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comparison man/dired.texi @ 25829:ac7e9e5e2ccb
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author | Dave Love <fx@gnu.org> |
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date | Wed, 29 Sep 1999 15:17:24 +0000 |
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1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual. | |
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc. | |
3 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. | |
4 @node Dired, Calendar/Diary, Rmail, Top | |
5 @chapter Dired, the Directory Editor | |
6 @cindex Dired | |
7 | |
8 Dired makes an Emacs buffer containing a listing of a directory, and | |
9 optionally some of its subdirectories as well. You can use the normal | |
10 Emacs commands to move around in this buffer, and special Dired commands | |
11 to operate on the files listed. | |
12 | |
13 @menu | |
14 * Enter: Dired Enter. How to invoke Dired. | |
15 * Commands: Dired Commands. Commands in the Dired buffer. | |
16 * Deletion: Dired Deletion. Deleting files with Dired. | |
17 * Flagging Many Files:: Flagging files based on their names. | |
18 * Visit: Dired Visiting. Other file operations through Dired. | |
19 * Marks vs Flags:: Flagging for deletion vs marking. | |
20 * Operating on Files:: How to copy, rename, print, compress, etc. | |
21 either one file or several files. | |
22 * Shell Commands in Dired:: Running a shell command on the marked files. | |
23 * Transforming File Names:: Using patterns to rename multiple files. | |
24 * Comparison in Dired:: Running `diff' by way of Dired. | |
25 * Subdirectories in Dired:: Adding subdirectories to the Dired buffer. | |
26 * Subdirectory Motion:: Moving across subdirectories, and up and down. | |
27 * Hiding Subdirectories:: Making subdirectories visible or invisible. | |
28 * Updating: Dired Updating. Discarding lines for files of no interest. | |
29 * Find: Dired and Find. Using `find' to choose the files for Dired. | |
30 @end menu | |
31 | |
32 @node Dired Enter | |
33 @section Entering Dired | |
34 | |
35 @findex dired | |
36 @kindex C-x d | |
37 @vindex dired-listing-switches | |
38 To invoke Dired, do @kbd{C-x d} or @kbd{M-x dired}. The command reads | |
39 a directory name or wildcard file name pattern as a minibuffer argument | |
40 to specify which files to list. Where @code{dired} differs from | |
41 @code{list-directory} is in putting the buffer into Dired mode so that | |
42 the special commands of Dired are available. | |
43 | |
44 The variable @code{dired-listing-switches} specifies the options to | |
45 give to @code{ls} for listing directory; this string @emph{must} contain | |
46 @samp{-l}. If you use a numeric prefix argument with the @code{dired} | |
47 command, you can specify the @code{ls} switches with the minibuffer | |
48 before you enter the directory specification. | |
49 | |
50 @findex dired-other-window | |
51 @kindex C-x 4 d | |
52 @findex dired-other-frame | |
53 @kindex C-x 5 d | |
54 To display the Dired buffer in another window rather than in the | |
55 selected window, use @kbd{C-x 4 d} (@code{dired-other-window}) instead | |
56 of @kbd{C-x d}. @kbd{C-x 5 d} (@code{dired-other-frame}) uses a | |
57 separate frame to display the Dired buffer. | |
58 | |
59 @node Dired Commands | |
60 @section Commands in the Dired Buffer | |
61 | |
62 The Dired buffer is ``read-only,'' and inserting text in it is not | |
63 useful, so ordinary printing characters such as @kbd{d} and @kbd{x} are | |
64 used for special Dired commands. Some Dired commands @dfn{mark} or | |
65 @dfn{flag} the @dfn{current file} (that is, the file on the current | |
66 line); other commands operate on the marked files or on the flagged | |
67 files. | |
68 | |
69 @kindex C-n @r{(Dired)} | |
70 @kindex C-p @r{(Dired)} | |
71 All the usual Emacs cursor motion commands are available in Dired | |
72 buffers. Some special-purpose cursor motion commands are also | |
73 provided. The keys @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} are redefined to put the | |
74 cursor at the beginning of the file name on the line, rather than at the | |
75 beginning of the line. | |
76 | |
77 @kindex SPC @r{(Dired)} | |
78 For extra convenience, @key{SPC} and @kbd{n} in Dired are equivalent | |
79 to @kbd{C-n}. @kbd{p} is equivalent to @kbd{C-p}. (Moving by lines is | |
80 so common in Dired that it deserves to be easy to type.) @key{DEL} | |
81 (move up and unflag) is often useful simply for moving up. | |
82 | |
83 @node Dired Deletion | |
84 @section Deleting Files with Dired | |
85 @cindex flagging files (in Dired) | |
86 @cindex deleting files (in Dired) | |
87 | |
88 The primary use of Dired is to @dfn{flag} files for deletion and then | |
89 delete the files previously flagged. | |
90 | |
91 @table @kbd | |
92 @item d | |
93 Flag this file for deletion. | |
94 @item u | |
95 Remove deletion flag on this line. | |
96 @item @key{DEL} | |
97 Move point to previous line and remove the deletion flag on that line. | |
98 @item x | |
99 Delete the files that are flagged for deletion. | |
100 @end table | |
101 | |
102 @kindex d @r{(Dired)} | |
103 @findex dired-flag-file-deletion | |
104 You can flag a file for deletion by moving to the line describing the | |
105 file and typing @kbd{d} (@code{dired-flag-file-deletion}). The deletion flag is visible as a @samp{D} at | |
