Some sub-commands can't be completed by TAB key.

Some sub-commands can't be completed by TAB key.

[Hongyi Zhao]

On Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS, I use the following git version installed from
its apt repository:

$ git --version
git version 2.25.1

I find that there are some  sub-commands can't be completed by TAB key:

$ git <TAB>
add               cherry-pick       fetch             latexdiff
 pull              restore           status
am                citool            format-patch      log
 push              revert            submodule
apply             clean             fsck              merge
 range-diff        rm                switch
archive           clone             gc                mergetool
 rebase            send-email        tag
bisect            commit            gitk              mv
 reflog            shortlog          whatchanged
blame             config            grep              nbdiffdriver
 remote            show              worktree
branch            deborig           gui               nbdifftool
 repack            show-branch
bundle            describe          help              nbmergedriver
 replace           sparse-checkout
checkout          diff              init              nbmergetool
 request-pull      stage
cherry            difftool          instaweb          notes
 reset             stash

As you can see, there are some sub-commands which are not listed in
the above list, for example, the following ones:

$ git ls-remote
$ git ls-files

Any hints for this problem?

Regards
-- 
Assoc. Prof. Hongyi Zhao <hongyi.zhao@gmail.com>
Theory and Simulation of Materials
Hebei Vocational University of Technology and Engineering
No. 473, Quannan West Street, Xindu District, Xingtai, Hebei province

Re: Some sub-commands can't be completed by TAB key.

[Johannes Sixt]

Am 22.01.22 um 09:42 schrieb Hongyi Zhao:
> I find that there are some  sub-commands can't be completed by TAB key:
> 
> $ git <TAB>
> add               cherry-pick       fetch             latexdiff
> [...]
> As you can see, there are some sub-commands which are not listed in
> the above list, for example, the following ones:
> 
> $ git ls-remote
> $ git ls-files
> 
> Any hints for this problem?

Tab completion is only available for user-facing sub-commands
("porcelain"), but not for sub-commands intended for scripting
("plumbing"). The intent is to make tab completion more efficient during
day-to-day work on the command line. For example,

   $ git l<TAB>

arrives at

   $ git log <cursor here>

instead of

   log     ls-files     ls-remote     ls-tree
   $ git l<cursor here>

-- Hannes

Re: Some sub-commands can't be completed by TAB key.

[Hongyi Zhao]

On Sat, Jan 22, 2022 at 10:47 PM Johannes Sixt <j6t@kdbg.org> wrote:
>
> Am 22.01.22 um 09:42 schrieb Hongyi Zhao:
> > I find that there are some  sub-commands can't be completed by TAB key:
> >
> > $ git <TAB>
> > add               cherry-pick       fetch             latexdiff
> > [...]
> > As you can see, there are some sub-commands which are not listed in
> > the above list, for example, the following ones:
> >
> > $ git ls-remote
> > $ git ls-files
> >
> > Any hints for this problem?
>
> Tab completion is only available for user-facing sub-commands
> ("porcelain"), but not for sub-commands intended for scripting
> ("plumbing"). The intent is to make tab completion more efficient during
> day-to-day work on the command line. For example,

But there are so many git sub-commands, so if the plumbing feature is
supported, it will facilitate user to check the availability of some
sub-commands.

>    $ git l<TAB>
>
> arrives at
>
>    $ git log <cursor here>

I see the following:

$ git l<TAB>
latexdiff   log

> instead of
>
>    log     ls-files     ls-remote     ls-tree
>    $ git l<cursor here>
>
> -- Hannes

Re: Some sub-commands can't be completed by TAB key.

[Philippe Blain]

Hi Hongyi,

Le 2022-01-22 à 19:38, Hongyi Zhao a écrit :
> On Sat, Jan 22, 2022 at 10:47 PM Johannes Sixt <j6t@kdbg.org> wrote:
>>
>> Am 22.01.22 um 09:42 schrieb Hongyi Zhao:
>>> I find that there are some  sub-commands can't be completed by TAB key:
>>>
>>> $ git <TAB>
>>> add               cherry-pick       fetch             latexdiff
>>> [...]
>>> As you can see, there are some sub-commands which are not listed in
>>> the above list, for example, the following ones:
>>>
>>> $ git ls-remote
>>> $ git ls-files
>>>
>>> Any hints for this problem?
>>
>> Tab completion is only available for user-facing sub-commands
>> ("porcelain"), but not for sub-commands intended for scripting
>> ("plumbing"). The intent is to make tab completion more efficient during
>> day-to-day work on the command line. For example,
> 
> But there are so many git sub-commands, so if the plumbing feature is
> supported, it will facilitate user to check the availability of some
> sub-commands.

If what you want to do is "check the availability" of some sub-command,
you can simply do 'git <subcommand> -h', for example, and see if Git recognizes
the subcommand. 

If you mean discovering Git commands, you can use 'git help -a', which will list
all commands, including pluming commands.

