[gnu-emacs] / doc / emacs / files.texi

@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
@c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000,
@c   2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
@c   Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@node Files, Buffers, Keyboard Macros, Top
@chapter File Handling
@cindex files

  The operating system stores data permanently in named @dfn{files}, so
most of the text you edit with Emacs comes from a file and is ultimately
stored in a file.

  To edit a file, you must tell Emacs to read the file and prepare a
buffer containing a copy of the file's text.  This is called
@dfn{visiting} the file.  Editing commands apply directly to text in the
buffer; that is, to the copy inside Emacs.  Your changes appear in the
file itself only when you @dfn{save} the buffer back into the file.

  In addition to visiting and saving files, Emacs can delete, copy,
rename, and append to files, keep multiple versions of them, and operate
on file directories.

@menu
* File Names::          How to type and edit file-name arguments.
* Visiting::            Visiting a file prepares Emacs to edit the file.
* Saving::              Saving makes your changes permanent.
* Reverting::           Reverting cancels all the changes not saved.
@ifnottex
* Autorevert::          Auto Reverting non-file buffers.
@end ifnottex
* Auto Save::           Auto Save periodically protects against loss of data.
* File Aliases::        Handling multiple names for one file.
* Directories::         Creating, deleting, and listing file directories.
* Comparing Files::     Finding where two files differ.
* Diff Mode::           Mode for editing file differences.
* Misc File Ops::       Other things you can do on files.
* Compressed Files::    Accessing compressed files.
* File Archives::       Operating on tar, zip, jar etc. archive files.
* Remote Files::        Accessing files on other sites.
* Quoted File Names::   Quoting special characters in file names.
* File Name Cache::     Completion against a list of files you often use.
* File Conveniences::   Convenience Features for Finding Files.
* Filesets::            Handling sets of files.
@end menu

@node File Names
@section File Names
@cindex file names

  Many Emacs commands that operate on a file require you to specify
the file name, using the minibuffer (@pxref{Minibuffer}).  You can use
@dfn{completion} to specify long file names (@pxref{Completion}).
Note that file name completion ignores file names whose extensions
appear in the variable @code{completion-ignored-extensions}
(@pxref{Completion Options}).

  For most operations, there is a @dfn{default file name} which is
used if you type just @key{RET} to enter an empty argument.  Normally,
the default file name is the name of the file visited in the current
buffer.

@vindex default-directory
@vindex insert-default-directory
  Each buffer has a @dfn{default directory} which is normally the same
as the directory of the file visited in that buffer.  For example, if
the default file name is @file{/u/rms/gnu/gnu.tasks}, the default
directory is normally @file{/u/rms/gnu/}.  The default directory is
kept in the variable @code{default-directory}, which has a separate
value in every buffer.  When a command reads a file name using the
minibuffer, the default directory usually serves as the initial
contents of the minibuffer.  To inhibit the insertion of the default
directory, set the variable @code{insert-default-directory} to
@code{nil}.

  If you enter a file name without a directory, that specifies a file
in the default directory.  If you specify a directory in a relative
fashion, with a name that does not start with a slash, it is
interpreted with respect to the default directory.  For example,
suppose the default directory is @file{/u/rms/gnu/}.  Entering just
@samp{foo} in the minibuffer, with a directory omitted, specifies the
file @file{/u/rms/gnu/foo}; entering @samp{../.login} specifies
@file{/u/rms/.login}; and entering @samp{new/foo} specifies
@file{/u/rms/gnu/new/foo}.

  When typing a file name into the minibuffer, you can make use of a
couple of shortcuts: a double slash is interpreted as ``ignore
everything before the second slash in the pair,'' and @samp{~/} is
interpreted as your home directory.  @xref{Minibuffer File}, for more
information about these shortcuts.

@findex cd
@findex pwd
  The command @kbd{M-x pwd} displays the default directory, and the
command @kbd{M-x cd} sets it to a value read using the minibuffer.  A
buffer's default directory changes only when the @code{cd} command is
used.  A file-visiting buffer's default directory is initialized to
the directory of the file it visits.  If you create a buffer with
@kbd{C-x b}, its default directory is copied from that of the buffer
that was current at the time (@pxref{Select Buffer}).

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

  Note that environment variables affect Emacs only if they are
applied before Emacs is started.

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

  You can include non-@acronym{ASCII} characters in file names if you set the
variable @code{file-name-coding-system} to a non-@code{nil} value.
@xref{File Name Coding}.

@node Visiting
@section Visiting Files
@cindex visiting files
@cindex open file

@table @kbd
@item C-x C-f
Visit a file (@code{find-file}).
@item C-x C-r
Visit a file for viewing, without allowing changes to it
(@code{find-file-read-only}).
@item C-x C-v
Visit a different file instead of the one visited last
(@code{find-alternate-file}).
@item C-x 4 f
Visit a file, in another window (@code{find-file-other-window}).  Don't
alter what is displayed in the selected window.
@item C-x 5 f
Visit a file, in a new frame (@code{find-file-other-frame}).  Don't
alter what is displayed in the selected frame.
@item M-x find-file-literally
Visit a file with no conversion of the contents.
@end table

@cindex files, visiting and saving
@cindex saving files
  @dfn{Visiting} a file means reading its contents into an Emacs
buffer so you can edit them.  Emacs makes a new buffer for each file
that you visit.

  Emacs normally constructs the buffer name from the file name,
omitting the directory name.  For example, a file named
@file{/usr/rms/emacs.tex} is visited in a buffer named
@samp{emacs.tex}.  If there is already a buffer with that name, Emacs
constructs a unique name; the normal method is to append @samp{<2>},
@samp{<3>}, and so on, but you can select other methods.
@xref{Uniquify}.

  Each window's mode line shows the name of the buffer that is being
displayed in that window, so you can always tell what buffer you are
editing.  @pxref{Mode Line}.

  The changes you make with editing commands are made in the Emacs
buffer.  They do not take effect in the file that you visited, or any
permanent place, until you @dfn{save} the buffer (@pxref{Saving}).

@cindex modified (buffer)
  If a buffer contains changes that have not been saved, we say the
buffer is @dfn{modified}.  This implies that some changes will be lost
if the buffer is not saved.  The mode line displays two stars near the
left margin to indicate that the buffer is modified.

@kindex C-x C-f
@findex find-file
  To visit a file, type @kbd{C-x C-f} (@code{find-file}) and use the
minibuffer to enter the name of the desired file.  The usual
defaulting and completion behavior is available in this minibuffer
(@pxref{Minibuffer File}).  Note, also, that completion ignores
certain file names (@pxref{Completion Options}).  While in the
minibuffer, you can abort @kbd{C-x C-f} by typing @kbd{C-g}.

  Your can tell that @kbd{C-x C-f} has completed successfully by the
appearance of new text on the screen and a new buffer name in the mode
line.  If the specified file does not exist and you could not create
it, or exists but you can't read it, an error message is displayed in
the echo area.

  If you visit a file that is already in Emacs, @kbd{C-x C-f} does not make
another copy.  It selects the existing buffer containing that file.
However, before doing so, it checks whether the file itself has changed
since you visited or saved it last.  If the file has changed, Emacs offers
to reread it.

@vindex large-file-warning-threshold
@cindex file, warning when size is large
@cindex size of file, warning when visiting
@cindex maximum buffer size exceeded, error message
  If you try to visit a file larger than
@code{large-file-warning-threshold} (the default is 10000000, which is
about 10 megabytes), Emacs asks you for confirmation first.  You can
answer @kbd{y} to proceed with visiting the file.  Note, however, that
Emacs cannot visit files that are larger than the maximum Emacs buffer
size, which is around 512 megabytes on 32-bit machines
(@pxref{Buffers}).  If you try, Emacs will display an error message
saying that the maximum buffer size has been exceeded.

@cindex wildcard characters in file names
@vindex find-file-wildcards
  If the file name you specify contains shell-style wildcard
characters, Emacs visits all the files that match it.  (On
case-insensitive filesystems, Emacs matches the wildcards disregarding
the letter case.)  Wildcards include @samp{?}, @samp{*}, and
@samp{[@dots{}]} sequences.  To enter the wild card @samp{?} in a file
name in the minibuffer, you need to type @kbd{C-q ?}.  @xref{Quoted
File Names}, for information on how to visit a file whose name
actually contains wildcard characters.  You can disable the wildcard
feature by customizing @code{find-file-wildcards}.

