]> code.delx.au - gnu-emacs/blob - man/dired.texi
Update years in copyright notice; nfc.
[gnu-emacs] / man / dired.texi
1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001,
3 @c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node Dired, Calendar/Diary, Rmail, Top
6 @chapter Dired, the Directory Editor
7 @cindex Dired
8 @cindex file management
9
10 Dired makes an Emacs buffer containing a listing of a directory, and
11 optionally some of its subdirectories as well. You can use the normal
12 Emacs commands to move around in this buffer, and special Dired commands
13 to operate on the files listed.
14
15 The Dired buffer is ``read-only,'' and inserting text in it is not
16 useful, so ordinary printing characters such as @kbd{d} and @kbd{x} are
17 used for special Dired commands. Some Dired commands @dfn{mark} or
18 @dfn{flag} the @dfn{current file} (that is, the file on the current
19 line); other commands operate on the marked files or on the flagged
20 files.
21
22 The Dired-X package provides various extra features for Dired mode.
23 @xref{Top, Dired-X,,dired-x, Dired Extra Version 2 User's Manual}.
24
25 @menu
26 * Enter: Dired Enter. How to invoke Dired.
27 * Navigation: Dired Navigation. Special motion commands in the Dired buffer.
28 * Deletion: Dired Deletion. Deleting files with Dired.
29 * Flagging Many Files:: Flagging files based on their names.
30 * Visit: Dired Visiting. Other file operations through Dired.
31 * Marks vs Flags:: Flagging for deletion vs marking.
32 * Operating on Files:: How to copy, rename, print, compress, etc.
33 either one file or several files.
34 * Shell Commands in Dired:: Running a shell command on the marked files.
35 * Transforming File Names:: Using patterns to rename multiple files.
36 * Comparison in Dired:: Running `diff' by way of Dired.
37 * Subdirectories in Dired:: Adding subdirectories to the Dired buffer.
38 * Subdirectory Motion:: Moving across subdirectories, and up and down.
39 * Hiding Subdirectories:: Making subdirectories visible or invisible.
40 * Updating: Dired Updating. Discarding lines for files of no interest.
41 * Find: Dired and Find. Using `find' to choose the files for Dired.
42 * Wdired:: Operating on files by editing the Dired buffer.
43 * Misc: Misc Dired Features. Various other features.
44 @end menu
45
46 @node Dired Enter
47 @section Entering Dired
48
49 @findex dired
50 @kindex C-x d
51 @vindex dired-listing-switches
52 To invoke Dired, do @kbd{C-x d} or @kbd{M-x dired}. The command
53 reads a directory name or wildcard file name pattern as a minibuffer
54 argument to specify which files to list. @kbd{C-x C-f} given a
55 directory name also invokes Dired. Where @code{dired} differs from
56 @code{list-directory} is that it puts the buffer into Dired mode, so
57 that the special commands of Dired are available.
58
59 The variable @code{dired-listing-switches} specifies the options to
60 give to @code{ls} for listing the directory; this string @emph{must} contain
61 @samp{-l}. If you use a numeric prefix argument with the @code{dired}
62 command, you can specify the @code{ls} switches with the minibuffer
63 before you enter the directory specification. No matter how they are
64 specified, the @code{ls} switches should all be short options (that
65 is, single characters) requiring no arguments.
66
67 @findex dired-other-window
68 @kindex C-x 4 d
69 @findex dired-other-frame
70 @kindex C-x 5 d
71 To display the Dired buffer in another window rather than in the
72 selected window, use @kbd{C-x 4 d} (@code{dired-other-window}) instead
73 of @kbd{C-x d}. @kbd{C-x 5 d} (@code{dired-other-frame}) uses a
74 separate frame to display the Dired buffer.
75
76 @node Dired Navigation
77 @section Navigation in the Dired Buffer
78
79 @kindex C-n @r{(Dired)}
80 @kindex C-p @r{(Dired)}
81 All the usual Emacs cursor motion commands are available in Dired
82 buffers. Some special-purpose cursor motion commands are also
83 provided. The keys @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} are redefined to put the
84 cursor at the beginning of the file name on the line, rather than at the
85 beginning of the line.
86
87 @kindex SPC @r{(Dired)}
88 For extra convenience, @key{SPC} and @kbd{n} in Dired are equivalent
89 to @kbd{C-n}. @kbd{p} is equivalent to @kbd{C-p}. (Moving by lines is
90 so common in Dired that it deserves to be easy to type.) @key{DEL}
91 (move up and unflag) is often useful simply for moving up.
92
93 @findex dired-goto-file
94 @kindex M-g @r{(Dired)}
95 @kbd{M-g} (@code{dired-goto-file}) moves point to the line that
96 describes a specified file or directory.
97
98 Some additional navigation commands are available when the Dired
99 buffer includes several directories. @xref{Subdirectory Motion}.
100
101 @node Dired Deletion
102 @section Deleting Files with Dired
103 @cindex flagging files (in Dired)
104 @cindex deleting files (in Dired)
105
106 One of the most frequent uses of Dired is to first @dfn{flag} files for
107 deletion, then delete the files that were flagged.
108
109 @table @kbd
110 @item d
111 Flag this file for deletion.
112 @item u
113 Remove deletion flag on this line.
114 @item @key{DEL}
115 Move point to previous line and remove the deletion flag on that line.
116 @item x
117 Delete the files that are flagged for deletion.
118 @end table
119
120 @kindex d @r{(Dired)}
121 @findex dired-flag-file-deletion
122 You can flag a file for deletion by moving to the line describing the
123 file and typing @kbd{d} (@code{dired-flag-file-deletion}). The deletion flag is visible as a @samp{D} at
124 the beginning of the line. This command moves point to the next line,
125 so that repeated @kbd{d} commands flag successive files. A numeric
126 argument serves as a repeat count.
127
128 @cindex recursive deletion
129 @vindex dired-recursive-deletes
130 The variable @code{dired-recursive-deletes} controls whether the
131 delete command will delete non-empty directories (including their
132 contents). The default is to delete only empty directories.
133
134 @kindex u @r{(Dired deletion)}
135 @kindex DEL @r{(Dired)}
136 The files are flagged for deletion rather than deleted immediately to
137 reduce the danger of deleting a file accidentally. Until you direct
138 Dired to delete the flagged files, you can remove deletion flags using
139 the commands @kbd{u} and @key{DEL}. @kbd{u} (@code{dired-unmark}) works
140 just like @kbd{d}, but removes flags rather than making flags.