106 the beginning of the line. This command moves point to the next line, | |
107 so that repeated @kbd{d} commands flag successive files. A numeric | |
108 argument serves as a repeat count. | |
109 | |
110 @kindex u @r{(Dired deletion)} | |
111 @kindex DEL @r{(Dired)} | |
112 The files are flagged for deletion rather than deleted immediately to | |
113 reduce the danger of deleting a file accidentally. Until you direct | |
114 Dired to expunge the flagged files, you can remove deletion flags using | |
115 the commands @kbd{u} and @key{DEL}. @kbd{u} (@code{dired-unmark}) works | |
116 just like @kbd{d}, but removes flags rather than making flags. | |
117 @key{DEL} (@code{dired-unmark-backward}) moves upward, removing flags; | |
118 it is like @kbd{u} with argument @minus{}1. | |
119 | |
120 @kindex x @r{(Dired)} | |
121 @findex dired-expunge | |
122 @cindex expunging (Dired) | |
123 To delete the flagged files, type @kbd{x} (@code{dired-expunge}). | |
124 This command first displays a list of all the file names flagged for | |
125 deletion, and requests confirmation with @kbd{yes}. If you confirm, | |
126 Dired deletes the flagged files, then deletes their lines from the text | |
127 of the Dired buffer. The shortened Dired buffer remains selected. | |
128 | |
129 If you answer @kbd{no} or quit with @kbd{C-g} when asked to confirm, you | |
130 return immediately to Dired, with the deletion flags still present in | |
131 the buffer, and no files actually deleted. | |
132 | |
133 @node Flagging Many Files | |
134 @section Flagging Many Files at Once | |
135 | |
136 @table @kbd | |
137 @item # | |
138 Flag all auto-save files (files whose names start and end with @samp{#}) | |
139 for deletion (@pxref{Auto Save}). | |
140 | |
141 @item ~ | |
142 Flag all backup files (files whose names end with @samp{~}) for deletion | |
143 (@pxref{Backup}). | |
144 | |
145 @item & | |
146 Flag for deletion all files with certain kinds of names, names that | |
147 suggest you could easily create the files again. | |
148 | |
149 @item .@: @r{(Period)} | |
150 Flag excess numeric backup files for deletion. The oldest and newest | |
151 few backup files of any one file are exempt; the middle ones are | |
152 flagged. | |
153 | |
154 @item % d @var{regexp} @key{RET} | |
155 Flag for deletion all files whose names match the regular expression | |
156 @var{regexp}. | |
157 @end table | |
158 | |
159 The @kbd{#}, @kbd{~}, @kbd{&}, and @kbd{.} commands flag many files for | |
160 deletion, based on their file names. These commands are useful | |
161 precisely because they do not themselves delete any files; you can | |
162 remove the deletion flags from any flagged files that you really wish to | |
163 keep.@refill | |
164 | |
165 @kindex & @r{(Dired)} | |
166 @findex dired-flag-garbage-files | |
167 @vindex dired-garbage-files-regexp | |
168 @kbd{&} (@code{dired-flag-garbage-files}) flags files whose names | |
169 match the regular expression specified by the variable | |
170 @code{dired-garbage-files-regexp}. By default, this matches certain | |
171 files produced by @TeX{}, and the @samp{.orig} and @samp{.rej} files | |
172 produced by @code{patch}. | |
173 | |
174 @kindex # @r{(Dired)} | |
175 @kindex ~ @r{(Dired)} | |
176 @findex dired-flag-auto-save-files | |
177 @findex dired-flag-backup-files | |
178 @kbd{#} (@code{dired-flag-auto-save-files}) flags for deletion all | |
179 files whose names look like auto-save files (@pxref{Auto Save})---that | |
180 is, files whose names begin and end with @samp{#}. @kbd{~} | |
181 (@code{dired-flag-backup-files}) flags for deletion all files whose | |
182 names say they are backup files (@pxref{Backup})---that is, whose names | |
183 end in @samp{~}. | |
184 | |
185 @kindex . @r{(Dired)} | |
186 @vindex dired-kept-versions | |
187 @findex dired-clean-directory | |
188 @kbd{.} (period, @code{dired-clean-directory}) flags just some of the | |
189 backup files for deletion: all but the oldest few and newest few backups | |
190 of any one file. Normally @code{dired-kept-versions} (@strong{not} | |
191 @code{kept-new-versions}; that applies only when saving) specifies the | |
192 number of newest versions of each file to keep, and | |
193 @code{kept-old-versions} specifies the number of oldest versions to | |
194 keep. | |
195 | |
196 Period with a positive numeric argument, as in @kbd{C-u 3 .}, | |
197 specifies the number of newest versions to keep, overriding | |
198 @code{dired-kept-versions}. A negative numeric argument overrides | |
199 @code{kept-old-versions}, using minus the value of the argument to | |
200 specify the number of oldest versions of each file to keep. | |
201 | |
202 @findex dired-flag-files-regexp | |
203 @kindex % d @r{(Dired)} | |
204 The @kbd{% d} command flags all files whose names match a specified | |
205 regular expression (@code{dired-flag-files-regexp}). Only the | |
206 non-directory part of the file name is used in matching. You can use | |
207 @samp{^} and @samp{$} to anchor matches. You can exclude subdirectories | |
208 by hiding them (@pxref{Hiding Subdirectories}). | |
209 | |
210 @node Dired Visiting | |
211 @section Visiting Files in Dired | |
212 | |
213 There are several Dired commands for visiting or examining the files | |
214 listed in the Dired buffer. All of them apply to the current line's | |
215 file; if that file is really a directory, these commands invoke Dired on | |
