Re: setopt localoptions noautoremoveslash

[Wayne Davison <wayne@clari.net>]

On Thu, 14 Oct 1999, Zefram wrote:
> AUTO_REMOVE_SLASH takes effect at a completely different stage of
> processing from when the completion list is being generated.

This reminds me that I have an idea for how to implement a better
auto-slash functionality (IMO, at least).  See if you like this
idea:

I would like an auto-added slash to be inserted into the buffer as a
special meta character (call it meta-/ for now) that has special
properties.  I imagine this character displaying itself in reverse
video _only_ if it is going to be removed when I press return (it is
not removed before that unless you type a '/' right next to it).
The command-line display routine would check the character to the
right of the meta-/ to determine how to draw the character.

To me, this would be cool because the character retains it auto-
removal magic even if I accidently type a normal character to the
right of it and then fix my typing mistake.  You could even have the
embedded (non-removed) meta-slashes keep their magic intact in the
history buffer if you want to be able to recall a command line,
delete a suffix, and have the auto-added slash invert itself to
indicate that it will auto-remove on return.  If we go this route
(of putting embedded meta-slashes into the history buffer), we'd
have to remember to make all the history-search functions treat '/'
and meta-/ as equivalent.

Yeah, maybe it's over-kill, but I've been meaning to code it up to
see how I like it.  Anyone else think it's an interesting idea?

..wayne..