141 @key{DEL} (@code{dired-unmark-backward}) moves upward, removing flags;
142 it is like @kbd{u} with argument @minus{}1.
143
144 @kindex x @r{(Dired)}
145 @findex dired-do-flagged-delete
146 @cindex expunging (Dired)
147 To delete the flagged files, type @kbd{x} (@code{dired-do-flagged-delete}).
148 (This is also known as @dfn{expunging}.)
149 This command first displays a list of all the file names flagged for
150 deletion, and requests confirmation with @kbd{yes}. If you confirm,
151 Dired deletes the flagged files, then deletes their lines from the text
152 of the Dired buffer. The shortened Dired buffer remains selected.
153
154 If you answer @kbd{no} or quit with @kbd{C-g} when asked to confirm, you
155 return immediately to Dired, with the deletion flags still present in
156 the buffer, and no files actually deleted.
157
158 @node Flagging Many Files
159 @section Flagging Many Files at Once
160 @cindex flagging many files for deletion (in Dired)
161
162 @table @kbd
163 @item #
164 Flag all auto-save files (files whose names start and end with @samp{#})
165 for deletion (@pxref{Auto Save}).
166
167 @item ~
168 Flag all backup files (files whose names end with @samp{~}) for deletion
169 (@pxref{Backup}).
170
171 @item &
172 Flag for deletion all files with certain kinds of names, names that
173 suggest you could easily create the files again.
174
175 @item .@: @r{(Period)}
176 Flag excess numeric backup files for deletion. The oldest and newest
177 few backup files of any one file are exempt; the middle ones are
178 flagged.
179
180 @item % d @var{regexp} @key{RET}
181 Flag for deletion all files whose names match the regular expression
182 @var{regexp}.
183 @end table
184
185 The @kbd{#}, @kbd{~}, @kbd{&}, and @kbd{.} commands flag many files for
186 deletion, based on their file names. These commands are useful
187 precisely because they do not themselves delete any files; you can
188 remove the deletion flags from any flagged files that you really wish to
189 keep.@refill
190
191 @kindex & @r{(Dired)}
192 @findex dired-flag-garbage-files
193 @vindex dired-garbage-files-regexp
194 @cindex deleting some backup files
195 @kbd{&} (@code{dired-flag-garbage-files}) flags files whose names
196 match the regular expression specified by the variable
197 @code{dired-garbage-files-regexp}. By default, this matches certain
198 files produced by @TeX{}, @samp{.bak} files, and the @samp{.orig} and
199 @samp{.rej} files produced by @code{patch}.
200
201 @kindex # @r{(Dired)}
202 @findex dired-flag-auto-save-files
203 @cindex deleting auto-save files
204 @kbd{#} (@code{dired-flag-auto-save-files}) flags for deletion all
205 files whose names look like auto-save files (@pxref{Auto Save})---that
206 is, files whose names begin and end with @samp{#}.
207
208 @kindex ~ @r{(Dired)}
209 @findex dired-flag-backup-files
210 @kbd{~} (@code{dired-flag-backup-files}) flags for deletion all files
211 whose names say they are backup files (@pxref{Backup})---that is, files
212 whose names end in @samp{~}.
213
214 @kindex . @r{(Dired)}
215 @vindex dired-kept-versions
216 @findex dired-clean-directory
217 @kbd{.} (period, @code{dired-clean-directory}) flags just some of the
218 backup files for deletion: all but the oldest few and newest few backups
219 of any one file. Normally @code{dired-kept-versions} (@strong{not}
220 @code{kept-new-versions}; that applies only when saving) specifies the
221 number of newest versions of each file to keep, and
222 @code{kept-old-versions} specifies the number of oldest versions to
223 keep.
224
225 Period with a positive numeric argument, as in @kbd{C-u 3 .},
226 specifies the number of newest versions to keep, overriding
227 @code{dired-kept-versions}. A negative numeric argument overrides
228 @code{kept-old-versions}, using minus the value of the argument to
229 specify the number of oldest versions of each file to keep.
230
231 @findex dired-flag-files-regexp
232 @kindex % d @r{(Dired)}
233 The @kbd{% d} command flags all files whose names match a specified
234 regular expression (@code{dired-flag-files-regexp}). Only the
235 non-directory part of the file name is used in matching. You can use
236 @samp{^} and @samp{$} to anchor matches. You can exclude subdirectories
237 by hiding them (@pxref{Hiding Subdirectories}).
238
239 @node Dired Visiting
240 @section Visiting Files in Dired
241
242 There are several Dired commands for visiting or examining the files
243 listed in the Dired buffer. All of them apply to the current line's
244 file; if that file is really a directory, these commands invoke Dired on
245 that subdirectory (making a separate Dired buffer).
246
247 @table @kbd
248 @item f
249 @kindex f @r{(Dired)}
250 @findex dired-find-file
251 Visit the file described on the current line, like typing @kbd{C-x C-f}
252 and supplying that file name (@code{dired-find-file}). @xref{Visiting}.
253
254 @item @key{RET}
255 @itemx e
256 @kindex RET @r{(Dired)}
257 @kindex e @r{(Dired)}
258 Equivalent to @kbd{f}.
259
260 @ignore @c This command seems too risky to document at all.
261 @item a
262 @kindex a @r{(Dired)}
263 @findex dired-find-alternate-file
264 Like @kbd{f}, but replaces the contents of the Dired buffer with
265 that of an alternate file or directory (@code{dired-find-alternate-file}).
266 @end ignore
267
268 @item o
269 @kindex o @r{(Dired)}
270 @findex dired-find-file-other-window
271 Like @kbd{f}, but uses another window to display the file's buffer
272 (@code{dired-find-file-other-window}). The Dired buffer remains visible
273 in the first window. This is like using @kbd{C-x 4 C-f} to visit the
274 file. @xref{Windows}.
275
276 @item C-o
277 @kindex C-o @r{(Dired)}
278 @findex dired-display-file
279 Visit the file described on the current line, and display the buffer in
280 another window, but do not select that window (@code{dired-display-file}).
281
282 @item Mouse-1
283 @itemx Mouse-2
284 @findex dired-mouse-find-file-other-window
285 Visit the file named by the line you click on
286 (@code{dired-mouse-find-file-other-window}). This uses another window
287 to display the file, like the @kbd{o} command.