@cindex file selection dialog
  On graphical displays, there are two additional methods for visiting
files.  Firstly, when Emacs is built with a suitable GUI toolkit,
commands invoked with the mouse (by clicking on the menu bar or tool
bar) use the toolkit's standard ``File Selection'' dialog instead of
prompting for the file name in the minibuffer.  On GNU/Linux and Unix
platforms, Emacs does this when built with GTK, LessTif, and Motif
toolkits; on MS-Windows and Mac, the GUI version does that by default.
For information on how to customize this, see @ref{Dialog Boxes}.

  Secondly, Emacs supports ``drag and drop'': dropping a file into an
ordinary Emacs window visits the file using that window.  As an
exception, dropping a file into a window displaying a Dired buffer
moves or copies the file into the displayed directory.  For details,
see @ref{Drag and Drop}, and @ref{Misc Dired Features}.

@cindex creating files
  What if you want to create a new file?  Just visit it.  Emacs
displays @samp{(New file)} in the echo area, but in other respects
behaves as if you had visited an existing empty file.  If you make
changes and save them, the file is created.

@cindex minibuffer confirmation
@cindex confirming in the minibuffer
@vindex confirm-nonexistent-file-or-buffer
  When @key{TAB} completion results in a nonexistent file name and you
type @key{RET} immediately to visit it, Emacs asks for confirmation;
this is because it's possible that you expected completion to go
further and give you an existing file's name.  The string
@samp{[Confirm]} appears for a short time after the file name to
indicate the need to confirm in this way.  Type @key{RET} to confirm
and visit the nonexistent file.  The variable
@code{confirm-nonexistent-file-or-buffer} controls whether Emacs asks
for confirmation before visiting a new file.  The default value,
@code{after-completion}, gives the behavior we have just described.
If the value is @code{nil}, Emacs never asks for confirmation; for any
other non-@code{nil} value, Emacs always asks for confirmation.  This
variable also affects the @code{switch-to-buffer} command
(@pxref{Select Buffer}).  @xref{Completion}, for more information
about completion.

@kindex C-x C-v
@findex find-alternate-file
  If you visit a nonexistent file unintentionally (because you typed
the wrong file name), type @kbd{C-x C-v} (@code{find-alternate-file})
to visit the file you really wanted.  @kbd{C-x C-v} is similar to
@kbd{C-x C-f}, but it kills the current buffer (after first offering
to save it if it is modified).  When @kbd{C-x C-v} reads the file name
to visit, it inserts the entire default file name in the buffer, with
point just after the directory part; this is convenient if you made a
slight error in typing the name.

@vindex find-file-run-dired
  If you ``visit'' a file that is actually a directory, Emacs invokes
Dired, the Emacs directory browser; this lets you ``edit'' the
contents of the directory.  @xref{Dired}.  You can disable this
behavior by setting the variable @code{find-file-run-dired} to
@code{nil}; in that case, it is an error to try to visit a directory.

  Files which are actually collections of other files, or @dfn{file
archives}, are visited in special modes which invoke a Dired-like
environment to allow operations on archive members.  @xref{File
Archives}, for more about these features.

  If you visit a file that the operating system won't let you modify,
or that is marked read-only, Emacs makes the buffer read-only too, so
that you won't go ahead and make changes that you'll have trouble
saving afterward.  You can make the buffer writable with @kbd{C-x C-q}
(@code{toggle-read-only}).  @xref{Misc Buffer}.

@kindex C-x C-r
@findex find-file-read-only
  If you want to visit a file as read-only in order to protect
yourself from entering changes accidentally, visit it with the command
@kbd{C-x C-r} (@code{find-file-read-only}) instead of @kbd{C-x C-f}.

@kindex C-x 4 f
@findex find-file-other-window
  @kbd{C-x 4 f} (@code{find-file-other-window}) is like @kbd{C-x C-f}
except that the buffer containing the specified file is selected in another
window.  The window that was selected before @kbd{C-x 4 f} continues to
show the same buffer it was already showing.  If this command is used when
only one window is being displayed, that window is split in two, with one
window showing the same buffer as before, and the other one showing the
newly requested file.  @xref{Windows}.

@kindex C-x 5 f
@findex find-file-other-frame
  @kbd{C-x 5 f} (@code{find-file-other-frame}) is similar, but opens a
new frame, or makes visible any existing frame showing the file you
seek.  This feature is available only when you are using a window
system.  @xref{Frames}.

  Emacs recognizes from the contents of a file which end-of-line
convention it uses to separate lines---newline (used on GNU/Linux and
on Unix), carriage-return linefeed (used on Microsoft systems), or
just carriage-return (used on the Macintosh)---and automatically
converts the contents to the normal Emacs convention, which is that
the newline character separates lines.  This is a part of the general
feature of coding system conversion (@pxref{Coding Systems}), and
makes it possible to edit files imported from different operating
systems with equal convenience.  If you change the text and save the
file, Emacs performs the inverse conversion, changing newlines back
into carriage-return linefeed or just carriage-return if appropriate.

@findex find-file-literally
  If you wish to edit a file as a sequence of @acronym{ASCII}
characters with no special encoding or conversion, use the @kbd{M-x
find-file-literally} command.  This visits a file, like @kbd{C-x C-f},
but does not do format conversion (@pxref{Formatted Text}), character
code conversion (@pxref{Coding Systems}), or automatic uncompression
(@pxref{Compressed Files}), and does not add a final newline because
of @code{require-final-newline} (@pxref{Customize Save}).  If you have
already visited the same file in the usual (non-literal) manner, this
command asks you whether to visit it literally instead.

@vindex find-file-hook
@vindex find-file-not-found-functions
  Two special hook variables allow extensions to modify the operation of
visiting files.  Visiting a file that does not exist runs the functions
in the list @code{find-file-not-found-functions}; this variable holds a list
of functions, and the functions are called one by one (with no
arguments) until one of them returns non-@code{nil}.  This is not a
normal hook, and the name ends in @samp{-functions} rather than @samp{-hook}
to indicate that fact.

  Successful visiting of any file, whether existing or not, calls the
functions in the list @code{find-file-hook}, with no arguments.
This variable is a normal hook.  In the case of a nonexistent file, the
@code{find-file-not-found-functions} are run first.  @xref{Hooks}.

  There are several ways to specify automatically the major mode for
editing the file (@pxref{Choosing Modes}), and to specify local
variables defined for that file (@pxref{File Variables}).

@node Saving
@section Saving Files

  @dfn{Saving} a buffer in Emacs means writing its contents back into the file
that was visited in the buffer.

@menu
* Save Commands::       Commands for saving files.
* Backup::              How Emacs saves the old version of your file.
* Customize Save::      Customizing the saving of files.
* Interlocking::        How Emacs protects against simultaneous editing
                          of one file by two users.
* Shadowing: File Shadowing.  Copying files to "shadows" automatically.
* Time Stamps::         Emacs can update time stamps on saved files.
@end menu

@node Save Commands
@subsection Commands for Saving Files

  These are the commands that relate to saving and writing files.

@table @kbd
@item C-x C-s
Save the current buffer in its visited file on disk (@code{save-buffer}).
@item C-x s
Save any or all buffers in their visited files (@code{save-some-buffers}).
@item M-~
Forget that the current buffer has been changed (@code{not-modified}).
With prefix argument (@kbd{C-u}), mark the current buffer as changed.
@item C-x C-w
Save the current buffer with a specified file name (@code{write-file}).
@item M-x set-visited-file-name
Change the file name under which the current buffer will be saved.
@end table

@kindex C-x C-s
@findex save-buffer
  When you wish to save the file and make your changes permanent, type
@kbd{C-x C-s} (@code{save-buffer}).  After saving is finished, @kbd{C-x C-s}
displays a message like this:

@example
Wrote /u/rms/gnu/gnu.tasks
@end example

@noindent
If the selected buffer is not modified (no changes have been made in it
since the buffer was created or last saved), saving is not really done,
because it would have no effect.  Instead, @kbd{C-x C-s} displays a message
like this in the echo area:

@example
(No changes need to be saved)
@end example

With a prefix argument, @kbd{C-u C-x C-s}, Emacs also marks the buffer
to be backed up when the next save is done.  @xref{Backup}.

