Re: forward slash is added at end of commands in tab completion if there is a directory with the same name

I second having separate "vim" and "vim/" suggestions due to the following
reasons
1. if you have "set colored-stats on" then the "vim/" will be colored as an
executable which seems confusing
2. if you have "set colored-stats on" and "set mark-directories off" then
you'll end up with "vim" colored as an executable and the user can't be
aware of the presence of a directory named "vim"

On Fri, Feb 27, 2026 at 4:27 AM Martin D Kealey <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>
> On Fri, 27 Feb 2026 at 04:19, Chet Ramey <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> It's ambiguous.  Both a binary in $PATH and a directory in the current
>> directory can be valid completions, since bash completion (and readline)
>> allows you to build a relative pathname by completing a directory at a
>> time.
>>
>> Because it's ambiguous, the name exists as a directory in the current
>> directory, and you have the `mark-directories' readline variable set,
>> readline appends the slash.
>>
>
> I can follow this logic to see why it behaves as  it does, except that it
> it's inconsistent.
>
> If you have the full suite of vim installed then Bash shows a list like
> this:
> vim        vim.basic  vim.gtk3   vim.tiny   vimdiff    vimdot     vimplate
>   vimtutor
>
> Add a directory «vim» with «mark-directories» is in effect, and instead
> you get:
> vim/       vim.basic  vim.gtk3   vim.tiny   vimdiff    vimdot     vimplate
>   vimtutor
>
> which differs only in the addition of a trailing slash.
>
> However, when you only have the vim directory and the vim command, with no
> other commands machines that prefix, pressing tab shows a single-item list
> vim
> which has no slash, regardless of «mark-directories».
>
> I contend that «vim» and «vim/» should count as separate completions; this
> is consistent with:
> (a) the behaviour of +o nospace (i.e., DO add a space after a unique
> completion), which does NOT add a space when «vim» and «vim/» are the only
> valid completions; and
> (b) the decision to display a list of completions (when normally that
> doesn't occur for a unique completion).
>
> I suggest that these inconsistencies (and the original bug report) would
> be resolved by showing both «vim» and «vim/» in the displayed list; in
> effect, mark-directories would act to modify each element as it's added to
> the list of completions, rather acting when when each item is displayed or
> used to extend the completion.
>
> -Martin
>
> PS: «compopt +o nospace» is currently overridden by «bind 'set
> mark-directories'». If directory marking occurs before terms are placed in
> the list of valid completions, it then becomes necessary to apply a hidden
> mark such entries to ensure the override remains in effect. This is
> necessary so that +o nospace continues to insert a space when a unique
> completion ending with a slash is NOT from matching a directory name.
>
> PPS: Just in case anyone is inclined to suggest only the directory in the
> list of valid "commands" should when there exists an executable file
> somewhere within the directory, consider the abysmal performance when you
> type “..<TAB>” when you're in, say, /etc.
>