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I have C-x C-f bound to helm-find-files. Mostly this works really well, but if I hit TAB when there are no completions for an item (most often because I've fumble-fingered the directory or filename that I want completed) Helm unhelpfully creates a buffer with that mangled name.

Anyway to prevent that?

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  • Helm must have some way of specifying whether reading a file or buffer name is lax or strict. If it uses (or you use) completing-read or read-file-name, they explicitly accept an argument for this purpose (called REQUIRE-MATCH for completing-read and MUSTMATCH for read-file-name).
    – Drew
    Commented Jan 6, 2019 at 21:06
  • ATM this is not possible without modifying helm-find-file-or-marked. In particular, see the (find-file (substitute-in-file-name candidate)) line.
    – jagrg
    Commented Jun 7, 2019 at 0:11

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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Default behavior for TAB in Helm is to show a list of actions.
C-j is for completion.
If there are no completions, C-j creates a buffer(not a file until you save it).
Pressing C-j again - kills that buffer.

https://github.com/emacs-helm/helm/issues/1810

A user asked about that previous behavior of TAB, completion in earlier versions:
https://github.com/emacs-helm/helm/issues/1630

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  • Thank you. I had a customization that rebound Tab to 'helm-execute-persistent-action (making it the same as C-j). I still find the behavior that it creates a buffer a little awkward, but knowing that Tab/C-j a second time will kill it is probably good enough.
    – Norm
    Commented Feb 14, 2019 at 8:08

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