If you want to customize the Bash completion so that some select plumbing 
commands do appear in the tab completion, you can use the config 
'completion.commands' [1]. Setting it to "ls-files ls-remote ls-tree"
would then give you your desired output below.

> 
>>    $ git l<TAB>
>>
>> arrives at
>>
>>    $ git log <cursor here>
> 
> I see the following:
> 
> $ git l<TAB>
> latexdiff   log

This would mean you have a 'git-latexdiff' command somewhere in your PATH.

Hope that helps,

Philippe.

[1] https://git-scm.com/docs/git-config#Documentation/git-config.txt-completioncommands

Re: Some sub-commands can't be completed by TAB key.

[Junio C Hamano]

Philippe Blain <levraiphilippeblain@gmail.com> writes:

>> I see the following:
>> 
>> $ git l<TAB>
>> latexdiff   log
>
> This would mean you have a 'git-latexdiff' command somewhere in your PATH.

True.  On Debian-based systems, the texlive-extra-utils package has
/usr/bin/git-latexdiff and that is likely where it came from.

It is also worth noting that completion will also include whatever
alias.  I get "lg" in the mix because I have

        [alias]
                lg = "log --oneline"

in my $HOME/.gitconfig, for example.

Re: Some sub-commands can't be completed by TAB key.

[Hongyi Zhao]

On Mon, Jan 24, 2022 at 3:51 AM Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> wrote:
>
> Philippe Blain <levraiphilippeblain@gmail.com> writes:
>
> >> I see the following:
> >>
> >> $ git l<TAB>
> >> latexdiff   log
> >
> > This would mean you have a 'git-latexdiff' command somewhere in your PATH.
>
> True.  On Debian-based systems, the texlive-extra-utils package has
> /usr/bin/git-latexdiff and that is likely where it came from.

Mine comes from TexLive:

$ which git-latexdiff
/opt/texlive/2021/bin/x86_64-linux/git-latexdiff


> It is also worth noting that completion will also include whatever
> alias.  I get "lg" in the mix because I have
>
>         [alias]
>                 lg = "log --oneline"
>
> in my $HOME/.gitconfig, for example.

Good example. Got it.

HZ

Re: Some sub-commands can't be completed by TAB key.

[João Victor Bonfim]

> It is also worth noting that completion will also include whatever
> alias.  I get "lg" in the mix because I have...

That sounds like something that should be hidden, no?
Like, all aliases are left unmentioned?

Re: Some sub-commands can't be completed by TAB key.

[Junio C Hamano]

João Victor Bonfim  <JoaoVictorBonfim+Git-Mail-List@protonmail.com>
writes:

>> It is also worth noting that completion will also include whatever
>> alias.  I get "lg" in the mix because I have...
>
> That sounds like something that should be hidden, no?
> Like, all aliases are left unmentioned?

Unlike the plumbing commands that are meant to be used in writing
scripts and not typed in interactive sessions, and more like
Porcelain commands that are meant to be used by human end-users in
their interactive sessions by getting typed from the keyboard, an
aliase is often (and certainly my "lg" is) defined in order to give
a short-and-sweet typesaver to a command with common initial options
that the user finds useful in their interactive sessions.

I am curious to find out what makes you think it is a good idea to
omit them from completion.

[PATCH] completion: add a GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS

[Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason]

Add a GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS=1 configuration setting to go
with the existing GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL=1 added in
c099f579b98 (completion: add GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL env var,
2020-08-19).

This will include plumbing commands such as "cat-file" in "git <TAB>"
and "git c<TAB>" completion. Without/with this I have 134 and 243
completion with git <TAB>, respectively.

It was already possible to do this by tweaking
GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS from the outside, that testing
variable was added in 84a97131065 (completion: let git provide the
completable command list, 2018-05-20). Doing this before loading
git-completion.bash worked:

    export GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST="$(git --list-cmds=builtins,main,list-mainporcelain,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config)"

But such testing variables are not meant to be used from the outside,
and we make no guarantees that those internal won't change. So let's
expose this as a dedicated configuration knob.

1. https://lore.kernel.org/git/CAGP6POJ9gwp+t-eP3TPkivBLLbNb2+qj=61Mehcj=1BgrVOSLA@mail.gmail.com/

Reported-by: Hongyi Zhao <hongyi.zhao@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason <avarab@gmail.com>
---

n Sat, Jan 22 2022, Hongyi Zhao wrote:

> On Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS, I use the following git version installed from
> its apt repository:
>
> $ git --version
> git version 2.25.1
>
> I find that there are some  sub-commands can't be completed by TAB key
> [...]