216 that subdirectory (making a separate Dired buffer). | |
217 | |
218 @table @kbd | |
219 @item f | |
220 @kindex f @r{(Dired)} | |
221 @findex dired-find-file | |
222 Visit the file described on the current line, like typing @kbd{C-x C-f} | |
223 and supplying that file name (@code{dired-find-file}). @xref{Visiting}. | |
224 | |
225 @item @key{RET} | |
226 @kindex RET @r{(Dired)} | |
227 Equivalent to @kbd{f}. | |
228 | |
229 @item o | |
230 @kindex o @r{(Dired)} | |
231 @findex dired-find-file-other-window | |
232 Like @kbd{f}, but uses another window to display the file's buffer | |
233 (@code{dired-find-file-other-window}). The Dired buffer remains visible | |
234 in the first window. This is like using @kbd{C-x 4 C-f} to visit the | |
235 file. @xref{Windows}. | |
236 | |
237 @item C-o | |
238 @kindex C-o @r{(Dired)} | |
239 @findex dired-display-file | |
240 Visit the file described on the current line, and display the buffer in | |
241 another window, but do not select that window (@code{dired-display-file}). | |
242 | |
243 @item Mouse-2 | |
244 @findex dired-mouse-find-file-other-window | |
245 Visit the file named by the line you click on | |
246 (@code{dired-mouse-find-file-other-window}). This uses another window | |
247 to display the file, like the @kbd{o} command. | |
248 | |
249 @item v | |
250 @kindex v @r{(Dired)} | |
251 @findex dired-view-file | |
252 View the file described on the current line, using @kbd{M-x view-file} | |
253 (@code{dired-view-file}). | |
254 | |
255 Viewing a file is like visiting it, but is slanted toward moving around | |
256 in the file conveniently and does not allow changing the file. | |
257 @xref{Misc File Ops,View File}. | |
258 @end table | |
259 | |
260 @node Marks vs Flags | |
261 @section Dired Marks vs. Flags | |
262 | |
263 @cindex marking in Dired | |
264 Instead of flagging a file with @samp{D}, you can @dfn{mark} the file | |
265 with some other character (usually @samp{*}). Most Dired commands to | |
266 operate on files, aside from ``expunge'' (@kbd{x}), look for files | |
267 marked with @samp{*}. | |
268 | |
269 Here are some commands for marking with @samp{*}, or for unmarking or | |
270 operating on marks. (@xref{Dired Deletion}, for commands to flag and | |
271 unflag files.) | |
272 | |
273 @table @kbd | |
274 @item m | |
275 @itemx * m | |
276 @kindex m @r{(Dired)} | |
277 @kindex * m @r{(Dired)} | |
278 @findex dired-mark | |
279 Mark the current file with @samp{*} (@code{dired-mark}). With a numeric | |
280 argument @var{n}, mark the next @var{n} files starting with the current | |
281 file. (If @var{n} is negative, mark the previous @minus{}@var{n} | |
282 files.) | |
283 | |
284 @item * * | |
285 @kindex * * @r{(Dired)} | |
286 @findex dired-mark-executables | |
287 Mark all executable files with @samp{*} | |
288 (@code{dired-mark-executables}). With a numeric argument, unmark all | |
289 those files. | |
290 | |
291 @item * @@ | |
292 @kindex * @@ @r{(Dired)} | |
293 @findex dired-mark-symlinks | |
294 Mark all symbolic links with @samp{*} (@code{dired-mark-symlinks}). | |
295 With a numeric argument, unmark all those files. | |
296 | |
297 @item * / | |
298 @kindex * / @r{(Dired)} | |
299 @findex dired-mark-directories | |
300 Mark with @samp{*} all files which are actually directories, except for | |
301 @file{.} and @file{..} (@code{dired-mark-directories}). With a numeric | |
302 argument, unmark all those files. | |
303 | |
304 @item * s | |
305 @kindex * s @r{(Dired)} | |
306 @findex dired-mark-subdir-files | |
307 Mark all the files in the current subdirectory, aside from @file{.} | |
308 and @file{..} (@code{dired-mark-subdir-files}). | |
309 | |
310 @item u | |
311 @itemx * u | |
312 @kindex u @r{(Dired)} | |
313 @kindex * u @r{(Dired)} | |
314 @findex dired-unmark | |
315 Remove any mark on this line (@code{dired-unmark}). | |
316 | |
317 @item @key{DEL} | |
318 @itemx * @key{DEL} | |
319 @kindex * DEL @r{(Dired)} | |
320 @findex dired-unmark-backward | |
321 Move point to previous line and remove any mark on that line | |
322 (@code{dired-unmark-backward}). | |
323 | |
324 @item * ! | |
325 @kindex * ! @r{(Dired)} | |
326 @findex dired-unmark-all-files-no-query | |
327 Remove all marks from all the files in this Dired buffer | |
328 (@code{dired-unmark-all-files-no-query}). | |
329 | |
330 @item * ? @var{markchar} | |
331 @kindex * ? @r{(Dired)} | |
332 @findex dired-unmark-all-files | |
333 Remove all marks that use the character @var{markchar} | |
334 (@code{dired-unmark-all-files}). The argument is a single | |
335 character---do not use @key{RET} to terminate it. | |
336 | |
337 With a numeric argument, this command queries about each marked file, | |
338 asking whether to remove its mark. You can answer @kbd{y} meaning yes, | |
339 @kbd{n} meaning no, or @kbd{!} to remove the marks from the remaining | |
340 files without asking about them. | |
341 | |
342 @item * C-n | |
343 @findex dired-next-marked-file | |
344 @kindex * C-n @r{(Dired)} | |
345 Move down to the next marked file (@code{dired-next-marked-file}) | |
346 A file is ``marked'' if it has any kind of mark. | |
347 | |
348 @item * C-p | |
349 @findex dired-prev-marked-file | |
350 @kindex * C-p @r{(Dired)} | |
351 Move up to the previous marked file (@code{dired-prev-marked-file}) | |
352 | |
353 @item * t | |
354 @kindex * t @r{(Dired)} | |
