Add flag to select single result immediately (revisit issue #27)

[stephentalley]

Issue 27 (#27) requested a --select-single
option to fzf to automatically select a match if there is only one.

While a workaround was provided, I think this is a common enough use case with a complex enough workaround to merit addition of the actual option.

I am using the fq1() workaround heavily, both in the shell but also in vimscript. Having to duplicate this in two places makes me wish I could just simplify both cases to a single --select-single argument.

Besides improving usability, not having to invoke fzf twice (as the workaround does) would preclude having to move large result sets around in memory and across processes, and save a second invocation of the fzf process. That could have a noticeable performance/memory improvement in some cases.

It may make sense to combine this with a --select-zero option to exit if no matches are found.

[junegunn]

I've given some thought about it over time, and have come to agree with the need for the option. You have nicely summarized the reasoning behind this. I'll keep you updated on the progress.

[junegunn]

Okay, now we have --select-1 and --exit-0 option (or -1 and -0 respectively).
I've also updated fe example on the README page.
Could you update fzf and check if it works for you? Let me know if you see any problem.

(/cc @wellle)

[wellle]

👍 Looks great. I will upgrade soon.

[stephentalley]

Wow, thanks for the quick response, Junegunn!

A few suggestions:

• -1 should probably work regardless of whether --query is passed. That
  will allow the user to automatically select the only choice if
  $FZF_DEFAULT_COMMAND produces only one item.
• -0 should probably also work regardless of whether --query is passed.
  This will allow the user to avoid having to quit out of a useless fzf
  session if no results were produced by $FZF_DEFAULT_COMMAND.
• Consider returning 0 when exiting with the -0 option (it currently
  exits with 1) to distinguish it from the case where there were several
  matches, but the user pressed CTRL-C/ESC to exit the finder (which also
  exits with 1).

Thanks again, this is a great utility!

Steve

On Wed, Apr 2, 2014 at 8:51 AM, Christian Wellenbrock <
notifications@github.com> wrote:

[image: 👍] Looks great. I will upgrade soon.

Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com//issues/36#issuecomment-39325787
.

[junegunn]

Ah, those are great suggestions. I've changed their behavior as suggested. Thanks!

[stephentalley]

Fantastic! Thanks again for putting together such a useful utility!

On Wed, Apr 2, 2014 at 12:08 PM, Junegunn Choi notifications@github.comwrote:

Ah, those are great suggestions. I've changed their behavior as suggested.
Thanks!

Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com//issues/36#issuecomment-39349413
.

[wellle]

Works great!