288
289 @item v
290 @kindex v @r{(Dired)}
291 @findex dired-view-file
292 View the file described on the current line, using @kbd{M-x view-file}
293 (@code{dired-view-file}). Viewing a file with @code{view-file} is
294 like visiting it, but is slanted toward moving around in the file
295 conveniently and does not allow changing the file. @xref{Misc File
296 Ops, View File, Miscellaneous File Operations}.
297
298 @item ^
299 @kindex ^ @r{(Dired)}
300 @findex dired-up-directory
301 Visit the parent directory of the current directory
302 (@code{dired-up-directory}). This is more convenient than moving to
303 the parent directory's line and typing @kbd{f} there.
304 @end table
305
306 @node Marks vs Flags
307 @section Dired Marks vs. Flags
308
309 @cindex marking many files (in Dired)
310 Instead of flagging a file with @samp{D}, you can @dfn{mark} the
311 file with some other character (usually @samp{*}). Most Dired
312 commands to operate on files use the files marked with @samp{*}, the
313 exception being @kbd{x} which deletes the flagged files.
314
315 Here are some commands for marking with @samp{*}, or for unmarking or
316 operating on marks. (@xref{Dired Deletion}, for commands to flag and
317 unflag files.)
318
319 @table @kbd
320 @item m
321 @itemx * m
322 @kindex m @r{(Dired)}
323 @kindex * m @r{(Dired)}
324 @findex dired-mark
325 Mark the current file with @samp{*} (@code{dired-mark}). With a numeric
326 argument @var{n}, mark the next @var{n} files starting with the current
327 file. (If @var{n} is negative, mark the previous @minus{}@var{n}
328 files.)
329
330 @item * *
331 @kindex * * @r{(Dired)}
332 @findex dired-mark-executables
333 @cindex marking executable files (in Dired)
334 Mark all executable files with @samp{*}
335 (@code{dired-mark-executables}). With a numeric argument, unmark all
336 those files.
337
338 @item * @@
339 @kindex * @@ @r{(Dired)}
340 @findex dired-mark-symlinks
341 @cindex marking symbolic links (in Dired)
342 Mark all symbolic links with @samp{*} (@code{dired-mark-symlinks}).
343 With a numeric argument, unmark all those files.
344
345 @item * /
346 @kindex * / @r{(Dired)}
347 @findex dired-mark-directories
348 @cindex marking subdirectories (in Dired)
349 Mark with @samp{*} all files which are actually directories, except for
350 @file{.} and @file{..} (@code{dired-mark-directories}). With a numeric
351 argument, unmark all those files.
352
353 @item * s
354 @kindex * s @r{(Dired)}
355 @findex dired-mark-subdir-files
356 Mark all the files in the current subdirectory, aside from @file{.}
357 and @file{..} (@code{dired-mark-subdir-files}).
358
359 @item u
360 @itemx * u
361 @kindex u @r{(Dired)}
362 @kindex * u @r{(Dired)}
363 @findex dired-unmark
364 Remove any mark on this line (@code{dired-unmark}).
365
366 @item @key{DEL}
367 @itemx * @key{DEL}
368 @kindex * DEL @r{(Dired)}
369 @findex dired-unmark-backward
370 @cindex unmarking files (in Dired)
371 Move point to previous line and remove any mark on that line
372 (@code{dired-unmark-backward}).
373
374 @item * !
375 @itemx U
376 @kindex * ! @r{(Dired)}
377 @kindex U @r{(Dired)}
378 @findex dired-unmark-all-marks
379 Remove all marks from all the files in this Dired buffer
380 (@code{dired-unmark-all-marks}).
381
382 @item * ? @var{markchar}
383 @itemx M-@key{DEL}
384 @kindex * ? @r{(Dired)}
385 @kindex M-DEL @r{(Dired)}
386 @findex dired-unmark-all-files
387 Remove all marks that use the character @var{markchar}
388 (@code{dired-unmark-all-files}). The argument is a single
389 character---do not use @key{RET} to terminate it. See the description
390 of the @kbd{* c} command below, which lets you replace one mark
391 character with another.
392
393 With a numeric argument, this command queries about each marked file,
394 asking whether to remove its mark. You can answer @kbd{y} meaning yes,
395 @kbd{n} meaning no, or @kbd{!} to remove the marks from the remaining
396 files without asking about them.
397
398 @item * C-n
399 @itemx M-@}
400 @findex dired-next-marked-file
401 @kindex * C-n @r{(Dired)}
402 @kindex M-@} @r{(Dired)}
403 Move down to the next marked file (@code{dired-next-marked-file})
404 A file is ``marked'' if it has any kind of mark.
405
406 @item * C-p
407 @itemx M-@{
408 @findex dired-prev-marked-file
409 @kindex * C-p @r{(Dired)}
410 @kindex M-@{ @r{(Dired)}
411 Move up to the previous marked file (@code{dired-prev-marked-file})
412
413 @item t
414 @itemx * t
415 @kindex t @r{(Dired)}
416 @kindex * t @r{(Dired)}
417 @findex dired-toggle-marks
418 @cindex toggling marks (in Dired)
419 Toggle all marks (@code{dired-toggle-marks}): files marked with @samp{*}
420 become unmarked, and unmarked files are marked with @samp{*}. Files
421 marked in any other way are not affected.
422
423 @item * c @var{old-markchar} @var{new-markchar}
424 @kindex * c @r{(Dired)}
425 @findex dired-change-marks
426 Replace all marks that use the character @var{old-markchar} with marks
427 that use the character @var{new-markchar} (@code{dired-change-marks}).
428 This command is the primary way to create or use marks other than
429 @samp{*} or @samp{D}. The arguments are single characters---do not use
430 @key{RET} to terminate them.
431
432 You can use almost any character as a mark character by means of this
433 command, to distinguish various classes of files. If @var{old-markchar}
434 is a space (@samp{ }), then the command operates on all unmarked files;
435 if @var{new-markchar} is a space, then the command unmarks the files it
436 acts on.
437
438 To illustrate the power of this command, here is how to put @samp{D}
439 flags on all the files that have no marks, while unflagging all those
440 that already have @samp{D} flags:
441
442 @example
443 * c D t * c SPC D * c t SPC
444 @end example
445
446 This assumes that no files were already marked with @samp{t}.
447
448 @item % m @var{regexp} @key{RET}
449 @itemx * % @var{regexp} @key{RET}
450 @findex dired-mark-files-regexp
451 @kindex % m @r{(Dired)}
452 @kindex * % @r{(Dired)}
453 Mark (with @samp{*}) all files whose names match the regular expression
454 @var{regexp} (@code{dired-mark-files-regexp}). This command is like
455 @kbd{% d}, except that it marks files with @samp{*} instead of flagging
456 with @samp{D}. @xref{Flagging Many Files}.
