comparison lispref/backups.texi @ 25751:467b88fab665

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This variable is significant only if @code{backup-by-copying} is
@code{nil}, since copying is always used when that variable is
non-@code{nil}.
@end defvar

@node Numbered Backups
@subsection Making and Deleting Numbered Backup Files

  If a file's name is @file{foo}, the names of its numbered backup
versions are @file{foo.~@var{v}~}, for various integers @var{v}, like

integer.  Otherwise, it turns auto-saving off.
@end deffn

@defun auto-save-file-name-p filename
This function returns a non-@code{nil} value if @var{filename} is a
string that could be the name of an auto-save file.  It works based on
knowledge of the naming convention for auto-save files: a name that
begins and ends with hash marks (@samp{#}) is a possible auto-save file
name.  The argument @var{filename} should not contain a directory part.

@example
@group

@defun make-auto-save-file-name
This function returns the file name to use for auto-saving the current
buffer.  This is just the file name with hash marks (@samp{#}) prepended
and appended to it.  This function does not look at the variable
@code{auto-save-visited-file-name} (described below); you should check
that before calling this function.

@example
@group
(make-auto-save-file-name)
     @result{} "/xcssun/users/rms/lewis/#backup.texi#"

the files they are visiting.  That is, the auto-save is done in the same
file that you are editing.  Normally, this variable is @code{nil}, so
auto-save files have distinct names that are created by
@code{make-auto-save-file-name}.

When you change the value of this variable, the value does not take
effect until the next time auto-save mode is reenabled in any given
buffer.  If auto-save mode is already enabled, auto-saves continue to go
in the same file name until @code{auto-save-mode} is called again.
@end defvar

@defun recent-auto-save-p
This function returns @code{t} if the current buffer has been
auto-saved since the last time it was read in or saved.

not be auto-saved again until the buffer text is changed again.  The
function returns @code{nil}.
@end defun

@defopt auto-save-interval
The value of this variable is the number of characters that Emacs
reads from the keyboard between auto-saves.  Each time this many more
characters are read, auto-saving is done for all buffers in which it is
enabled.
@end defopt

@defopt auto-save-timeout
The value of this variable is the number of seconds of idle time that
should cause auto-saving.  Each time the user pauses for this long,
Emacs auto-saves any buffers that need it.  (Actually, the specified
timeout is multiplied by a factor depending on the size of the current
buffer.)
@end defopt

@defvar auto-save-hook
This normal hook is run whenever an auto-save is about to happen.
@end defvar

nothing.
@end defun

@defvar buffer-saved-size
The value of this buffer-local variable is the length of the current
buffer as of the last time it was read in, saved, or auto-saved.  This is
used to detect a substantial decrease in size, and turn off auto-saving
in response.

If it is @minus{}1, that means auto-saving is temporarily shut off in this
buffer due to a substantial deletion.  Explicitly saving the buffer
stores a positive value in this variable, thus reenabling auto-saving.
Turning auto-save mode off or on also alters this variable.
@end defvar

@defvar auto-save-list-file-name
This variable (if non-@code{nil}) specifies a file for recording the
names of all the auto-save files.  Each time Emacs does auto-saving, it
writes two lines into this file for each buffer that has auto-saving
enabled.  The first line gives the name of the visited file (it's empty
if the buffer has none), and the second gives the name of the auto-save
file.

If Emacs exits normally, it deletes this file.  If Emacs crashes, you
can look in the file to find all the auto-save files that might contain
work that was otherwise lost.  The @code{recover-session} command uses
these files.

The default name for this file is in your home directory and starts with
@samp{.saves-}.  It also contains the Emacs process @sc{id} and the host
name.
@end defvar

@node Reverting
@section Reverting

This command replaces the buffer text with the text of the visited
file on disk.  This action undoes all changes since the file was visited
or saved.

By default, if the latest auto-save file is more recent than the visited
file, @code{revert-buffer} asks the user whether to use that instead.
But if the argument @var{ignore-auto} is non-@code{nil}, then only the
the visited file itself is used.  Interactively, @var{ignore-auto} is
@code{t} unless there is a numeric prefix argument; thus, the
interactive default is to check the auto-save file.