Others have explained why this happens, but as noted above an easy but
undocumented workaround for this that I use, because I'd like
e.g. "cat-file" to show up in this completion. In your ~/.bashrc or
equivalent do something like this before it loads git-completion.bash:

    export GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST="$(git --list-cmds=builtins,main,others,alias)"

But it would be even nicer to turn that into a first-class feature,
this patch does so. With this you can just do:

    export GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS=1

 contrib/completion/git-completion.bash | 13 ++++++++++++-
 t/t9902-completion.sh                  | 27 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 39 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
index 377d6c5494a..2436b8eb6b9 100644
--- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
+++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@
 #     and git-switch completion (e.g., completing "foo" when "origin/foo"
 #     exists).
 #
+#   GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS
+#
+#     When set to "1" suggest all commands, including plumbing commands
+#     which are hidden by default (e.g. "cat-file" on "git ca<TAB>").
+#
 #   GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL
 #
 #     When set to "1" suggest all options, including options which are
@@ -3455,7 +3460,13 @@ __git_main ()
 			then
 				__gitcomp "$GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST"
 			else
-				__gitcomp "$(__git --list-cmds=list-mainporcelain,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config)"
+				local list_cmds=list-mainporcelain,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config
+
+				if test "${GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS-}" = "1"
+				then
+					list_cmds=builtins,$list_cmds
+				fi
+				__gitcomp "$(__git --list-cmds=$list_cmds)"
 			fi
 			;;
 		esac
diff --git a/t/t9902-completion.sh b/t/t9902-completion.sh
index 98c62806328..e3ea6a41b00 100755
--- a/t/t9902-completion.sh
+++ b/t/t9902-completion.sh
@@ -2432,6 +2432,33 @@ test_expect_success 'option aliases are shown with GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL' '
 	EOF
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'plumbing commands are excluded without GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS' '
+	. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
+	sane_unset GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST &&
+
+	# Just mainporcelain, not plumbing commands
+	run_completion "git c" &&
+	grep checkout out &&
+	! grep cat-file out
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'all commands are shown with GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS (also main non-builtin)' '
+	. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
+	GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS=1 &&
+	export GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS &&
+	sane_unset GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST &&
+
+	# Both mainporcelain and plumbing commands
+	run_completion "git c" &&
+	grep checkout out &&
+	grep cat-file out &&
+
+	# Check "gitk", a "main" command, but not a built-in + more plumbing
+	run_completion "git g" &&
+	grep gitk out &&
+	grep get-tar-commit-id out
+'
+
 test_expect_success '__git_complete' '
 	unset -f __git_wrap__git_main &&
 
-- 
2.35.0.rc2.886.ga87834885e8

Re: [PATCH] completion: add a GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS

[Junio C Hamano]

Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason  <avarab@gmail.com> writes:

> Add a GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS=1 configuration setting to go
> with the existing GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL=1 added in
> c099f579b98 (completion: add GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL env var,
> 2020-08-19).
>
> This will include plumbing commands such as "cat-file" in "git <TAB>"
> and "git c<TAB>" completion. Without/with this I have 134 and 243
> completion with git <TAB>, respectively.

OK.  This makes sense in the sense that more choice is better.

> It was already possible to do this by tweaking
> GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS from the outside, that testing
> variable was added in 84a97131065 (completion: let git provide the
> completable command list, 2018-05-20). Doing this before loading
> git-completion.bash worked:

Perhaps there is a typo that ruined whole the paragraph.  We are
adding that variable with this patch, so by definition, it did not
exist before, which means we cannot "tweak" it because it did not
exist.

> --- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
> +++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
> @@ -49,6 +49,11 @@
>  #     and git-switch completion (e.g., completing "foo" when "origin/foo"
>  #     exists).
>  #
> +#   GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS
> +#
> +#     When set to "1" suggest all commands, including plumbing commands
> +#     which are hidden by default (e.g. "cat-file" on "git ca<TAB>").
> +#

Usually we frown upon inserting a new thing to the middle of a list
of things that has no inherent order.  In this case, I think this is
OK, as the existing "all" (below) is about completing options, while
the new one is about completing subcommands, and the latter is at a
higher conceptual level than the former.

>  #   GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL
>  #
>  #     When set to "1" suggest all options, including options which are
> @@ -3455,7 +3460,13 @@ __git_main ()
>  			then
>  				__gitcomp "$GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST"
>  			else
> -				__gitcomp "$(__git --list-cmds=list-mainporcelain,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config)"
> +				local list_cmds=list-mainporcelain,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config
> +
> +				if test "${GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS-}" = "1"
> +				then
> +					list_cmds=builtins,$list_cmds

It is sad that there is no "plumbing" class (assuming the goal is
"we by default exclude plumbing, so add that to the list"), or just
"everything under the sun" class.  If there were a plumbing command
that is not implemented as a built-in, adding buitlins to list_cmds
will not show the command, will it?  Also, because nohelpers is not
removed from list_cmds, whatever command that were removed from
exclude_helpers_from_list() will be hidden.

