Can 'M-x' be made to display the docstrings of the functions?

Can 'M-x' be made to display the docstrings of the functions along side the functions themselves? Having lots of functions with similar names can be confusing including those you wrote yourself. UPDATE: Solution for `helm-M-x`. It also works on Emacs 27 In the case of `helm-M-x` the function for toggling display of the short-docs is `helm-M-x-toggle-short-doc` and the default key is `C-]` in `helm-M-x-mode-map`. As helm runs in the current buffer if it isn't wide enough the docstrings will word-wrap so it works better in wider buffers. [Github issue - Support for Emacs 28.1 completions-detailed parameter](https://github.com/emacs-helm/helm/issues/2496#)

[removed]

Check out [Marginalia](https://github.com/minad/marginalia).

I've looked at it. Does it mean I have to give up helm and ivy? The docs speak of some kind of `:annotation-function` to get it to work with other packages. Do you know of any for `helm` and `ivy`?

You don’t have to. This package is very general.

Yes, if you're using ivy/counsel, then there is a package (ivy-rich) on top of it for adding all kinds of info to `M-x`, but also to `C-h f` (describe-function), `C-h v` (describe-variable), etc. Check out the [package](https://github.com/Yevgnen/ivy-rich) itself and some [screenshots](https://github.com/Yevgnen/ivy-rich/blob/master/screenshots.org)

Related, at least: With [Icicles](https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/Icicles), whenever completion candidates are things that have doc strings (functions, variables, defcustom groups, faces, etc.): * By default, the first doc-string line of the current candidate is shown in the mode-line of buffer `*Completions*`. * You can pop up the complete doc string of the current candidate anytime. ("Current candidate": The candidate you've moved to when you cycle among candidates or otherwise move among them.)

Is icicles on GitHub / Gotland yet?

No. You can [download it from Emacs Wiki](https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/Icicles_-_Libraries#BulkIciclesDownload).

As long as it sits there it will never be popular ..

Ivy supports Marginalia out of the box (nowadays). Another option for ivy is the ivy-rich package. I don't know about similar things for Helm, but it seems very likely they exist.

I will update my Ivy installation and see. It is a long time since I updated my packages.

I'm not in a popularity contest, and neither is Icicles. Do you care?

I turned on `ivy-rich-mode` after I switched to `counsel-M-x` after disabling it I see that `marginalia-mode` works with it. Thanks.

Solution for `helm-M-x`. It also works on Emacs 27 In the case of `helm-M-x` the function for toggling display of the short-docs is `helm-M-x-toggle-short-doc` and the default key is `C-]` in `helm-M-x-mode-map`. As helm runs in the current buffer if it isn't wide enough the docstrings will word-wrap so it works better in wider buffers. [Github issue - Support for Emacs 28.1 completions-detailed parameter](https://github.com/emacs-helm/helm/issues/2496#)