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GNU Info File | 1994-09-21 | 49KB | 848 lines

This is Info file ../info/dired, produced by Makeinfo-1.56 from the input file dired.txi. This file documents Tree Dired, the GNU Emacs Directory Browser, and most of the extra features available as an option. Copyright (C) 1991, 1992 Free Software Foundation Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies. Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the section entitled "GNU General Public License" is included exactly as in the original, and provided that the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this one. Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, except that the section entitled "GNU General Public License" may be included in a translation approved by the author instead of in the original English. File: dired, Node: Top, Next: Dired, Prev: (dir), Up: (dir) This file documents Tree Dired (version 6), the GNU Emacs Directory Editor, including the optional "Dired Extra" features. Tree Dired is an enhanced version of the Classic (18.xx Emacs) Dired and will be the Dired of Emacs 19. It is known to work with Emacs 18.55 and 18.57 (and probably most earlier versions). Revision of this manual: $Id: dired.txi 1.1 1993/08/29 17:53:49 bpwing Exp $ Report bugs to: Sebastian Kremer <sk@thp.uni-koeln.de> * Menu: * Dired:: Dired, the Directory Editor * Tree Dired Extra:: Tree Dired Extra features * Dired Internals:: Dired Internals * Dired Known Problems:: Known Problems with Dired -- Indices -- * Dired Variable Index:: * Dired Function Index:: * Dired Key Index:: * Dired Concept Index:: -- The Detailed Node Listing -- Dired, the Directory Editor * Entering Dired:: * Editing in Dired:: * Listing Files in Dired:: * Marking Files in Dired:: * Mark-using Commands:: * Commands That Do Not Use Marks:: * Subdirectories in Dired:: * Hiding Directories in Dired:: * Acknowledgement:: * Dired Customization:: Mark-using Commands * Copy and Move Into a Directory:: * Renaming and More With Regexps:: * Other File Creating Commands:: * Deleting Files With Dired:: * Dired Shell Commands:: * Compressing and Uncompressing:: * Changing File Attributes:: * Loading and Byte-compiling Emacs Lisp Files:: * Printing the Marked Files:: Dired Customization * Dired User Options:: * Dired Configuration:: * Dired Hooks:: Tree Dired Extra features * Tree Dired Extra Features:: * Dired Minibuffer History:: * Inserting All Marked Subdirectories:: * Dynamic Dired Markers:: * Omitting Files in Dired:: * Advanced Dired Mark Commands:: * Virtual Dired:: * Multiple Dired Directories:: * Dired Local Variables:: * Making Relative Symbolic Links in Dired:: * Letting Dired Guess What Shell Command to Apply:: * dired-trns.el:: Filename Transformers for Dired Shell Commands * dired-cd.el:: Changing the Working Directory for Dired Shell Commands * dired-nstd.el:: Nested Dired format * find-dired.el:: Feeding Find Output to Dired Dired Internals * Tree Dired Internals:: * Dired Mark Internals:: File: dired, Node: Dired, Next: Tree Dired Extra, Prev: Top, Up: Top Dired, the Directory Editor *************************** Dired makes it easy to delete or visit many of the files in a single directory (and possibly its subdirectories) at once. It makes an Emacs buffer containing a listing of the directories, in the format of `ls -lR'. You can use the normal Emacs commands to move around in this buffer, and special Dired commands to operate on the files. You can run shell commands on files, visit, compress, load or byte-compile them, change their file attributes and insert subdirectories into the same buffer. You can "mark" files for later commands or "flag" them for deletion, either file by file or all files matching certain criteria. * Menu: * Entering Dired:: * Editing in Dired:: * Listing Files in Dired:: * Marking Files in Dired:: * Mark-using Commands:: * Commands That Do Not Use Marks:: * Subdirectories in Dired:: * Hiding Directories in Dired:: * Acknowledgement:: * Dired Customization:: File: dired, Node: Entering Dired, Next: Editing in Dired, Prev: Dired, Up: Dired Entering Dired ============== To invoke Dired, do `C-x d' or `M-x dired'. The command reads a directory name or wildcard file name pattern as a minibuffer argument just like the `list-directory' command, `C-x C-d'. Invoking Dired with a prefix argument lets you enter the listing switches for the directory. Dired assumes you meant to use a wildcard if the last component of the name is not an existing file. Note that only the last pathname component may contain wildcards. With wildcards it uses the shell to do the filename globbing, whereas usually it calls `ls' directly. Because of this, you might have to quote characters that are special to the shell. For example, to dired all auto-save files in your `~/mail/' directory, use `~/mail/\#*' as argument to Dired. Note the backslash needed to quote `#' (at the beginning of a word) to the shell. Where `dired' differs from `list-directory' is in naming the buffer after the directory name or the wildcard pattern used for the listing, and putting the buffer into Dired mode so that the special commands of Dired are available in it. The variable `dired-listing-switches' is a string used as an argument to `ls' in making the directory; this string must contain `-l'. Most other switches are also allowed, especially `-F', `-i' and `-s'. For the `-F' switch to work you may have to set the variable `dired-ls-F-marks-symlinks', depending on what kind of `ls' program you are using. *Note Dired Configuration::. When a