It looks as though help.c needs a new list_all_cmds() that can be
called from git.c::list_cmds() when "all" is asked for, and dumps
everything from command_list[] plus whatever load_command_list()
loads.

> +				fi
> +				__gitcomp "$(__git --list-cmds=$list_cmds)"
>  			fi
>  			;;
>  		esac

Having said all that, assuming that including "builtins" is a good
enough approximation (which I do not have no opinion on), the
implementation looks good to me.

> diff --git a/t/t9902-completion.sh b/t/t9902-completion.sh
> index 98c62806328..e3ea6a41b00 100755
> --- a/t/t9902-completion.sh
> +++ b/t/t9902-completion.sh
> @@ -2432,6 +2432,33 @@ test_expect_success 'option aliases are shown with GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL' '
>  	EOF
>  '
>  
> +test_expect_success 'plumbing commands are excluded without GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS' '
> +	. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
> +	sane_unset GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST &&

As we've done dot-sourcing of the file at the beginning of the
script already, dot-sourcing the same thing again would only
overwrite what was done before, without clearing the deck.  Which
may not hurt for the purpose of _this_ test _right_ _now_q.

But as this is not done inside a subshell, whetever we dot-source
here will persist til the end of the script.  Which may be more
problematic as it will affect the tests that come (and new tests
that will be added) after this point.

The same comment applies to the other new test added immediately
after this one.

Other than that, looks sensible to me.

Thanks.

[PATCH v2 0/2] completion: add a GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS

[Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason]

This series adds an opt-in configuration to make "git <TAB>" complete
the likes of "cat-file" (plumbing), in addition to the existing
completion for the likes of "status" (porcelain).

This v2 addresses feedback from Junio on the v1, I also added a
preceding patch to change the re-sourcing of git-completion.bash in
some existing tests to use a subshell, which is a pattern I'd buggily
copied in the v1.

Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason (2):
  completion tests: re-source git-completion.bash in a subshell
  completion: add a GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS

 contrib/completion/git-completion.bash | 13 ++++-
 t/t9902-completion.sh                  | 81 +++++++++++++++++++-------
 2 files changed, 72 insertions(+), 22 deletions(-)

Range-diff against v1:
-:  ----------- > 1:  cf09546e079 completion tests: re-source git-completion.bash in a subshell
1:  5f18305ca08 ! 2:  2e2e3569e02 completion: add a GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS
    @@ Commit message
         completion with git <TAB>, respectively.
     
         It was already possible to do this by tweaking
    -    GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS from the outside, that testing
    +    GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST= from the outside, that testing
         variable was added in 84a97131065 (completion: let git provide the
         completable command list, 2018-05-20). Doing this before loading
         git-completion.bash worked:
    @@ Commit message
         and we make no guarantees that those internal won't change. So let's
         expose this as a dedicated configuration knob.
     
    +    It would be better to teach --list-cmds=* a new category which would
    +    include all of these groups, but that's a larger change that we can
    +    leave for some other time.
    +
         1. https://lore.kernel.org/git/CAGP6POJ9gwp+t-eP3TPkivBLLbNb2+qj=61Mehcj=1BgrVOSLA@mail.gmail.com/
     
         Reported-by: Hongyi Zhao <hongyi.zhao@gmail.com>
    @@ contrib/completion/git-completion.bash: __git_main ()
     
      ## t/t9902-completion.sh ##
     @@ t/t9902-completion.sh: test_expect_success 'option aliases are shown with GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL' '
    - 	EOF
    + 	)
      '
      
     +test_expect_success 'plumbing commands are excluded without GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS' '
    -+	. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
    -+	sane_unset GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST &&
    ++	(
    ++		. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
    ++		sane_unset GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST &&
     +
    -+	# Just mainporcelain, not plumbing commands
    -+	run_completion "git c" &&
    -+	grep checkout out &&
    -+	! grep cat-file out
    ++		# Just mainporcelain, not plumbing commands
    ++		run_completion "git c" &&
    ++		grep checkout out &&
    ++		! grep cat-file out
    ++	)
     +'
     +
     +test_expect_success 'all commands are shown with GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS (also main non-builtin)' '
    -+	. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
    -+	GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS=1 &&
    -+	export GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS &&
    -+	sane_unset GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST &&
    ++	(
    ++		. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
    ++		GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS=1 &&
    ++		export GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS &&
    ++		sane_unset GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST &&
     +
    -+	# Both mainporcelain and plumbing commands
    -+	run_completion "git c" &&
    -+	grep checkout out &&
    -+	grep cat-file out &&
    ++		# Both mainporcelain and plumbing commands
    ++		run_completion "git c" &&
    ++		grep checkout out &&
    ++		grep cat-file out &&
     +
    -+	# Check "gitk", a "main" command, but not a built-in + more plumbing
    -+	run_completion "git g" &&
    -+	grep gitk out &&
    -+	grep get-tar-commit-id out
    ++		# Check "gitk", a "main" command, but not a built-in + more plumbing
    ++		run_completion "git g" &&
    ++		grep gitk out &&
    ++		grep get-tar-commit-id out
    ++	)
     +'
     +
      test_expect_success '__git_complete' '
-- 
2.35.0.913.g12b4baa2536

[PATCH v2 1/2] completion tests: re-source git-completion.bash in a subshell

[Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason]

Change tests of git-completion.bash that re-source it to do so inside
a subshell. Re-sourcing it will clobber variables it sets, and in the
case of the "GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL=1" test added in
ca2d62b7879 (parse-options: don't complete option aliases by default,
2021-07-16) change the behavior of the completion persistently.

