is a bad hack.  We try to set the default-directory
;; in the *Completions* buffer so that the relative file names
;; displayed there can be treated as valid file names, independently
;; from the completion context.  But this suffers from many problems:
;; - It's not clear when the completions are file names.  With some
;;   completion tables (e.g. bzr revision specs), the listed
;;   completions can mix file names and other things.
;; - It doesn't pay attention to possible quoting.
;; - With fancy completion styles, the code below will not always
;;   find the right base directory.
(if minibuffer-completing-file-name
    (file-name-as-directory
     (expand-file-name
      (buffer-substring (minibuffer-prompt-end)
                        (- (point) (or completion-base-size 0))))))

As the comment says, this is brittle, but better than nothing. I believe, however, that the `file-name-as-directory' is a typo and probably `file-name-directory' was intended instead.

Say you have a directory ~/foo with files baz and bar. If you are completing file names and have type ~/foo/b the completions are bar and baz. The most useful value for default-directory in the *Completions* buffer would be ~/foo/, but the current code sets it to the non-existent ~/foo/b/ instead. If `complete-setup-function' were changed to use `file-name-directory' instead, then the default-directory would be set to ~/foo/.

Of course, there is no correct default-directory in general. As the comment mentions, sometimes only some of the completions are file names, and even those completions that are file names need not all be in the same directory. But I think this change would make the default-directory useful in many more cases than it currently is: now it basically is only a good guess when what you've type so far is a directory name.

With my suggested fix it's still easy to get useless default-directories. For example with directories:

~/foo: bar baz
~/fez: bing boom

the partial-completion completion style will produce the following completions for ~/f/b:

fez/bing fez/boom foo/bar foo/baz

The most useful default-directory for the *Completions* buffer would be ~/, of course. The current code would give ~/f/b/ and my proposed "fix" would produce ~/f/

To my mind a good compromise would be to ignore all the possible fancy completion tables and focus on behavior that is correct for read-file-name under the partial-completion completion style. (In principle the most reasonable default-directory could be computed from just the contents of the *Completions* buffer, but it might be convenient to "cheat" and use the minibuffer contents, as the current `completion-setup-function' does --and if Emacs does "cheat", it would be good for the cheat to work with partial-completion of paths.)

But the above "good compromise" would take some work that I haven't carefully thought out. I think simply changing `file-name-directory' to `file-name-as-directory' would be a clear improvement with no reason not to do it.


In GNU Emacs 26.1 (build 1, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw3d scroll bars)
 of 2019-09-22, modified by Debian built on x86-grnet-01
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Message #10 received at 41424 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Omar Antolín Camarena <omar <at> matem.unam.mx>
Cc: 41424 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, 41412 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
 Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
Subject: Re: bug#41412: 27.0.90; Value of default directory in completions
 buffer
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2021 21:28:14 +0100

Omar Antolín Camarena <omar <at> matem.unam.mx> writes:

> There is a bit of logic in `complete-setup-function' (from simple.el)
> to set the default directory in the *Completions* buffer:
>
> ;; FIXME: This is a bad hack.  We try to set the default-directory
> ;; in the *Completions* buffer so that the relative file names
> ;; displayed there can be treated as valid file names, independently
> ;; from the completion context.  But this suffers from many problems:
> ;; - It's not clear when the completions are file names.  With some
> ;;   completion tables (e.g. bzr revision specs), the listed
> ;;   completions can mix file names and other things.
> ;; - It doesn't pay attention to possible quoting.
> ;; - With fancy completion styles, the code below will not always
> ;;   find the right base directory.
> (if minibuffer-completing-file-name
>     (file-name-as-directory
>      (expand-file-name
>       (buffer-substring (minibuffer-prompt-end)
>                         (- (point) (or completion-base-size 0))))))
>
> As the comment says, this is brittle, but better than nothing. I
> believe, however, that the `file-name-as-directory' is a typo and
> probably `file-name-directory' was intended instead.

I think that sounds likely.  The patch that introduced this code is
below, and it indeed changes the `file-name-directory' to
`file-name-as-directory' (among other things).

I've added Stafan M to the CCs -- was this done on purpose, or should we
go back to `file-name-directory' here?

diff --git a/lisp/simple.el b/lisp/simple.el
index 082605f659..13c75c4d7b 100644
--- a/lisp/simple.el
+++ b/lisp/simple.el
@@ -5851,20 +5851,22 @@ completion-root-regexp
 ;; after the text of the completion list buffer is written.
 (defun completion-setup-function ()
   (let* ((mainbuf (current-buffer))
-         (mbuf-contents (minibuffer-completion-contents))
-         common-string-length)
-    ;; When reading a file name in the minibuffer,
-    ;; set default-directory in the minibuffer
-    ;; so it will get copied into the completion list buffer.
-    (if minibuffer-completing-file-name
-	(with-current-buffer mainbuf
-	  (setq default-directory
-                (file-name-directory (expand-file-name mbuf-contents)))))
+         (base-dir
+          ;; When reading a file name in the minibuffer,
+          ;; try and find the right default-directory to set in the
+          ;; completion list buffer.
+          ;; FIXME: Why do we do that, actually?  --Stef
+          (if minibuffer-completing-file-name
+              (file-name-as-directory
+               (expand-file-name
+                (substring (minibuffer-completion-contents)
+                           0 (or completion-base-size 0)))))))
     (with-current-buffer standard-output
       (let ((base-size completion-base-size)) ;Read before killing localvars.
         (completion-list-mode)
         (set (make-local-variable 'completion-base-size) base-size))
       (set (make-local-variable 'completion-reference-buffer) mainbuf)
+      (if base-dir (setq default-directory base-dir))
       (unless completion-base-size
         ;; This shouldn't be needed any more, but further analysis is needed
         ;; to make sure it's the case.


