: [[image:iciclesimage]] || *Previous:* [[Icicles - Traversing Minibuffer Histories]] || '''[[Icicles]]''' || IciclesIndex || *Next:* [[Icicles - Expanded-Common-Match Completion]] || ---- == Apropos Completions == Besides the prefix completion that is carried out by `TAB', and which is similar to vanilla Emacs completion, '''Icicles''' offers another way to complete your partial input in the [[minibuffer]]. This is similar in effect to using command `apropos' to find the "apropos completions" of a string (except it works also for file and [[buffer]] names), so that's the term I use for this: '''[::apropos completion]'''. Just as with prefix [[completion]], '''Icicles''' lets you cycle among the apropos candidates. To do this, you use keys `next' and `prior' (labeled ##PageDown## and ##PageUp## on many keyboards). The root that was completed is ''underlined'' in the minibuffer completion candidate. For example, suppose you use `M-x' to enter a [[command]]. You do not remember the exact command name, but it has something to do with [[line]]s, so you type `M-x line', then hit `next' repeatedly until you see the right "line" command -- `transpose-lines', perhaps. Vanilla prefix completion does not find this command, because "line" is not a prefix of "transpose-lines". Because `M-x' expects a command name, only command names are inserted into the minibuffer as the apropos-completion candidates for `M-x'. Likewise, in other contexts, where names of other kinds of object are expected, apropos completion inserts only names of objects of the appropriate type. Prefix completion works the same way. For example, using `next' and `prior' with `C-x b at' lets you cycle through all buffers (such as `*scratch*') that have "at" in their name -- only [[buffer]] names appear as candidates. As an alternative to using `next' to cycle forward, you can hit '''`S-TAB'''' (`S-tab') repeatedly. Similarly, for prefix completion you can repeat `TAB' to cycle forward. If you prefer, you can think of "apropos completion" as `S-TAB' completion (but you can change which key effects it. See [[Icicles - Nutshell View#PrefixAndAproposCompletion|Prefix And Apropos Completion]]. Apropos completion uses a '''''regular expression''''' ([[regexp]]) as its input string. You can type `##M-x \bes##', for instance, to find commands with "es" at the start of a word within the command name (`##\b##' matches the start of a word). It will find `'''''es'''''##hell-test##' and `##color-theme-blue##-'''''es'''''##hell##', but not `count-lines' -- "es" does not start a word in `count-lines'. Similarly, for file names, buffer names, and so on. What if you want to see the list of all completion candidates that match the minibuffer input? Instead of cycling candidates blindly, just hit `S-TAB' (Shift TAB) at any time to display the matching candidates in pop-up buffer `*Completions*'. This is analogous to `TAB' for prefix completion. (The documentation always refers to the [[key]] that performs apropos completion as `S-TAB'. Actually, it is `S-TAB' only by default. You can customize it, using [[option]] '''`[[Icicles - Customization and General Tips#icicle-apropos-complete-keys|icicle-apropos-complete-keys]]''''.) Everything said in [[Icicles - Cycling Completions]] about the `*Completions*' buffer for prefix completion is also true for apropos completion. It is updated to reflect the current set of matching candidates, and the current completion is highlighted. The root that was completed is highlighted within each candidate (first occurrence only). Root highlighting is more important in the case of apropos completion, because the match position is different in different candidates. In the case of apropos completion, the root is not the input string, taken literally, but the part of a candidate that the input matches. See [[Icicles - Completions Display]] for additional ways to use the minibuffer with `*Completions*'. Regexp matching one of the ''most powerful'' features of '''Icicles'''. ''Enjoy! Explore!'' You can at any time switch back and forth between prefix completion (`end', `home'), apropos completion (`next', `prior'), and input history traversal (`M-n', `M-p'). Here is a screenshot showing apropos completion and cycling in the minibuffer. It corresponds to input `M-x minib S-TAB' followed by hitting `next' several times. [[image:iciclesscreenshot]] This screenshot shows several '''Icicles''' features: * Input `minib' was completed to the expanded common match among all candidates, `minibuffer' (not shown, because of subsequent candidate cycling). * The expanded common match is underlined in the minibuffer and highlighted in magenta in buffer `*Completions*'. What your input regexp matched (just `minib' in this case) is highlighted in red in `*Completions*'. * Candidate cycling replaced `minibuffer' in the minibuffer with one possible candidate: `insert-in-minibuffer'. * The current completion candidate during cycling is highlighted in cyan in buffer `*Completions*'. * Whenever you reverse the cycle direction, [[Icicles - Icompletion | icompletion]] lets you know how many other candidates there are (especially useful when you do ''not'' display buffer `*Completions*'). '''See also:''' * [[Icicles - Cycling Completions]] for information on cycling candidates * [[Icicles - Expanded-Common-Match Completion]] for information on the expanded common match among candidates * [[Icicles - Icompletion]] for information on icompletion * [[Icicles - Completions Display]] for additional ways to use the minibuffer with `*Completions*' ---- || *Previous:* [[Icicles - Traversing Minibuffer Histories]] || '''[[Icicles]]''' || IciclesIndex || *Next:* [[Icicles - Expanded-Common-Match Completion]] || DrewsElispLibraries referenced here: Lisp:icicles.el, Lisp:icomplete+.el CategoryCommands CategoryCompletion CategoryRegexp CategoryDocumentation CategoryHelp CategoryProgrammerUtils