Dired buffer for the given directory already exists, it is simply selected without refreshing it. You can type `g' if you suspect it is out of date. To display the Dired buffer in another window rather than in the selected window, use `C-x 4 d' (`dired-other-window)' instead of `C-x File: dired, Node: Editing in Dired, Next: Listing Files in Dired, Prev: Entering Dired, Up: Dired Editing in Dired ================ Once the Dired buffer exists, you can switch freely between it and other Emacs buffers. Whenever the Dired buffer is selected, certain special commands are provided that operate on files that are listed. The Dired buffer is "read-only", and inserting text in it is not useful, so ordinary printing characters such as `d' and `x' are used for Dired commands, and digits are prefix arguments. The file described by the line that point is on is called the "current file". The directory this file is in is the "current Dired directory". Note that there may be several directories in one Dired buffer as long as they belong to the same tree. The top level directory, the "root" of the tree, is used as the working directory of the buffer. Some or all directories can be "hidden", leaving only their headerlines visible, and exlcuding their files from Dired operations. Files can be "marked" for later commands. Marking means putting a special character, usually `*', in the first column of the file line. To "flag" a file means to mark it for later deletion. This special case of "marking" is distinguished so that you do not delete files accidentally. Internally, the only difference between marking and flagging is the character used to mark the file: `*' (an asterisk) for a marked file, and `D' for files flagged for deletion. Most Dired commands operate on the "marked" files and default to the current file. They are the "mark-using" commands. Deleting is the only mark-using command that does not default to the current file. Dired buffers "know" about each other. For example, copying from DIR1 into DIR2 will update DIR2's Dired buffer(s). When you move files or directories, file and dired buffers are kept up to date and refer to the new location. But Dired only knows about files changed by itself, not by other parts of Emacs or programs outside Emacs. All the usual Emacs cursor motion commands are available in Dired buffers. Some special purpose commands are also provided. The keys `C-n' and `C-p' are redefined so that they try to position the cursor at the beginning of the filename on the line, rather than at the beginning of the line. For extra convenience, SPC and `n' in Dired are equivalent to `C-n'. `p' is equivalent to `C-p'. Moving by lines is also done so often in Dired that it deserves to be easy to type. DEL (move up and unflag) is often useful simply for moving up. File: dired, Node: Listing Files in Dired, Next: Marking Files in Dired, Prev: Editing in Dired, Up: Dired Listing Files in Dired ====================== Initially the Dired buffer shows the directory you selected. The first line shows the full directory name. It is an example of a "headerline" of a directory. Note that it is terminated by a colon (`:') that is not part of the directory name. The second line usually displays the total size of all files in the directory or the wildcard used. Both are examples of "non-file lines". Applying a command to a non-file line signals an error. The other lines of the directory, called the "file lines", show information about each file such as permission bits, size and date of last modification, and the name of the file. For example, the listing /home/sk/lib/emacs/lisp: total 4973 -rw-r--r-- 1 sk users 231608 Feb 6 16:58 ChangeLog drwxr-sr-x 2 sk users 2048 Feb 6 11:07 RCS -r--r--r-- 1 sk users 141389 Feb 6 10:45 dired.el -r--r--r-- 1 sk users 113033 Feb 5 16:21 dired.texi ... /home/sk/lib/emacs/lisp/RCS: total 4798 -r--r--r-- 1 sk users 231748 Feb 6 16:59 dired.texi,v -r--r--r-- 1 sk users 763898 Feb 6 10:45 dired.el,v ... has a headerline for the `lisp' directory, a total line saying there are 4973 K in all the files of that directory (your `ls' program may use units of blocks instead), and several file lines. After that, a headerline for the `RCS' subdirectory with its total line and its files follows. Here is an example of a wildcard listing: /home/sk/lib/emacs/lisp: wildcard dired* -rw-r--r-- 1 sk users 113036 Feb 6 16:59 dired.texi -r--r--r-- 1 sk users 81267 Feb 6 16:29 dired.elc -r--r--r-- 1 sk users 38436 Feb 6 16:28 dired-x.elc -r--r--r-- 1 sk users 60258 Feb 6 16:27 dired-x.el -r--r--r-- 1 sk users 141389 Feb 6 10:45 dired.el ... Since `ls' does not provide a total count when called with a wildcard argument, the second line now gives instead the wildcard used, here `dired*'. If there would have been a directory matching the wildcard, e.g. a `dired/' subdirectory, its file line would be shown, but it would not have been expanded automatically. Filenames may have embedded and trailing (but not leading) spaces. Leading spaces are not recognized because different `ls' programs differ in the amount of whitespace the insert before the filename. Filenames may *not* contain newlines or `^M''s. You can get away with `^M''s in filenames if you do (setq selective-display nil) in the Dired buffer (inside `dired-mode-hook', *Note Dired Hooks::.). But this also disables the `=' and `$' hiding commands, *Note Hiding Directories in Dired::. Other unprintable characters than `^M' or newline (`^J') in filenames are no problem for Dired. But your `ls' program may not output them correctly (e.g., replacing all