355 @findex dired-do-toggle | |
356 Toggle all marks (@code{dired-do-toggle}): files marked with @samp{*} | |
357 become unmarked, and unmarked files are marked with @samp{*}. Files | |
358 marked in any other way are not affected. | |
359 | |
360 @item * c @var{old} @var{new} | |
361 @kindex * c @r{(Dired)} | |
362 @findex dired-change-marks | |
363 Replace all marks that use the character @var{old} with marks that use | |
364 the character @var{new} (@code{dired-change-marks}). This command is | |
365 the primary way to create or use marks other than @samp{*} or @samp{D}. | |
366 The arguments are single characters---do not use @key{RET} to terminate | |
367 them. | |
368 | |
369 You can use almost any character as a mark character by means of this | |
370 command, to distinguish various classes of files. If @var{old} is a | |
371 space (@samp{ }), then the command operates on all unmarked files; if | |
372 @var{new} is a space, then the command unmarks the files it acts on. | |
373 | |
374 To illustrate the power of this command, here is how to put @samp{D} | |
375 flags on all the files that have no marks, while unflagging all those | |
376 that already have @samp{D} flags: | |
377 | |
378 @example | |
379 * c D t * c SPC D * c t SPC | |
380 @end example | |
381 | |
382 This assumes that no files are marked with @samp{t}. | |
383 | |
384 @item % m @var{regexp} @key{RET} | |
385 @itemx * % @var{regexp} @key{RET} | |
386 @findex dired-mark-files-regexp | |
387 @kindex % m @r{(Dired)} | |
388 @kindex * % @r{(Dired)} | |
389 Mark (with @samp{*}) all files whose names match the regular expression | |
390 @var{regexp} (@code{dired-mark-files-regexp}). This command is like | |
391 @kbd{% d}, except that it marks files with @samp{*} instead of flagging | |
392 with @samp{D}. @xref{Flagging Many Files}. | |
393 | |
394 Only the non-directory part of the file name is used in matching. Use | |
395 @samp{^} and @samp{$} to anchor matches. Exclude subdirectories by | |
396 hiding them (@pxref{Hiding Subdirectories}). | |
397 | |
398 @item % g @var{regexp} @key{RET} | |
399 @findex dired-mark-files-containing-regexp | |
400 @kindex % m @r{(Dired)} | |
401 Mark (with @samp{*}) all files whose @emph{contents} contain a match for | |
402 the regular expression @var{regexp} | |
403 (@code{dired-mark-files-containing-regexp}). This command is like | |
404 @kbd{% m}, except that it searches the file contents instead of the file | |
405 name. | |
406 | |
407 @item C-_ | |
408 @kindex C-_ @r{(Dired)} | |
409 @findex dired-undo | |
410 Undo changes in the Dired buffer, such as adding or removing | |
411 marks (@code{dired-undo}). | |
412 @end table | |
413 | |
414 @node Operating on Files | |
415 @section Operating on Files | |
416 @cindex operating on files in Dired | |
417 | |
418 This section describes the basic Dired commands to operate on one file | |
419 or several files. All of these commands are capital letters; all of | |
420 them use the minibuffer, either to read an argument or to ask for | |
421 confirmation, before they act. All of them give you several ways to | |
422 specify which files to manipulate: | |
423 | |
424 @itemize @bullet | |
425 @item | |
426 If you give the command a numeric prefix argument @var{n}, it operates | |
427 on the next @var{n} files, starting with the current file. (If @var{n} | |
428 is negative, the command operates on the @minus{}@var{n} files preceding | |
429 the current line.) | |
430 | |
431 @item | |
432 Otherwise, if some files are marked with @samp{*}, the command operates | |
433 on all those files. | |
434 | |
435 @item | |
436 Otherwise, the command operates on the current file only. | |
437 @end itemize | |
438 | |
439 Here are the file-manipulating commands that operate on files in this | |
440 way. (Some other Dired commands, such as @kbd{!} and the @samp{%} | |
441 commands, also use these conventions to decide which files to work on.) | |
442 | |
443 @table @kbd | |
444 @findex dired-do-copy | |
445 @kindex C @r{(Dired)} | |
446 @item C @var{new} @key{RET} | |
447 Copy the specified files (@code{dired-do-copy}). The argument @var{new} | |
448 is the directory to copy into, or (if copying a single file) the new | |
449 name. | |
450 | |
451 @vindex dired-copy-preserve-time | |
452 If @code{dired-copy-preserve-time} is non-@code{nil}, then copying with | |
453 this command sets the modification time of the new file to be the same | |
454 as that of the old file. | |
455 | |
456 @item D | |
457 @findex dired-do-delete | |
458 @kindex D @r{(Dired)} | |
459 Delete the specified files (@code{dired-do-delete}). Like the other | |
460 commands in this section, this command operates on the @emph{marked} | |
461 files, or the next @var{n} files. By contrast, @kbd{x} | |
462 (@code{dired-expunge}) deletes all @dfn{flagged} files. | |
463 | |
464 @findex dired-do-rename | |
465 @kindex R @r{(Dired)} | |
466 @item R @var{new} @key{RET} | |
467 Rename the specified files (@code{dired-do-rename}). The argument | |
468 @var{new} is the directory to rename into, or (if renaming a single | |
469 file) the new name. | |
470 | |
471 Dired automatically changes the visited file name of buffers associated | |
472 with renamed files so that they refer to the new names. | |
473 | |
474 @findex dired-do-hardlink | |
475 @kindex H @r{(Dired)} | |
476 @item H @var{new} @key{RET} | |
