Inconsistent behavior of splitting window on TAB (select actions) #2635

rdiaz02 · 2024-01-17T05:34:23Z

What happened?

On wide frames, when we TAB, the actions are shown in a window that hides the previous helm window.

On narrower frames, when we TAB there is a split and both windows are shown.

This is also the behavior even in very narrow frames.

I would have expected exactly the opposite (split, except if too narrow). Is this the intended behavior?

I can get splitting on wide frames by using very large values of split-width-threshold (not of helm-split-width-threshold) ; but on narrow frames, we still get the split (where, I think, there should be no split).

Interestingly, if I use

(setq helm-always-two-windows nil)
(setq helm-default-display-buffer-functions
      '(display-buffer-in-side-window))

regardless of the width of the frame, the actions window always hides the previous helm window.

How to reproduce?

Start emacs -Q and then

(package-initialize)
(helm-mode)

Next, M-x helm-find-files and then TAB)

Helm Version

Melpa or NonGnuElpa

Emacs Version

Emacs-29.1

OS

GNU/Linux

Relevant backtrace (if possible)

No response

Minimal configuration

I agree using a minimal configuration

The text was updated successfully, but these errors were encountered:

thierryvolpiatto · 2024-01-17T11:45:32Z

Ramon Diaz-Uriarte ***@***.***> writes:

What happened? On wide frames, when we TAB, the actions are shown in a window that hides the previous helm window. h-w.png (view on web)

Yes, could reproduce from emacs-helm.sh, indeed it is a bug.

On narrower frames, when we TAB there is a split and both windows are shown. h-narrow.png (view on web)

Not sure to see what's different with previous screenshot.

This is also the behavior even in very narrow frames. h-v-arrow.png (view on web) I would have expected exactly the opposite (split, except if too narrow). Is this the intended behavior? I can get splitting on wide frames by using very large values of split-width-threshold (not of helm-split-width-threshold) ; but on narrow frames, we still get the split (where, I think, there should be no split).

That make sense, I did some changes behaving slightly differently though in 2): 1) I fixed the behavior of your first screenshot, by default in full frame helm should split helm-window and show at left helm-action buffer. 2) When frame is too small (less than 160 by default) to show helm-buffer and helm-action buffer side by side, helm-action buffer is shown below helm buffer. 3) helm-show-action-window-other-window can be set now th above and below in addition to left and right (resizing helm-window to original size is now handled). Let me know if it works properly for you and it is what you expect. NOTE: We could make more configurable 2) behavior if needed. Thanks.

…

How to reproduce? Start emacs -Q and then (package-initialize) (helm-mode) Next, M-x helm-find-files and then TAB) Helm Version Melpa or NonGnuElpa Emacs Version Emacs-29.1 OS GNU/Linux Relevant backtrace (if possible) No response Minimal configuration • [*] I agree using a minimal configuration — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.*Message ID: ***@***.***>

-- Thierry

We were previously checking split-witdth-threshold which is now let-bounded to helm-split-width-threshold (was not existing at the time), check instead helm-split-width-threshold. In addition a check of helm-split-window-default-side is done which IMO make sense as well.

when helm-show-action-window-other-window is left or right and window is smaller that split-width-threshold (use 160, its default value when set to nil).

rdiaz02 · 2024-01-17T13:49:51Z

Thanks a lot. That works perfectly. And I see I can control the behavior using helm-split-width-threshold.
However, if I have

(setq helm-always-two-windows nil)
(setq helm-default-display-buffer-functions
      '(display-buffer-in-side-window))

then, regardless of the width of the frame, the action list window always hides the previous helm window.

(Why am I using the above settings? To have helm always be displayed on the bottom side window).

thierryvolpiatto · 2024-01-17T17:06:19Z

Ramon Diaz-Uriarte ***@***.***> writes:

Thanks a lot. That works perfectly. And I see I can control the behavior using helm-split-width-threshold. However, if I have (setq helm-always-two-windows nil) (setq helm-default-display-buffer-functions '(display-buffer-in-side-window)) then, regardless of the width of the frame, the action list window always hides the previous helm window.

This because helm-always-two-windows is nil, this feature works only with helm-always-two-windows enabled, see `helm-show-action-window-other-window` docstring. But I wonder if this limitation is still true, I will check soon.

(Why am I using the above settings? To have helm always be displayed on the bottom side window).

Isn't setting `helm-split-window-default-side` enough? Thanks.

…

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rdiaz02 · 2024-01-17T17:59:29Z

Oh, sorry, I had misunderstood. Now I have

(setq helm-always-two-windows t)
(setq helm-default-display-buffer-functions
      '(display-buffer-in-side-window))

But now I get the error split-window: Cannot split side window or parent of side window when I press TAB. In fact, it is the same error I remember getting when I tried adding helm windows in display-buffer-alist with (display-buffer-in-side-window).

Isn't setting helm-split-window-default-side enough?

I want to have the helm window to always appear at the bottom of the frame, not below each window (because I find it is easier for me to know where to look for it). This issue was discussed in #2039 a while back.

But maybe this is a completely minor issue that doesn't affect anyone else, and it is not worth your time.

thierryvolpiatto · 2024-01-17T19:41:56Z

Ramon Diaz-Uriarte ***@***.***> writes:

1. ( ) text/plain (*) text/html Oh, sorry, I had misunderstood. Now I have (setq helm-always-two-windows t) (setq helm-default-display-buffer-functions '(display-buffer-in-side-window)) But now I get the error split-window: Cannot split side window or parent of side window when I press TAB.

Yes side windows have several limitations with dedicated windows, I guess this is one of those (the helm windows become a dedicated window and BTW doesn't support any other buffer IIUC).