Aside from the addition of "(" and ")" on new lines this is an
indentation-only change, only the "(" and ")" lines are changed under
"git diff -w".

So let's change that test, and for good measure do the same for the
three tests that precede it, which were added in
8b0eaa41f23 (completion: clear cached --options when sourcing the
completion script, 2018-03-22). The may not be wrong, but doing this
establishes a more reliable pattern for future tests, which might use
these as a template to copy.

Signed-off-by: Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason <avarab@gmail.com>
---
 t/t9902-completion.sh | 50 +++++++++++++++++++++++++------------------
 1 file changed, 29 insertions(+), 21 deletions(-)

diff --git a/t/t9902-completion.sh b/t/t9902-completion.sh
index 98c62806328..c9805f2147d 100755
--- a/t/t9902-completion.sh
+++ b/t/t9902-completion.sh
@@ -2396,27 +2396,33 @@ test_expect_success 'options with value' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'sourcing the completion script clears cached commands' '
-	__git_compute_all_commands &&
-	verbose test -n "$__git_all_commands" &&
-	. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
-	verbose test -z "$__git_all_commands"
+	(
+		__git_compute_all_commands &&
+		verbose test -n "$__git_all_commands" &&
+		. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
+		verbose test -z "$__git_all_commands"
+	)
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'sourcing the completion script clears cached merge strategies' '
-	__git_compute_merge_strategies &&
-	verbose test -n "$__git_merge_strategies" &&
-	. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
-	verbose test -z "$__git_merge_strategies"
+	(
+		__git_compute_merge_strategies &&
+		verbose test -n "$__git_merge_strategies" &&
+		. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
+		verbose test -z "$__git_merge_strategies"
+	)
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'sourcing the completion script clears cached --options' '
-	__gitcomp_builtin checkout &&
-	verbose test -n "$__gitcomp_builtin_checkout" &&
-	__gitcomp_builtin notes_edit &&
-	verbose test -n "$__gitcomp_builtin_notes_edit" &&
-	. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
-	verbose test -z "$__gitcomp_builtin_checkout" &&
-	verbose test -z "$__gitcomp_builtin_notes_edit"
+	(
+		__gitcomp_builtin checkout &&
+		verbose test -n "$__gitcomp_builtin_checkout" &&
+		__gitcomp_builtin notes_edit &&
+		verbose test -n "$__gitcomp_builtin_notes_edit" &&
+		. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
+		verbose test -z "$__gitcomp_builtin_checkout" &&
+		verbose test -z "$__gitcomp_builtin_notes_edit"
+	)
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'option aliases are not shown by default' '
@@ -2424,12 +2430,14 @@ test_expect_success 'option aliases are not shown by default' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'option aliases are shown with GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL' '
-	. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
-	GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL=1 && export GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL &&
-	test_completion "git clone --recurs" <<-\EOF
-	--recurse-submodules Z
-	--recursive Z
-	EOF
+	(
+		. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
+		GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL=1 && export GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL &&
+		test_completion "git clone --recurs" <<-\EOF
+		--recurse-submodules Z
+		--recursive Z
+		EOF
+	)
 '
 
 test_expect_success '__git_complete' '
-- 
2.35.0.913.g12b4baa2536

[PATCH v2 2/2] completion: add a GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS

[Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason]

Add a GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS=1 configuration setting to go
with the existing GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL=1 added in
c099f579b98 (completion: add GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL env var,
2020-08-19).

This will include plumbing commands such as "cat-file" in "git <TAB>"
and "git c<TAB>" completion. Without/with this I have 134 and 243
completion with git <TAB>, respectively.

It was already possible to do this by tweaking
GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST= from the outside, that testing
variable was added in 84a97131065 (completion: let git provide the
completable command list, 2018-05-20). Doing this before loading
git-completion.bash worked:

    export GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST="$(git --list-cmds=builtins,main,list-mainporcelain,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config)"

But such testing variables are not meant to be used from the outside,
and we make no guarantees that those internal won't change. So let's
expose this as a dedicated configuration knob.

It would be better to teach --list-cmds=* a new category which would
include all of these groups, but that's a larger change that we can
leave for some other time.