477 Make hard links to the specified files (@code{dired-do-hardlink}). The | |
478 argument @var{new} is the directory to make the links in, or (if making | |
479 just one link) the name to give the link. | |
480 | |
481 @findex dired-do-symlink | |
482 @kindex S @r{(Dired)} | |
483 @item S @var{new} @key{RET} | |
484 Make symbolic links to the specified files (@code{dired-do-symlink}). | |
485 The argument @var{new} is the directory to make the links in, or (if | |
486 making just one link) the name to give the link. | |
487 | |
488 @findex dired-do-chmod | |
489 @kindex M @r{(Dired)} | |
490 @item M @var{modespec} @key{RET} | |
491 Change the mode (also called ``permission bits'') of the specified files | |
492 (@code{dired-do-chmod}). This uses the @code{chmod} program, so | |
493 @var{modespec} can be any argument that @code{chmod} can handle. | |
494 | |
495 @findex dired-do-chgrp | |
496 @kindex G @r{(Dired)} | |
497 @item G @var{newgroup} @key{RET} | |
498 Change the group of the specified files to @var{newgroup} | |
499 (@code{dired-do-chgrp}). | |
500 | |
501 @findex dired-do-chown | |
502 @kindex O @r{(Dired)} | |
503 @item O @var{newowner} @key{RET} | |
504 Change the owner of the specified files to @var{newowner} | |
505 (@code{dired-do-chown}). (On most systems, only the superuser can do | |
506 this.) | |
507 | |
508 @vindex dired-chown-program | |
509 The variable @code{dired-chown-program} specifies the name of the | |
510 program to use to do the work (different systems put @code{chown} in | |
511 different places). | |
512 | |
513 @findex dired-do-print | |
514 @kindex P @r{(Dired)} | |
515 @item P @var{command} @key{RET} | |
516 Print the specified files (@code{dired-do-print}). You must specify the | |
517 command to print them with, but the minibuffer starts out with a | |
518 suitable guess made using the variables @code{lpr-command} and | |
519 @code{lpr-switches} (the same variables that @code{lpr-buffer} uses; | |
520 @pxref{Hardcopy}). | |
521 | |
522 @findex dired-do-compress | |
523 @kindex Z @r{(Dired)} | |
524 @item Z | |
525 Compress the specified files (@code{dired-do-compress}). If the file | |
526 appears to be a compressed file already, it is uncompressed instead. | |
527 | |
528 @findex dired-do-load | |
529 @kindex L @r{(Dired)} | |
530 @item L | |
531 Load the specified Emacs Lisp files (@code{dired-do-load}). | |
532 @xref{Lisp Libraries}. | |
533 | |
534 @findex dired-do-byte-compile | |
535 @kindex B @r{(Dired)} | |
536 @item B | |
537 Byte compile the specified Emacs Lisp files | |
538 (@code{dired-do-byte-compile}). @xref{Byte Compilation,, Byte | |
539 Compilation, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}. | |
540 | |
541 @kindex A @r{(Dired)} | |
542 @findex dired-do-search | |
543 @item A @var{regexp} @key{RET} | |
544 Search all the specified files for the regular expression @var{regexp} | |
545 (@code{dired-do-search}). | |
546 | |
547 This command is a variant of @code{tags-search}. The search stops at | |
548 the first match it finds; use @kbd{M-,} to resume the search and find | |
549 the next match. @xref{Tags Search}. | |
550 | |
551 @kindex Q @r{(Dired)} | |
552 @findex dired-do-query-replace | |
553 @item Q @var{from} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET} | |
554 Perform @code{query-replace-regexp} on each of the specified files, | |
555 replacing matches for @var{from} (a regular expression) with the string | |
556 @var{to} (@code{dired-do-query-replace}). | |
557 | |
558 This command is a variant of @code{tags-query-replace}. If you exit the | |
559 query replace loop, you can use @kbd{M-,} to resume the scan and replace | |
560 more matches. @xref{Tags Search}. | |
561 @end table | |
562 | |
563 @kindex + @r{(Dired)} | |
564 @findex dired-create-directory | |
565 One special file-operation command is @kbd{+} | |
566 (@code{dired-create-directory}). This command reads a directory name and | |
567 creates the directory if it does not already exist. | |
568 | |
569 @node Shell Commands in Dired | |
570 @section Shell Commands in Dired | |
571 @cindex shell commands, Dired | |
572 | |
573 @findex dired-do-shell-command | |
574 @kindex ! @r{(Dired)} | |
575 The dired command @kbd{!} (@code{dired-do-shell-command}) reads a shell | |
576 command string in the minibuffer and runs that shell command on all the | |
577 specified files. You can specify the files to operate on in the usual | |
578 ways for Dired commands (@pxref{Operating on Files}). There are two | |
579 ways of applying a shell command to multiple files: | |
580 | |
581 @itemize @bullet | |
582 @item | |
583 If you use @samp{*} in the shell command, then it runs just once, with | |
584 the list of file names substituted for the @samp{*}. The order of file | |
585 names is the order of appearance in the Dired buffer. | |
586 | |
587 Thus, @kbd{! tar cf foo.tar * @key{RET}} runs @code{tar} on the entire | |
588 list of file names, putting them into one tar file @file{foo.tar}. | |
589 | |
590 @item | |
591 If the command string doesn't contain @samp{*}, then it runs once | |
592 @emph{for each file}, with the file name added at the end. | |
593 | |
594 For example, @kbd{! uudecode @key{RET}} runs @code{uudecode} on each | |
595 file. | |
596 @end itemize | |
597 | |
598 What if you want to run the shell command once for each file but with | |
