Re: Poll: Change xref-show-definitions-function's default?

[Dmitry Gutov]

On 07.01.2021 19:47, Juri Linkov wrote:
> > > I'm afraid the default of xref-show-definitions-function can't be changed
> > > to xref-show-definitions-completing-read because as this poll indicates
> > > it works satisfactorily only in combination with icomplete-mode and
> > > also non-nil icomplete-show-matches-on-no-input.
> >
> > What about xref-show-definitions-buffer-at-bottom, then?
>
> Sorry, I have no opinion about xref-show-definitions-buffer-at-bottom,
> I'm using xref-show-definitions-completing-read with icomplete.

It's all right.

But at the moment, very few users have expressed their preference one 
way or another, which doesn't give me much to work with.

Guess we can try out the strategy discussed in another thread: announce 
the "temporary" switch in the default and collect the impressions a few 
weeks later.

> > > > Then we can safely remove/change the TAB binding in xref--xref-buffer-mode,
> > > > or alternatively, create a new major mode that is slightly more Grep-like,
> > > > and use it in the default xref-show-xrefs-function.
> > > Maybe a new submode could help to resolve this discrepancy.
> >
> > Yes, that's the second option I meant.
>
> Maybe the TAB keybinding should depend on the value of
> xref-show-definitions-function.  When it is customized to
> xref-show-definitions-completing-read then don't bind TAB.

Aside from an effect like that being non-obvious, I'm afraid that can't 
help most of our users, who will likely stay on the default. Someone who 
changes their xref-show-definitions-function might as well change the 
bindings too, right? It's only a few lines in the init script.

It will also fail to help users who customize their 
xref-show-definitions-function to some other value (e.g. based on Ivy or 
Helm).

But if the change in the default fails, we'll go back and consider other 
options from bug#44611's discussion.