unprintable characters with a question mark `?'). Dired can do nothing if `ls' suppresses information about the filenames. But some (System V derived) `ls' programs have a `-b' switch to quote control characters, e.g. `\n' for a newline character, or `\007' for a ASCII bell character (`C-g'), so you might want to add `b' to your switches (see below). Dired translates the quoted control character escapes when a `-b' switch was used. The `-b' switch is the recommended method to cope with funny filenames containing newlines or leading spaces. But check if your `ls' understands `-b' and really quotes newlines and spaces. Dired is known to work with GNU `ls -b', but other `ls -b' don't quote spaces, so leading spaces still don't work with these `ls' programs. The appearance of the listing is determined by the listing switches used, for example whether you display or suppress `.' files with the `-a' and `-A' switches, use the `-F' switch to tag filenames etc. It may additionally be restricted to certain files if you used wildcards to display only those files matching a shell file wildcard. Dired has commands that change the listing switches for this buffer. They are mainly used to set the sort mode, but can also be used to change other formatting options. The buffer is automatically refreshed after the switches are changed to let the new format take effect. The default value for the switches comes from the variable `dired-listing-switches'; a prefix argument to `dired' can be use to determine the switches used for a specific buffer. *Note Entering Dired::. Each Dired buffer has its own value for the switches, stored in the variable `dired-actual-switches'. The Dired modeline displays `by name' or `by date' to indicate the sort mode. It uses the regexps in the variables `dired-sort-by-date-regexp' and `dired-sort-by-name-regexp' to decide what should be displayed. If neither of the regexps matches, the listing switches are displayed literally. You can use this to always display the literal switches instead of `by name' or `by date': set them to a regexp that never matches any listing switches, for example `^$'. Most `ls' programs can only sort by name (without `-t') or by date (with `-t'), nothing else. GNU `ls' additionally sorts on size with `-S', on extension with `-X', and unsorted (in directory order) with `-U'. So anything that does not contain these is sort "by name". However, this is configurable in the variable `dired-ls-sorting-switches', which defaults to `"SXU"'. It contains a string of `ls' switches (single letters) except `t' that influence sorting. It is consulted at load time, so if you redefine it, you must do it before Dired is loaded. (`dired-sort-toggle-or-edit') Toggle between sort by name/date and refresh the dired buffer. With a prefix argument you can edit the current listing switches instead. After some time the listing may become out of date because of actions by other programs than Dired. You can refresh the complete Dired buffer from disk or only refresh the lines of certain files or a single file. (`dired-do-redisplay') Redisplay all marked (or, with a prefix argument, the next N) files. As always, if no files are marked, the current file is used. If on a headerline, redisplay that subdirectory. In that case, a prefix arg lets you edit the `ls' switches used for the new listing. (`revert-buffer') The `g' command in Dired ultimately runs `dired-revert' to reinitialize the buffer from the actual disk directory (or directories). All marks and flags in the Dired buffer are restored, except of course for files that have vanished. Hidden subdirectories are hidden again. *Note Hiding Directories in Dired::. (`dired-kill-line-or-subdir') Kill this line (but not this file). Optional prefix argument is a repeat factor. If file is displayed as expanded subdirectory, kill that as well. If on a subdirectory line, kill that subdirectory. Reinsert it with `i' (`dired-maybe-insert-subdir'), *Note Subdirectories in Dired::. Killing a file line means that the line is removed from the Dired buffer. The file is not touched, and the line will reappear when the buffer is refreshed (using `g', `revert-buffer'). A killed subdirectory will not reappear after reverting the buffer, since `g' only list those subdirectories that were listed before. `M-k' (`dired-do-kill') Kill all marked lines (not files). With a prefix argument, kill all lines not marked or flagged. (For file marking, *Note Marking Files in Dired::.) `C-x u' `C-_' (`dired-undo') Undo in a Dired buffer. This doesn't recover lost files, it is just normal undo with a temporarily writable buffer. You can use it to recover marks, killed lines or subdirs. In the latter case, you have to do `M-x dired-build-subdir-alist' to parse the buffer again for the new subdirectory list. File: dired, Node: Marking Files in Dired, Next: Mark-using Commands, Prev: Listing Files in Dired, Up: Dired Marking Files in Dired ====================== This section describes commands to mark and unmark single files, and commands to mark several files at once if they match certain criteria. There also is a command to move to the next marked file. As always, hidden subdirs are not affected. *Note Hiding Directories in Dired::. (`dired-mark-subdir-or-file') If on a file line, mark the current file. A numeric argument tells how many next or previous files to mark. If on a subdirectory header line, mark all its files except `.' and `..'