@kindex C-x s
@findex save-some-buffers
  The command @kbd{C-x s} (@code{save-some-buffers}) offers to save any
or all modified buffers.  It asks you what to do with each buffer.  The
possible responses are analogous to those of @code{query-replace}:

@table @kbd
@item y
Save this buffer and ask about the rest of the buffers.
@item n
Don't save this buffer, but ask about the rest of the buffers.
@item !
Save this buffer and all the rest with no more questions.
@c following generates acceptable underfull hbox
@item @key{RET}
Terminate @code{save-some-buffers} without any more saving.
@item .
Save this buffer, then exit @code{save-some-buffers} without even asking
about other buffers.
@item C-r
View the buffer that you are currently being asked about.  When you exit
View mode, you get back to @code{save-some-buffers}, which asks the
question again.
@item d
Diff the buffer against its corresponding file, so you can see what
changes you would be saving.  This calls the command
@code{diff-buffer-with-file} (@pxref{Comparing Files}).
@item C-h
Display a help message about these options.
@end table

  @kbd{C-x C-c}, the key sequence to exit Emacs, invokes
@code{save-some-buffers} and therefore asks the same questions.

@kindex M-~
@findex not-modified
  If you have changed a buffer but do not wish to save the changes,
you should take some action to prevent it.  Otherwise, each time you
use @kbd{C-x s} or @kbd{C-x C-c}, you are liable to save this buffer
by mistake.  One thing you can do is type @kbd{M-~}
(@code{not-modified}), which clears out the indication that the buffer
is modified.  If you do this, none of the save commands will believe
that the buffer needs to be saved.  (@samp{~} is often used as a
mathematical symbol for `not'; thus @kbd{M-~} is `not', metafied.)
Alternatively, you can cancel all the changes made since the file was
visited or saved, by reading the text from the file again.  This is
called @dfn{reverting}.  @xref{Reverting}.  (You could also undo all
the changes by repeating the undo command @kbd{C-x u} until you have
undone all the changes; but reverting is easier.)

@findex set-visited-file-name
  @kbd{M-x set-visited-file-name} alters the name of the file that the
current buffer is visiting.  It reads the new file name using the
minibuffer.  Then it marks the buffer as visiting that file name, and
changes the buffer name correspondingly.  @code{set-visited-file-name}
does not save the buffer in the newly visited file; it just alters the
records inside Emacs in case you do save later.  It also marks the
buffer as ``modified'' so that @kbd{C-x C-s} in that buffer
@emph{will} save.

@kindex C-x C-w
@findex write-file
  If you wish to mark the buffer as visiting a different file and save
it right away, use @kbd{C-x C-w} (@code{write-file}).  This is
equivalent to @code{set-visited-file-name} followed by @kbd{C-x C-s},
except that @kbd{C-x C-w} asks for confirmation if the file exists.
@kbd{C-x C-s} used on a buffer that is not visiting a file has the
same effect as @kbd{C-x C-w}; that is, it reads a file name, marks the
buffer as visiting that file, and saves it there.  The default file
name in a buffer that is not visiting a file is made by combining the
buffer name with the buffer's default directory (@pxref{File Names}).

  If the new file name implies a major mode, then @kbd{C-x C-w} switches
to that major mode, in most cases.  The command
@code{set-visited-file-name} also does this.  @xref{Choosing Modes}.

  If Emacs is about to save a file and sees that the date of the latest
version on disk does not match what Emacs last read or wrote, Emacs
notifies you of this fact, because it probably indicates a problem caused
by simultaneous editing and requires your immediate attention.
@xref{Interlocking,, Simultaneous Editing}.

@node Backup
@subsection Backup Files
@cindex backup file
@vindex make-backup-files
@vindex vc-make-backup-files

  On most operating systems, rewriting a file automatically destroys all
record of what the file used to contain.  Thus, saving a file from Emacs
throws away the old contents of the file---or it would, except that
Emacs carefully copies the old contents to another file, called the
@dfn{backup} file, before actually saving.

  Emacs makes a backup for a file only the first time the file is
saved from a buffer.  No matter how many times you subsequently save
the file, its backup remains unchanged.  However, if you kill the
buffer and then visit the file again, a new backup file will be made.

  For most files, the variable @code{make-backup-files} determines
whether to make backup files.  On most operating systems, its default
value is @code{t}, so that Emacs does write backup files.

  For files managed by a version control system (@pxref{Version
Control}), the variable @code{vc-make-backup-files} determines whether
to make backup files.  By default it is @code{nil}, since backup files
are redundant when you store all the previous versions in a version
control system.
@iftex
@xref{General VC Options,,,emacs-xtra, Specialized Emacs Features}.
@end iftex
@ifnottex
@xref{General VC Options}.
@end ifnottex

  At your option, Emacs can keep either a single backup for each file,
or make a series of numbered backup files for each file that you edit.
@xref{Backup Names}.

@vindex backup-enable-predicate
@vindex temporary-file-directory
@vindex small-temporary-file-directory
  The default value of the @code{backup-enable-predicate} variable
prevents backup files being written for files in the directories used
for temporary files, specified by @code{temporary-file-directory} or
@code{small-temporary-file-directory}.

  You can explicitly tell Emacs to make another backup file from a
buffer, even though that buffer has been saved before.  If you save
the buffer with @kbd{C-u C-x C-s}, the version thus saved will be made
into a backup file if you save the buffer again.  @kbd{C-u C-u C-x
C-s} saves the buffer, but first makes the previous file contents into
a new backup file.  @kbd{C-u C-u C-u C-x C-s} does both things: it
makes a backup from the previous contents, and arranges to make
another from the newly saved contents if you save again.

@menu
* Names: Backup Names.          How backup files are named.
* Deletion: Backup Deletion.    Emacs deletes excess numbered backups.
* Copying: Backup Copying.      Backups can be made by copying or renaming.
@end menu

@node Backup Names
@subsubsection Single or Numbered Backups

  When Emacs makes a backup file, its name is normally constructed by
appending @samp{~} to the file name being edited; thus, the backup
file for @file{eval.c} would be @file{eval.c~}.

  If access control stops Emacs from writing backup files under the
usual names, it writes the backup file as @file{~/.emacs.d/%backup%~}.
Only one such file can exist, so only the most recently made such
backup is available.

  Emacs can also make @dfn{numbered backup files}.  Numbered backup
file names contain @samp{.~}, the number, and another @samp{~} after
the original file name.  Thus, the backup files of @file{eval.c} would
be called @file{eval.c.~1~}, @file{eval.c.~2~}, and so on, all the way
through names like @file{eval.c.~259~} and beyond.

@vindex version-control
  The variable @code{version-control} determines whether to make
single backup files or multiple numbered backup files.  Its possible
values are:

@table @code
@item nil
Make numbered backups for files that have numbered backups already.
Otherwise, make single backups.  This is the default.
@item t
Make numbered backups.
@item never
Never make numbered backups; always make single backups.
@end table

@noindent
The usual way to set this variable is globally, through your
@file{.emacs} file or the customization buffer.  However, you can set
@code{version-control} locally in an individual buffer to control the
making of backups for that buffer's file (@pxref{Locals}).  You can
have Emacs set @code{version-control} locally whenever you visit a
given file (@pxref{File Variables}).  Some modes, such as Rmail mode,
set this variable.

@cindex @env{VERSION_CONTROL} environment variable
  If you set the environment variable @env{VERSION_CONTROL}, to tell
various GNU utilities what to do with backup files, Emacs also obeys the
environment variable by setting the Lisp variable @code{version-control}
accordingly at startup.  If the environment variable's value is @samp{t}
or @samp{numbered}, then @code{version-control} becomes @code{t}; if the
value is @samp{nil} or @samp{existing}, then @code{version-control}
becomes @code{nil}; if it is @samp{never} or @samp{simple}, then
@code{version-control} becomes @code{never}.