457
458 Only the non-directory part of the file name is used in matching. Use
459 @samp{^} and @samp{$} to anchor matches. Exclude subdirectories by
460 hiding them (@pxref{Hiding Subdirectories}).
461
462 @item % g @var{regexp} @key{RET}
463 @findex dired-mark-files-containing-regexp
464 @kindex % g @r{(Dired)}
465 @cindex finding files containing regexp matches (in Dired)
466 Mark (with @samp{*}) all files whose @emph{contents} contain a match for
467 the regular expression @var{regexp}
468 (@code{dired-mark-files-containing-regexp}). This command is like
469 @kbd{% m}, except that it searches the file contents instead of the file
470 name.
471
472 @item C-_
473 @kindex C-_ @r{(Dired)}
474 @findex dired-undo
475 Undo changes in the Dired buffer, such as adding or removing
476 marks (@code{dired-undo}). @emph{This command does not revert the
477 actual file operations, nor recover lost files!} It just undoes
478 changes in the buffer itself. For example, if used after renaming one
479 or more files, @code{dired-undo} restores the original names, which
480 will get the Dired buffer out of sync with the actual contents of the
481 directory.
482 @end table
483
484 @node Operating on Files
485 @section Operating on Files
486 @cindex operating on files in Dired
487
488 This section describes the basic Dired commands to operate on one file
489 or several files. All of these commands are capital letters; all of
490 them use the minibuffer, either to read an argument or to ask for
491 confirmation, before they act. All of them give you several ways to
492 specify which files to manipulate:
493
494 @itemize @bullet
495 @item
496 If you give the command a numeric prefix argument @var{n}, it operates
497 on the next @var{n} files, starting with the current file. (If @var{n}
498 is negative, the command operates on the @minus{}@var{n} files preceding
499 the current line.)
500
501 @item
502 Otherwise, if some files are marked with @samp{*}, the command operates
503 on all those files.
504
505 @item
506 Otherwise, the command operates on the current file only.
507 @end itemize
508
509 @vindex dired-dwim-target
510 @cindex two directories (in Dired)
511 Commands which ask for a destination directory, such as those which
512 copy and rename files or create links for them, try to guess the default
513 target directory for the operation. Normally, they suggest the Dired
514 buffer's default directory, but if the variable @code{dired-dwim-target}
515 is non-@code{nil}, and if there is another Dired buffer displayed in the
516 next window, that other buffer's directory is suggested instead.
517
518 Here are the file-manipulating commands that operate on files in this
519 way. (Some other Dired commands, such as @kbd{!} and the @samp{%}
520 commands, also use these conventions to decide which files to work on.)
521
522 @table @kbd
523 @findex dired-do-copy
524 @kindex C @r{(Dired)}
525 @cindex copying files (in Dired)
526 @item C @var{new} @key{RET}
527 Copy the specified files (@code{dired-do-copy}). The argument @var{new}
528 is the directory to copy into, or (if copying a single file) the new
529 name.
530
531 @vindex dired-copy-preserve-time
532 If @code{dired-copy-preserve-time} is non-@code{nil}, then copying with
533 this command sets the modification time of the new file to be the same
534 as that of the old file.
535
536 @vindex dired-recursive-copies
537 @cindex recursive copying
538 The variable @code{dired-recursive-copies} controls whether
539 directories are copied recursively. The default is to not copy
540 recursively, which means that directories cannot be copied.
541
542 @item D
543 @findex dired-do-delete
544 @kindex D @r{(Dired)}
545 Delete the specified files (@code{dired-do-delete}). Like the other
546 commands in this section, this command operates on the @emph{marked}
547 files, or the next @var{n} files. By contrast, @kbd{x}
548 (@code{dired-do-flagged-delete}) deletes all @dfn{flagged} files.
549
550 @findex dired-do-rename
551 @kindex R @r{(Dired)}
552 @cindex renaming files (in Dired)
553 @item R @var{new} @key{RET}
554 Rename the specified files (@code{dired-do-rename}). The argument
555 @var{new} is the directory to rename into, or (if renaming a single
556 file) the new name.
557
558 Dired automatically changes the visited file name of buffers associated
559 with renamed files so that they refer to the new names.
560
561 @findex dired-do-hardlink
562 @kindex H @r{(Dired)}
563 @cindex hard links (in Dired)
564 @item H @var{new} @key{RET}
565 Make hard links to the specified files (@code{dired-do-hardlink}). The
566 argument @var{new} is the directory to make the links in, or (if making
567 just one link) the name to give the link.
568
569 @findex dired-do-symlink
570 @kindex S @r{(Dired)}
571 @cindex symbolic links (creation in Dired)
572 @item S @var{new} @key{RET}
573 Make symbolic links to the specified files (@code{dired-do-symlink}).
574 The argument @var{new} is the directory to make the links in, or (if
575 making just one link) the name to give the link.
576
577 @findex dired-do-chmod
578 @kindex M @r{(Dired)}
579 @cindex changing file permissions (in Dired)
580 @item M @var{modespec} @key{RET}
581 Change the mode (also called ``permission bits'') of the specified files
582 (@code{dired-do-chmod}). This uses the @code{chmod} program, so
583 @var{modespec} can be any argument that @code{chmod} can handle.
584
585 @findex dired-do-chgrp
586 @kindex G @r{(Dired)}
587 @cindex changing file group (in Dired)
588 @item G @var{newgroup} @key{RET}
589 Change the group of the specified files to @var{newgroup}
590 (@code{dired-do-chgrp}).
591
592 @findex dired-do-chown
593 @kindex O @r{(Dired)}
594 @cindex changing file owner (in Dired)
595 @item O @var{newowner} @key{RET}
596 Change the owner of the specified files to @var{newowner}
597 (@code{dired-do-chown}). (On most systems, only the superuser can do
598 this.)
599
600 @vindex dired-chown-program
601 The variable @code{dired-chown-program} specifies the name of the
602 program to use to do the work (different systems put @code{chown} in
603 different places).
