Search box in conflict/split editor

[thomasa88]

I created a draft implementation/suggestion for an (incremental) search box in the split/conflict editor in jj (scm-diff-editor). It shows up at the bottom.

Instructions below for if you want to try it out:

Install

cargo install --git=https://github.com/thomasa88/
scm-record.git --branch=search-space-merge --bin=scm-diff-editor --locked

jj config

[merge-tools.scm-diff-editor]
edit-args = ["--dir-diff", "$left", "$right"]
merge-args = ["--dir-diff", "$left", "$base", "$right","-b","$base", "-o", "$output"]

Use

jj split --tool scm-diff-editor
jj restore --tool scm-diff-editor

ctrl-s: search forward
ctrl-r: search backwards
ctrl-g/esc: cancel search
ctrl-space: works as the space hotkey when searching

edit: Add merge-args

[thomasa88]

I forgot to link the upstream PR: arxanas/scm-record#145

I have been playing around a bit with this and not being able to confirm when in search mode is annoying. I thought about adding ctrl to confirm, but ctrl-c is not a good hotkey as it is used for killing terminal programs.

Another idea might be to have it more like less: /<word> followed by to get into search mode. Then searching up and down using N and n respectively.
A drawback with that is that the incremental search is no longer available. 🤔

I guess ctrl-enter could be made as an alternative key to confirm otherwise. 🤔 edit: ctrl-enter is special and cannot be detected :/

[JohnDowson]

I'm not sure I understand what do you mean by "incremental search"?

[thomasa88]

As you type, the marking keeps moving forward to find a match. Emacs, VS code and Firefox does this.

Programs that don't have this are less and Windows notepad (at least last time I looked). You input query and the hit "find" - it does not automatically start moving the cursor to the first match.

[JohnDowson]

Oh, that. I believe this actually originates in vi(m), and it actually has a form of this behavior, where it doesn't immediately start moving the cursor all over, but starts highlighting matches if there are any on in view.

Generally I would consider it to be a misfeature to have a pager start jumping all over the document before I am finished typing.

[joyously]

Generally I would consider it to be a misfeature to have a pager start jumping all over

Plus one on this. I've been using gedit on some code and it does this. It's very annoying, but at least it goes back to where I started if I cancel the search.