Re: tab for filename completion (Was: Dumb question)

[Peter Masiar <peter masiar yale edu>]

Quoting Pavel Roskin <proski gnu org>:

> On Sat, 3 Apr 2004, ch p wrote:
>
> > Is there a way to make
> > mc use tab for filename completion instead of alt+tab, 
>
> your question is answered in FAQ:
> 2.8 How do I change the key bindings?
[...]

> That said, you can hack the code to fix it.  
[...]

I understand that changing panels using TAB was in mc forever.
It was in first NC almost 20 years ago.

But one experienced Linux user said me: 

  bash uses TAB. mc does it differently gor no good reason, it's PITA. 
  I may like mc, but my fingers use TAB to complete filename. :-(

I agree that changing panel is action done frequently and deserves 
easy keystroke. The least frequently used function key is IMHO F7,
so it could be a good candidate to replace TAB to switch panels,
freeing TAB for completion.
Also, in my experience users has problems to remember which key is
to switch panels, making it more visual could be good idea.

I understand changing meaning of TAB is next to heresy.
But maybe making TAB behavior in mc compatible with bash is worth it.

I am not bash expert (I use mc for 90% of the little I do in shell),
but there may be other often used bash keystrokes which mc does differently.
And maybe changing them all together with TAB might be good idea.
As a config parameter, or maybe compilation parameter?

Again, I understand changing meaning of TAB is next to heresy.
But to increase mc's appeal to command-line experts, it may be worth trying.

Peter Masiar

My mc wikipages:
http://twiki.med.yale.edu/twiki/bin/view/Tools/MidnightCommander