comparison man/files.texi @ 46212:895fd595b5fb

Explain that $FOO stands for itself if FOO is not defined. New feature in auto-save-file-name-transforms. Add vc-cvs-global-switches. Add directory-free-space-program and directory-free-space-args.

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@xref{Minibuffer File}.

@cindex environment variables in file names
@cindex expansion of environment variables
@cindex @code{$} in file names
@anchor{File Names with $}
  @samp{$} in a file name is used to substitute environment variables.
For example, if you have used the shell command @command{export
FOO=rms/hacks} to set up an environment variable named @env{FOO}, then
you can use @file{/u/$FOO/test.c} or @file{/u/$@{FOO@}/test.c} as an
abbreviation for @file{/u/rms/hacks/test.c}.  The environment variable
name consists of all the alphanumeric characters after the @samp{$};
alternatively, it may be enclosed in braces after the @samp{$}.  Note
that shell commands to set environment variables affect Emacs only if
done before Emacs is started.

@cindex home directory shorthand
  You can use the @file{~/} in a file name to mean your home directory,
or @file{~@var{user-id}/} to mean the home directory of a user whose
login name is @code{user-id}.  (On DOS and Windows systems, where a user
doesn't have a home directory, Emacs substitutes @file{~/} with the
value of the environment variable @code{HOME}; see @ref{General
Variables}.)

  To access a file with @samp{$} in its name, type @samp{$$}.  This pair
is converted to a single @samp{$} at the same time as variable
substitution is performed for a single @samp{$}.  Alternatively, quote the
whole file name with @samp{/:} (@pxref{Quoted File Names}).  File names
which begin with a literal @samp{~} should also be quoted with @samp{/:}.

@findex substitute-in-file-name
  The Lisp function that performs the substitution is called
@code{substitute-in-file-name}.  The substitution is performed only on
file names read as such using the minibuffer.

@code{auto-save-file-name-p}).  The file name to be used for auto-saving
in a buffer is calculated when auto-saving is turned on in that buffer.

@cindex auto-save for remote files
@vindex auto-save-file-name-transforms
The variable @code{auto-save-file-name-transforms} allows a
degree of control over the auto-save file name.  The default value is
set up to put the auto-save files for remote files
(@pxref{Remote Files}) into the temporary file directory on the local
machine. 

  When you delete a substantial part of the text in a large buffer, auto
save turns off temporarily in that buffer.  This is because if you
deleted the text unintentionally, you might find the auto-save file more
useful if it contains the deleted text.  To reenable auto-saving after

else has already checked in other changes to the file, you are not
notified of it until you actually try to commit.  (But you can try to
pick up any recent changes from the repository first, using @kbd{C-x v m
@key{RET}}, @pxref{Merging}).

  When @code{vc-cvs-stay-local} is @code{t}, VC also makes local
version backups, so that simple diff and revert operations are
completely local (@pxref{Version Backups}).

  On the other hand, if you set @code{vc-cvs-stay-local} to @code{nil},

make a verbose listing including sizes, dates, and owners (like
@samp{ls -l}).

@vindex list-directory-brief-switches
@vindex list-directory-verbose-switches
  The text of a directory listing is obtained by running @code{ls} in an
inferior process.  Two Emacs variables control the switches passed to
@code{ls}: @code{list-directory-brief-switches} is a string giving the
switches to use in brief listings (@code{"-CF"} by default), and
@code{list-directory-verbose-switches} is a string giving the switches to
use in a verbose listing (@code{"-l"} by default).

@node Comparing Files
@section Comparing Files
@cindex comparing files

46212:895fd595b5fb

@xref{Minibuffer File}.

@cindex environment variables in file names
@cindex expansion of environment variables
@cindex @code{$} in file names
  @anchor{File Names with $}@samp{$} in a file name is used to
substitute an environment variable.  The environment variable name
consists of all the alphanumeric characters after the @samp{$};
alternatively, it can be enclosed in braces after the @samp{$}.  For
example, if you have used the shell command @command{export
FOO=rms/hacks} to set up an environment variable named @env{FOO}, then
you can use @file{/u/$FOO/test.c} or @file{/u/$@{FOO@}/test.c} as an
abbreviation for @file{/u/rms/hacks/test.c}.  If the environment
variable is not defined, no substitution occurs: @file{/u/$notdefined}
stands for itself (assuming the environment variable @env{notdefined}
is not defined).

  Note that shell commands to set environment variables affect Emacs
only when done before Emacs is started.

@cindex home directory shorthand
  You can use the @file{~/} in a file name to mean your home directory,
or @file{~@var{user-id}/} to mean the home directory of a user whose
login name is @code{user-id}.  (On DOS and Windows systems, where a user
doesn't have a home directory, Emacs substitutes @file{~/} with the
value of the environment variable @code{HOME}; see @ref{General
Variables}.)

  To access a file with @samp{$} in its name, if the @samp{$} causes
expansion, type @samp{$$}.  This pair is converted to a single
@samp{$} at the same time as variable substitution is performed for a
single @samp{$}.  Alternatively, quote the whole file name with
@samp{/:} (@pxref{Quoted File Names}).  File names which begin with a
literal @samp{~} should also be quoted with @samp{/:}.

@findex substitute-in-file-name
  The Lisp function that performs the substitution is called
@code{substitute-in-file-name}.  The substitution is performed only on
file names read as such using the minibuffer.

@code{auto-save-file-name-p}).  The file name to be used for auto-saving
in a buffer is calculated when auto-saving is turned on in that buffer.

@cindex auto-save for remote files
@vindex auto-save-file-name-transforms
  The variable @code{auto-save-file-name-transforms} allows a degree
of control over the auto-save file name.  It lets you specify a series
of regular expressions and replacements to transform the auto save
file name.  The default value puts the auto-save files for remote
files (@pxref{Remote Files}) into the temporary file directory on the
local machine.

  When you delete a substantial part of the text in a large buffer, auto
save turns off temporarily in that buffer.  This is because if you
deleted the text unintentionally, you might find the auto-save file more
useful if it contains the deleted text.  To reenable auto-saving after

else has already checked in other changes to the file, you are not
notified of it until you actually try to commit.  (But you can try to
pick up any recent changes from the repository first, using @kbd{C-x v m
@key{RET}}, @pxref{Merging}).

@vindex vc-cvs-global-switches
  The variable @code{vc-cvs-global-switches} should be a string
specifyng switches to pass to CVS for all CVS operations.

  When @code{vc-cvs-stay-local} is @code{t}, VC also makes local
version backups, so that simple diff and revert operations are
completely local (@pxref{Version Backups}).

  On the other hand, if you set @code{vc-cvs-stay-local} to @code{nil},

make a verbose listing including sizes, dates, and owners (like
@samp{ls -l}).

@vindex list-directory-brief-switches
@vindex list-directory-verbose-switches
  The text of a directory listing is mostly obtained by running
@code{ls} in an inferior process.  Two Emacs variables control the
switches passed to @code{ls}: @code{list-directory-brief-switches} is
a string giving the switches to use in brief listings (@code{"-CF"} by
default), and @code{list-directory-verbose-switches} is a string
giving the switches to use in a verbose listing (@code{"-l"} by
default).

@vindex directory-free-space-program
@vindex directory-free-space-args
  Emacs adds information about the amount of free space on the disk
that contains the directory.  To do this, it runs the program
specified by @code{directory-free-space-program} with arguments
@code{directory-free-space-args}.

@node Comparing Files
@section Comparing Files
@cindex comparing files