[feature] Multi-selection

[tjdevries]

Currently half implemented.

Need to fix highlights and other items related to it.

Needs other actions as well.

[baldore]

Hey, first at all, thanks for this great plugin. I'm wondering if, after this feature is added, you can make multiple selections of Rg results and add them to the quickfix. I ask because, if this is possible already, I would love to migrate to this plugin from Fzf.vim.

[Conni2461]

We can send entries to qflist. You can already do this with all results and the function for sending only selected to qflist is also done. You need to manually set it up right now:

local actions = require('telescope.actions')
require('telescope').setup{
  defaults = {
    mappings = {
      i = {
        ["<C-w>"] = actions.send_selected_to_qflist,
        ["<C-q>"] = actions.send_to_qflist,
      },
      n = {
        ["<C-w>"] = actions.send_selected_to_qflist,
        ["<C-q>"] = actions.send_to_qflist,
      },
    },
  }
}

So this will be possible when multi selection is done and enabled.

[larrybotha]

For anyone looking for a basic fzf-type multiselection, where:

• <CR> with selections <= 1 opens a file for editing
• <CR> with selections > 1 opens the quick fix window (currently doesn't open the file for editing)

I've done the following:

local actions = require("telescope.actions")
local action_state = require("telescope.actions.state")

local function fzf_multi_select(prompt_bufnr)
    local picker = action_state.get_current_picker(prompt_bufnr)
    local num_selections = #picker:get_multi_selection()

    if num_selections > 1 then
        -- actions.file_edit throws - context of picker seems to change
        --actions.file_edit(prompt_bufnr)
        actions.send_selected_to_qflist(prompt_bufnr)
        actions.open_qflist()
    else
        actions.file_edit(prompt_bufnr)
    end
end

require("telescope").setup {
    defaults = {
        mappings = {
            i = {
                -- close on escape
                ["<esc>"] = actions.close,
                ["<tab>"] = actions.toggle_selection + actions.move_selection_next,
                ["<s-tab>"] = actions.toggle_selection + actions.move_selection_previous,
                ["<cr>"] = fzf_multi_select
            },
            n = {
                ["<tab>"] = actions.toggle_selection + actions.move_selection_next,
                ["<s-tab>"] = actions.toggle_selection + actions.move_selection_previous,
                ["<cr>"] = fzf_multi_select
            }
        }
    }
}

I haven't yet worked out why I'm getting errors when executing actions.file_edit when there are selections, but this gets you 80% of the way to how fzf works.

EDIT: update utility to use # instead of deprecated table.getn

[tjdevries]

it's cause file_edit closes the picker, and then it's lost. I have a PR that is WIP for fixing this problem -- but it requires some larger refactorings.

[RunningIkkyu]

Thanks for @larrybotha's solution👍, It works for me!

[chaudry-786]

Any progress on this? I have recently moved from fzf and surprised telescope lacks this functionality.

[fsouza]

Any progress on this? I have recently moved from fzf and surprised telescope lacks this functionality.

You can implement this by customizing the action. It's not supported natively, but it's also not impossible to achieve.

[zegabr]

I did a similar solution compared with @larrybotha's one, in case anyone is interested. The difference is that instead of opening the quickfix list, I open each selected file in a new buffer (the same way the single file is open with actions.file_edit):

local action_utils = require "telescope.actions.utils"
local action_state = require "telescope.actions.state"

local function single_or_multi_select(prompt_bufnr)
    local current_picker = action_state.get_current_picker(prompt_bufnr)
    local has_multi_selection = (next(current_picker:get_multi_selection()) ~= nil)

    if(has_multi_selection) then
        -- apply function to each selection
        action_utils.map_selections(prompt_bufnr, function (selection)
            local filename = selection[1]
            vim.cmd(':edit! ' .. filename)
        end)

    else
        -- if does not have multi selection, open single file
        actions.file_edit(prompt_bufnr)
    end
end

telescope.setup {
    defaults = {
        mappings = {
            i = {
                ['<esc>'] = actions.close,
                ['<C-j>'] = actions.move_selection_next,
                ['<C-k>'] = actions.move_selection_previous,
                ['<tab>'] = actions.toggle_selection,
                ['<cr>'] = single_or_multi_select,
            },
        },   
}

However, I haven't worked out why the vim.cmd(':edit ' .. filename) doesn't work, I had to add the exclamation mark (i.e ":edit!") for it to work. Besides that it seems to work as I expect

[davidosomething]

my modified version of the above, but doesn't cause issues from :edit! if you have a currently open buffer:

      local action_state = require("telescope.actions.state")
      local action_utils = require("telescope.actions.utils")
      local function single_or_multi_select(prompt_bufnr)
        local current_picker = action_state.get_current_picker(prompt_bufnr)
        local has_multi_selection = (
          next(current_picker:get_multi_selection()) ~= nil
        )

        if has_multi_selection then
          local results = {}
          action_utils.map_selections(prompt_bufnr, function(selection)
            table.insert(results, selection[1])
          end)

          -- load the selections into buffers list without switching to them
          for _, filepath in ipairs(results) do
            -- not the same as vim.fn.bufadd!
            vim.cmd.badd({ args = { filepath } })
          end

          require("telescope.pickers").on_close_prompt(prompt_bufnr)

          -- switch to newly loaded buffers if on an empty buffer
          if vim.fn.bufname() == "" and not vim.bo.modified then
            vim.cmd.bwipeout()
            vim.cmd.buffer(results[1])
          end
          return
        end

        -- if does not have multi selection, open single file
        require("telescope.actions").file_edit(prompt_bufnr)
      end

[erlandsona]

Curious what the latest is on this. It's the only thing blocking me from switching to telescope (from the fzf thing) but most of the rest of the ecosystem seems to be congregating around telescope.

If I need to I can copy/paste some of the proposed solutions in the responses here but would love a telescope "blessed" solution.