599 the file name inserted in the middle? Or if you want to use the file | |
600 names in a more complicated fashion? Use a shell loop. For example, | |
601 this shell command would run @code{uuencode} on each of the specified | |
602 files, writing the output into a corresponding @file{.uu} file: | |
603 | |
604 @example | |
605 for file in *; do uuencode $file $file >$file.uu; done | |
606 @end example | |
607 | |
608 The working directory for the shell command is the top-level directory | |
609 of the Dired buffer. | |
610 | |
611 The @kbd{!} command does not attempt to update the Dired buffer to show | |
612 new or modified files, because it doesn't really understand shell | |
613 commands, and does not know what files the shell command changed. Use | |
614 the @kbd{g} command to update the Dired buffer (@pxref{Dired | |
615 Updating}). | |
616 | |
617 @node Transforming File Names | |
618 @section Transforming File Names in Dired | |
619 | |
620 Here are commands that alter file names in a systematic way: | |
621 | |
622 @table @kbd | |
623 @findex dired-upcase | |
624 @kindex % u @r{(Dired)} | |
625 @item % u | |
626 Rename each of the selected files to an upper-case name | |
627 (@code{dired-upcase}). If the old file names are @file{Foo} | |
628 and @file{bar}, the new names are @file{FOO} and @file{BAR}. | |
629 | |
630 @item % l | |
631 @findex dired-downcase | |
632 @kindex % l @r{(Dired)} | |
633 Rename each of the selected files to a lower-case name | |
634 (@code{dired-downcase}). If the old file names are @file{Foo} and | |
635 @file{bar}, the new names are @file{foo} and @file{bar}. | |
636 | |
637 @item % R @var{from} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET} | |
638 @kindex % R @r{(Dired)} | |
639 @findex dired-do-rename-regexp | |
640 @itemx % C @var{from} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET} | |
641 @kindex % C @r{(Dired)} | |
642 @findex dired-do-copy-regexp | |
643 @itemx % H @var{from} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET} | |
644 @kindex % H @r{(Dired)} | |
645 @findex dired-do-hardlink-regexp | |
646 @itemx % S @var{from} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET} | |
647 @kindex % S @r{(Dired)} | |
648 @findex dired-do-symlink-regexp | |
649 These four commands rename, copy, make hard links and make soft links, | |
650 in each case computing the new name by regular-expression substitution | |
651 from the name of the old file. | |
652 @end table | |
653 | |
654 The four regular-expression substitution commands effectively perform | |
655 a search-and-replace on the selected file names in the Dired buffer. | |
656 They read two arguments: a regular expression @var{from}, and a | |
657 substitution pattern @var{to}. | |
658 | |
659 The commands match each ``old'' file name against the regular | |
660 expression @var{from}, and then replace the matching part with @var{to}. | |
661 You can use @samp{\&} and @samp{\@var{digit}} in @var{to} to refer to | |
662 all or part of what the pattern matched in the old file name, as in | |
663 @code{replace-regexp} (@pxref{Regexp Replace}). If the regular expression | |
664 matches more than once in a file name, only the first match is replaced. | |
665 | |
666 For example, @kbd{% R ^.*$ @key{RET} x-\& @key{RET}} renames each | |
667 selected file by prepending @samp{x-} to its name. The inverse of this, | |
668 removing @samp{x-} from the front of each file name, is also possible: | |
669 one method is @kbd{% R ^x-\(.*\)$ @key{RET} \1 @key{RET}}; another is | |
670 @kbd{% R ^x- @key{RET} @key{RET}}. (Use @samp{^} and @samp{$} to anchor | |
671 matches that should span the whole filename.) | |
672 | |
673 Normally, the replacement process does not consider the files' | |
674 directory names; it operates on the file name within the directory. If | |
675 you specify a numeric argument of zero, then replacement affects the | |
676 entire absolute file name including directory name. | |
677 | |
678 Often you will want to select the set of files to operate on using the | |
679 same @var{regexp} that you will use to operate on them. To do this, | |
680 mark those files with @kbd{% m @var{regexp} @key{RET}}, then use the | |
681 same regular expression in the command to operate on the files. To make | |
682 this easier, the @kbd{%} commands to operate on files use the last | |
683 regular expression specified in any @kbd{%} command as a default. | |
684 | |
685 @node Comparison in Dired | |
686 @section File Comparison with Dired | |
687 | |
688 Here are two Dired commands that compare specified files using | |
689 @code{diff}. | |
690 | |
691 @table @kbd | |
692 @item = | |
693 @findex dired-diff | |
694 @kindex = @r{(Dired)} | |
695 Compare the current file (the file at point) with another file (the file | |
696 at the mark) using the @code{diff} program (@code{dired-diff}). The | |
697 file at the mark is the first argument of @code{diff}, and the file at | |
698 point is the second argument. | |
699 | |
700 @findex dired-backup-diff | |
701 @kindex M-= @r{(Dired)} | |
702 @item M-= | |
703 Compare the current file with its latest backup file | |
704 (@code{dired-backup-diff}). If the current file is itself a backup, | |
705 compare it with the file it is a backup of; this way, you can compare | |
706 a file with any backup version of your choice. | |
707 | |
708 The backup file is the first file given to @code{diff}. | |
