`consult-dir` inserts extra characters when called from minibuffer

[jamescherti]

Description:

Typing Alt + Shift + :edit and then pressing C-x C-d to invoke consult-dir causes the selected directory to be inserted before :edit, rather than at the cursor position after :edit.

Expected Behavior:
The minibuffer should insert the directory after the command.

[jamescherti]

(This is unrelated to evil-mode.)

Pressed Ctrl+Shift+:, then typed "test ":

Pressed C-x C-d and selected the first entry:

Here is what was inserted:

[karthink]

I'm a little confused by the images here -- are you saying that the images show what should happen, or is there a bug there?

[jamescherti]

Consult-dir inserted ~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/test, which is incorrect. It should have inserted ~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/. The minibuffer prompt content ('test') must not be appended.

(Another example: typing BUG in the minibuffer and then pressing C-x C-d to insert a directory from consult-dir results in ~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/BUG being inserted instead of ~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/.)

[karthink]

Consult-dir inserted ~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/test, which is incorrect. It
should have inserted ~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/. The minibuffer prompt content
('test') must not be appended.

This is intentional, not a bug. When in a file prompt, the base file name is retained and the directory changed by consult-dir.

[jamescherti]

This is intentional, not a bug.

What is the reason for appending the basename after inserting the path?

When a path is inserted into the prompt, only the path itself is required.

When in a file prompt, the base file name is retained and the directory changed by consult-dir.

The result is that the basename appears both before and after the inserted content.

For example, if the evaluation prompt is:

TEST

The final output after inserting the path becomes:

TEST ~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/TEST

(This results in the basename TEST appearing both before and after the inserted path.)

[jamescherti]

FYI: This is my custom function that I am using to fix this issue in my config:

(defun my-consult-dir ()
    "Choose a directory and act on it.

The action taken on the directory is the value of `consult-dir-default-command'.
The default is to call `find-file' starting at this directory.

When called from the minibuffer, insert the directory into the minibuffer prompt
instead. Existing minibuffer contents will be shadowed or deleted depending on
the value of `consult-dir-shadow-filenames'.

The list of sources for directory paths is `consult-dir-sources', which can be
customized."
    (interactive)
    (if (not (minibufferp))
        (consult-dir)
      ;; Minibuffer
      ;; Fix this issue: https://github.com/karthink/consult-dir/issues/43
      (let* ((enable-recursive-minibuffers t)
             (new-dir (consult-dir--pick))
             (new-full-name (file-name-as-directory new-dir)))
        (when new-dir
          (if consult-dir-shadow-filenames
              (insert "/" new-full-name)
            (insert new-full-name))))))

[karthink]

For example, if the evaluation prompt is:

TEST

The final output after inserting the path becomes:

TEST ~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/TEST

Thanks for the example. There are two separate issues here.

1. If you type in TEST in a minibuffer prompt, then call consult-dir and pick a directory, you should get ~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/TEST. This is intentional. consult-dir will not replace text you wrote as I don't know if that text is important to you. In my case I often type in the basename of a file I'm looking for in the wrong directory, then use consult-dir when I realize there are no completions. But there are many other situations where this applies.

2. However, you should not get TEST ~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/TEST. I am not able to reproduce this behavior. I tried

(read-string "prompt: ")

typed in TEST and then called consult-dir. The result was as in 1 above. So this behavior is definitely a bug. Can you give me more details on how to reproduce this?

[jamescherti]

For example, if the evaluation prompt is:

TEST

The final output after inserting the path becomes:

TEST ~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/TEST

Thanks for the example. There are two separate issues here.

1. If you type in TEST in a minibuffer prompt, then call `consult-dir` and pick a directory, you should get `~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/TEST`.  

Here is another case: You should not get ~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/TEST when the cursor is positioned after TEST . In this case, the expected result is TEST ~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/. It is preferable to insert the path directly rather than retrieving the prompt value and appending it to the inserted path.

It is simpler and more effective to have the consult-dir package behave as if the user had copied and pasted the path.

This is intentional. consult-dir will not replace text you wrote as I don't know if that text is important to you.

The consult-dir package does not need to determine which part of the text is significant. It should simply insert the path, similar to a copy-and-paste operation.

In my case I often type in the basename of a file I'm looking for in the wrong directory, then use consult-dir when I realize there are no completions. But there are many other situations where this applies.

Could a step-by-step example be provided to illustrate this case? It would help clarify your use case.

2. However, you should not get `TEST ~/.emacs.d/lisp/packages/TEST`.  I am not able to reproduce this behavior.  I tried

(read-string "prompt: ")

typed in TEST and then called consult-dir. The result was as in 1 above. So this behavior is definitely a bug. Can you give me more details on how to reproduce this?

Type M-x eval-expression, enter TEST with the cursor positioned after TEST, and then insert a path using consult-dir.

If the issue does not occur, install the evil package and enable it with evil-mode.