Character Name Completion ¶

The most basic use of this is when pressing TAB on an empty line. If there’s an empty line above, this will offer to autocomplete a character name. Character names are suggested in the order:

1. the second-to-last previously speaking character within the current scene, i.e. a character’s conversational partner;
2. the last speaking character within the current scene, i.e. a character continuing speaking;
3. the remaining characters in the script in order of frequency (default if there are not yet speaking characters in the current scene).

TAB will also offer character name completion if a line has a partial character name.

When the cursor is after a character name and opening parenthesis, TAB will offer completions from fountain-character-extension-list plus fountain-continued-dialog-string.

MARY (|

When the cursor is at an empty line within dialogue, TAB will add an empty parenthetical.

MARY
|
I'm hungry.

Likewise, if the cursor is within an empty parenthetical, TAB will remove the parenthetical.

MARY
(|)
I'm hungry.

When the cursor is at the end of a non-empty parenthetical, either inside or outside the closing parenthesis, TAB will move to the beginning of the next line if the next line is non-empty, otherwise it will insert a newline.

MARY
(angry|)
I'm hungry.

When the cursor is at the end of a non-empty line of dialogue, and the value of fountain-dwim-insert-next-character is non-nil, TAB will insert an empty line and the second-to-last previously speaking character.

MARY
(angry)
I'm hungry.|

The cursor will be left at the end of the next character, allowing successive presses of TAB to cycling through additional character completion candidates.

MARY
(angry)
I'm hungry.

JOHN|