Re: Increase text size of the minibuffer

* Heime <[email protected]> [2026-03-24 05:17]:
> How can I increase the size of text in the minibuffer, because I am 
> finding it too small for me.

Me too, though I have made it this way:

(defcustom rcd-minibuffer-text-scale-adjust 1.5
  "The RCD Notes text scale adjustment for minibuffer."
  :group 'rcd
  :type 'number)

(defun rcd-minibuffer-text-scale-adjust ()
  "Adjust text scale."
  (text-scale-increase rcd-minibuffer-text-scale-adjust))

This Emacs Lisp code defines a custom variable and function to
permanently increase the text size by a factor of 1.5 when editing
within the minibuffer (pop-up input line).

Then I am using it this way:

(defun rcd-ask (&optional prompt initial-input default-value auto-initial-input)
  "Modified function `read-string'.

This is shorter, simpler function that generates the prompt
automatically, generates history variable automatically and
inherits the input method. The input will be returned trimmed."
  (let* ((prompt (or prompt "Input data: "))
	 (history (rcd-ask-history-variable prompt))
	 (initial-input (cond (auto-initial-input (car (symbol-value history)))
			(initial-input initial-input)))
	 (input (minibuffer-with-setup-hook 'rcd-minibuffer-text-scale-adjust (read-string prompt initial-input history default-value t)))
	 (input (string-trim input)))
    input))

Here is the simplest example of how to use `minibuffer-with-setup-hook` with `read-string`:

(defun example-with-scale-adjust ()
  "Example showing minibuffer text scale adjustment."
  (interactive)
  (let ((input (minibuffer-with-setup-hook 
                 'example-scale-adjust 
                 (read-string "Enter text: " "default" nil t))))
    input))

(defun example-scale-adjust ()
  "Adjust text scale in this minibuffer."
  (text-scale-increase 3))

Run this command to see:
(example-with-scale-adjust)

Key points:

- `minibuffer-with-setup-hook` takes two arguments:

  1. A function to call when the minibuffer is set up (your hook function)
  2. The actual call to `read-string` (wrapped in a function call)

- The hook function runs once when the minibuffer opens
- The hook runs before `read-string` is called, so it affects the initial display

Minimal version (just your use case):

(defun rcd-ask ()
  (let ((input (minibuffer-with-setup-hook 
                 'rcd-minibuffer-text-scale-adjust 
                 (read-string "Input data: " "default" nil t))))
    (string-trim input)))

This is all you need - the hook adjusts text scale every time you use
this function, and your `rcd-minibuffer-text-scale-adjust` function
runs in that hook context.

Or this way:

(defun rcd-ask ()
  "Ask with scaled minibuffer text."
  (let ((input (minibuffer-with-setup-hook 
                 (lambda () (text-scale-increase 5))
                 (read-string "Input data: " nil nil t))))
    (string-trim input)))

(rcd-ask) then shows large minibuffer text.

-- 
Jean Louis