Normally, @code{revert-buffer} asks for confirmation before it changes
the buffer; but if the argument @var{noconfirm} is non-@code{nil},
@code{revert-buffer} does not ask for confirmation.

Reverting tries to preserve marker positions in the buffer by using the
replacement feature of @code{insert-file-contents}.  If the buffer
contents and the file contents are identical before the revert
operation, reverting preserves all the markers.  If they are not
identical, reverting does change the buffer; then it preserves the
markers in the unchanged text (if any) at the beginning and end of the
buffer.  Preserving any additional markers would be problematical.
@end deffn

You can customize how @code{revert-buffer} does its work by setting
these variables---typically, as buffer-local variables.

@defvar revert-without-query
This variable holds a list of files that should be reverted without
query.  The value is a list of regular expressions.  If a file name
matches one of these regular expressions, then @code{revert-buffer}
reverts the file without asking the user for confirmation, if the file
has changed on disk and the buffer is not modified.
@end defvar

@defvar revert-buffer-function
The value of this variable is the function to use to revert this buffer.
If non-@code{nil}, it is called as a function with no arguments to do

fashion, give this variable a buffer-local value that is a function to
regenerate the contents.
@end defvar

@defvar revert-buffer-insert-file-contents-function
The value of this variable, if non-@code{nil}, is the function to use to
insert the updated contents when reverting this buffer.  The function
receives two arguments: first the file name to use; second, @code{t} if
the user has asked to read the auto-save file.
@end defvar

@defvar before-revert-hook
This normal hook is run by @code{revert-buffer} before actually
inserting the modified contents---but only if
@code{revert-buffer-function} is @code{nil}.
@end defvar

@defvar after-revert-hook
This normal hook is run by @code{revert-buffer} after actually inserting
the modified contents---but only if @code{revert-buffer-function} is
@code{nil}.
@end defvar

25751:467b88fab665

This variable is significant only if @code{backup-by-copying} is
@code{nil}, since copying is always used when that variable is
non-@code{nil}.
@end defvar

@defvar backup-by-copying-when-privileged-mismatch
This variable, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the same behavior as
@code{backup-by-copying-when-mismatch}, but only for certain user-id
values: namely, those less than or equal to a certain number.  You set
this variable to that number.

Thus, if you set @code{backup-by-copying-when-privileged-mismatch}
to 0, backup by copying is done for the superuser only,
when necessary to prevent a change in the owner of the file.

The default is 200.
@end defvar

@node Numbered Backups
@subsection Making and Deleting Numbered Backup Files

  If a file's name is @file{foo}, the names of its numbered backup
versions are @file{foo.~@var{v}~}, for various integers @var{v}, like

integer.  Otherwise, it turns auto-saving off.
@end deffn

@defun auto-save-file-name-p filename
This function returns a non-@code{nil} value if @var{filename} is a
string that could be the name of an auto-save file.  It assumes
the usual naming convention for auto-save files: a name that
begins and ends with hash marks (@samp{#}) is a possible auto-save file
name.  The argument @var{filename} should not contain a directory part.

@example
@group

@defun make-auto-save-file-name
This function returns the file name to use for auto-saving the current
buffer.  This is just the file name with hash marks (@samp{#}) prepended
and appended to it.  This function does not look at the variable
@code{auto-save-visited-file-name} (described below); callers of this
function should check that variable first.

@example
@group
(make-auto-save-file-name)
     @result{} "/xcssun/users/rms/lewis/#backup.texi#"

the files they are visiting.  That is, the auto-save is done in the same
file that you are editing.  Normally, this variable is @code{nil}, so
auto-save files have distinct names that are created by
@code{make-auto-save-file-name}.