. (`dired-unmark-subdir-or-file') Like `m', only unmarking instead of marking. `DEL' (`dired-backup-unflag') Move up lines and remove flags there. Optional prefix argument says how many lines to unflag; default is one line. `M-DEL' (`dired-unflag-all-files') Remove a specific or all flags from every file. With an argument, queries for each marked file. Type your help character, usually `C-h', at that time for help. (`dired-mark-executables') Mark all executable files. With prefix argument, unflag all those files. (`dired-mark-symlinks') Mark all symbolic links. With prefix argument, unflag all those files. (`dired-mark-directories') Mark all directory files except `.' and `..'. With prefix argument, unflag all those files. (`dired-mark-files-regexp') Mark all files matching REGEXP for use in later commands. A prefix argument means to unmark them instead. `.' and `..' are never marked. The match is against the non-directory part of the filename. Use `^' and `$' to anchor matches. Exclude subdirs by hiding them. This is an Emacs regexp, not a shell wildcard. E.g., use `\.o$' for object files - just `.o' will mark more than you might think. By default, the match is case sensitive (just like filenames), since `case-fold-search' is set to `nil' in Dired buffers. `M-}' (`dired-next-marked-file') Move to the next marked file, wrapping around the end of the buffer. `M-{' (`dired-prev-marked-file') Move to the previous marked file, wrapping around the beginning of the buffer. File: dired, Node: Mark-using Commands, Next: Commands That Do Not Use Marks, Prev: Marking Files in Dired, Up: Dired Mark-using Commands =================== Most Dired commands operate on the "marked" files and default to the current file. They are the "mark-using" commands. Deleting is the only mark-using command that does not default to the current file. Mark-using Dired commands treat a numeric argument as a repeat count, meaning to act on the files of the next few lines instead of on the marked files. That is, when you give a prefix argument the marks are not consulted at all. A negative argument means to operate on the files of the preceding lines. Either set of files is called "marked files" below, whether they really come from marks or from a prefix argument. The prompt of a mark-using command always makes clear which set of files is operated upon: it mentions either the marker character `*' or the `next N' files, where a negative N really means the previous -N files. Thus you can use a prefix argument of `1' to apply a command to just the current file, e.g, if you don't want to disturb the other files you marked. As digits are prefix arguments in Dired, simply type `1' followed by the command. Many mark-using commands treat a prefix of N=0 specially, since it would otherwise be a no-op. All mark-using commands display a list of files for which they failed. Type `W' to see why a (mark-using or other) command failed. Error messages from shell commands (`stderr') cannot be redirected separately and goes together with the usual output (`stdout'). * Menu: * Copy and Move Into a Directory:: * Renaming and More With Regexps:: * Other File Creating Commands:: * Deleting Files With Dired:: * Dired Shell Commands:: * Compressing and Uncompressing:: * Changing File Attributes:: * Loading and Byte-compiling Emacs Lisp Files:: * Printing the Marked Files:: File: dired, Node: Copy and Move Into a Directory, Next: Renaming and More With Regexps, Prev: Mark-using Commands, Up: Mark-using Commands Copy, Move etc. Into a Directory -------------------------------- This section explains commands that create a new file for each marked file, for example by copying (`c') or moving (`r') files. They prompt in the minibuffer for a TARGET argument, usually the target directory in which the new files are created. But if there is but one marked file, the target may also be a plain file. (Otherwise you could not simply rename or copy a single file within the same directory.) Even with one marked file the target may still be an (existing) directory. The target prompt displays a "default target" that will be used if you just type `RET'. Normally the default target is the current Dired directory, so if you want to copy into some specific subdirectory, move point into that subdirectory before typing `c'. But if there is a Dired buffer in the next window, and `dired-dwim-target' is true, its current Dired directory is used. This makes it easy to copy from one Dired buffer into another if both are displayed. On the other hand you have to use `C-x 1' to make other Dired buffers vanish if you do not want to have them as default targets. To make Dired never look at the next window, set the variable `dired-dwim-target' to nil (`dwim' means Do What I Mean). *Note Dired User Options::, on how to set cutomization variables. As a general rule, Dired will not let you remove or overwrite a file without explicit confirmation. Dired asks you for each existing target file whether or not to overwrite just this file (answer `y' or `n') or all remaining files (answer `!'). You can also type your help character, usually `C-h', at that time for help. (`dired-do-copy') Copy the marked (or next N) files into a directory, or copy a single file. Thus, a zero prefix argument (N-0) copies nothing. But it toggles the variable `dired-copy-preserve-time'. *Note Dired User Options::, on how to set customization variables. (`dired-do-move') Move the marked files into a directory. If there is just one marked file, rename that file. As the marked files default to the current file, this can also be used to simply rename the current file. Dired silently changes the visited file name of buffers associated with moved files so