[ESS] file completion R script buffer not auto completing

[Vitalie Spinu]

Indeed, you should install company mode through emacs package manager

   http://company-mode.github.io/

Company provides files completion everywhere. ESS automatically inserts its
backends for function arguments and R objects within ESS modes. Should work out
of the box.

 Vitalie

>> On Fri, Dec 16 2016 11:56, Ista Zahn wrote:

> On Fri, Dec 16, 2016 at 9:02 AM, Stephen Sefick <ssefick using auburn.edu> wrote:
>> Thank you both for the useful comments. I will try setting C-c TAB
>> in .emacs, and it is useful to know about a file needing a ., /, etc.

> Just to clarify, I was describing the behavior of company completions
> in a R script buffer. The comint-dynamic-complete stuff is totally
> different and probably doesn't work the same way.

> --Ista

> I
>> use ESS instead of R Studio now, and I like it very much. I appreciate
>> all of the work that went into this software. Thank you!
>> kindest regards,
>>
>> Stephen
>>
>> On Thu, 2016-12-15 at 13:51 -0500, Ista Zahn wrote:
>>> On Thu, Dec 15, 2016 at 12:32 PM, Martin Maechler
>>> <maechler using stat.math.ethz.ch> wrote:
>>> >>>>>> Stephen Sefick <ssefick using auburn.edu>
>>> >>>>>>     on Wed, 14 Dec 2016 11:45:49 -0600 writes:
>>> >
>>> >     > Hello:
>>> >     > Long time R user; new ESS user. Thank you all so much for this wonderful
>>> >     > IDE. I am having problems with the ESS and the R script buffer.
>>> >
>>> >     > I would like to be able to use an autocomplete file name/path like in R
>>> >     > studio. I am sure that I am missing something in my .emacs file. Please
>>> >     > let me know what things would be helpful to post in order to diagnose my
>>> >     > problem.
>>> >
>>> > Completion (not just on file names) is "of course" a very very
>>> > old topic in emacs and hence also ESS.
>>> >
>>> > I'm interested to hear what others say... notably those who know
>>> > modern (>= 24.x or even >= 25.x) emacs well
>>>
>>> I don't know modern emacs well, but I'd like to think I know how to
>>> use it pretty well.
>>>
>>> ESS uses company to complete if available. On my system it works
>>> pretty well for completing file names, though the string must start
>>> with '.', '~', or '/'. That is, if I have a directory named 'data' in
>>> my working directory, 'dat will not complete but './da' will.
>>>
>>> So, as far as I know you just need to install (and load? or does ESS
>>> do that for you?) the company package.
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Ista
>>>
>>> >
>>> > The filename vs / and object name (of R objects in this case)
>>> > completion becomes relevant here and ideally ESS would know
>>> > which kind of completion is desired here.
>>> >
>>> > In the very remote past I had decided to distinguish between
>>> > filename completion and object name completion --- which is
>>> > nicely built into ESS and typically activated just by [Tab].
>>> >
>>> > For this reason, I've been using (in my ~/.emacs or rather
>>> > 'default.el' equivalent) for many years
>>> >
>>> >   ;;=== Define C-c-Tab (Alt-Tab = Meta-Tab is *taken* by "GUI")
>>> >   ;;=== for File Name Completion ===
>>> >   (autoload 'comint-dynamic-complete          "comint" nil t)
>>> >   (autoload 'comint-dynamic-complete-filename "comint" nil t)
>>> >   (define-key global-map [?\C-c tab] 'comint-dynamic-complete-filename)
>>> >   (if xemacs-p
>>> >       (progn
>>> >         ;; The following WORKS in xemacs, but gives an ERROR when default.el
>>> >         ;; is only LOADED in GNU emacs (20.2):
>>> >         ;; BUG (define-key global-map "\C-\M-\t" 'comint-dynamic-complete)
>>> >         )
>>> >     ;; else
>>> >     (define-key global-map [C-M-tab] 'comint-dynamic-complete)
>>> >     )
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > BTW: I have no idea what Rstudio is doing (and how they do it).
>>> > As "they" learnt so much from ESS initially (which was
>>> > acknowledged orally at the time), maybe  we could learn from
>>> > Rstudio on this issue now...
>>> >
>>> > or see how other interpreted languagues such as emacs lisp or
>>> > bash or ??  deal with this.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >     > I appreciate the help.
>>> >
>>> > Maybe try the above and then use    C-c [Tab]
>>> > which is stored in my fingers in the mean time..
>>> >
>>> > Martin
>>> >
>>> >     > kindest regards,
>>> >     > Stephen
>>> >
>>> > ______________________________________________
>>> > ESS-help using r-project.org mailing list
>>> > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/ess-help>
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