1. https://lore.kernel.org/git/CAGP6POJ9gwp+t-eP3TPkivBLLbNb2+qj=61Mehcj=1BgrVOSLA@mail.gmail.com/

Reported-by: Hongyi Zhao <hongyi.zhao@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason <avarab@gmail.com>
---
 contrib/completion/git-completion.bash | 13 ++++++++++-
 t/t9902-completion.sh                  | 31 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 43 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
index 377d6c5494a..2436b8eb6b9 100644
--- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
+++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@
 #     and git-switch completion (e.g., completing "foo" when "origin/foo"
 #     exists).
 #
+#   GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS
+#
+#     When set to "1" suggest all commands, including plumbing commands
+#     which are hidden by default (e.g. "cat-file" on "git ca<TAB>").
+#
 #   GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL
 #
 #     When set to "1" suggest all options, including options which are
@@ -3455,7 +3460,13 @@ __git_main ()
 			then
 				__gitcomp "$GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST"
 			else
-				__gitcomp "$(__git --list-cmds=list-mainporcelain,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config)"
+				local list_cmds=list-mainporcelain,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config
+
+				if test "${GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS-}" = "1"
+				then
+					list_cmds=builtins,$list_cmds
+				fi
+				__gitcomp "$(__git --list-cmds=$list_cmds)"
 			fi
 			;;
 		esac
diff --git a/t/t9902-completion.sh b/t/t9902-completion.sh
index c9805f2147d..c6d6d6ef896 100755
--- a/t/t9902-completion.sh
+++ b/t/t9902-completion.sh
@@ -2440,6 +2440,37 @@ test_expect_success 'option aliases are shown with GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL' '
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'plumbing commands are excluded without GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS' '
+	(
+		. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
+		sane_unset GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST &&
+
+		# Just mainporcelain, not plumbing commands
+		run_completion "git c" &&
+		grep checkout out &&
+		! grep cat-file out
+	)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'all commands are shown with GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS (also main non-builtin)' '
+	(
+		. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
+		GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS=1 &&
+		export GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS &&
+		sane_unset GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST &&
+
+		# Both mainporcelain and plumbing commands
+		run_completion "git c" &&
+		grep checkout out &&
+		grep cat-file out &&
+
+		# Check "gitk", a "main" command, but not a built-in + more plumbing
+		run_completion "git g" &&
+		grep gitk out &&
+		grep get-tar-commit-id out
+	)
+'
+
 test_expect_success '__git_complete' '
 	unset -f __git_wrap__git_main &&
 
-- 
2.35.0.913.g12b4baa2536

Re: [PATCH v2 2/2] completion: add a GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS

[SZEDER Gábor]

On Wed, Feb 02, 2022 at 12:15:10PM +0100, Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason wrote:
> Add a GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS=1 configuration setting to go
> with the existing GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL=1 added in
> c099f579b98 (completion: add GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL env var,
> 2020-08-19).
> 
> This will include plumbing commands such as "cat-file" in "git <TAB>"
> and "git c<TAB>" completion.

I've tried this a couple of times in the last dozen years or so...
and ended up hating it every single time, because it too often made
completion of frequently used porcelain commands more cumbersome, and
quickly reverted it.

Since 6532f3740b (completion: allow to customize the completable
command list, 2018-05-20) it is possible to include and exclude
certain commands from the list offered for 'git <TAB>'.  So if you use
some plumbing command frequently, then you can add them to the
'completion.commands' config variable, and they will show up for 'git
<TAB>', too, without any of the other plumbing commands to get
annoying.

To complete only rarely used plumbing commands in a non-intrusive way,
in my experience, it's best to first attempt to complete only
porcelains and aliases, and fall back to complete all commands,
plumbing included, only when no porcelains match the current word to
be completed.  E.g.:

  $ git d<TAB>
  describe   diff   difftool
  $ git diff-<TAB>
  diff-files   diff-index   diff-tree

  $ git p<TAB>
  prune   pull    push    
  $ git pa<TAB>
  pack-objects     pack-redundant   pack-refs        patch-id 


  ---   >8   ---

Subject: [PATCH] completion: list all git commands as fallback

---
 contrib/completion/git-completion.bash | 3 +++
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)

diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
index 3edd1cade6..67978e6f22 100644
--- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
+++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
@@ -3465,6 +3465,9 @@ __git_main ()
 				__gitcomp "$GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST"
 			else
 				__gitcomp "$(__git --list-cmds=list-mainporcelain,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config)"
+				if [ ${#COMPREPLY[@]} -eq 0 ]; then
+					__gitcomp "$(__git --list-cmds=main,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config)"
+				fi
 			fi
 			;;
 		esac
-- 
2.35.1.482.g3282949ee0

  ---   8<   ---

I've been using 'completion.commands' and the patch above for a few
years now, and this combination worked out the best so far.

> Without/with this I have 134 and 243
> completion with git <TAB>, respectively.

