From: Tim Bird <tbird AT caldera DOT com>
Message-Id: <199703130556.WAA32436@caldera.com>
Subject: [opendos] YAWI (Yet Another Wishlist Item): tab completion
To: opendos AT mail DOT tacoma DOT net
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 22:56:20 -0700 (MST)
Content-Type: text
Sender: owner-opendos AT mail DOT tacoma DOT net
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I'll speak my peace here, in case this lists archives are ever used
to generate a semi-official wishlist for OpenDOS:

Here my YAWI:
I'd like to see COMMAND.COM do tab completion.  It already has some
weird history completion options, I'd think it was easy to add command
and filename tab completion.  This is a feature of bash under Linux
that I've grown to love.  Basically, it is this: if you type part of
a word, then the tab key, the shell will figure out what you meant
and type the rest for you.  If there is any ambiguity, then the shell
completes what it can.  Pressing tab a second time gives you a list
of matches to choose from.

Here are some examples:
Sitting in a directory with the files:
obnox%1.##@
floog AT 2.^^2

I could type: del ob<tab>
and the shell would fill in the rest of the line to create
"del obnox%1.##@"

Sitting in a directory with the dirs:
dir1stuf
dir2stuf
foobar

I could type: cd d<tab>
and the shell would show: cd dir
If I knew what the dirs were, I could type 2<tab>
and the shell would complete the command: "cd dir2stuff"
If I didn't know what the dirs were, I could type <tab>
and the shell would emit:
dir1stuff   dir2stuff
and leave the cursor on the line where I could keep typing the command.

This feature is particularly great when you are in the middle of 
typing some long path, and can't remember the exact file or directory
name you want to reference.  Just hit tab a couple of times and the shell
will help you out.  Coding it would not be too hard.  I'm just waiting
for the source like everyone else.

Tim Bird