When you change the value of this variable, the new value does not take
effect in an existing buffer until the next time auto-save mode is
reenabled in it.  If auto-save mode is already enabled, auto-saves
continue to go in the same file name until @code{auto-save-mode} is
called again.
@end defvar

@defun recent-auto-save-p
This function returns @code{t} if the current buffer has been
auto-saved since the last time it was read in or saved.

not be auto-saved again until the buffer text is changed again.  The
function returns @code{nil}.
@end defun

@defopt auto-save-interval
The value of this variable specifies how often to do auto-saving, in
terms of number of input events.  Each time this many additional input
events are read, Emacs does auto-saving for all buffers in which that is
enabled.
@end defopt

@defopt auto-save-timeout
The value of this variable is the number of seconds of idle time that
should cause auto-saving.  Each time the user pauses for this long,
Emacs does auto-saving for all buffers in which that is enabled.
(Actually, the specified timeout is multiplied by a factor depending on
the size of the current buffer.)
@end defopt

@defvar auto-save-hook
This normal hook is run whenever an auto-save is about to happen.
@end defvar

nothing.
@end defun

@defvar buffer-saved-size
The value of this buffer-local variable is the length of the current
buffer, when it was last read in, saved, or auto-saved.  This is
used to detect a substantial decrease in size, and turn off auto-saving
in response.

If it is @minus{}1, that means auto-saving is temporarily shut off in
this buffer due to a substantial decrease in size.  Explicitly saving
the buffer stores a positive value in this variable, thus reenabling
auto-saving.  Turning auto-save mode off or on also updates this
variable, so that the substantial decrease in size is forgotten.
@end defvar

@defvar auto-save-list-file-name
This variable (if non-@code{nil}) specifies a file for recording the
names of all the auto-save files.  Each time Emacs does auto-saving, it
writes two lines into this file for each buffer that has auto-saving
enabled.  The first line gives the name of the visited file (it's empty
if the buffer has none), and the second gives the name of the auto-save
file.

When Emacs exits normally, it deletes this file; if Emacs crashes, you
can look in the file to find all the auto-save files that might contain
work that was otherwise lost.  The @code{recover-session} command uses
this file to find them.

The default name for this file specifies your home directory and starts
with @samp{.saves-}.  It also contains the Emacs process @sc{id} and the
host name.
@end defvar

@node Reverting
@section Reverting

This command replaces the buffer text with the text of the visited
file on disk.  This action undoes all changes since the file was visited
or saved.

By default, if the latest auto-save file is more recent than the visited
file, and the argument @var{ignore-auto} is non-@code{nil},
@code{revert-buffer} asks the user whether to use that auto-save
instead.  When you invoke this command interactively, @var{ignore-auto}
is @code{t} unless there is a numeric prefix argument; thus, the
interactive default is to check the auto-save file.

Normally, @code{revert-buffer} asks for confirmation before it changes
the buffer; but if the argument @var{noconfirm} is non-@code{nil},
@code{revert-buffer} does not ask for confirmation.

Reverting tries to preserve marker positions in the buffer by using the
replacement feature of @code{insert-file-contents}.  If the buffer
contents and the file contents are identical before the revert
operation, reverting preserves all the markers.  If they are not
identical, reverting does change the buffer; in that case, it preserves
the markers in the unchanged text (if any) at the beginning and end of
the buffer.  Preserving any additional markers would be problematical.
@end deffn

You can customize how @code{revert-buffer} does its work by setting
these variables---typically, as buffer-local variables.

@defvar revert-without-query
This variable holds a list of files that should be reverted without
query.  The value is a list of regular expressions.  If the visited file
name matches one of these regular expressions, and the file has changed
on disk but the buffer is not modified, then @code{revert-buffer}
reverts the file without asking the user for confirmation.
@end defvar

@defvar revert-buffer-function
The value of this variable is the function to use to revert this buffer.
If non-@code{nil}, it is called as a function with no arguments to do

fashion, give this variable a buffer-local value that is a function to
regenerate the contents.
@end defvar

@defvar revert-buffer-insert-file-contents-function
The value of this variable, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the function to use to
insert the updated contents when reverting this buffer.  The function
receives two arguments: first the file name to use; second, @code{t} if
the user has asked to read the auto-save file.
@end defvar

@defvar before-revert-hook
This normal hook is run by @code{revert-buffer} before
inserting the modified contents---but only if
@code{revert-buffer-function} is @code{nil}.
@end defvar

@defvar after-revert-hook
This normal hook is run by @code{revert-buffer} after inserting
the modified contents---but only if @code{revert-buffer-function} is
@code{nil}.
@end defvar