@vindex backup-directory-alist
  You can customize the variable @code{backup-directory-alist} to
specify that files matching certain patterns should be backed up in
specific directories.  This variable applies to both single and
numbered backups.  A typical use is to add an element @code{("."
. @var{dir})} to make all backups in the directory with absolute name
@var{dir}; Emacs modifies the backup file names to avoid clashes
between files with the same names originating in different
directories.  Alternatively, adding, @code{("." . ".~")} would make
backups in the invisible subdirectory @file{.~} of the original file's
directory.  Emacs creates the directory, if necessary, to make the
backup.

@vindex make-backup-file-name-function
  If you define the variable @code{make-backup-file-name-function} to
a suitable Lisp function, that overrides the usual way Emacs
constructs backup file names.

@node Backup Deletion
@subsubsection Automatic Deletion of Backups

  To prevent excessive consumption of disk space, Emacs can delete numbered
backup versions automatically.  Generally Emacs keeps the first few backups
and the latest few backups, deleting any in between.  This happens every
time a new backup is made.

@vindex kept-old-versions
@vindex kept-new-versions
  The two variables @code{kept-old-versions} and
@code{kept-new-versions} control this deletion.  Their values are,
respectively, the number of oldest (lowest-numbered) backups to keep
and the number of newest (highest-numbered) ones to keep, each time a
new backup is made.  The backups in the middle (excluding those oldest
and newest) are the excess middle versions---those backups are
deleted.  These variables' values are used when it is time to delete
excess versions, just after a new backup version is made; the newly
made backup is included in the count in @code{kept-new-versions}.  By
default, both variables are 2.

@vindex delete-old-versions
  If @code{delete-old-versions} is @code{t}, Emacs deletes the excess
backup files silently.  If it is @code{nil}, the default, Emacs asks
you whether it should delete the excess backup versions.  If it has
any other value, then Emacs never automatically deletes backups.

  Dired's @kbd{.} (Period) command can also be used to delete old versions.
@xref{Dired Deletion}.

@node Backup Copying
@subsubsection Copying vs.@: Renaming

  Backup files can be made by copying the old file or by renaming it.
This makes a difference when the old file has multiple names (hard
links).  If the old file is renamed into the backup file, then the
alternate names become names for the backup file.  If the old file is
copied instead, then the alternate names remain names for the file
that you are editing, and the contents accessed by those names will be
the new contents.

  The method of making a backup file may also affect the file's owner
and group.  If copying is used, these do not change.  If renaming is used,
you become the file's owner, and the file's group becomes the default
(different operating systems have different defaults for the group).

  Having the owner change is usually a good idea, because then the owner
always shows who last edited the file.  Also, the owners of the backups
show who produced those versions.  Occasionally there is a file whose
owner should not change; it is a good idea for such files to contain
local variable lists to set @code{backup-by-copying-when-mismatch}
locally (@pxref{File Variables}).

@vindex backup-by-copying
@vindex backup-by-copying-when-linked
@vindex backup-by-copying-when-mismatch
@vindex backup-by-copying-when-privileged-mismatch
@cindex file ownership, and backup
@cindex backup, and user-id
  The choice of renaming or copying is controlled by four variables.
Renaming is the default choice.  If the variable
@code{backup-by-copying} is non-@code{nil}, copying is used.  Otherwise,
if the variable @code{backup-by-copying-when-linked} is non-@code{nil},
then copying is used for files that have multiple names, but renaming
may still be used when the file being edited has only one name.  If the
variable @code{backup-by-copying-when-mismatch} is non-@code{nil}, then
copying is used if renaming would cause the file's owner or group to
change.  @code{backup-by-copying-when-mismatch} is @code{t} by default
if you start Emacs as the superuser.  The fourth variable,
@code{backup-by-copying-when-privileged-mismatch}, gives the highest
numeric user-id for which @code{backup-by-copying-when-mismatch} will be
forced on.  This is useful when low-numbered user-ids are assigned to
special system users, such as @code{root}, @code{bin}, @code{daemon},
etc., which must maintain ownership of files.

  When a file is managed with a version control system (@pxref{Version
Control}), Emacs does not normally make backups in the usual way for
that file.  But check-in and check-out are similar in some ways to
making backups.  One unfortunate similarity is that these operations
typically break hard links, disconnecting the file name you visited from
any alternate names for the same file.  This has nothing to do with
Emacs---the version control system does it.

@node Customize Save
@subsection Customizing Saving of Files

@vindex require-final-newline
  If the value of the variable @code{require-final-newline} is
@code{t}, saving or writing a file silently puts a newline at the end
if there isn't already one there.  If the value is @code{visit}, Emacs
adds a newline at the end of any file that doesn't have one, just
after it visits the file.  (This marks the buffer as modified, and you
can undo it.)  If the value is @code{visit-save}, that means to add
newlines both on visiting and on saving.  If the value is @code{nil},
Emacs leaves the end of the file unchanged; if it's neither @code{nil}
nor @code{t}, Emacs asks you whether to add a newline.  The default is
@code{nil}.

@vindex mode-require-final-newline
  Many major modes are designed for specific kinds of files that are
always supposed to end in newlines.  These major modes set the
variable @code{require-final-newline} according to
@code{mode-require-final-newline}.  By setting the latter variable,
you can control how these modes handle final newlines.

@vindex write-region-inhibit-fsync
  When Emacs saves a file, it invokes the @code{fsync} system call to
force the data immediately out to disk.  This is important for safety
if the system crashes or in case of power outage.  However, it can be
disruptive on laptops using power saving, because it requires the disk
to spin up each time you save a file.  Setting
@code{write-region-inhibit-fsync} to a non-@code{nil} value disables
this synchronization.  Be careful---this means increased risk of data
loss.

@node Interlocking
@subsection Protection against Simultaneous Editing

@cindex file dates
@cindex simultaneous editing
  Simultaneous editing occurs when two users visit the same file, both
make changes, and then both save them.  If nobody were informed that
this was happening, whichever user saved first would later find that his
changes were lost.

  On some systems, Emacs notices immediately when the second user starts
to change the file, and issues an immediate warning.  On all systems,
Emacs checks when you save the file, and warns if you are about to
overwrite another user's changes.  You can prevent loss of the other
user's work by taking the proper corrective action instead of saving the
file.

@findex ask-user-about-lock
@cindex locking files
  When you make the first modification in an Emacs buffer that is
visiting a file, Emacs records that the file is @dfn{locked} by you.
(It does this by creating a specially-named symbolic link in the same
directory.)  Emacs removes the lock when you save the changes.  The
idea is that the file is locked whenever an Emacs buffer visiting it
has unsaved changes.

@cindex collision
  If you begin to modify the buffer while the visited file is locked by
someone else, this constitutes a @dfn{collision}.  When Emacs detects a
collision, it asks you what to do, by calling the Lisp function
@code{ask-user-about-lock}.  You can redefine this function for the sake
of customization.  The standard definition of this function asks you a
question and accepts three possible answers:

@table @kbd
@item s
Steal the lock.  Whoever was already changing the file loses the lock,
and you gain the lock.
@item p
Proceed.  Go ahead and edit the file despite its being locked by someone else.
@item q
Quit.  This causes an error (@code{file-locked}), and the buffer
contents remain unchanged---the modification you were trying to make
does not actually take place.
@end table

  Note that locking works on the basis of a file name; if a file has
multiple names, Emacs does not realize that the two names are the same file
and cannot prevent two users from editing it simultaneously under different
names.  However, basing locking on names means that Emacs can interlock the
editing of new files that will not really exist until they are saved.

  Some systems are not configured to allow Emacs to make locks, and
there are cases where lock files cannot be written.  In these cases,
Emacs cannot detect trouble in advance, but it still can detect the
collision when you try to save a file and overwrite someone else's
changes.  Every time Emacs saves a buffer, it first checks the
last-modification date of the existing file on disk to verify that it
has not changed since the file was last visited or saved.  If the date
does not match, it implies that changes were made in the file in some
other way, and these changes are about to be lost if Emacs actually
does save.  To prevent this, Emacs displays a warning message and asks
for confirmation before saving.  Occasionally you will know why the
file was changed and know that it does not matter; then you can answer
@kbd{yes} and proceed.  Otherwise, you should cancel the save with
@kbd{C-g} and investigate the situation.

