Re: Word completion in text modes

[Eshel Yaron]

Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

>> From: Eshel Yaron <me@eshelyaron.com>
>> Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org
>> Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2023 16:53:28 +0100
>>
>> `ispell-complete-word` reuses the spell correction UI of `ispell-word`
>> for word completion.  That's something that I wouldn't necessarily try
>> to port over to `completion-at-point` for compatibility sake, as we now
>> have various proper completion (not spell correction) interfaces that
>> were not available when `ispell-complete-word` came about.
>
> If we don't preserve that UI, we will be making an incompatible
> change, which from my POV is undesirable.  It doesn't matter whether
> we like or dislike the ispell UI for this: compatibility means just
> that.  We could make the old UI an opt-in behavior, but tossing it
> altogether is not something I'd welcome.

I think we mostly agree then, because I didn't suggest tossing the old
UI anywhere.  To opt-in to the old behavior, you'd say:

  (keymap-set text-mode-map "C-M-i" #'ispell-complete-word)

That seems to me like a simple enough tip for users that we could appear
in a NEWS entry.  Does that sound reasonable?

>> Either way it'd be compatible in the sense that you get the same
>> completions, and `ispell-complete-word` wouldn't go anywhere so
>> users could rebind it if they really want to.
>
> That is not compatibility in my book, sorry.  We should actually offer
> a very similar or identical UI.

Yes, I wonder just wonder how should we offer that UI.  Doesn't keeping
the command around for users to make use of cover it?  Or do you mean
there should be some user option for selecting the word completion UI?