vertico.texi

\input texinfo    @c -*- texinfo -*-
@c %**start of header
@setfilename vertico.info
@settitle vertico.el - VERTical Interactive COmpletion
@documentencoding UTF-8
@documentlanguage en
@c %**end of header

@dircategory Emacs
@direntry
* Vertico: (vertico).   VERTical Interactive COmpletion.
@end direntry

@finalout
@titlepage
@title vertico.el - VERTical Interactive COmpletion
@author Daniel Mendler
@end titlepage

@contents

@ifnottex
@node Top
@top vertico.el - VERTical Interactive COmpletion
@end ifnottex

@menu
* Introduction::
* Features::
* Configuration::
* Keymap::
* Complementary packages::
* Alternatives::
@end menu

@node Introduction
@chapter Introduction

This package provides a minimalistic vertical completion UI, which is based on
the default completion system. By reusing the default system, Vertico achieves
full compatibility with built-in Emacs commands and completion tables. Vertico
is pretty bare-bone and only provides a minimal set of commands. The code base
is less than 500 lines of code. Additional optional enhancements can be provided
externally by complementary packages.

@uref{https://github.com/minad/vertico/blob/main/screenshot.svg?raw=true}

@node Features
@chapter Features

@itemize
@item
Vertical display with arrow key navigation
@item
Shows the index of the current candidate and the total number of candidates
@item
The current candidate is inserted with @samp{TAB} and selected with @samp{RET}
@item
Non-existing candidates are entered by moving the point to the prompt line
@item
Candidates are sorted by history, string length and alphabetically
@item
Long candidates with newlines are formatted to take up less space
@item
Support for @code{annotation-function}, @code{affixation-function} and @code{x-group-function}
@end itemize

@node Configuration
@chapter Configuration

Vertico is available from @uref{http://elpa.gnu.org/packages/vertico.html, GNU ELPA}, such that it can be installed directly via
@code{package-install}. After installation, the global minor mode can be enabled with
@samp{M-x vertico-mode}. In order to configure Vertico and other packages in your
init.el, you may want to use @code{use-package}. Here is an example configuration:

@lisp
;; Enable vertico
(use-package vertico
  :init
  (vertico-mode))

;; Use the `orderless' completion style.
;; Enable `partial-completion' for files to allow path expansion.
;; You may prefer to use `initials' instead of `partial-completion'.
(use-package orderless
  :init
  (setq completion-styles '(orderless)
        completion-category-defaults nil
        completion-category-overrides '((file (styles . (partial-completion))))))

;; A few more useful configurations...
(use-package emacs
  :init
  ;; Add prompt indicator to `completing-read-multiple'.
  (defun crm-indicator (args)
    (cons (concat "[CRM] " (car args)) (cdr args)))
  (advice-add #'completing-read-multiple :filter-args #'crm-indicator)

  ;; Grow and shrink minibuffer
  ;;(setq resize-mini-windows t)

  ;; Do not allow the cursor in the minibuffer prompt
  (setq minibuffer-prompt-properties
        '(read-only t cursor-intangible t face minibuffer-prompt))
  (add-hook 'minibuffer-setup-hook #'cursor-intangible-mode)

  ;; Enable recursive minibuffers
  (setq enable-recursive-minibuffers t))
@end lisp

@node Keymap
@chapter Keymap

Vertico defines its own local keymap in the minibuffer which is derived from
@code{minibuffer-local-map}. The keymap mostly keeps the @code{fundamental-mode}
keybindings intact, but rebinds a few commands. Note in particular the binding
of @samp{TAB} to @code{vertico-insert} and the bindings of @code{vertico-exit/exit-input}.

@itemize
@item
@code{beginning-of-buffer}, @code{minibuffer-beginning-of-buffer} -> @code{vertico-beginning-of-buffer}
@item
@code{end-of-buffer} -> @code{vertico-end-of-buffer}
@item
@code{scroll-down-command} -> @code{vertico-scroll-down}
@item
@code{scroll-up-command} -> @code{vertico-scroll-up}
@item
@code{next-line}, @code{next-line-or-history-element} -> @code{vertico-next}
@item
@code{previous-line}, @code{previous-line-or-history-element} -> @code{vertico-previous}
@item
@code{exit-minibuffer} -> @code{vertico-exit}
@item
@code{kill-ring-save} -> @code{vertico-save}
@item
@samp{<C-return>} -> @code{vertico-exit-input}
@item
@samp{TAB} -> @code{vertico-insert}
@end itemize

Note that none of the bindings of the @code{minibuffer-local-completion-map} are
bound by default. If you prefer to have the default completion commands a key
press away you may want to add a few bindings. Then the default completion
commands will work as usual. For example you can use @samp{M-TAB} to cycle between
candidates if you have set @code{completion-cycle-threshold}.

@lisp
(define-key vertico-map "?" #'minibuffer-completion-help)
(define-key vertico-map "\M-\r" #'minibuffer-force-complete-and-exit)
(define-key vertico-map "\M-\t" #'minibuffer-complete)
@end lisp

If Vertico is active, you may want to disable the automatic @samp{*Completions*}
buffer by setting @code{completion-auto-help} to @code{nil} and make TAB-completion less
noisy by setting @code{completion-show-inline-help} to @code{nil}.

@lisp
(advice-add #'vertico--setup :after
            (lambda (&rest _)
              (setq-local completion-auto-help nil
                          completion-show-inline-help nil)))
@end lisp

@node Complementary packages
@chapter Complementary packages

Vertico works well together with a few complementary packages, which enrich the
completion UI@. These packages are fully supported:

@itemize
@item
@uref{https://github.com/minad/marginalia, Marginalia}: Rich annotations in the minibuffer
@item
@uref{https://github.com/minad/consult, Consult}: Many useful search and navigation commands
@item
@uref{https://github.com/oantolin/embark, Embark}: Minibuffer actions and context menu
@item
@uref{https://github.com/oantolin/orderless, Orderless}: Advanced completion style
@end itemize

@node Alternatives
@chapter Alternatives

There are many alternative completion UIs, each UI with its own advantages and
disadvantages. The @uref{https://github.com/raxod502/selectrum, Selectrum readme} provides an extensive comparison of many
available completion systems from the perspective of Selectrum.

Vertico aims to be fully compliant with all Emacs commands and achieves that
with a minimal code base, relying purely on @code{completing-read} while avoiding to
invent its own APIs. Inventing a custom API as Helm or Ivy is explicitly avoided
in order to increase flexibility and package reuse.

Since Vertico only provides the UI, you may want to combine it with some of the
complementary packages, to give a full-featured completion experience similar to
Ivy. Vertico is targeted at users interested in crafting their Emacs precisely
to their liking - completion plays an integral part in how the users interacts
with Emacs. There are at least two other interactive completion UIs, which
follow a similar philosophy:

@itemize
@item
@uref{https://github.com/raxod502/selectrum, Selectrum}: If you are looking for a less minimalistic and more full-featured
(but also more complex) package, you may be interested in Selectrum, which
provides a similar UI as Vertico. Additionally Selectrum supports Avy-style
quick keys, a horizontal display and a configurable buffer display.
@item
@uref{https://github.com/oantolin/icomplete-vertical, Icomplete-vertical}: This package enhances the Emacs builtin Icomplete with a
vertical display. In contrast to Vertico, the candidates are rotated such that
the current candidate always appears at the top. From my perspective,
candidate rotation feels a bit less intuitive than the UI provided by Vertico
or Selectrum.
@end itemize

@bye