  If Emacs or the operating system crashes, this may leave behind lock
files which are stale, so you may occasionally get warnings about
spurious collisions.  When you determine that the collision is spurious,
just use @kbd{p} to tell Emacs to go ahead anyway.

  The first thing you should do when notified that simultaneous editing
has already taken place is to list the directory with @kbd{C-u C-x C-d}
(@pxref{Directories}).  This shows the file's current author.  You
should attempt to contact him to warn him not to continue editing.
Often the next step is to save the contents of your Emacs buffer under a
different name, and use @code{diff} to compare the two files.@refill

@node File Shadowing
@subsection Shadowing Files
@cindex shadow files
@cindex file shadows
@findex shadow-initialize

@table @kbd
@item M-x shadow-initialize
Set up file shadowing.
@item M-x shadow-define-literal-group
Declare a single file to be shared between sites.
@item M-x shadow-define-regexp-group
Make all files that match each of a group of files be shared between hosts.
@item M-x shadow-define-cluster @key{RET} @var{name} @key{RET}
Define a shadow file cluster @var{name}.
@item M-x shadow-copy-files
Copy all pending shadow files.
@item M-x shadow-cancel
Cancel the instruction to shadow some files.
@end table

You can arrange to keep identical @dfn{shadow} copies of certain files
in more than one place---possibly on different machines.  To do this,
first you must set up a @dfn{shadow file group}, which is a set of
identically-named files shared between a list of sites.  The file
group is permanent and applies to further Emacs sessions as well as
the current one.  Once the group is set up, every time you exit Emacs,
it will copy the file you edited to the other files in its group.  You
can also do the copying without exiting Emacs, by typing @kbd{M-x
shadow-copy-files}.

To set up a shadow file group, use @kbd{M-x
shadow-define-literal-group} or @kbd{M-x shadow-define-regexp-group}.
See their documentation strings for further information.

Before copying a file to its shadows, Emacs asks for confirmation.
You can answer ``no'' to bypass copying of this file, this time.  If
you want to cancel the shadowing permanently for a certain file, use
@kbd{M-x shadow-cancel} to eliminate or change the shadow file group.

A @dfn{shadow cluster} is a group of hosts that share directories, so
that copying to or from one of them is sufficient to update the file
on all of them.  Each shadow cluster has a name, and specifies the
network address of a primary host (the one we copy files to), and a
regular expression that matches the host names of all the other hosts
in the cluster.  You can define a shadow cluster with @kbd{M-x
shadow-define-cluster}.

@node Time Stamps
@subsection Updating Time Stamps Automatically
@cindex time stamps
@cindex modification dates
@cindex locale, date format

You can arrange to put a time stamp in a file, so that it will be updated
automatically each time you edit and save the file.  The time stamp
has to be in the first eight lines of the file, and you should
insert it like this:

@example
Time-stamp: <>
@end example

@noindent
or like this:

@example
Time-stamp: " "
@end example

@findex time-stamp
  Then add the hook function @code{time-stamp} to the hook
@code{before-save-hook}; that hook function will automatically update
the time stamp, inserting the current date and time when you save the
file.  You can also use the command @kbd{M-x time-stamp} to update the
time stamp manually.  For other customizations, see the Custom group
@code{time-stamp}.  Note that non-numeric fields in the time stamp are
formatted according to your locale setting (@pxref{Environment}).

@node Reverting
@section Reverting a Buffer
@findex revert-buffer
@cindex drastic changes
@cindex reread a file

  If you have made extensive changes to a file and then change your mind
about them, you can get rid of them by reading in the previous version
of the file.  To do this, use @kbd{M-x revert-buffer}, which operates on
the current buffer.  Since reverting a buffer unintentionally could lose
a lot of work, you must confirm this command with @kbd{yes}.

  @code{revert-buffer} tries to position point in such a way that, if
the file was edited only slightly, you will be at approximately the
same piece of text after reverting as before.  However, if you have made
drastic changes, point may wind up in a totally different piece of text.

  Reverting marks the buffer as ``not modified''.

  Some kinds of buffers that are not associated with files, such as
Dired buffers, can also be reverted.  For them, reverting means
recalculating their contents.  Buffers created explicitly with
@kbd{C-x b} cannot be reverted; @code{revert-buffer} reports an error
if you try.

@vindex revert-without-query
  When you edit a file that changes automatically and frequently---for
example, a log of output from a process that continues to run---it may
be useful for Emacs to revert the file without querying you.  To
request this behavior, set the variable @code{revert-without-query} to
a list of regular expressions.  When a file name matches one of these
regular expressions, @code{find-file} and @code{revert-buffer} will
revert it automatically if it has changed---provided the buffer itself
is not modified.  (If you have edited the text, it would be wrong to
discard your changes.)

@cindex Global Auto-Revert mode
@cindex mode, Global Auto-Revert
@cindex Auto-Revert mode
@cindex mode, Auto-Revert
@findex global-auto-revert-mode
@findex auto-revert-mode
@findex auto-revert-tail-mode
@vindex auto-revert-interval

  In addition, you can tell Emacs to periodically revert a buffer by
typing @kbd{M-x auto-revert-mode}.  This turns on Auto-Revert mode, a
minor mode that makes Emacs automatically revert the current buffer
every five seconds.  You can change this interval through the variable
@code{auto-revert-interval}.  Typing @kbd{M-x global-auto-revert-mode}
enables Global Auto-Revert mode, which does the same for all file
buffers.  Auto-Revert mode and Global Auto-Revert modes do not check
or revert remote files, because that is usually too slow.

  One use of Auto-Revert mode is to ``tail'' a file such as a system
log, so that changes made to that file by other programs are
continuously displayed.  To do this, just move the point to the end of
the buffer, and it will stay there as the file contents change.
However, if you are sure that the file will only change by growing at
the end, use Auto-Revert Tail mode instead
(@code{auto-revert-tail-mode}).  It is more efficient for this.
Auto-Revert Tail mode works also for remote files.

  @xref{VC Mode Line}, for Auto Revert peculiarities in buffers that
visit files under version control.

@ifnottex
@include arevert-xtra.texi
@end ifnottex

@node Auto Save
@section Auto-Saving: Protection Against Disasters
@cindex Auto Save mode
@cindex mode, Auto Save
@cindex crashes

  From time to time, Emacs automatically saves each visited file in a
separate file, without altering the file you actually use.  This is
called @dfn{auto-saving}.  It prevents you from losing more than a
limited amount of work if the system crashes.

  When Emacs determines that it is time for auto-saving, it considers
each buffer, and each is auto-saved if auto-saving is enabled for it
and it has been changed since the last time it was auto-saved.  The
message @samp{Auto-saving...} is displayed in the echo area during
auto-saving, if any files are actually auto-saved.  Errors occurring
during auto-saving are caught so that they do not interfere with the
execution of commands you have been typing.

@menu
* Files: Auto Save Files.       The file where auto-saved changes are
                                  actually made until you save the file.
* Control: Auto Save Control.   Controlling when and how often to auto-save.
* Recover::                     Recovering text from auto-save files.
@end menu

@node Auto Save Files
@subsection Auto-Save Files

  Auto-saving does not normally save in the files that you visited,
because it can be very undesirable to save a change that you did not
want to make permanent.  Instead, auto-saving is done in a different
file called the @dfn{auto-save file}, and the visited file is changed
only when you request saving explicitly (such as with @kbd{C-x C-s}).

