GNU Emacs Manual - Completion Options

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### Completion Options

When completion is done on file names, certain file names are usually ignored. The variable `completion-ignored-extensions` contains a list of strings; a file whose name ends in any of those strings is ignored as a possible completion. The standard value of this variable has several elements including `".o"`, `".elc"`, `".dvi"` and `"~"`. The effect is that, for example, ``foo'` can complete to ``foo.c'` even though ``foo.o'` exists as well. However, if all the possible completions end in "ignored" strings, then they are not ignored. Ignored extensions do not apply to lists of completions--those always mention all possible completions.

Normally, a completion command that finds the next character is undetermined automatically displays a list of all possible completions. If the variable `completion-auto-help` is set to `nil`, this does not happen, and you must type `?` to display the possible completions.

The `complete` library implements a more powerful kind of completion that can complete multiple words at a time. For example, it can complete the command name abbreviation `p-b` into `print-buffer`, because no other command starts with two words whose initials are ``p'` and ``b'`. To use this library, put `(load "complete")` in your ``~/.emacs'` file (see section The Init File, ``~/.emacs'`).

Icomplete mode presents a constantly-updated display that tells you what completions are available for the text you've entered so far. The command to enable or disable this minor mode is `M-x icomplete-mode`.

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