604
605 @findex dired-do-touch
606 @kindex T @r{(Dired)}
607 @cindex changing file time (in Dired)
608 @item T @var{timestamp} @key{RET}
609 Change the time of the specified files (@code{dired-do-touch}).
610
611 @findex dired-do-print
612 @kindex P @r{(Dired)}
613 @cindex printing files (in Dired)
614 @item P @var{command} @key{RET}
615 Print the specified files (@code{dired-do-print}). You must specify the
616 command to print them with, but the minibuffer starts out with a
617 suitable guess made using the variables @code{lpr-command} and
618 @code{lpr-switches} (the same variables that @code{lpr-buffer} uses;
619 @pxref{Printing}).
620
621 @findex dired-do-compress
622 @kindex Z @r{(Dired)}
623 @cindex compressing files (in Dired)
624 @item Z
625 Compress the specified files (@code{dired-do-compress}). If the file
626 appears to be a compressed file already, it is uncompressed instead.
627
628 @findex dired-do-load
629 @kindex L @r{(Dired)}
630 @cindex loading several files (in Dired)
631 @item L
632 Load the specified Emacs Lisp files (@code{dired-do-load}).
633 @xref{Lisp Libraries}.
634
635 @findex dired-do-byte-compile
636 @kindex B @r{(Dired)}
637 @cindex byte-compiling several files (in Dired)
638 @item B
639 Byte compile the specified Emacs Lisp files
640 (@code{dired-do-byte-compile}). @xref{Byte Compilation,, Byte
641 Compilation, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
642
643 @kindex A @r{(Dired)}
644 @findex dired-do-search
645 @cindex search multiple files (in Dired)
646 @item A @var{regexp} @key{RET}
647 Search all the specified files for the regular expression @var{regexp}
648 (@code{dired-do-search}).
649
650 This command is a variant of @code{tags-search}. The search stops at
651 the first match it finds; use @kbd{M-,} to resume the search and find
652 the next match. @xref{Tags Search}.
653
654 @kindex Q @r{(Dired)}
655 @findex dired-do-query-replace-regexp
656 @cindex search and replace in multiple files (in Dired)
657 @item Q @var{regexp} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET}
658 Perform @code{query-replace-regexp} on each of the specified files,
659 replacing matches for @var{regexp} with the string
660 @var{to} (@code{dired-do-query-replace-regexp}).
661
662 This command is a variant of @code{tags-query-replace}. If you exit the
663 query replace loop, you can use @kbd{M-,} to resume the scan and replace
664 more matches. @xref{Tags Search}.
665 @end table
666
667 @kindex + @r{(Dired)}
668 @findex dired-create-directory
669 One special file-operation command is @kbd{+}
670 (@code{dired-create-directory}). This command reads a directory name and
671 creates the directory if it does not already exist.
672
673 @node Shell Commands in Dired
674 @section Shell Commands in Dired
675 @cindex shell commands, Dired
676
677 @findex dired-do-shell-command
678 @kindex ! @r{(Dired)}
679 @kindex X @r{(Dired)}
680 The Dired command @kbd{!} (@code{dired-do-shell-command}) reads a shell
681 command string in the minibuffer and runs that shell command on all the
682 specified files. @kbd{X} is a synonym for @kbd{!}. You can specify the
683 files to operate on in the usual ways for Dired commands
684 (@pxref{Operating on Files}). There are two ways of applying a shell
685 command to multiple files:
686
687 @itemize @bullet
688 @item
689 If you use @samp{*} surrounded by whitespace in the shell command,
690 then the command runs just once, with the list of file names
691 substituted for the @samp{*}. The order of file names is the order of
692 appearance in the Dired buffer.
693
694 Thus, @kbd{! tar cf foo.tar * @key{RET}} runs @code{tar} on the entire
695 list of file names, putting them into one tar file @file{foo.tar}.
696
697 If you want to use @samp{*} as a shell wildcard with whitespace around
698 it, write @samp{*""}. In the shell, this is equivalent to @samp{*};
699 but since the @samp{*} is not surrounded by whitespace, Dired does
700 not treat it specially.
701
702 @item
703 If the command string doesn't contain @samp{*} surrounded by
704 whitespace, then it runs once @emph{for each file}. Normally the file
705 name is added at the end.
706
707 For example, @kbd{! uudecode @key{RET}} runs @code{uudecode} on each
708 file.
709
710 @item
711 However, if the command string contains @samp{?} surrounded by
712 whitespace, the current file name is substituted for @samp{?} (rather
713 than added at the end). You can use @samp{?} this way more than once
714 in the command, and the same file name replaces each occurrence.
715 @end itemize
716
717 To iterate over the file names in a more complicated fashion, use an
718 explicit shell loop. For example, here is how to uuencode each file,
719 making the output file name by appending @samp{.uu} to the input file
720 name:
721
722 @example
723 for file in * ; do uuencode "$file" "$file" >"$file".uu; done
724 @end example
725
726 The working directory for the shell command is the top-level directory
727 of the Dired buffer.
728
729 The @kbd{!} command does not attempt to update the Dired buffer to show
730 new or modified files, because it doesn't really understand shell
731 commands, and does not know what files the shell command changed. Use
732 the @kbd{g} command to update the Dired buffer (@pxref{Dired
733 Updating}).
734
735 @node Transforming File Names
736 @section Transforming File Names in Dired
737
738 This section describes Dired commands which alter file names in a
739 systematic way.
740
741 Like the basic Dired file-manipulation commands (@pxref{Operating on
742 Files}), the commands described here operate either on the next
743 @var{n} files, or on all files marked with @samp{*}, or on the current
744 file. (To mark files, use the commands described in @ref{Marks vs
745 Flags}.)
746
747 All of the commands described in this section work
748 @emph{interactively}: they ask you to confirm the operation for each
749 candidate file. Thus, you can select more files than you actually
750 need to operate on (e.g., with a regexp that matches many files), and
751 then refine the selection by typing @kbd{y} or @kbd{n} when the
752 command prompts for confirmation.
753
754 @table @kbd
755 @findex dired-upcase
756 @kindex % u @r{(Dired)}
757 @cindex upcase file names
758 @item % u
759 Rename each of the selected files to an upper-case name
760 (@code{dired-upcase}). If the old file names are @file{Foo}
761 and @file{bar}, the new names are @file{FOO} and @file{BAR}.
762
763 @item % l
764 @findex dired-downcase
765 @kindex % l @r{(Dired)}
766 @cindex downcase file names
767 Rename each of the selected files to a lower-case name
768 (@code{dired-downcase}). If the old file names are @file{Foo} and
769 @file{bar}, the new names are @file{foo} and @file{bar}.