  Normally, the auto-save file name is made by appending @samp{#} to the
front and rear of the visited file name.  Thus, a buffer visiting file
@file{foo.c} is auto-saved in a file @file{#foo.c#}.  Most buffers that
are not visiting files are auto-saved only if you request it explicitly;
when they are auto-saved, the auto-save file name is made by appending
@samp{#} to the front and rear of buffer name, then
adding digits and letters at the end for uniqueness.  For
example, the @samp{*mail*} buffer in which you compose messages to be
sent might be auto-saved in a file named @file{#*mail*#704juu}.  Auto-save file
names are made this way unless you reprogram parts of Emacs to do
something different (the functions @code{make-auto-save-file-name} and
@code{auto-save-file-name-p}).  The file name to be used for auto-saving
in a buffer is calculated when auto-saving is turned on in that buffer.

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

  When you delete a substantial part of the text in a large buffer, auto
save turns off temporarily in that buffer.  This is because if you
deleted the text unintentionally, you might find the auto-save file more
useful if it contains the deleted text.  To reenable auto-saving after
this happens, save the buffer with @kbd{C-x C-s}, or use @kbd{C-u 1 M-x
auto-save-mode}.

@vindex auto-save-visited-file-name
  If you want auto-saving to be done in the visited file rather than
in a separate auto-save file, set the variable
@code{auto-save-visited-file-name} to a non-@code{nil} value.  In this
mode, there is no real difference between auto-saving and explicit
saving.

@vindex delete-auto-save-files
  A buffer's auto-save file is deleted when you save the buffer in its
visited file.  (You can inhibit this by setting the variable
@code{delete-auto-save-files} to @code{nil}.)  Changing the visited
file name with @kbd{C-x C-w} or @code{set-visited-file-name} renames
any auto-save file to go with the new visited name.

@node Auto Save Control
@subsection Controlling Auto-Saving

@vindex auto-save-default
@findex auto-save-mode
  Each time you visit a file, auto-saving is turned on for that file's
buffer if the variable @code{auto-save-default} is non-@code{nil} (but not
in batch mode; @pxref{Entering Emacs}).  The default for this variable is
@code{t}, so auto-saving is the usual practice for file-visiting buffers.
Auto-saving can be turned on or off for any existing buffer with the
command @kbd{M-x auto-save-mode}.  Like other minor mode commands, @kbd{M-x
auto-save-mode} turns auto-saving on with a positive argument, off with a
zero or negative argument; with no argument, it toggles.

@vindex auto-save-interval
  Emacs does auto-saving periodically based on counting how many characters
you have typed since the last time auto-saving was done.  The variable
@code{auto-save-interval} specifies how many characters there are between
auto-saves.  By default, it is 300.  Emacs doesn't accept values that are
too small: if you customize @code{auto-save-interval} to a value less
than 20, Emacs will behave as if the value is 20.

@vindex auto-save-timeout
  Auto-saving also takes place when you stop typing for a while.  The
variable @code{auto-save-timeout} says how many seconds Emacs should
wait before it does an auto save (and perhaps also a garbage
collection).  (The actual time period is longer if the current buffer is
long; this is a heuristic which aims to keep out of your way when you
are editing long buffers, in which auto-save takes an appreciable amount
of time.)  Auto-saving during idle periods accomplishes two things:
first, it makes sure all your work is saved if you go away from the
terminal for a while; second, it may avoid some auto-saving while you
are actually typing.

  Emacs also does auto-saving whenever it gets a fatal error.  This
includes killing the Emacs job with a shell command such as @samp{kill
%emacs}, or disconnecting a phone line or network connection.

@findex do-auto-save
  You can request an auto-save explicitly with the command @kbd{M-x
do-auto-save}.

@node Recover
@subsection Recovering Data from Auto-Saves

@findex recover-file
  You can use the contents of an auto-save file to recover from a loss
of data with the command @kbd{M-x recover-file @key{RET} @var{file}
@key{RET}}.  This visits @var{file} and then (after your confirmation)
restores the contents from its auto-save file @file{#@var{file}#}.
You can then save with @kbd{C-x C-s} to put the recovered text into
@var{file} itself.  For example, to recover file @file{foo.c} from its
auto-save file @file{#foo.c#}, do:@refill

@example
M-x recover-file @key{RET} foo.c @key{RET}
yes @key{RET}
C-x C-s
@end example

  Before asking for confirmation, @kbd{M-x recover-file} displays a
directory listing describing the specified file and the auto-save file,
so you can compare their sizes and dates.  If the auto-save file
is older, @kbd{M-x recover-file} does not offer to read it.

@findex recover-session
  If Emacs or the computer crashes, you can recover all the files you
were editing from their auto save files with the command @kbd{M-x
recover-session}.  This first shows you a list of recorded interrupted
sessions.  Move point to the one you choose, and type @kbd{C-c C-c}.

  Then @code{recover-session} asks about each of the files that were
being edited during that session, asking whether to recover that file.
If you answer @kbd{y}, it calls @code{recover-file}, which works in its
normal fashion.  It shows the dates of the original file and its
auto-save file, and asks once again whether to recover that file.

  When @code{recover-session} is done, the files you've chosen to
recover are present in Emacs buffers.  You should then save them.  Only
this---saving them---updates the files themselves.

@vindex auto-save-list-file-prefix
  Emacs records information about interrupted sessions for later
recovery in files named
@file{~/.emacs.d/auto-save-list/.saves-@var{pid}-@var{hostname}}.  The
directory used, @file{~/.emacs.d/auto-save-list/}, is determined by
the variable @code{auto-save-list-file-prefix}.  You can record
sessions in a different place by customizing that variable.  If you
set @code{auto-save-list-file-prefix} to @code{nil} in your
@file{.emacs} file, sessions are not recorded for recovery.

@node File Aliases
@section File Name Aliases
@cindex symbolic links (visiting)
@cindex hard links (visiting)

  Symbolic links and hard links both make it possible for several file
names to refer to the same file.  Hard links are alternate names that
refer directly to the file; all the names are equally valid, and no one
of them is preferred.  By contrast, a symbolic link is a kind of defined
alias: when @file{foo} is a symbolic link to @file{bar}, you can use
either name to refer to the file, but @file{bar} is the real name, while
@file{foo} is just an alias.  More complex cases occur when symbolic
links point to directories.

@vindex find-file-existing-other-name
@vindex find-file-suppress-same-file-warnings
  Normally, if you visit a file which Emacs is already visiting under
a different name, Emacs displays a message in the echo area and uses
the existing buffer visiting that file.  This can happen on systems
that support hard or symbolic links, or if you use a long file name on
a system that truncates long file names, or on a case-insensitive file
system.  You can suppress the message by setting the variable
@code{find-file-suppress-same-file-warnings} to a non-@code{nil}
value.  You can disable this feature entirely by setting the variable
@code{find-file-existing-other-name} to @code{nil}: then if you visit
the same file under two different names, you get a separate buffer for
each file name.

@vindex find-file-visit-truename
@cindex truenames of files
@cindex file truenames
  If the variable @code{find-file-visit-truename} is non-@code{nil},
then the file name recorded for a buffer is the file's @dfn{truename}
(made by replacing all symbolic links with their target names), rather
than the name you specify.  Setting @code{find-file-visit-truename} also
implies the effect of @code{find-file-existing-other-name}.

@cindex directory name abbreviation
@vindex directory-abbrev-alist
  Sometimes, a directory is ordinarily accessed through a symbolic
link, and you may want Emacs to preferentially display its ``linked''
name instead of its truename.  To do this, customize the variable
@code{directory-abbrev-alist}.  Each element in this list should have
the form @code{(@var{from} . @var{to})}, which says to replace
@var{from} with @var{to} when it appears in a directory name.  For
this feature to work properly, @var{from} and @var{to} should point to
the same file.  The @var{from} string is actually a regular expression
(@pxref{Regexps}); it should always start with @samp{\`}, to avoid
matching to an incorrect part of the original directory name.  The
@var{to} string should be an ordinary absolute directory name.  Do not
use @samp{~} to stand for a home directory in the @var{to} string;
Emacs performs these substitutions separately.

  Here's an example, from a system on which file system
@file{/home/fsf} and so on are normally accessed through symbolic
links named @file{/fsf} and so on.