that they refer to the new location of the file. When a directory is renamed, its headerlines in Dired buffers are updated, and any buffers visiting affected files have their visited file name changed to refer to the new location. Their buffer name is changed if no buffer with such a name already exists. Affected files are all those which contain the directory somewhere in their absolute path name. A zero prefix arguments does not move any files, but toggles the variable `dired-dwim-target'. (`dired-do-hardlink') Make hard links from the target directory to each marked file. (`dired-do-symlink') Make symbolic links from the target directory to each marked file. Linking is very similar to copying in that new files are created while the old files stay. If you want each newly copied or linked file to be marked with the same marker that its original has, set the variables `dired-keep-marker-copy', `dired-keep-marker-hardlink' or `dired-keep-marker-symlink' to `t'. Set them to `nil' to not give these newly created files marks. The default is to mark them with `C', `H' and `Y', respectively. Moving differs from copying and linking in that the old file is removed as part of the creation of the new file. Thus it makes sense to set the variable `dired-keep-marker-move' to `t' (the default) so that moved files "take their markers with them". File: dired, Node: Renaming and More With Regexps, Next: Other File Creating Commands, Prev: Copy and Move Into a Directory, Up: Mark-using Commands Renaming (and More) With Regexps -------------------------------- A second class of Commands uses regular expressions to construct a new filename from each marked file. *Note Syntax of Regular Expressions: (emacs)Regexps. The commands to make new names by regexp conversion are the same as those to make them in another directory, except that they share a prefix char, `%'. (`dired-rename-regexp') Rename files with regexps (`dired-do-copy-regexp') Copy files with regexps. (`dired-do-hardlink-regexp') Make hard links with regexps. (`dired-do-symlink-regexp') Make symbolic links with regexps. These commands prompt in the minibuffer for a REGEXP and a NEWNAME. For each marked file matching REGEXP, a new filename is constructed from NEWNAME. The match can be anywhere in the file name, it need not span the whole filename. Use `^' and `$' to anchor matches that should span the whole filename. Only the first match in the filename is replaced with NEWTEXT. (It would be easy to change this to replace all matches, but probably harder to use.) `\&' in NEWNAME stands for the entire text being replaced. `\D' in NEWNAME, where D is a digit, stands for whatever matched the D'th parenthesized grouping in REGEXP. As each match is found, the user must type a character saying whether or not to apply the command to just this file (`y' or `n') or to all remaining files(`!'). For help type your help character, usually `C-h', at that time. For example, if you want to rename all `.lsp' files to `.el' files, type first `%m' with `\.lsp$' as regexp to mark all `.lsp' files. Then type `%r' with `\.lsp$' and `.el' as REGEXP and NEWTEXT arguments. Dired will prompt you for each file to be renamed. Or to append `.old' to all marked files, use `%r' `$' `RET' `.old' `RET', replacing the empty string at the end of each file name with `.old'. You can use the regexp `$.+$\.$.+$$' to make the basename as `\1' and the extension as `\2' available in NEWTEXT. With a zero prefix arg, renaming by regexp affects the complete pathname. Usually only the non-directory part of file names is used and changed, and renaming only takes place within the current directory. The zero prefix argument can be used to change the directory part as well. Often you will want to apply the command to all files matching the same REGEXP that you use in the command. Simply use the `%m' command with REGEXP as argument, which will then also be the default for the next regexp using command. For example, to remove a `V17I12-' prefix from several filenames, use `%m' `^V17I12-' `RET' `%r' `RET' `RET', in effect replacing the prefix with the empy string. File: dired, Node: Other File Creating Commands, Next: Deleting Files With Dired, Prev: Renaming and More With Regexps, Up: Mark-using Commands Other File Creating Commands ---------------------------- Commands to change the case of file names: (`dired-upcase') Rename each marked file to upper case. (`dired-downcase') Rename each marked file to lower case. File: dired, Node: Deleting Files With Dired, Next: Dired Shell Commands, Prev: Other File Creating Commands, Up: Mark-using Commands Deleting Files With Dired ------------------------- Deleting is a special mark-using command. It uses a special marker, `D', and does not default to the current file if no files are marked to prevent accidental deletions. *Note Dired Customization::, variable `dired-del-marker' to make deleting behave exactly like any mark-using command. (`dired-flag-file-deleted') Flag this file for deletion. If on a subdirectory headerline, mark all its files except `.' and `..'