[Question] make helm buffer can popup as done by shackle.

[zw963]

Hi, thank you very much for this awesome package.

For my helm issue, is, when one windows get raised, helm will be limited into only in a very little window,

as like this.

helm window be limited into only compile buffer, for the normal case, helm should like behavior like this:

so, for resolve this issue, we can use shackle or popwin, i use former, like this:

(setq helm-display-function 'pop-to-buffer) ; make helm play nice

;; always keep helm 0.618% of height.
(setq shackle-rules '(("\\`\\*helm.*?\\*\\'" :regexp t :align t :size 0.618)))

(shackle-mode t)

But, i find popper! i am curious, is there exists a config for same effect as above shackle config?

Thank you!

[karthink]

@zw963 Popper does not provide window management features beyond the minimum necessary to display popups. Helm's height is being limited becuse Helm and Popper are both displayed in side-windows at the bottom of the frame. Note that you'll have the same problem whenever you use a side-window at the bottom along with Helm.

To fix this, you have a couple of options.

1. Customize how Helm buffers are shown using Shackle or by customizing display-buffer-alist. The shackle rule from above translates to

(add-to-list 'display-buffer-alist
             '("\\`\\*helm.*?\\*\\'"
               (display-buffer-reuse-window display-buffer-at-bottom)
               (window-height . 0.618)))

although you may want to tweak it some more.

2. OR Customize Popper to show its popups some other way. For example, you can make popups appear at the top using

(defun popper-select-popup-at-top (buffer &optional _alist)
  "Display popup-buffer BUFFER at the bottom of the screen."
  (let ((win (display-buffer-in-side-window
              buffer
              `((window-height . ,popper-window-height)
                (side . top)
                (slot . 1)))))
    (select-window win)))

(setq popper-display-function #'popper-select-popup-at-top)

[zw963]

1. Customize how Helm buffers are shown using Shackle or by customizing display-buffer-alist. The shackle rule from above translates to

(add-to-list 'display-buffer-alist
             '("\\`\\*helm.*?\\*\\'"
               (display-buffer-reuse-window display-buffer-at-bottom)
               (window-height . 0.618)))

In fact, not same.

because if work with treemacs, with above config, helm only popup on the right window of treemacs window, like this.

but, after use shackle, it will popup on full width window.

In fact, i use following config which adviced by helm maintainer for a long time, never use shackle,

(setq helm-always-two-windows nil) ;; this is default
(setq-default helm-display-buffer-default-height (* (frame-height) 0.618))
(setq helm-default-display-buffer-functions '(display-buffer-in-side-window))

until, i start use emacs-lsp, you know, many little window, helm always limited by this or another window.

But, i find this not a big issue anyway after i introduce popper and add those little window into popper as popup window, because i can always hide those windows, before use helm.

anyway, thank you.

[zw963]

OR Customize Popper to show its popups some other way. For example, you can make popups appear at the top using

I try those code, it works! it really a new experience, i will try to play a while, though, that not fix my issue, because helm can be limited by other window which not added into popper-reference-buffers.

[karthink]

But, i find this not a big issue anyway after i introduce popper and add those little window into popper as popup window, because i can always hide those windows, before use helm.

The solution is to not use Helm in a side-window. You can use one of the other buffer display functions for helm-default-display-buffer-functions or write your own.

You could also show popups in a regular (i.e. non side-) window instead, but you will have continue to have issues with LSP windows etc.

[zw963]

Thank you for help, let me use for a while, if have any usage issue, i will reopen here.