[virt-tools-list] [virt-manager] [RFC PATCH 0/9] Tab completion in bash shell via the argcomplete

[Cole Robinson]

On 11/14/2018 03:12 AM, Lin Ma wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> These draft patches add the tab completion in bash for virt-* utilities.
> 
> We've been using the argparse to help parse handling, So I think that the
> argcomplete is a good option to deal with argument/sub-options completion
> in bash shell for virt-manager project. Argcomplete returns the completion
> result via fd 8.
> After applying these patches, The python3 argcomplete is required while
> running virt-* utilities.
> 
> For the details about argcomplete, Please refer to:
> https://github.com/kislyuk/argcomplete  or
> https://pypi.org/project/argcomplete/
> 

Wow, nice work! I didn't expect this to be so minimally invasive. I 
haven't heard of argcomplete, it's a handy project for sure.

> ex:
> $ virt-clone --<TAB><TAB>
> ...
> --auto-clone     --debug    --help     --nonsparse    --reflink
> --check          --file     --mac      --nvram        --replace
> ...
> 
> $ virt-install --p<TAB><TAB>
> --panic      --parallel   --paravirt   --pm         --print-xml  --pxe
> 
> $ virt-install --panic <TAB><TAB>
> clearxml=  iobase=    model=
> 
> $ virt-install --panic model=isa,<TAB><TAB>
> clearxml=  iobase=
> 
> $ virt-install --disk <TAB><TAB>
> ...
> bus=    cache=      format=     path=   serial=     size=
> ...
> 
> $ virt-install --disk path=/storage/vms/sles15/disk0.raw,format=raw,<TAB><TAB>cache=none
> ...
> bus=    format=     serial=     path=   size=
> ...
> 
> 
> $ virt-install --network model=rtl8139,ty<TAB><TAB>
> $ virt-install --network model=rtl8139,type=
> 
> 
> * A side effect of patches is:
> Due to the sub options of arguments of virt-* is comma separated, It needs
> to add comma into $COMP_WORDBREAKS to support sub options completion.
> That means, Once we used TAB for option completion, The change impacts the
> current shell.
> 

I barely looked at this so I don't fully understand the issue, but we 
definitely can't change shell behavior after some tab completion 
attempts. Maybe this helps finding a better solution?

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/10528695/how-to-reset-comp-wordbreaks-without-affecting-other-completion-script

I'll comment on some of the patches individually

Thanks,
Cole