. (`dired-unmark-subdir-or-file') Remove deletion-flag on this line. `DEL' (`dired-backup-unflag') Remove deletion-flag on previous line, moving point to that line. (`dired-flag-regexp-files') Flag all files containing the specified REGEXP for deletion. The match is against the non-directory part of the filename. Use `^' and `$' to anchor matches. Exclude subdirs by hiding them. The special directories `.' and `..' are never flagged. (`dired-do-deletions') Delete the files that are flagged for deletion (with `D'). (`dired-do-delete') Delete the `*'-marked (as opposed to the `D'-flagged) files. (`dired-flag-auto-save-files') Flag all auto-save files (files whose names start and end with `#') for deletion (*note Auto-Saving: Protection Against Disasters: (emacs)Auto Save.). (`dired-flag-backup-files') Flag all backup files (files whose names end with `~') for deletion (*note Backup Files: (emacs)Backup.). `. (Period)' (`dired-clean-directory') Flag excess numeric backup files for deletion. The oldest and newest few backup files of any one file are exempt; the middle ones are flagged. You can flag a file for deletion by moving to the line describing the file and typing `d' or `C-d'. The deletion flag is visible as a `D' at the beginning of the line. Point is moved to the beginning of the next line, so that repeated `d' commands flag successive files. The files are flagged for deletion rather than deleted immediately to avoid the danger of deleting a file accidentally. Until you direct Dired to delete the flagged files, you can remove deletion flags using the commands `u' and DEL. `u' works just like `d', but removes flags rather than making flags. DEL moves upward, removing flags; it is like `u' with numeric argument automatically negated. To delete the flagged files, type `x'. This command first displays a list of all the file names flagged for deletion, and requests confirmation with `yes'. Once you confirm, all the flagged files are deleted, and their lines are deleted from the text of the Dired buffer. The shortened Dired buffer remains selected. If you answer `no' or quit with `C-g', you return immediately to Dired, with the deletion flags still present and no files actually deleted. Deletions proceed from the end of the buffer, so if subdirs are in a natural order in the buffer, it usually works to flag `dir1', `dir1/dir2' and `dir1/dir2/*' (by typing `d' on the directory headerlines) and delete everything, including `dir1/dir2' and `dir1'. Using shell commands (e.g. `rm -rf') to remove complete directories may be quicker than having Dired remove each file separately. (*Note Dired Shell Commands::.) However, like all actions external to Dired, this does not update the display. The `#', `~' and `.' commands flag many files for deletion, based on their names. These commands are useful precisely because they do not actually delete any files; you can remove the deletion flags from any flagged files that you really wish to keep. `#' flags for deletion all files that appear to have been made by auto-saving (that is, files whose names begin and end with `#'). `~' flags for deletion all files that appear to have been made as backups for files that were edited (that is, files whose names end with `~'). `.' (Period) flags just some of the backup files for deletion: only numeric backups that are not among the oldest few nor the newest few backups of any one file. Normally `dired-kept-versions' (not `kept-new-versions'; that applies only when saving) specifies the number of newest versions of each file to keep, and `kept-old-versions' specifies the number of oldest versions to keep. Period with a positive numeric argument, as in `C-u 3 .', specifies the number of newest versions to keep, overriding `dired-kept-versions'. A negative numeric argument overrides `kept-old-versions', using minus the value of the argument to specify the number of oldest versions of each file to keep. File: dired, Node: Dired Shell Commands, Next: Compressing and Uncompressing, Prev: Deleting Files With Dired, Up: Mark-using Commands Shell Commands on Marked files ------------------------------ You can run arbitrary shell commands on the marked files. If there is output, it goes to a separate buffer. (`dired-do-shell-command') Run a shell command on the marked files. A command string is prompted for in the minibuffer. The list of marked files is appended to the command string unless asterisks `*' indicate the place(s) where the list should go. Thus, command -flags is equivalent to command -flags * The filenames are inserted in the order they appear in the buffer. The file listed topmost in the buffer will be the leftmost in the list. Currently, there is no way to insert a real `*' into the command. As with all mark-using commands, if no files are marked or a specific numeric prefix arg is given, the current or the next N files are used. The prompt mentions the file(s) or the marker, as appropriate. However, for shell commands, a zero argument is special. It means to run command on each marked file separately: cmd * |foo results in cmd F1 |foo; ...; cmd FN |foo Usually cmd F1 ... FN |foo would be executed. No automatic redisplay is attempted because Dired cannot know what files should be redisplayed for a general shell command. For example, a `tar cvf' will not change the marked files at all, but rather create a new file, while a `ci -u -m'...' *' will probably change the permission bits of all marked files. Type `l' to redisplay just the marked files, or `l' on a directory headerline to redisplay just that directory, or `g' to redisplay all directories. The shell command has the top level directory as working directory, so output files usually are created there instead of in a subdirectory, which may sometimes be surprising if all files come from the same subdirectory. Just remember that an Emacs buffer can have but one working directory, and this is the top level directory in Dired buffers. Examples for shell commands: * Type `!' and tar cvf foo.tar to tar all marked files into a `foo.tar' file. Dired does not know that a new