In fact, it is the same error I remember getting when I tried adding helm windows in display-buffer-alist with (display-buffer-in-side-window). Isn't setting helm-split-window-default-side enough? I want to have the helm window to always appear at the bottom of the frame,

Where at the bottom of the frame? helm-always-two-windows always display the helm-buffer below all other windows but horizontally.

not below each window (because I find it is easier for me to know where to look for it). This issue was discussed in #2039 a while back.

I will have a look at #2039, I don't remember what it was.

But maybe this is a completely minor issue that doesn't affect anyone else, and it is not worth your time.

Thanks, if I have enough informations, maybe it is not too hard to fix your use case.

…

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thierryvolpiatto · 2024-01-18T05:34:39Z

I have now made modifications so that action menu is shown even in vertical split (2dc2efc), e.g. After splitting vertically with C-t and hitting TAB the action menu is shown below. So I wonder if the helm-always-two-windows limitation is still necessary, perhaps i will remove it soon.

with helm-show-action-window-other-window. Same with helm--buffer-in-new-frame-p test which is not needed now we check the size of window.

rdiaz02 · 2024-01-18T09:30:40Z

Thanks!

Where at the bottom of the frame? helm-always-two-windows always
display the helm-buffer below all other windows but horizontally.

At the bottom of the complete frame, below all of the windows, so that the splits are not changed, except for the new bottom window.

For example, this is one initial window configuration

If I do helm-find-files in the bottom right window, the window layout gets completely changed:

But I'd rather have something like this, where the new helm windows always appear at the bottom of the frame, so what happens is that the rest of the windows are compressed vertically, but the rest of the splits are not modified, and all the windows that were originally visible are still visible (sorry, I seem unable to reproduce what I would like with emacs -Q and the currently available options):

Right now, everything seems to do exactly what I want (the last screen capture). But I am not sure why/how: I've cheated there and used shackle (https://depp.brause.cc/shackle/). But the author of shackle seems to suggest, in https://emacsninja.com/posts/design-is-hard.html, that shackle is a wrapper around display-buffer-alist , but less powerful and harder to debug. Thus, I think I should be able to achieve what I want directly modifying display-buffer-alist , but the fact that I can't tells me that there is something I am not understanding about display-buffer-alist. But this is now about a different issue.

As I said, I really appreciate your help, but this is is probably taking a lot of your time for something that might be relevant to just one user. And the minor bug of the original issue has been fixed.

thierryvolpiatto · 2024-01-18T12:31:14Z

Is it what you want? See the config in scratch buffer.

thierryvolpiatto · 2024-01-18T12:38:17Z

Here is how display-buffer is called in Helm:

(display-buffer
       buffer `(,helm-default-display-buffer-functions
                . ,(append helm-default-display-buffer-alist
                           `((window-height . ,helm-display-buffer-default-height)
                             (window-width  . ,helm-display-buffer-default-width)))))

thierryvolpiatto · 2024-01-18T12:42:48Z

I made a mistake with helm-display-buffer-height, here the right setting:

(setq helm-display-buffer-height 'fit-window-to-buffer)

thierryvolpiatto · 2024-01-18T12:48:53Z

And here a screenshot using default settings with helm-use-frame-when-more-than-two-windows (helm is displayed in a frame):

thierryvolpiatto · 2024-01-18T13:00:20Z

Argh! here finally the right setting for what you asked:

(setq helm-always-two-windows nil)

(setq helm-default-display-buffer-functions
      '(display-buffer-at-bottom))

(setq helm-use-frame-when-more-than-two-windows nil)

(setq helm-display-buffer-default-height 20)

(setq helm-default-display-buffer-alist nil)

rdiaz02 · 2024-01-19T18:04:12Z

Thanks a lot!!!!! That works great!!!!!

rdiaz02 · 2024-01-19T18:04:24Z

I guess we can close this issue?

thierryvolpiatto · 2024-01-19T19:48:44Z

Ramon Diaz-Uriarte ***@***.***> writes:

1. ( ) text/plain (*) text/html I guess we can close this issue?

Yes, please. Thanks.

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-- Thierry

rdiaz02 added the bug label Jan 17, 2024

rdiaz02 changed the title ~~Inconsistent behavior of splitting window on TAB (list-actions~~ Inconsistent behavior of splitting window on TAB (list-actions) Jan 17, 2024

rdiaz02 changed the title ~~Inconsistent behavior of splitting window on TAB (list-actions)~~ Inconsistent behavior of splitting window on TAB (select actions) Jan 17, 2024

thierryvolpiatto added a commit that referenced this issue Jan 17, 2024

Display action buffer below helm-window (#2635)

2e497ee

when helm-show-action-window-other-window is left or right and window is smaller that split-width-threshold (use 160, its default value when set to nil).

thierryvolpiatto added a commit that referenced this issue Jan 18, 2024

Remove limitation of helm-always-two-windows (#2635)

24c0b67

with helm-show-action-window-other-window. Same with helm--buffer-in-new-frame-p test which is not needed now we check the size of window.

rdiaz02 closed this as completed Jan 20, 2024

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Inconsistent behavior of splitting window on TAB (select actions) #2635

Inconsistent behavior of splitting window on TAB (select actions) #2635

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Inconsistent behavior of splitting window on TAB (select actions) #2635

Inconsistent behavior of splitting window on TAB (select actions) #2635

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rdiaz02 commented Jan 17, 2024 • edited Loading

What happened?

How to reproduce?

Helm Version

Emacs Version

OS

Relevant backtrace (if possible)

Minimal configuration

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