770
771 @item % R @var{from} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET}
772 @kindex % R @r{(Dired)}
773 @findex dired-do-rename-regexp
774 @itemx % C @var{from} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET}
775 @kindex % C @r{(Dired)}
776 @findex dired-do-copy-regexp
777 @itemx % H @var{from} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET}
778 @kindex % H @r{(Dired)}
779 @findex dired-do-hardlink-regexp
780 @itemx % S @var{from} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET}
781 @kindex % S @r{(Dired)}
782 @findex dired-do-symlink-regexp
783 These four commands rename, copy, make hard links and make soft links,
784 in each case computing the new name by regular-expression substitution
785 from the name of the old file.
786 @end table
787
788 The four regular-expression substitution commands effectively perform
789 a search-and-replace on the selected file names in the Dired buffer.
790 They read two arguments: a regular expression @var{from}, and a
791 substitution pattern @var{to}.
792
793 The commands match each ``old'' file name against the regular
794 expression @var{from}, and then replace the matching part with @var{to}.
795 You can use @samp{\&} and @samp{\@var{digit}} in @var{to} to refer to
796 all or part of what the pattern matched in the old file name, as in
797 @code{replace-regexp} (@pxref{Regexp Replace}). If the regular expression
798 matches more than once in a file name, only the first match is replaced.
799
800 For example, @kbd{% R ^.*$ @key{RET} x-\& @key{RET}} renames each
801 selected file by prepending @samp{x-} to its name. The inverse of this,
802 removing @samp{x-} from the front of each file name, is also possible:
803 one method is @kbd{% R ^x-\(.*\)$ @key{RET} \1 @key{RET}}; another is
804 @kbd{% R ^x- @key{RET} @key{RET}}. (Use @samp{^} and @samp{$} to anchor
805 matches that should span the whole filename.)
806
807 Normally, the replacement process does not consider the files'
808 directory names; it operates on the file name within the directory. If
809 you specify a numeric argument of zero, then replacement affects the
810 entire absolute file name including directory name. (Non-zero
811 argument specifies the number of files to operate on.)
812
813 Often you will want to select the set of files to operate on using the
814 same @var{regexp} that you will use to operate on them. To do this,
815 mark those files with @kbd{% m @var{regexp} @key{RET}}, then use the
816 same regular expression in the command to operate on the files. To make
817 this easier, the @kbd{%} commands to operate on files use the last
818 regular expression specified in any @kbd{%} command as a default.
819
820 @node Comparison in Dired
821 @section File Comparison with Dired
822 @cindex file comparison (in Dired)
823 @cindex compare files (in Dired)
824
825 Here are two Dired commands that compare specified files using
826 @code{diff}.
827
828 @table @kbd
829 @item =
830 @findex dired-diff
831 @kindex = @r{(Dired)}
832 Compare the current file (the file at point) with another file (the file
833 at the mark) using the @code{diff} program (@code{dired-diff}). The
834 file at the mark is the first argument of @code{diff}, and the file at
835 point is the second argument. Use @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}
836 (@code{set-mark-command}) to set the mark at the first file's line
837 (@pxref{Setting Mark}), since @code{dired-diff} ignores the files marked
838 with the Dired's @kbd{m} command.
839
840 @findex dired-backup-diff
841 @kindex M-= @r{(Dired)}
842 @item M-=
843 Compare the current file with its latest backup file
844 (@code{dired-backup-diff}). If the current file is itself a backup,
845 compare it with the file it is a backup of; this way, you can compare
846 a file with any backup version of your choice.
847
848 The backup file is the first file given to @code{diff}.
849 @end table
850
851 @node Subdirectories in Dired
852 @section Subdirectories in Dired
853 @cindex subdirectories in Dired
854 @cindex expanding subdirectories in Dired
855
856 A Dired buffer displays just one directory in the normal case;
857 but you can optionally include its subdirectories as well.
858
859 The simplest way to include multiple directories in one Dired buffer is
860 to specify the options @samp{-lR} for running @code{ls}. (If you give a
861 numeric argument when you run Dired, then you can specify these options
862 in the minibuffer.) That produces a recursive directory listing showing
863 all subdirectories at all levels.
864
865 But usually all the subdirectories are too many; usually you will
866 prefer to include specific subdirectories only. You can do this with
867 the @kbd{i} command:
868
869 @table @kbd
870 @findex dired-maybe-insert-subdir
871 @kindex i @r{(Dired)}
872 @item i
873 @cindex inserted subdirectory (Dired)
874 @cindex in-situ subdirectory (Dired)
875 Insert the contents of a subdirectory later in the buffer.
876 @end table
877
878 Use the @kbd{i} (@code{dired-maybe-insert-subdir}) command on a line
879 that describes a file which is a directory. It inserts the contents of
880 that directory into the same Dired buffer, and moves there. Inserted
881 subdirectory contents follow the top-level directory of the Dired
882 buffer, just as they do in @samp{ls -lR} output.
883
884 If the subdirectory's contents are already present in the buffer, the
885 @kbd{i} command just moves to it.
886
887 In either case, @kbd{i} sets the Emacs mark before moving, so @kbd{C-u
888 C-@key{SPC}} takes you back to the old position in the buffer (the line
889 describing that subdirectory).
890
891 Use the @kbd{l} command (@code{dired-do-redisplay}) to update the
892 subdirectory's contents. Use @kbd{C-u k} on the subdirectory header
893 line to delete the subdirectory. @xref{Dired Updating}.
894
895 @node Subdirectory Motion
896 @section Moving Over Subdirectories
897
898 When a Dired buffer lists subdirectories, you can use the page motion
899 commands @kbd{C-x [} and @kbd{C-x ]} to move by entire directories
900 (@pxref{Pages}).
901
902 @cindex header line (Dired)
903 @cindex directory header lines
904 The following commands move across, up and down in the tree of
905 directories within one Dired buffer. They move to @dfn{directory header
906 lines}, which are the lines that give a directory's name, at the
907 beginning of the directory's contents.
908
909 @table @kbd
910 @findex dired-next-subdir
911 @kindex C-M-n @r{(Dired)}
912 @item C-M-n
913 Go to next subdirectory header line, regardless of level
914 (@code{dired-next-subdir}).
