Re: Preventing sorting in completers

[Peter Stephenson <pws@xxxxxxx>]

Peter Stephenson wrote:
> I suspect what we want to do is test for an explicitly set sort style in
> _description and used that to override the default.  Then we can all
> forget about tweaking the functions.

For example, the following very lightly tested function where I've tried
not to screw up _expand but fell into apathy at the thought of actually
testing whether I had.

I think this makes the direct use in _history redundant.

Index: Completion/Base/Core/_description
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/zsh/zsh/Completion/Base/Core/_description,v
retrieving revision 1.4
diff -u -r1.4 _description
--- Completion/Base/Core/_description	12 Feb 2002 13:37:03 -0000	1.4
+++ Completion/Base/Core/_description	14 Jul 2003 16:38:30 -0000
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #autoload
 
-local name gropt nopt xopt format gname hidden hide match opts tag
+local name gropt nopt xopt format gname hidden hide match opts tag sort
 
 opts=()
 
@@ -30,6 +30,16 @@
 zstyle -s ":completion:${curcontext}:$1" matcher match &&
     opts=($opts -M "$match")
 [[ -n "$_matcher" ]] && opts=($opts -M "$_matcher")
+
+# Use sort style, but ignore `menu' value to help _expand.
+if zstyle -s ":completion:${curcontext}:$1" sort sort &&
+    [[ $sort != menu ]]; then
+    if [[ "$sort" = (yes|true|1|on) ]]; then
+	gropt=(-J)
+    else
+	gropt=(-V)
+    fi
+fi
 
 if [[ -z "$_comp_no_ignore" ]]; then
   zstyle -a ":completion:${curcontext}:$1" ignored-patterns _comp_ignore ||
Index: Doc/Zsh/compsys.yo
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/zsh/zsh/Doc/Zsh/compsys.yo,v
retrieving revision 1.171
diff -u -r1.171 compsys.yo
--- Doc/Zsh/compsys.yo	7 Jul 2003 09:48:46 -0000	1.171
+++ Doc/Zsh/compsys.yo	14 Jul 2003 16:38:30 -0000
@@ -2162,12 +2162,19 @@
 )
 kindex(sort, completion style)
 item(tt(sort))(
-If set to `true', completing words from the command
-history sorts the words alphabetically instead of
+Many completion widgets call tt(_description) at some point which
+decides whether the matches are added sorted or unsorted (often
+indirectly via tt(_wanted) or tt(_requested)).  This style can be set
+explicitly to one of the usual true or false values as an override.
+If it is not set for the context, the standard behaviour of the
+calling widget is used.
+
+When completing words from the command
+history, if set to `true' the words are sorted alphabetically instead of
 keeping them in the order in which they appear in the history (from
 youngest to oldest).
 
-This is also used by the tt(_expand) completer. If it is set to
+In the tt(_expand) completer, if it is set to
 `true', the expansions generated will always be sorted.  If it is set
 to `tt(menu)', then the expansions are only sorted when they are offered 
 as single strings but not in the string containing all possible


-- 
Peter Stephenson <pws@xxxxxxx>                  Software Engineer
CSR Ltd., Science Park, Milton Road,
Cambridge, CB4 0WH, UK                          Tel: +44 (0)1223 692070


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