Those numbers include all your aliases and additional 'git-foo'
commands in your PATH; I only get 74 without this patch.  To show the
effect of this patch I think it would be more relevant to count only
Git's commands.


> It was already possible to do this by tweaking
> GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST= from the outside, that testing
> variable was added in 84a97131065 (completion: let git provide the
> completable command list, 2018-05-20). Doing this before loading
> git-completion.bash worked:
> 
>     export GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST="$(git --list-cmds=builtins,main,list-mainporcelain,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config)"
> 
> But such testing variables are not meant to be used from the outside,
> and we make no guarantees that those internal won't change. So let's
> expose this as a dedicated configuration knob.
> 
> It would be better to teach --list-cmds=* a new category which would
> include all of these groups, but that's a larger change that we can
> leave for some other time.
> 
> 1. https://lore.kernel.org/git/CAGP6POJ9gwp+t-eP3TPkivBLLbNb2+qj=61Mehcj=1BgrVOSLA@mail.gmail.com/
> 
> Reported-by: Hongyi Zhao <hongyi.zhao@gmail.com>
> Signed-off-by: Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason <avarab@gmail.com>
> ---
>  contrib/completion/git-completion.bash | 13 ++++++++++-
>  t/t9902-completion.sh                  | 31 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>  2 files changed, 43 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
> index 377d6c5494a..2436b8eb6b9 100644
> --- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
> +++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
> @@ -49,6 +49,11 @@
>  #     and git-switch completion (e.g., completing "foo" when "origin/foo"
>  #     exists).
>  #
> +#   GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS
> +#
> +#     When set to "1" suggest all commands, including plumbing commands
> +#     which are hidden by default (e.g. "cat-file" on "git ca<TAB>").
> +#
>  #   GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL
>  #
>  #     When set to "1" suggest all options, including options which are
> @@ -3455,7 +3460,13 @@ __git_main ()
>  			then
>  				__gitcomp "$GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST"
>  			else
> -				__gitcomp "$(__git --list-cmds=list-mainporcelain,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config)"
> +				local list_cmds=list-mainporcelain,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config
> +
> +				if test "${GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS-}" = "1"
> +				then
> +					list_cmds=builtins,$list_cmds
> +				fi
> +				__gitcomp "$(__git --list-cmds=$list_cmds)"
>  			fi
>  			;;
>  		esac
> diff --git a/t/t9902-completion.sh b/t/t9902-completion.sh
> index c9805f2147d..c6d6d6ef896 100755
> --- a/t/t9902-completion.sh
> +++ b/t/t9902-completion.sh
> @@ -2440,6 +2440,37 @@ test_expect_success 'option aliases are shown with GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL' '
>  	)
>  '
>  
> +test_expect_success 'plumbing commands are excluded without GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS' '
> +	(
> +		. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
> +		sane_unset GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST &&
> +
> +		# Just mainporcelain, not plumbing commands
> +		run_completion "git c" &&
> +		grep checkout out &&
> +		! grep cat-file out
> +	)
> +'
> +
> +test_expect_success 'all commands are shown with GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS (also main non-builtin)' '
> +	(
> +		. "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash" &&
> +		GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS=1 &&
> +		export GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS &&

This variable only affects the completion script itself, but none of
the commands invoked by it, so the 'export' is unnecessary.

> +		sane_unset GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST &&
> +
> +		# Both mainporcelain and plumbing commands
> +		run_completion "git c" &&
> +		grep checkout out &&
> +		grep cat-file out &&
> +
> +		# Check "gitk", a "main" command, but not a built-in + more plumbing
> +		run_completion "git g" &&
> +		grep gitk out &&
> +		grep get-tar-commit-id out
> +	)
> +'
> +
>  test_expect_success '__git_complete' '
>  	unset -f __git_wrap__git_main &&
>  
> -- 
> 2.35.0.913.g12b4baa2536
> 

Re: [PATCH v2 2/2] completion: add a GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS

[Junio C Hamano]

SZEDER Gábor <szeder.dev@gmail.com> writes:

> To complete only rarely used plumbing commands in a non-intrusive way,
> in my experience, it's best to first attempt to complete only
> porcelains and aliases, and fall back to complete all commands,
> plumbing included, only when no porcelains match the current word to
> be completed.  E.g.:
>
>   $ git d<TAB>
>   describe   diff   difftool
>   $ git diff-<TAB>
>   diff-files   diff-index   diff-tree

So after getting

    $ git diff<TAB>
    diff difftool

you _have_ to know, if you are not happy with these two, that the
next letter in the name of the command you forgot is a dash, to be
able to say

    $ git diff-<TAB>

which is a bit unfortunate, but I agree that it is much nicer than
getting all the plumbing when trying to complete "git d<TAB>".

I wonder if we can do better, and teach the completion logic an
ability to say this: "I gave 'diff and difftool' after being asked
for 'git diff<TAB>' and then the user is asking the same again
without choosing either. Perhaps I should add less frequent one to
the mix"?

