Question

Is it possible to have ido provide the same functionality for insert-file as it does for find-file, i.e. the filename completion?

I’ve tried to find a corresponding variable setting but had no luck so far.

Answer 1

ido-insert-file is to insert-file what ido-find-file is to find-file. ido-insert-file is bound to C-x i when ido-mode‘s file behavior is enabled:

(ido-mode 'files) ; turn on ido file behavior only (finding, writing, inserting, ...)

or

(ido-mode t) ; turn on both ido buffer and file behavior

From ido-mode‘s docstring,

(ido-mode &optional ARG)

Toggle ido speed-ups on or off.

With ARG, turn ido speed-up on if arg is positive, off otherwise. Turning on ido-mode will remap (via a minor-mode keymap) the default keybindings for the find-file and switch-to-buffer families of commands to the ido versions of these functions.

However, if ARG arg equals 'files, remap only commands for files, or if it equals 'buffers, remap only commands for buffer switching.