file has been created and you have to type `g' to refresh the listing. If you have several subdirectories in your Dired buffer, the names given to `tar' will be relative to the top level directory, and the output file `foo.tar' will also be created there. You can use tar cvf - * | compress -c > foo.tar.Z as an alternative to immediately compress the tar file. * Type `0 !' and uudecode to uudecode each of the marked files. Note the use of the zero prefix argument to apply the shell command to each file separately (uudecode doesn't accept a list of input files). Type `g' afterwards to see the created files. * Type `0 !' and uuencode * * >*.uu to uuencode each of the marked files, writing into a corresponding `.uu' file. Note the use of the zero prefix argument to apply the shell command to each file separately. Type `g' afterwards to see the created `.uu' files. * Type `1 !' and mail joe@somewhere <* to mail the current file (note the prefix argument `1') to user `joe@somewhere'. * Here is a Dired shell command to execute the current file, assuming no other files are marked (else just give the prefix `1' to `!'): ./* which will be expanded to `./CMD', thus CMD will be executed.. (Just `./' would be expanded to `./ CMD', with an intervening `SPC'.) This will work even if you don't have `.' in your `$PATH'. If `.' is in your path (not a good idea, as you will find out if you dired a directory containing a file named `ls'), a single `SPC' as command would also work. File: dired, Node: Compressing and Uncompressing, Next: Changing File Attributes, Prev: Dired Shell Commands, Up: Mark-using Commands Compressing and Uncompressing ----------------------------- You can compress or uncompress the marked files. Dired refuses to compress files ending in `.Z' (which are already compressed) or symbolic links (the link would be overwritten by a plain, compressed file) and to uncompress files not ending in `.Z'. (`dired-do-compress') Compress the marked files. (`dired-do-uncompress') Uncompress the marked files. File: dired, Node: Changing File Attributes, Next: Loading and Byte-compiling Emacs Lisp Files, Prev: Compressing and Uncompressing, Up: Mark-using Commands Changing File Attributes ------------------------ You can change the file attributes (mode, group, owner) of marked files. (`dired-do-chmod') Change the mode (also called "permission bits") of the marked files. This calls the `chmod' program, thus symbolic modes like `g+w' are allowed. Multiple switches like `-fR g+w' are not understood, though. Use `!' (`dired-do-shell-command') for that. (`dired-do-chgrp') Change the group of the marked files. (`dired-do-chown') Change the owner of the marked files. This usually works for the superuser only. It uses the program in the variable `dired-chown-program' to do the change. File: dired, Node: Loading and Byte-compiling Emacs Lisp Files, Next: Printing the Marked Files, Prev: Changing File Attributes, Up: Mark-using Commands Loading and Byte-compiling Emacs Lisp Files ------------------------------------------- You can load and byte-compile GNU Emacs Lisp files. Errors are caught and reported after all files have been processed. (`dired-do-load') Load the marked elisp files. (`dired-do-byte-compile') Byte compile the marked elisp files. File: dired, Node: Printing the Marked Files, Prev: Loading and Byte-compiling Emacs Lisp Files, Up: Mark-using Commands Printing the Marked Files ------------------------- (`dired-do-print') Print the marked (or next N) files. Uses the shell command coming from variables `lpr-command' and `lpr-switches' as default. Since internally this is just a special case of `dired-do-shell-command', you can use `*' and pipes like for shell command, e.g., (setq lpr-command: "lwf") (setq lpr-switches: '("-l -m * | lpr -Palw")) to print with the shell command `lwf -l -m * | lpr -Palw', where `*' will be substituted by the marked files. The `lpr-buffer' and `lpr-region' don't know about `*' or `|', though, only Dired does. File: dired, Node: Commands That Do Not Use Marks, Next: Subdirectories in Dired, Prev: Mark-using Commands, Up: Dired Commands That Do Not Use Marks ============================== These are commands that visit files. *Note Visiting Files: (emacs)Visiting. (`dired-advertised-find-file') Visits the file described on the current line. It is just like typing `C-x C-f' and supplying that file name. If the file on this line is a subdirectory, `f' actually causes Dired to be invoked on that subdirectory. (`dired-find-file-other-window') Like `f', but uses another window to display the file's buffer. The Dired buffer remains visible in the first window. This is like using `C-x 4 C-f' to visit the file. *Note Multiple Windows: (emacs)Windows. (`dired-view-file') Views the file described on this line using `M-x view-file'. Viewing a file is like visiting it, but is slanted toward moving around in the file conveniently and does not allow changing the file. *Note View File: (emacs)Misc File Ops. Viewing a file that is a directory goes to its headerline if it is in this buffer. Otherwise, it is displayed in another buffer. Commands to diff a file: (`dired-diff') Compare file at point with another file (default: file at mark), by running the system command `diff'. The other file is the first file given to `diff'. `M-~' (`dired-backup-diff') Diff this file with its backup file. Uses the latest backup, if there are several numerical backups. If this file is a backup, diff it with its original. The backup file is the first file given to `diff'. Other commands: (`dired-create-directory') Create