709 @end table | |
710 | |
711 @node Subdirectories in Dired | |
712 @section Subdirectories in Dired | |
713 @cindex subdirectories in Dired | |
714 @cindex expanding subdirectories in Dired | |
715 | |
716 A Dired buffer displays just one directory in the normal case; | |
717 but you can optionally include its subdirectories as well. | |
718 | |
719 The simplest way to include multiple directories in one Dired buffer is | |
720 to specify the options @samp{-lR} for running @code{ls}. (If you give a | |
721 numeric argument when you run Dired, then you can specify these options | |
722 in the minibuffer.) That produces a recursive directory listing showing | |
723 all subdirectories at all levels. | |
724 | |
725 But usually all the subdirectories are too many; usually you will | |
726 prefer to include specific subdirectories only. You can do this with | |
727 the @kbd{i} command: | |
728 | |
729 @table @kbd | |
730 @findex dired-maybe-insert-subdir | |
731 @kindex i @r{(Dired)} | |
732 @item i | |
733 @cindex inserted subdirectory (Dired) | |
734 @cindex in-situ subdirectory (Dired) | |
735 Insert the contents of a subdirectory later in the buffer. | |
736 @end table | |
737 | |
738 Use the @kbd{i} (@code{dired-maybe-insert-subdir}) command on a line | |
739 that describes a file which is a directory. It inserts the contents of | |
740 that directory into the same Dired buffer, and moves there. Inserted | |
741 subdirectory contents follow the top-level directory of the Dired | |
742 buffer, just as they do in @samp{ls -lR} output. | |
743 | |
744 If the subdirectory's contents are already present in the buffer, the | |
745 @kbd{i} command just moves to it. | |
746 | |
747 In either case, @kbd{i} sets the Emacs mark before moving, so @kbd{C-u | |
748 C-@key{SPC}} takes you back to the old position in the buffer (the line | |
749 describing that subdirectory). | |
750 | |
751 Use the @kbd{l} command (@code{dired-do-redisplay}) to update the | |
752 subdirectory's contents. Use @kbd{k} to delete the subdirectory. | |
753 @xref{Dired Updating}. | |
754 | |
755 @node Subdirectory Motion | |
756 @section Moving Over Subdirectories | |
757 | |
758 When a Dired buffer lists subdirectories, you can use the page motion | |
759 commands @kbd{C-x [} and @kbd{C-x ]} to move by entire directories. | |
760 | |
761 @cindex header line (Dired) | |
762 @cindex directory header lines | |
763 The following commands move across, up and down in the tree of | |
764 directories within one Dired buffer. They move to @dfn{directory header | |
765 lines}, which are the lines that give a directory's name, at the | |
766 beginning of the directory's contents. | |
767 | |
768 @table @kbd | |
769 @findex dired-next-subdir | |
770 @kindex C-M-n @r{(Dired)} | |
771 @item C-M-n | |
772 Go to next subdirectory header line, regardless of level | |
773 (@code{dired-next-subdir}). | |
774 | |
775 @findex dired-prev-subdir | |
776 @kindex C-M-p @r{(Dired)} | |
777 @item C-M-p | |
778 Go to previous subdirectory header line, regardless of level | |
779 (@code{dired-prev-subdir}). | |
780 | |
781 @findex dired-tree-up | |
782 @kindex C-M-u @r{(Dired)} | |
783 @item C-M-u | |
784 Go up to the parent directory's header line (@code{dired-tree-up}). | |
785 | |
786 @findex dired-tree-down | |
787 @kindex C-M-d @r{(Dired)} | |
788 @item C-M-d | |
789 Go down in the directory tree, to the first subdirectory's header line | |
790 (@code{dired-tree-down}). | |
791 | |
792 @findex dired-prev-dirline | |
793 @kindex < @r{(Dired)} | |
794 @item < | |
795 Move up to the previous directory-file line (@code{dired-prev-dirline}). | |
796 These lines are the ones that describe a directory as a file in its | |
797 parent directory. | |
798 | |
799 @findex dired-next-dirline | |
800 @kindex > @r{(Dired)} | |
801 @item > | |
802 Move down to the next directory-file line (@code{dired-prev-dirline}). | |
803 @end table | |
804 | |
805 @node Hiding Subdirectories | |
806 @section Hiding Subdirectories | |
807 | |
808 @cindex hiding in Dired (Dired) | |
809 @dfn{Hiding} a subdirectory means to make it invisible, except for its | |
810 header line, via selective display (@pxref{Selective Display}). | |
811 | |
812 @table @kbd | |
813 @item $ | |
814 @findex dired-hide-subdir | |
815 @kindex $ @r{(Dired)} | |
816 Hide or reveal the subdirectory that point is in, and move point to the | |
817 next subdirectory (@code{dired-hide-subdir}). A numeric argument serves | |
818 as a repeat count. | |
819 | |
820 @item M-$ | |
821 @findex dired-hide-all | |
822 @kindex M-$ @r{(Dired)} | |
823 Hide all subdirectories in this Dired buffer, leaving only their header | |
824 lines (@code{dired-hide-all}). Or, if any subdirectory is currently | |
825 hidden, make all subdirectories visible again. You can use this command | |
826 to get an overview in very deep directory trees or to move quickly to | |
827 subdirectories far away. | |
828 @end table | |
829 | |
830 Ordinary Dired commands never consider files inside a hidden | |
831 subdirectory. For example, the commands to operate on marked files | |
832 ignore files in hidden directories even if they are marked. Thus you | |
833 can use hiding to temporarily exclude subdirectories from operations | |
834 without having to remove the markers. | |
835 | |
836 The subdirectory hiding commands toggle; that is, they hide what was | |
