Re: Feature request : Tab-completion for 'shell-comand'

[Juri Linkov]

>> Yes, these messages overwrite the minibuffer, but instead of temporarily
>> redefining the function `message' as in shell-command.el, it would be
>> better to fix comint.el and shell.el to not display completion messages
>> when the minibuffer is active.  These files already contain places where
>> this check is done this way:
>
>>     (unless (window-minibuffer-p (selected-window))
>>       (message "Completing file name..."))
>
> I think that when the minibuffer is active, we should still output
> a message, only differently (as does minibuffer-message).  Maybe just
> using minibuffer-message (and changing it so it uses plain "message"
> when the minibuffer is not active) would do the trick.

It turns out that `minibuffer-message' doesn't help in this particular case:
after typing TAB on the command name in the minibuffer it displays

Shell command: ema [Completing command name...]

then waits 2 sec and displays another message

Shell command: emacs [Type space to flush; repeat completion command to scroll]

then again waits 2 sec and displays

Shell command: emacs [Partially completed]

After typing more and typing TAB

Shell command: emacs22 [Completing command name...]

waits 2 sec and displays

Shell command: emacs22 [Type space to flush; repeat completion command to 
scroll]

again waits 2 sec and displays

Shell command: emacs22 [Completed]

This delay for 2 sec is unbearable.  I think comint.el messages were not
designed to be helpful in the minibuffer.  So we should decide which
comint.el messages are necessary in the minibuffer and which are not,
and change unnecessary ones to display conditionally depending on
whether the minibuffer is active or not.

-- 
Juri Linkov
http://www.jurta.org/emacs/