Re: a suggested solution for better external' completion in certain emacs modes

[Nic Ferrier]

Kai Grossjohann <address@hidden> writes:

> Nic Ferrier <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> What rms is saying is that one could adapt the current Readline
>> communication channel to break out of the normal reading and switch
>> into the new mode. Maybe he's right. I'm not sure if it wouldn't be
>> more complicated to manage the state of the current line once commands
>> were being sent.
>
> For Emacs interaction, the normal mode might not be needed at all.
> WDYT?

That's right.


> The command-oriented mode could provide a special command to accept
> and process a line.

That's right. That was the idea.


But rms was suggesting that Readline already has all the functionality
for receiving lines (/8-) but a breakout might be useful to allow
Emacs to collect completions (and maybe history).

The trouble is how do you keep it all synchronized?


The user is entering a line in Emacs, with the text being sent to the
process so that Readline can see it in the normal way. So far she's
typed:

   select * from 

and now she presses C-TAB. Emacs has to ask Readline to do completion
of the current line and get the completions back. How does it do this?

Some quote thing could be sent, followed by a command. I guess what
Realine would have to do is:

- stop associating the input stream with the current line
- read the command
- execute the command
- respond with the output (delimitted in some way, maybe sexps?)
- go back to associating the input stream with the current line


So that might work.

But what quote to use?


-- 
Nic Ferrier
http://www.tapsellferrier.co.uk