comparison lispref/backups.texi @ 90796:4ef881a120fe

Merge from emacs--devo--0 Patches applied: * emacs--devo--0 (patch 675-697) - Update from CVS - Merge from gnus--rel--5.10 - Release ERC 5.2. * gnus--rel--5.10 (patch 211-215) - Update from CVS - Merge from emacs--devo--0 Revision: [e-mail]/emacs--unicode--0--patch-189

90795:b9182b6a90c9

@c   2004, 2005, 2006, 2007  Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
@setfilename ../info/backups
@node Backups and Auto-Saving, Buffers, Files, Top
@chapter Backups and Auto-Saving

  Backup files and auto-save files are two methods by which Emacs tries
to protect the user from the consequences of crashes or of the user's
own errors.  Auto-saving preserves the text from earlier in the current
editing session; backup files preserve file contents prior to the

@section Backup Files
@cindex backup file

  A @dfn{backup file} is a copy of the old contents of a file you are
editing.  Emacs makes a backup file the first time you save a buffer
into its visited file.  Normally, this means that the backup file
contains the contents of the file as it was before the current editing
session.  The contents of the backup file normally remain unchanged once
it exists.

  Backups are usually made by renaming the visited file to a new name.
Optionally, you can specify that backup files should be made by copying
the visited file.  This choice makes a difference for files with
multiple names; it also can affect whether the edited file remains owned

is, if a backup was made by copying or if no backup was made, this
function returns @code{nil}.
@end defun

@defvar buffer-backed-up
  This buffer-local variable indicates whether this buffer's file has
been backed up on account of this buffer.  If it is non-@code{nil}, then
the backup file has been written.  Otherwise, the file should be backed
up when it is next saved (if backups are enabled).  This is a
permanent local; @code{kill-all-local-variables} does not alter it.
@end defvar

@defopt make-backup-files
This variable determines whether or not to make backup files.  If it
is non-@code{nil}, then Emacs creates a backup of each file when it is

@end defvar


@node Rename or Copy
@subsection Backup by Renaming or by Copying?
@cindex backup files, how to make them

  There are two ways that Emacs can make a backup file:

@itemize @bullet
@item

automatically or it can ask the user whether to delete them.

@defopt kept-new-versions
The value of this variable is the number of newest versions to keep
when a new numbered backup is made.  The newly made backup is included
in the count.  The default value is 2.
@end defopt

@defopt kept-old-versions
The value of this variable is the number of oldest versions to keep
when a new numbered backup is made.  The default value is 2.
@end defopt

  If there are backups numbered 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7, and both of these
variables have the value 2, then the backups numbered 1 and 2 are kept
as old versions and those numbered 5 and 7 are kept as new versions;

@defopt dired-kept-versions
This variable specifies how many of the newest backup versions to keep
in the Dired command @kbd{.} (@code{dired-clean-directory}).  That's the
same thing @code{kept-new-versions} specifies when you make a new backup
file.  The default value is 2.
@end defopt

@node Backup Names
@subsection Naming Backup Files

customize the naming conventions for backup files by redefining them.
If you change one, you probably need to change the rest.

@defun backup-file-name-p filename
This function returns a non-@code{nil} value if @var{filename} is a
possible name for a backup file.  A file with the name @var{filename}
need not exist; the function just checks the name.

@smallexample
@group
(backup-file-name-p "foo")
     @result{} nil

automatically compare a file with its most recent backup.
@end defun

@node Auto-Saving
@section Auto-Saving
@cindex auto-saving

  Emacs periodically saves all files that you are visiting; this is
called @dfn{auto-saving}.  Auto-saving prevents you from losing more
than a limited amount of work if the system crashes.  By default,
auto-saves happen every 300 keystrokes, or after around 30 seconds of

90796:4ef881a120fe

@c   2004, 2005, 2006, 2007  Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
@setfilename ../info/backups
@node Backups and Auto-Saving, Buffers, Files, Top
@chapter Backups and Auto-Saving
@cindex backups and auto-saving

  Backup files and auto-save files are two methods by which Emacs tries
to protect the user from the consequences of crashes or of the user's
own errors.  Auto-saving preserves the text from earlier in the current
editing session; backup files preserve file contents prior to the

@section Backup Files
@cindex backup file

  A @dfn{backup file} is a copy of the old contents of a file you are
editing.  Emacs makes a backup file the first time you save a buffer
into its visited file.  Thus, normally, the backup file contains the
contents of the file as it was before the current editing session.
The contents of the backup file normally remain unchanged once it
exists.

  Backups are usually made by renaming the visited file to a new name.
Optionally, you can specify that backup files should be made by copying
the visited file.  This choice makes a difference for files with
multiple names; it also can affect whether the edited file remains owned

is, if a backup was made by copying or if no backup was made, this
function returns @code{nil}.
@end defun

@defvar buffer-backed-up
  This buffer-local variable says whether this buffer's file has
been backed up on account of this buffer.  If it is non-@code{nil},
the backup file has been written.  Otherwise, the file should be backed
up when it is next saved (if backups are enabled).  This is a
permanent local; @code{kill-all-local-variables} does not alter@tie{}it.
@end defvar

@defopt make-backup-files
This variable determines whether or not to make backup files.  If it
is non-@code{nil}, then Emacs creates a backup of each file when it is

@end defvar


@node Rename or Copy
@subsection Backup by Renaming or by Copying?
@cindex backup files, rename or copy

  There are two ways that Emacs can make a backup file:

@itemize @bullet
@item

automatically or it can ask the user whether to delete them.

@defopt kept-new-versions
The value of this variable is the number of newest versions to keep
when a new numbered backup is made.  The newly made backup is included
in the count.  The default value is@tie{}2.
@end defopt

@defopt kept-old-versions
The value of this variable is the number of oldest versions to keep
when a new numbered backup is made.  The default value is@tie{}2.
@end defopt

  If there are backups numbered 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7, and both of these
variables have the value 2, then the backups numbered 1 and 2 are kept
as old versions and those numbered 5 and 7 are kept as new versions;

@defopt dired-kept-versions
This variable specifies how many of the newest backup versions to keep
in the Dired command @kbd{.} (@code{dired-clean-directory}).  That's the
same thing @code{kept-new-versions} specifies when you make a new backup
file.  The default is@tie{}2.
@end defopt

@node Backup Names
@subsection Naming Backup Files

customize the naming conventions for backup files by redefining them.
If you change one, you probably need to change the rest.

@defun backup-file-name-p filename
This function returns a non-@code{nil} value if @var{filename} is a
possible name for a backup file.  It just checks the name, not whether
a file with the name @var{filename} exists.

@smallexample
@group
(backup-file-name-p "foo")
     @result{} nil

automatically compare a file with its most recent backup.
@end defun

@node Auto-Saving
@section Auto-Saving
@c @cindex auto-saving   Lots of symbols starting with auto-save here.

  Emacs periodically saves all files that you are visiting; this is
called @dfn{auto-saving}.  Auto-saving prevents you from losing more
than a limited amount of work if the system crashes.  By default,
auto-saves happen every 300 keystrokes, or after around 30 seconds of