I.e. the end-user session may look like

    $ git diff<TAB>
    diff difftool
    $ git diff<TAB>
    diff difftool diff-files diff-index diff-tree

?

Re: [PATCH v2 2/2] completion: add a GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS

[SZEDER Gábor]

On Sun, Feb 06, 2022 at 12:09:35PM -0800, Junio C Hamano wrote:
> SZEDER Gábor <szeder.dev@gmail.com> writes:
> 
> > To complete only rarely used plumbing commands in a non-intrusive way,
> > in my experience, it's best to first attempt to complete only
> > porcelains and aliases, and fall back to complete all commands,
> > plumbing included, only when no porcelains match the current word to
> > be completed.  E.g.:
> >
> >   $ git d<TAB>
> >   describe   diff   difftool
> >   $ git diff-<TAB>
> >   diff-files   diff-index   diff-tree
> 
> So after getting
> 
>     $ git diff<TAB>
>     diff difftool
> 
> you _have_ to know, if you are not happy with these two, that the
> next letter in the name of the command you forgot is a dash,

Yeah, it can only save a couple of keystrokes, but it's not really
useful when you want to use it to jog your memory.  I naively assumed
that if you use plumbing, then you know what you are doing and which
command you want to execute :)

> to be
> able to say
> 
>     $ git diff-<TAB>
> 
> which is a bit unfortunate, but I agree that it is much nicer than
> getting all the plumbing when trying to complete "git d<TAB>".
> 
> I wonder if we can do better, and teach the completion logic an
> ability to say this: "I gave 'diff and difftool' after being asked
> for 'git diff<TAB>' and then the user is asking the same again
> without choosing either. Perhaps I should add less frequent one to
> the mix"?
> 
> I.e. the end-user session may look like
> 
>     $ git diff<TAB>
>     diff difftool
>     $ git diff<TAB>
>     diff difftool diff-files diff-index diff-tree
> 
> ?

Hrm, interesting, but dunno.  When completing commands in __git_main()
we could save the current word to be completed in a variable, and when
completing commands the next time we could check whether the current
word is still the same, and then include plumbing as well.  However,
when the current word can't be uniquely completed, then we have to
press TAB twice to get the list of possible completion, so we have to
preserve the last two current words, and only list plumbing when both
match.

  ---   >8   ---

diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
index 377d6c5494..cda6b48c4e 100644
--- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
+++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
@@ -3455,8 +3455,17 @@ __git_main ()
 			then
 				__gitcomp "$GIT_TESTING_PORCELAIN_COMMAND_LIST"
 			else
-				__gitcomp "$(__git --list-cmds=list-mainporcelain,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config)"
+				echo >>/tmp/COMPLOG "__git_main() cur: '$cur' last: '$__git_last_command_cur' last2: '$__git_last_command_cur2'"
+				if test "$cur" = "$__git_last_command_cur" &&
+				   test "$cur" = "$__git_last_command_cur2"
+				then
+					__gitcomp "$(__git --list-cmds=main,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete)"
+				else
+					__gitcomp "$(__git --list-cmds=list-mainporcelain,others,nohelpers,alias,list-complete,config)"
+				fi
 			fi
+			__git_last_command_cur2=$__git_last_command_cur
+			__git_last_command_cur=$cur
 			;;
 		esac
 		return

  ---   8<   ---

Superficial testing shows that it appears to work in common cases, but
we'll have to think it through when and how to clear these variables.
E.g.:

  $ git d<TAB><TAB>
  describe   diff   difftool
  # Oh, but I wanted to disable the pager
  $ git --no-p<TAB>
  # this completes the option uniquely
  $ git --no-pager d<TAB><TAB>
  daemon     diff         diff-index   diff-tree
  describe   diff-files   difftool

I think here it should list only porcelains, but because both those
last_cur variables still contain 'd', it lists plumbing as well.

And, of course, 'git <TAB><TAB>' in a newly started terminal should
list only porcelains, but it lists plumbing as well.

Re: [PATCH v2 2/2] completion: add a GIT_COMPLETION_SHOW_ALL_COMMANDS

[Junio C Hamano]

SZEDER Gábor <szeder.dev@gmail.com> writes:

> Superficial testing shows that it appears to work in common cases, but
> we'll have to think it through when and how to clear these variables.
> E.g.:
>
>   $ git d<TAB><TAB>
>   describe   diff   difftool
>   # Oh, but I wanted to disable the pager
>   $ git --no-p<TAB>
>   # this completes the option uniquely
>   $ git --no-pager d<TAB><TAB>
>   daemon     diff         diff-index   diff-tree
>   describe   diff-files   difftool
>
> I think here it should list only porcelains, but because both those
> last_cur variables still contain 'd', it lists plumbing as well.

Yup, it always is tricky to "invalidate" a cached value.