@example
(("\\`/home/fsf" . "/fsf")
 ("\\`/home/gd" . "/gd"))
@end example

@node Directories
@section File Directories

@cindex file directory
@cindex directory listing
  The file system groups files into @dfn{directories}.  A @dfn{directory
listing} is a list of all the files in a directory.  Emacs provides
commands to create and delete directories, and to make directory
listings in brief format (file names only) and verbose format (sizes,
dates, and authors included).  Emacs also includes a directory browser
feature called Dired; see @ref{Dired}.

@table @kbd
@item C-x C-d @var{dir-or-pattern} @key{RET}
Display a brief directory listing (@code{list-directory}).
@item C-u C-x C-d @var{dir-or-pattern} @key{RET}
Display a verbose directory listing.
@item M-x make-directory @key{RET} @var{dirname} @key{RET}
Create a new directory named @var{dirname}.
@item M-x delete-directory @key{RET} @var{dirname} @key{RET}
Delete the directory named @var{dirname}.  If it isn't empty,
you will be asked whether you want to delete it recursively.
@end table

@findex list-directory
@kindex C-x C-d
  The command to display a directory listing is @kbd{C-x C-d}
(@code{list-directory}).  It reads using the minibuffer a file name
which is either a directory to be listed or a wildcard-containing
pattern for the files to be listed.  For example,

@example
C-x C-d /u2/emacs/etc @key{RET}
@end example

@noindent
lists all the files in directory @file{/u2/emacs/etc}.  Here is an
example of specifying a file name pattern:

@example
C-x C-d /u2/emacs/src/*.c @key{RET}
@end example

  Normally, @kbd{C-x C-d} displays a brief directory listing containing
just file names.  A numeric argument (regardless of value) tells it to
make a verbose listing including sizes, dates, and owners (like
@samp{ls -l}).

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

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

  The command @kbd{M-x delete-directory} prompts for a directory name
using the minibuffer, and deletes the directory if it is empty.  If
the directory is not empty, you will be asked whether you want to
delete it recursively.  On systems that have a ``Trash'' or ``Recycle
Bin'' feature, you can make this command move the specified directory
to the Trash or Recycle Bin, instead of deleting it outright, by
changing the variable @code{delete-by-moving-to-trash} to @code{t}.
@xref{Misc File Ops}, for more information about using the Trash.

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

@findex diff
@vindex diff-switches
  The command @kbd{M-x diff} prompts for two file names, using the
minibuffer, and displays the differences between the two files in a
buffer named @samp{*diff*}.  This works by running the @command{diff}
program, using options taken from the variable @code{diff-switches}.
The value of @code{diff-switches} should be a string; the default is
@code{"-c"} to specify a context diff.  @xref{Top,, Diff, diff,
Comparing and Merging Files}, for more information about
@command{diff} output formats.

  The output of the @code{diff} command is shown using a major mode
called Diff mode.  @xref{Diff Mode}.

@findex diff-backup
  The command @kbd{M-x diff-backup} compares a specified file with its
most recent backup.  If you specify the name of a backup file,
@code{diff-backup} compares it with the source file that it is a
backup of.  In all other respects, this behaves like @kbd{M-x diff}.

@findex diff-buffer-with-file
  The command @kbd{M-x diff-buffer-with-file} compares a specified
buffer with its corresponding file.  This shows you what changes you
would make to the file if you save the buffer.

@findex compare-windows
  The command @kbd{M-x compare-windows} compares the text in the
current window with that in the next window.  (For more information
about windows in Emacs, @ref{Windows}.)  Comparison starts at point in
each window, after pushing each initial point value on the mark ring
in its respective buffer.  Then it moves point forward in each window,
one character at a time, until it reaches characters that don't match.
Then the command exits.

  If point in the two windows is followed by non-matching text when
the command starts, @kbd{M-x compare-windows} tries heuristically to
advance up to matching text in the two windows, and then exits.  So if
you use @kbd{M-x compare-windows} repeatedly, each time it either
skips one matching range or finds the start of another.

@vindex compare-ignore-case
@vindex compare-ignore-whitespace
  With a numeric argument, @code{compare-windows} ignores changes in
whitespace.  If the variable @code{compare-ignore-case} is
non-@code{nil}, the comparison ignores differences in case as well.
If the variable @code{compare-ignore-whitespace} is non-@code{nil},
@code{compare-windows} normally ignores changes in whitespace, and a
prefix argument turns that off.

@cindex Smerge mode
@findex smerge-mode
@cindex failed merges
@cindex merges, failed
@cindex comparing 3 files (@code{diff3})
  You can use @kbd{M-x smerge-mode} to turn on Smerge mode, a minor
mode for editing output from the @command{diff3} program.  This is
typically the result of a failed merge from a version control system
``update'' outside VC, due to conflicting changes to a file.  Smerge
mode provides commands to resolve conflicts by selecting specific
changes.

@iftex
@xref{Emerge,,, emacs-xtra, Specialized Emacs Features},
@end iftex
@ifnottex
@xref{Emerge},
@end ifnottex
for the Emerge facility, which provides a powerful interface for
merging files.

@node Diff Mode
@section Diff Mode
@cindex Diff mode
@findex diff-mode
@cindex patches, editing

  Diff mode is a major mode used for the output of @kbd{M-x diff} and
other similar commands, as well as the output of the @command{diff}
program.  This kind of output is called a @dfn{patch}, because it can
be passed to the @command{patch} command to automatically apply the
specified changes.  To select Diff mode manually, type @kbd{M-x
diff-mode}.

@cindex hunk, diff
  The changes specified in a patch are grouped into @dfn{hunks}, which
are contiguous chunks of text that contain one or more changed lines.
Hunks can also include unchanged lines to provide context for the
changes.  Each hunk is preceded by a @dfn{hunk header}, which
specifies the old and new line numbers at which the hunk occurs.  Diff
mode highlights each hunk header, to distinguish it from the actual
contents of the hunk.

@vindex diff-update-on-the-fly
  You can edit a Diff mode buffer like any other buffer.  (If it is
read-only, you need to make it writable first.  @xref{Misc Buffer}.)
Whenever you change a hunk, Diff mode attempts to automatically
correct the line numbers in the hunk headers, to ensure that the diff
remains ``correct''.  To disable automatic line number correction,
change the variable @code{diff-update-on-the-fly} to @code{nil}.

  Diff mode treats each hunk as an ``error message,'' similar to
Compilation mode.  Thus, you can use commands such as @kbd{C-x '} to
visit the corresponding source locations.  @xref{Compilation Mode}.

  In addition, Diff mode provides the following commands to navigate,
manipulate and apply parts of patches:

@table @kbd
@item M-n
@findex diff-hunk-next
Move to the next hunk-start (@code{diff-hunk-next}).

@item M-p
@findex diff-hunk-prev
Move to the previous hunk-start (@code{diff-hunk-prev}).

@item M-@}
@findex diff-file-next
Move to the next file-start, in a multi-file patch
(@code{diff-file-next}).

@item M-@{
@findex diff-file-prev
Move to the previous file-start, in a multi-file patch
(@code{diff-file-prev}).

@item M-k
@findex diff-hunk-kill
Kill the hunk at point (@code{diff-hunk-kill}).

@item M-K
@findex diff-file-kill
In a multi-file patch, kill the current file part.
(@code{diff-file-kill}).

@item C-c C-a
@findex diff-apply-hunk
Apply this hunk to its target file (@code{diff-apply-hunk}).  With a
prefix argument of @kbd{C-u}, revert this hunk.

@item C-c C-b
@findex diff-refine-hunk
Highlight the changes of the hunk at point with a finer granularity
(@code{diff-refine-hunk}).  This allows you to see exactly which parts
of each changed line were actually changed.

@item C-c C-c
@findex diff-goto-source
Go to the source file and line corresponding to this hunk
(@code{diff-goto-source}).

@item C-c C-e
@findex diff-ediff-patch
Start an Ediff session with the patch (@code{diff-ediff-patch}).
@xref{Top, Ediff, Ediff, ediff, The Ediff Manual}.

@item C-c C-n
@findex diff-restrict-view
Restrict the view to the current hunk (@code{diff-restrict-view}).
@xref{Narrowing}.  With a prefix argument of @kbd{C-u}, restrict the
view to the current file of a multiple-file patch.  To widen again,
use @kbd{C-x n w} (@code{widen}).

