GNU Emacs Manual - Completion Example

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### Completion Example

A concrete example may help here. If you type `M-x au `TAB``, the `TAB` looks for alternatives (in this case, command names) that start with ``au'`. There are several, including `auto-fill-mode` and `auto-save-mode`---but they are all the same as far as `auto-`, so the ``au'` in the minibuffer changes to ``auto-'`.

If you type `TAB` again immediately, there are multiple possibilities for the very next character--it could be any of ``cfilrs'`---so no more characters are added; instead, `TAB` displays a list of all possible completions in another window.

If you go on to type `f `TAB``, this `TAB` sees ``auto-f'`. The only command name starting this way is `auto-fill-mode`, so completion fills in the rest of that. You now have ``auto-fill-mode'` in the minibuffer after typing just `au `TAB` f `TAB``. Note that `TAB` has this effect because in the minibuffer it is bound to the command `minibuffer-complete` when completion is available.

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