# Auto-Completion configuration layer for Spacemacs
**Table of Contents**
- [Auto-Completion configuration layer for Spacemacs](#auto-completion-configuration-layer-for-spacemacs)
- [Description](#description)
- [Install](#install)
- [Company variables](#company-variables)
- [Configure](#configure)
- [Enable company or auto-complete globally](#enable-company-or-auto-complete-globally)
- [Replacing company by auto-complete](#replacing-company-by-auto-complete)
- [Add auto-completion in a layer](#add-auto-completion-in-a-layer)
- [Key Bindings](#key-bindings)
- [Company](#company)
- [Auto-complete](#auto-complete)
## Description
This layer provides auto-completion to Spacemacs.
The following completion engines are supported:
- [company][]
- [auto-complete][]
## Install
To use this configuration layer add it to your `~/.spacemacs`
```elisp
(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '(auto-completion))
```
### Company variables
To use tab instead of enter to complete your selection,
`dotspacemacs/init` set `auto-completion-use-tab-instead-of-enter` to
`t`, for example:
``` elisp
(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers
'(auto-completion :variables
auto-completion-use-tab-instead-of-enter t))
```
To enable docstring tooltips set `auto-completion-enable-company-help-tooltip`
to `t`
``` elisp
(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers
'(auto-completion :variables
auto-completion-enable-company-help-tooltip t))
## Configure
### Enable company or auto-complete globally
By default Spacemacs enables auto-completion explicitly for each supported
major-mode, it means that `company` and `auto-complete` are not enabled
globally, it allows more flexibility to choose an auto-completion engine
for a given mode.
You may want to enable company globally to get auto-completion
everywhere even in the modes which are not configured by Spacemacs. To do
so, you just have to add `(global-company-mode)` in the
`dotspacemacs/config` function of your dotfile.
Note that if you want to enable auto-complete globally you will have to
disable company first, see the next section to do so.
### Replacing company by auto-complete
You can disable company by adding it to the `dotspacemacs-excluded-packages`
variable, then you are free to configure auto-complete and enable it
globally.
```
### Add auto-completion in a layer
Here is an example to add `company` auto-completion to python buffer:
In `config.el`:
```elisp
;; Define the buffer local company backend variable
(spacemacs|defvar-company-backends python-mode)
```
In `packages.el`:
```elisp
;; Add the relevant packages to the layer
(defvar python-packages
'(...
company
company-anaconda
...))
;; Configure the packages
(when (configuration-layer/layer-usedp 'auto-completion)
;; Hook company to python-mode
(defun python/post-init-company ()
(spacemacs|add-company-hook python-mode))
;; Add the backend to the major-mode specific backend list
(defun python/init-company-anaconda ()
(use-package company-anaconda
:if (configuration-layer/package-usedp 'company)
:defer t
:init (push 'company-anaconda company-backends-python-mode))))
```
## Key Bindings
### Company
Key Binding | Description
---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------
C-j | go down in company dropdown menu
C-k | go up in company dropdown menu
C-/ | search in company dropdown
C-M-/ | filter the company dropdown menu
C-d | open minibuffer with documentation of thing at point in company dropdown
### Auto-complete
Key Binding | Description
-------------------|------------------------------------------------------------
C-j | select next candidate
C-k | select previous candidate
TAB | expand selection or select next candidate
S-TAB | select previous candidate
return | complete word, if word is already completed insert a carriage return
[company]: http://company-mode.github.io/
[auto-complete]: http://auto-complete.org/