a directory. (`dired-why') Pop up a buffer with error log output from Dired. All mark-using commands log errors there. (Standard error from shell commands cannot be logged separately, it goes into the usual shell command output buffer.) A group of errors from a single command ends with a formfeed, so that you can use `C-x [' (`backward-page') to find the beginning of new error logs that are reported by a command. File: dired, Node: Subdirectories in Dired, Next: Hiding Directories in Dired, Prev: Commands That Do Not Use Marks, Up: Dired Subdirectories in Dired ======================= Thise section explains how to "insert" (or "expand") subdirectories in the same Dired buffer and move around in them. You can display subdirectories in your Dired buffer by using `-R' in your Dired listing switches. But you do not usually want to have a complete recursive listing in all your Dired buffers. So there is a command to insert a single directory: (`dired-maybe-insert-subdir') Insert this subdirectory into the same Dired buffer. If it is already present, just move to it (type `l', `dired-do-redisplay' to refresh it). Else inserts it as `ls -lR' would have done. With a prefix arg, you may edit the ls switches used for this listing. You can add `R' to the switches to expand the whole tree starting at this subdirectory. This function takes some pains to conform to `ls -lR' output. For example, it adds the headerline for the inserted subdirectory. The mark is dropped before moving, so `C-x C-x' takes you back to the old position in the buffer. Dired changes the buffer-local value of the variable `page-delimiter' to `"\n\n"', so that subdirectories become pages. Thus, the page moving commands `C-x [' and `C-x ]' (`backward-page' and `forward-page') can be used to move to the beginning (i.e., the headerlines) of subdirectories. In addition, the following commands move around directory-wise, usually putting you on a file line instead of on a headerline. For a mnemonic, note that they all look like rotated versions of each other, and that they move in the direction they point to. (`dired-prev-dirline') Goto previous directory file line. (`dired-next-dirline') Goto next directory file line. (`dired-up-directory') Dired parent directory. Tries first to find its file line, then its header line in this buffer, then its Dired buffer, finally creating a new Dired buffer if necessary. (`dired-view-file') When the current file is not a directory, view it. When file is a directory, tries to go to its subdirectory. This command is inverse to the `^' command and it is very convenient to use these two commands together. The following commands move up and down in the directory tree: `M-C-u' (`dired-tree-up') Go up to the parent directory's headerline. `M-C-d' (`dired-tree-down') Go down in the tree, to the first subdirectory's headerline. The following commands move forwards and backwards to subdirectory headerlines: `M-C-n' (`dired-next-subdir') Go to next subdirectory headerline, regardless of level. `M-C-p' (`dired-prev-subdir') Go to previous subdirectory headerline, regardless of level. File: dired, Node: Hiding Directories in Dired, Next: Acknowledgement, Prev: Subdirectories in Dired, Up: Dired Hiding Directories in Dired =========================== "Hiding" a subdirectory means to make it invisible, except for its headerline. Files inside a hidden subdirectory are never considered by Dired. For example, mark-using commands will not "see" files in a hidden directory. Thus you can use hiding to temporarily exclude subdirectories from operations without having to remove the markers. The hiding commands toggle, that is they unhide what was hidden and vice versa. (`dired-hide-subdir') Hide or unhide the current subdirectory and move to next directory. Optional prefix argument is a repeat factor. (`dired-hide-all') Hide all subdirectories, leaving only their header lines. If there is already something hidden, make everything visible again. Use this command to get an overview in very deep directory trees or to move quickly to subdirs far away. File: dired, Node: Acknowledgement, Next: Dired Customization, Prev: Hiding Directories in Dired, Up: Dired Acknowledgement =============== I would like to thank * Richard Stallman for providing a pre-release version of `dired.el' from Emacs 19, critical comments and many helpful suggestions * Andy Norman for the collaboration that made Tree Dired and ange-ftp such a successful combination * Jamie Zawinski for insisting on and writing nested Dired format, and for lots of other things * Michael Ernst for the "omitting" code and helpful discussion about Dired design * Hans Chalupsky for providing FTP service and writing `dired-trns.el' * Roland McGrath for `find-dired.el' and bug fixes for the diffing commands * Kevin Gallagher for sending me existing VMS Dired fixes * Hal R. Brand for VMS support and porting his old dired fixes to Tree Dired * Hugh Secker-Walker for writing `dired-cd.el' * Tom Wurgler for ideas such as the "dired-jump-back" command * Cengiz Alaettinoglu, who found more bugs in Tree Dired than anybody else (except me) and all other beta testers and people who reported bugs or just said "thanks". File: dired, Node: Dired Customization, Prev: Acknowledgement, Up: Dired Dired Customization =================== You can customize Dired by setting some variables in your `~/.emacs' file. Other variables are intended to be configured when Dired is installed. Finally, there are so-called `hook' variables. * Menu: * Dired User Options:: * Dired Configuration:: * Dired Hooks::