837 visible, and show what was hidden. | |
838 | |
839 @node Dired Updating | |
840 @section Updating the Dired Buffer | |
841 | |
842 This section describes commands to update the Dired buffer to reflect | |
843 outside (non-Dired) changes in the directories and files, and to delete | |
844 part of the Dired buffer. | |
845 | |
846 @table @kbd | |
847 @item g | |
848 Update the entire contents of the Dired buffer (@code{revert-buffer}). | |
849 | |
850 @item l | |
851 Update the specified files (@code{dired-do-redisplay}). | |
852 | |
853 @item k | |
854 Delete the specified @emph{file lines}---not the files, just the lines | |
855 (@code{dired-do-kill-lines}). | |
856 | |
857 @item s | |
858 Toggle between alphabetical order and date/time order | |
859 (@code{dired-sort-toggle-or-edit}). | |
860 | |
861 @item C-u s @var{switches} @key{RET} | |
862 Refresh the Dired buffer using @var{switches} as | |
863 @code{dired-listing-switches}. | |
864 @end table | |
865 | |
866 @kindex g @r{(Dired)} | |
867 @findex revert-buffer @r{(Dired)} | |
868 Type @kbd{g} (@code{revert-buffer}) to update the contents of the | |
869 Dired buffer, based on changes in the files and directories listed. | |
870 This preserves all marks except for those on files that have vanished. | |
871 Hidden subdirectories are updated but remain hidden. | |
872 | |
873 @kindex l @r{(Dired)} | |
874 @findex dired-do-redisplay | |
875 To update only some of the files, type @kbd{l} | |
876 (@code{dired-do-redisplay}). This command applies to the next @var{n} | |
877 files, or to the marked files if any, or to the current file. Updating | |
878 them means reading their current status from the file system and | |
879 changing the buffer to reflect it properly. | |
880 | |
881 If you use @kbd{l} on a subdirectory header line, it updates the | |
882 contents of the corresponding subdirectory. | |
883 | |
884 @kindex k @r{(Dired)} | |
885 @findex dired-do-kill-lines | |
886 To delete the specified @emph{file lines}---not the files, just the | |
887 lines---type @kbd{k} (@code{dired-do-kill-lines}). With a numeric | |
888 argument @var{n}, this command applies to the next @var{n} files; | |
889 otherwise, it applies to the marked files. | |
890 | |
891 If you kill the line for a file that is a directory, the directory's | |
892 contents are also deleted from the buffer. Typing @kbd{C-u k} on the | |
893 header line for a subdirectory is another way to delete a subdirectory | |
894 from the Dired buffer. | |
895 | |
896 The @kbd{g} command brings back any individual lines that you have | |
897 killed in this way, but not subdirectories---you must use @kbd{i} to | |
898 reinsert each subdirectory. | |
899 | |
900 @cindex Dired sorting | |
901 @cindex sorting Dired buffer | |
902 @kindex s @r{(Dired)} | |
903 @findex dired-sort-toggle-or-edit | |
904 The files in a Dired buffers are normally listed in alphabetical order | |
905 by file names. Alternatively Dired can sort them by date/time. The | |
906 Dired command @kbd{s} (@code{dired-sort-toggle-or-edit}) switches | |
907 between these two sorting modes. The mode line in a Dired buffer | |
908 indicates which way it is currently sorted---by name, or by date. | |
909 | |
910 @kbd{C-u s @var{switches} @key{RET}} lets you specify a new value for | |
911 @code{dired-listing-switches}. | |
912 | |
913 @node Dired and Find | |
914 @section Dired and @code{find} | |
915 @cindex @code{find} and Dired | |
916 | |
917 You can select a set of files for display in a Dired buffer more | |
918 flexibly by using the @code{find} utility to choose the files. | |
919 | |
920 @findex find-name-dired | |
921 To search for files with names matching a wildcard pattern use | |
922 @kbd{M-x find-name-dired}. It reads arguments @var{directory} and | |
923 @var{pattern}, and chooses all the files in @var{directory} or its | |
924 subdirectories whose individual names match @var{pattern}. | |
925 | |
926 The files thus chosen are displayed in a Dired buffer in which the | |
927 ordinary Dired commands are available. | |
928 | |
929 @findex find-grep-dired | |
930 If you want to test the contents of files, rather than their names, | |
931 use @kbd{M-x find-grep-dired}. This command reads two minibuffer | |
932 arguments, @var{directory} and @var{regexp}; it chooses all the files in | |
933 @var{directory} or its subdirectories that contain a match for | |
934 @var{regexp}. It works by running the programs @code{find} and | |
935 @code{grep}. See also @kbd{M-x grep-find}, in @ref{Compilation}. | |
936 Remember to write the regular expression for @code{grep}, not for Emacs. | |
937 | |
938 @findex find-dired | |
939 The most general command in this series is @kbd{M-x find-dired}, which | |
940 lets you specify any condition that @code{find} can test. It takes two | |
941 minibuffer arguments, @var{directory} and @var{find-args}; it runs | |
942 @code{find} in @var{directory}, passing @var{find-args} to tell | |
943 @code{find} what condition to test. To use this command, you need to | |
944 know how to use @code{find}. | |
945 | |
946 @vindex find-ls-option | |
947 The format of listing produced by these commands is controlled by the | |
948 variable @code{find-ls-option}, whose default value specifies using | |
949 options @samp{-ld} for @code{ls}. If your listings are corrupted, you | |
950 may need to change the value of this variable. |