Use smart-tab to finally get TAB to do the right thing

unravel-emacs.org

@@ -2090,9 +2090,7 @@ Hippie uses Dabbrev as one of the expansion sources, so all the dabbrev settings
 :END:
 
 #+begin_quote
-I generally do not rely on in-buffer text completion. I feel it slows
+... the ~corfu~ package by Daniel Mendler: it handles the task
-me down and distracts me. When I do, however, need to rely on it, I
-have the ~corfu~ package by Daniel Mendler: it handles the task
 splendidly as it works with Emacs' underlying infrastructure for
 ~completion-at-point-functions~.
 
@@ -2116,7 +2114,7 @@ Also see [[#h:567bb00f-1d82-4746-93e5-e0f60721728a][the =unravel-completion.el=
     (setq corfu-preview-current nil)
     (setq corfu-min-width 20)
 
-    (setq corfu-popupinfo-delay '(1.25 . 0.5))
+    (setq corfu-popupinfo-delay '(2.0 . 1.0))
     (corfu-popupinfo-mode 1) ; shows documentation after `corfu-popupinfo-delay'
 
     ;; Sort by input history (no need to modify `corfu-sort-function').
@@ -2138,6 +2136,28 @@ Also see [[#h:567bb00f-1d82-4746-93e5-e0f60721728a][the =unravel-completion.el=
     (completion-at-point-functions . cape-file))
 #+end_src
 
+** The =unravel-completion.el= for in-buffer completion using TAB (~smart-tab~)
+:PROPERTIES:
+:CUSTOM_ID: h:240488D1-B225-4877-86EE-40D5318B0A7E
+:CREATED:  [2024-12-18 Wed 14:59]
+:END:
+
+~smart-tab~ is an old but extremely reliable package that gets TAB to
+"do the right thing". Other packages somehow fail to replicate this
+functionality correctly.
+
+#+begin_src emacs-lisp :tangle "unravel-modules/unravel-completion.el"
+  ;;; smart-tab (TAB to do completion reliably)
+  (use-package smart-tab
+    :ensure (:repo "https://git.genehack.net/genehack/smart-tab.git" :branch "main")
+    :after corfu
+    :config
+    (setq smart-tab-using-hippie-expand t)
+    (setq smart-tab-expand-eolp nil)
+    (setq smart-tab-user-provided-completion-function 'corfu-complete)
+    (global-smart-tab-mode 1))
+#+end_src
+
 ** The =unravel-completion.el= settings for ~consult~
 :PROPERTIES:
 :CUSTOM_ID: h:22e97b4c-d88d-4deb-9ab3-f80631f9ff1d
@@ -4902,7 +4922,7 @@ is primarily by marking files in Dired and running =!=
     :demand t
     :config
     (setq tab-always-indent 'complete)
-    (setq tab-first-completion 'word-or-paren-or-punct) ; Emacs 27
+    (setq tab-first-completion nil)
     (setq-default tab-width 4
                   indent-tabs-mode nil))
 #+end_src

unravel-modules/unravel-completion.el

@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@
   (setq corfu-preview-current nil)
   (setq corfu-min-width 20)
 
-  (setq corfu-popupinfo-delay '(1.25 . 0.5))
+  (setq corfu-popupinfo-delay '(2.0 . 1.0))
   (corfu-popupinfo-mode 1) ; shows documentation after `corfu-popupinfo-delay'
 
   ;; Sort by input history (no need to modify `corfu-sort-function').
@@ -220,6 +220,16 @@
   (completion-at-point-functions . cape-emoji)
   (completion-at-point-functions . cape-file))
 
+;;; smart-tab (TAB to do completion reliably)
+(use-package smart-tab
+  :ensure (:repo "https://git.genehack.net/genehack/smart-tab.git" :branch "main")
+  :after corfu
+  :config
+  (setq smart-tab-using-hippie-expand t)
+  (setq smart-tab-expand-eolp nil)
+  (setq smart-tab-user-provided-completion-function 'corfu-complete)
+  (global-smart-tab-mode 1))
+
 ;;; Enhanced minibuffer commands (consult.el)
 (use-package consult
   :ensure t

unravel-modules/unravel-langs.el

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
   :demand t
   :config
   (setq tab-always-indent 'complete)
-  (setq tab-first-completion 'word-or-paren-or-punct) ; Emacs 27
+  (setq tab-first-completion nil)
   (setq-default tab-width 4
                 indent-tabs-mode nil))