915
916 @findex dired-prev-subdir
917 @kindex C-M-p @r{(Dired)}
918 @item C-M-p
919 Go to previous subdirectory header line, regardless of level
920 (@code{dired-prev-subdir}).
921
922 @findex dired-tree-up
923 @kindex C-M-u @r{(Dired)}
924 @item C-M-u
925 Go up to the parent directory's header line (@code{dired-tree-up}).
926
927 @findex dired-tree-down
928 @kindex C-M-d @r{(Dired)}
929 @item C-M-d
930 Go down in the directory tree, to the first subdirectory's header line
931 (@code{dired-tree-down}).
932
933 @findex dired-prev-dirline
934 @kindex < @r{(Dired)}
935 @item <
936 Move up to the previous directory-file line (@code{dired-prev-dirline}).
937 These lines are the ones that describe a directory as a file in its
938 parent directory.
939
940 @findex dired-next-dirline
941 @kindex > @r{(Dired)}
942 @item >
943 Move down to the next directory-file line (@code{dired-prev-dirline}).
944 @end table
945
946 @node Hiding Subdirectories
947 @section Hiding Subdirectories
948
949 @cindex hiding in Dired (Dired)
950 @dfn{Hiding} a subdirectory means to make it invisible, except for its
951 header line, via selective display (@pxref{Selective Display}).
952
953 @table @kbd
954 @item $
955 @findex dired-hide-subdir
956 @kindex $ @r{(Dired)}
957 Hide or reveal the subdirectory that point is in, and move point to the
958 next subdirectory (@code{dired-hide-subdir}). A numeric argument serves
959 as a repeat count.
960
961 @item M-$
962 @findex dired-hide-all
963 @kindex M-$ @r{(Dired)}
964 Hide all subdirectories in this Dired buffer, leaving only their header
965 lines (@code{dired-hide-all}). Or, if any subdirectory is currently
966 hidden, make all subdirectories visible again. You can use this command
967 to get an overview in very deep directory trees or to move quickly to
968 subdirectories far away.
969 @end table
970
971 Ordinary Dired commands never consider files inside a hidden
972 subdirectory. For example, the commands to operate on marked files
973 ignore files in hidden directories even if they are marked. Thus you
974 can use hiding to temporarily exclude subdirectories from operations
975 without having to remove the markers.
976
977 @node Dired Updating
978 @section Updating the Dired Buffer
979 @cindex updating Dired buffer
980 @cindex refreshing displayed files
981
982 This section describes commands to update the Dired buffer to reflect
983 outside (non-Dired) changes in the directories and files, and to delete
984 part of the Dired buffer.
985
986 @table @kbd
987 @item g
988 Update the entire contents of the Dired buffer (@code{revert-buffer}).
989
990 @item l
991 Update the specified files (@code{dired-do-redisplay}).
992
993 @item k
994 Delete the specified @emph{file lines}---not the files, just the lines
995 (@code{dired-do-kill-lines}).
996
997 @item s
998 Toggle between alphabetical order and date/time order
999 (@code{dired-sort-toggle-or-edit}).
1000
1001 @item C-u s @var{switches} @key{RET}
1002 Refresh the Dired buffer using @var{switches} as
1003 @code{dired-listing-switches}.
1004 @end table
1005
1006 @kindex g @r{(Dired)}
1007 @findex revert-buffer @r{(Dired)}
1008 Type @kbd{g} (@code{revert-buffer}) to update the contents of the
1009 Dired buffer, based on changes in the files and directories listed.
1010 This preserves all marks except for those on files that have vanished.
1011 Hidden subdirectories are updated but remain hidden.
1012
1013 @kindex l @r{(Dired)}
1014 @findex dired-do-redisplay
1015 To update only some of the files, type @kbd{l}
1016 (@code{dired-do-redisplay}). Like the Dired file-operating commands,
1017 this command operates on the next @var{n} files (or previous
1018 @minus{}@var{n} files), or on the marked files if any, or on the
1019 current file. Updating the files means reading their current status,
1020 then updating their lines in the buffer to indicate that status.
1021
1022 If you use @kbd{l} on a subdirectory header line, it updates the
1023 contents of the corresponding subdirectory.
1024
1025 @kindex k @r{(Dired)}
1026 @findex dired-do-kill-lines
1027 To delete the specified @emph{file lines} from the buffer---not
1028 delete the files---type @kbd{k} (@code{dired-do-kill-lines}). Like
1029 the file-operating commands, this command operates on the next @var{n}
1030 files, or on the marked files if any; but it does not operate on the
1031 current file as a last resort.
1032
1033 If you use @kbd{k} with a numeric prefix argument to kill the line
1034 for a file that is a directory, which you have inserted in the Dired
1035 buffer as a subdirectory, then this deletes that subdirectory from the
1036 buffer as well. Typing @kbd{C-u k} on the header line for a subdirectory
1037 is another way to delete a subdirectory from the Dired buffer.
1038
1039 The @kbd{g} command brings back any individual lines that you have
1040 killed in this way, but not subdirectories---you must use @kbd{i} to
1041 reinsert a subdirectory.
1042
1043 @cindex Dired sorting
1044 @cindex sorting Dired buffer
1045 @kindex s @r{(Dired)}
1046 @findex dired-sort-toggle-or-edit
1047 The files in a Dired buffers are normally listed in alphabetical order
1048 by file names. Alternatively Dired can sort them by date/time. The
1049 Dired command @kbd{s} (@code{dired-sort-toggle-or-edit}) switches
1050 between these two sorting modes. The mode line in a Dired buffer
1051 indicates which way it is currently sorted---by name, or by date.
1052
1053 @kbd{C-u s @var{switches} @key{RET}} lets you specify a new value for
1054 @code{dired-listing-switches}.
1055
1056 @node Dired and Find
1057 @section Dired and @code{find}
1058 @cindex @code{find} and Dired
1059
1060 You can select a set of files for display in a Dired buffer more
1061 flexibly by using the @code{find} utility to choose the files.
1062
1063 @findex find-name-dired
1064 To search for files with names matching a wildcard pattern use
1065 @kbd{M-x find-name-dired}. It reads arguments @var{directory} and
1066 @var{pattern}, and chooses all the files in @var{directory} or its
1067 subdirectories whose individual names match @var{pattern}.
1068
1069 The files thus chosen are displayed in a Dired buffer in which the
1070 ordinary Dired commands are available.