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

Message #13 received at 41424 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: Omar Antolín Camarena <omar <at> matem.unam.mx>,
 41424 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, 41412 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
 Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Subject: Re: bug#41412: 27.0.90; Value of default directory in completions
 buffer
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2021 17:50:18 -0500

> I think that sounds likely.  The patch that introduced this code is
> below, and it indeed changes the `file-name-directory' to
> `file-name-as-directory' (among other things).

But it also changed a fair bit around it.  And the `substring` is quite different.
When I look at the history of this code,
30c7e54299fc81cd3122a17ef130ab69e9855f99 looks wrong.  In order not to
change the behavior, I suspect it should have been:

    (buffer-substring (minibuffer-prompt-end)
                      (+ (minibuffer-prompt-end) (or completion-base-size 0))))))))

and then 326fdb9ec05ab5e4aec0c7064272bb3d223e9875 looks wrong again
since it presumes that `completion-base-size` is nil whereas it usually
isn't/wasn't when completing files.


        Stefan

Message #16 received at 41424 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
Cc: Omar Antolín Camarena <omar <at> matem.unam.mx>,
 41424 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, 41412 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
 Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Subject: Re: bug#41412: 27.0.90; Value of default directory in completions
 buffer
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2021 19:47:11 +0100

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

>> I think that sounds likely.  The patch that introduced this code is
>> below, and it indeed changes the `file-name-directory' to
>> `file-name-as-directory' (among other things).
>
> But it also changed a fair bit around it.  And the `substring` is quite different.
> When I look at the history of this code,
> 30c7e54299fc81cd3122a17ef130ab69e9855f99 looks wrong.  In order not to
> change the behavior, I suspect it should have been:
>
>     (buffer-substring (minibuffer-prompt-end)
>                       (+ (minibuffer-prompt-end) (or completion-base-size 0))))))))
>
> and then 326fdb9ec05ab5e4aec0c7064272bb3d223e9875 looks wrong again
> since it presumes that `completion-base-size` is nil whereas it usually
> isn't/wasn't when completing files.

Aha.  But then what would the correct fix now?  I haven't tried the
proposed change (i.e., just change to `file-name-directory'), but it
sounds logical to me.  That is, if the user has typed "~/foo/bar/zo"
then use "~/foo/bar" as the default directory.

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

Message #19 received at 41424 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: Omar Antolín Camarena <omar <at> matem.unam.mx>,
 41424 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, 41412 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
 Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Subject: Re: bug#41412: 27.0.90; Value of default directory in completions
 buffer
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2021 17:00:00 -0500

> Aha.  But then what would the correct fix now?  I haven't tried the
> proposed change (i.e., just change to `file-name-directory'), but it
> sounds logical to me.  That is, if the user has typed "~/foo/bar/zo"
> then use "~/foo/bar" as the default directory.

I think the correct thing to do is to look at the `(cdr (last completions))`
where `completions` is what `completion-all-completions` returned.
That gives what used to be called `completion-base-size`.


        Stefan

Message #22 received at 41424 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
Cc: Omar Antolín Camarena <omar <at> matem.unam.mx>,
 41424 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, 41412 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
 Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Subject: Re: bug#41424: 26.1; default-directory in *Completions* buffer
Date: Mon, 09 May 2022 13:00:13 +0200

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

> I think the correct thing to do is to look at the `(cdr (last completions))`
> where `completions` is what `completion-all-completions` returned.
> That gives what used to be called `completion-base-size`.

The call sequence here seems to be somewhat convoluted, so I'm not sure
how to get at that.  But wouldn't just doing the following simple patch
fix the issue without regressing anything?


diff --git a/lisp/simple.el b/lisp/simple.el
index 861d9eefde..65b2a482e2 100644
--- a/lisp/simple.el
+++ b/lisp/simple.el
@@ -9495,9 +9495,11 @@ completion-setup-function
           ;; - With fancy completion styles, the code below will not always
           ;;   find the right base directory.
           (if minibuffer-completing-file-name
-              (file-name-as-directory
-               (expand-file-name
-                (buffer-substring (minibuffer-prompt-end) (point)))))))
+              (let ((file (expand-file-name
+                           (buffer-substring (minibuffer-prompt-end) (point)))))
+                (if (file-directory-p file)
+                    (file-name-as-directory file)
+                  (file-name-directory file))))))
     (with-current-buffer standard-output
       (let ((base-position completion-base-position)
             (base-affixes completion-base-affixes)


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

Message #27 received at 41424 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Karthik Chikmagalur <karthikchikmagalur <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 41424 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, 41412 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#41424: 26.1; default-directory in *Completions* buffer
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2022 15:07:31 +0200

Karthik Chikmagalur <karthikchikmagalur <at> gmail.com> writes:

> Steps to reproduce:
>
> 1. Start `emacs -Q'
> 2. C-x C-f to start finding a file
> 3. Enter a string (at least one character) and hit tab to pop up the
> completions buffer. Let's say this string was "test"
> 4. The completions buffer will have completions starting with
> "test". (We need at least one candidate).
> 5. C-h v default-directory
> 6. The value of `default-directory' in the completions buffer is set to
> "~/test/", or the current directory + whatever string the user entered
> into the minibuffer.

I can reproduce this in Emacs 28.1, but not in Emacs 29 now (but I could
a month ago), so it seems like this has been fixed recently, and I'm
therefore closing this bug report.  If this problem is still present (it
may be that my test cases doesn't cover all the possibilities), please
respond to the debbugs address and we'll reopen.

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

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