1071
1072 @findex find-grep-dired
1073 If you want to test the contents of files, rather than their names,
1074 use @kbd{M-x find-grep-dired}. This command reads two minibuffer
1075 arguments, @var{directory} and @var{regexp}; it chooses all the files in
1076 @var{directory} or its subdirectories that contain a match for
1077 @var{regexp}. It works by running the programs @code{find} and
1078 @code{grep}. See also @kbd{M-x grep-find}, in @ref{Grep Searching}.
1079 Remember to write the regular expression for @code{grep}, not for Emacs.
1080 (An alternative method of showing files whose contents match a given
1081 regexp is the @kbd{% g @var{regexp}} command, see @ref{Marks vs Flags}.)
1082
1083 @findex find-dired
1084 The most general command in this series is @kbd{M-x find-dired}, which
1085 lets you specify any condition that @code{find} can test. It takes two
1086 minibuffer arguments, @var{directory} and @var{find-args}; it runs
1087 @code{find} in @var{directory}, passing @var{find-args} to tell
1088 @code{find} what condition to test. To use this command, you need to
1089 know how to use @code{find}.
1090
1091 @vindex find-ls-option
1092 The format of listing produced by these commands is controlled by the
1093 variable @code{find-ls-option}, whose default value specifies using
1094 options @samp{-ld} for @code{ls}. If your listings are corrupted, you
1095 may need to change the value of this variable.
1096
1097 @findex locate
1098 @findex locate-with-filter
1099 @cindex file database (locate)
1100 @vindex locate-command
1101 @kbd{M-x locate} provides a similar interface to the @code{locate}
1102 program. @kbd{M-x locate-with-filter} is similar, but keeps only lines
1103 matching a given regular expression.
1104
1105 These buffers don't work entirely like ordinary Dired buffers. File
1106 operations work, but do not always automatically update the buffer.
1107 Reverting the buffer with @kbd{g} deletes all inserted subdirectories,
1108 and erases all flags and marks.
1109
1110 @node Wdired
1111 @section Editing the Dired Buffer
1112
1113 @cindex wdired mode
1114 @findex wdired-change-to-wdired-mode
1115 Wdired is a special mode that allows you to perform file operations
1116 by editing the Dired buffer directly (the ``W'' in ``Wdired'' stands
1117 for ``writable''.) To enter Wdired mode, type @kbd{M-x
1118 wdired-change-to-wdired-mode} while in a Dired buffer. Alternatively,
1119 use @samp{Edit File Names} in the @samp{Immediate} menu bar menu.
1120
1121 @findex wdired-finish-edit
1122 While in Wdired mode, you can rename files by editing the file names
1123 displayed in the Dired buffer. All the ordinary Emacs editing
1124 commands, including rectangle operations and @code{query-replace}, are
1125 available for this. Once you are done editing, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
1126 (@code{wdired-finish-edit}). This applies your changes and switches
1127 back to ordinary Dired mode.
1128
1129 Apart from simply renaming files, you can move a file to another
1130 directory by typing in the new file name (either absolute or
1131 relative). To mark a file for deletion, delete the entire filename.
1132 To change the target of a symbolic link, just edit the target name
1133 displayed next to the link name.
1134
1135 The rest of the text in the buffer, such as the file sizes and
1136 modification dates, is marked read-only, so you can't edit it.
1137 However, if you set @code{wdired-allow-to-change-permissions} to
1138 @code{t}, the file permission bits can also be edited. For example,
1139 you can change @samp{-rw-r--r--} to @samp{-rw-rw-rw-} to make a file
1140 world-writable. These changes also take effect when you type @kbd{C-c
1141 C-c}.
1142
1143 @node Misc Dired Features
1144 @section Other Dired Features
1145
1146 @cindex Adding to the kill ring in Dired.
1147 @kindex w @r{(Dired)}
1148 @findex dired-copy-filename-as-kill
1149 The @kbd{w} command (@code{dired-copy-filename-as-kill}) puts the
1150 names of the marked (or next @var{n}) files into the kill ring, as if
1151 you had killed them with @kbd{C-w}. The names are separated by a space.
1152
1153 The main purpose of this command is so that you can yank the file
1154 names into arguments for other Emacs commands. It also displays what
1155 was pushed onto the kill ring, so you can use it to display the list
1156 of currently marked files in the echo area. With a zero prefix
1157 argument, this uses the absolute file name of each marked file. With
1158 just @kbd{C-u} as the prefix argument, it uses file names relative to
1159 the Dired buffer's default directory. (This can still contain slashes
1160 if in a subdirectory.) As a special case, if point is on a directory
1161 headerline, @kbd{w} gives you the absolute name of that directory.
1162 Any prefix argument or marked files are ignored in this case.
1163
1164 @findex dired-compare-directories
1165 The command @kbd{M-x dired-compare-directories} is used to compare
1166 the current Dired buffer with another directory. It marks all the files
1167 that are ``different'' between the two directories. It puts these marks
1168 in all Dired buffers where these files are listed, which of course includes
1169 the current buffer.
1170
1171 The default comparison method (used if you type @key{RET} at the
1172 prompt) is to compare just the file names---each file name that does
1173 not appear in the other directory is ``different''. You can specify
1174 more stringent comparisons by entering a Lisp expression, which can
1175 refer to the variables @code{size1} and @code{size2}, the respective
1176 file sizes; @code{mtime1} and @code{mtime2}, the last modification
1177 times in seconds, as floating point numers; and @code{fa1} and
1178 @code{fa2}, the respective file attribute lists (as returned by the
1179 function @code{file-attributes}). This expression is evaluated for
1180 each pair of like-named files, and if the expression's value is
1181 non-@code{nil}, those files are considered ``different''.
1182
1183 For instance, @code{M-x dired-compare-directories @key{RET} (>
1184 mtime1 mtime2) @key{RET}} marks files newer in this directory than in
1185 the other, and marks files older in the other directory than in this
1186 one. It also marks files with no counterpart, in both directories, as
1187 always.
1188
1189 @cindex drag and drop, Dired
1190 On the X window system, Emacs supports the ``drag and drop''
1191 protocol. You can drag a file object from another program, and drop
1192 it onto a Dired buffer; this either moves, copies, or creates a link
1193 to the file in that directory. Precisely which action is taken is
1194 determined by the originating program. Dragging files out of a Dired
1195 buffer is currently not supported.
1196
1197 @ignore
1198 arch-tag: d105f9b9-fc1b-4c5f-a949-9b2cf3ca2fc1
1199 @end ignore