@item C-c C-r
@findex diff-reverse-direction
Reverse the direction of comparison for the entire buffer
(@code{diff-reverse-direction}).

@item C-c C-s
@findex diff-split-hunk
Split the hunk at point (@code{diff-split-hunk}).  This is for
manually editing patches, and only works with the @dfn{unified diff
format} produced by the @option{-u} or @option{--unified} options to
the @command{diff} program.  If you need to split a hunk in the
@dfn{context diff format} produced by the @option{-c} or
@option{--context} options to @command{diff}, first convert the buffer
to the unified diff format with @kbd{C-c C-u}.

@item C-c C-d
@findex diff-unified->context
Convert the entire buffer to the @dfn{context diff format}
(@code{diff-unified->context}).  With a prefix argument, convert only
the text within the region.

@item C-c C-u
@findex diff-context->unified
Convert the entire buffer to unified diff format
(@code{diff-context->unified}).  With a prefix argument, convert
unified format to context format.  When the mark is active, convert
only the text within the region.

@item C-c C-w
@findex diff-refine-hunk
Refine the current hunk so that it disregards changes in whitespace
(@code{diff-refine-hunk}).

@item C-x 4 A
@findex diff-add-change-log-entries-other-window
@findex add-change-log-entry-other-window@r{, in Diff mode}
Generate a ChangeLog entry, like @kbd{C-x 4 a} does (@pxref{Change
Log}), for each one of the hunks
(@code{diff-add-change-log-entries-other-window}).  This creates a
skeleton of the log of changes that you can later fill with the actual
descriptions of the changes.  @kbd{C-x 4 a} itself in Diff mode
operates on behalf of the current hunk's file, but gets the function
name from the patch itself.  This is useful for making log entries for
functions that are deleted by the patch.

@item M-x diff-show-trailing-whitespaces RET
@findex diff-show-trailing-whitespaces
Highlight trailing whitespace characters, except for those used by the
patch syntax (@pxref{Useless Whitespace}).
@end table


@node Misc File Ops
@section Miscellaneous File Operations

  Emacs has commands for performing many other operations on files.
All operate on one file; they do not accept wildcard file names.

@findex view-file
@cindex viewing
@cindex View mode
@cindex mode, View
  @kbd{M-x view-file} allows you to scan or read a file by sequential
screenfuls.  It reads a file name argument using the minibuffer.  After
reading the file into an Emacs buffer, @code{view-file} displays the
beginning.  You can then type @key{SPC} to scroll forward one windowful,
or @key{DEL} to scroll backward.  Various other commands are provided
for moving around in the file, but none for changing it; type @kbd{?}
while viewing for a list of them.  They are mostly the same as normal
Emacs cursor motion commands.  To exit from viewing, type @kbd{q}.
The commands for viewing are defined by a special minor mode called View
mode.

  A related command, @kbd{M-x view-buffer}, views a buffer already present
in Emacs.  @xref{Misc Buffer}.

@kindex C-x i
@findex insert-file
  @kbd{M-x insert-file} (also @kbd{C-x i}) inserts a copy of the
contents of the specified file into the current buffer at point,
leaving point unchanged before the contents.  The position after the
inserted contents is added to the mark ring, without activating the
mark (@pxref{Mark Ring}).

@findex insert-file-literally
  @kbd{M-x insert-file-literally} is like @kbd{M-x insert-file},
except the file is inserted ``literally'': it is treated as a sequence
of @acronym{ASCII} characters with no special encoding or conversion,
similar to the @kbd{M-x find-file-literally} command
(@pxref{Visiting}).

@findex write-region
  @kbd{M-x write-region} is the inverse of @kbd{M-x insert-file}; it
copies the contents of the region into the specified file.  @kbd{M-x
append-to-file} adds the text of the region to the end of the
specified file.  @xref{Accumulating Text}.  The variable
@code{write-region-inhibit-fsync} applies to these commands, as well
as saving files; see @ref{Customize Save}.

@findex delete-file
@cindex deletion (of files)
@vindex delete-by-moving-to-trash
  @kbd{M-x delete-file} deletes the specified file, like the @code{rm}
command in the shell.  If you are deleting many files in one
directory, it may be more convenient to use Dired rather than
@code{delete-file}.  @xref{Dired}.

@cindex trash
@cindex recycle bin
  On some systems, there is a facility called the ``Trash'' (or
``Recycle Bin''); ``deleting'' a file normally means moving it into
the Trash, and you can bring the file back from the Trash if you later
change your mind.  By default, Emacs does @emph{not} use the Trash for
file deletion---when Emacs deletes a file, it is gone forever.  You
can tell Emacs to use the Trash by changing the variable
@code{delete-by-moving-to-trash} to @code{t}.  This applies to file
deletion via @kbd{M-x delete-file}, as well as @kbd{M-x
delete-directory} (@pxref{Directories}) and file deletion in Dired
(@pxref{Dired Deletion}).  In addition, you can explicitly move a file
into the Trash with the command @kbd{M-x move-file-to-trash}.

@findex rename-file
  @kbd{M-x rename-file} reads two file names @var{old} and @var{new} using
the minibuffer, then renames file @var{old} as @var{new}.  If the file name
@var{new} already exists, you must confirm with @kbd{yes} or renaming is not
done; this is because renaming causes the old meaning of the name @var{new}
to be lost.  If @var{old} and @var{new} are on different file systems, the
file @var{old} is copied and deleted.

  If the argument @var{new} is just a directory name, the real new
name is in that directory, with the same non-directory component as
@var{old}.  For example, @kbd{M-x rename-file RET ~/foo RET /tmp RET}
renames @file{~/foo} to @file{/tmp/foo}.  The same rule applies to all
the remaining commands in this section.  All of them ask for
confirmation when the new file name already exists, too.

@findex add-name-to-file
@cindex hard links (creation)
  The similar command @kbd{M-x add-name-to-file} is used to add an
additional name to an existing file without removing its old name.
The new name is created as a ``hard link'' to the existing file.
The new name must belong on the same file system that the file is on.
On MS-Windows, this command works only if the file resides in an NTFS
file system.  On MS-DOS, it works by copying the file.

@findex copy-file
@findex copy-directory
@cindex copying files
  @kbd{M-x copy-file} reads the file @var{old} and writes a new file
named @var{new} with the same contents.  @kbd{M-x copy-directory} does
the same for directories, by recursive copying all files and
subdirectories.

@findex make-symbolic-link
@cindex symbolic links (creation)
  @kbd{M-x make-symbolic-link} reads two file names @var{target} and
@var{linkname}, then creates a symbolic link named @var{linkname},
which points at @var{target}.  The effect is that future attempts to
open file @var{linkname} will refer to whatever file is named
@var{target} at the time the opening is done, or will get an error if
the name @var{target} is nonexistent at that time.  This command does
not expand the argument @var{target}, so that it allows you to specify
a relative name as the target of the link.

  Not all systems support symbolic links; on systems that don't
support them, this command is not defined.

@findex set-file-modes
@cindex file modes
@cindex file permissions
  @kbd{M-x set-file-modes} reads a file name followed by a @dfn{file
mode}, and applies that file mode to the specified file.  File modes,
also called @dfn{file permissions}, determine whether a file can be
read, written to, or executed, and by whom.  This command reads file
modes using the same symbolic or octal format accepted by the
@command{chmod} command; for instance, @samp{u+x} means to add
execution permission for the user who owns the file.  It has no effect
on operating systems that do not support file modes.  @code{chmod} is a
convenience alias for this function.

@node Compressed Files
@section Accessing Compressed Files
@cindex compression
@cindex uncompression
@cindex Auto Compression mode
@cindex mode, Auto Compression
@pindex gzip

  Emacs automatically uncompresses compressed files when you visit
them, and automatically recompresses them if you alter them and save
them.  Emacs recognizes compressed files by their file names.  File
names ending in @samp{.gz} indicate a file compressed with
@code{gzip}.  Other endings indicate other compression programs.

  Automatic uncompression and compression apply to all the operations in
which Emacs uses the contents of a file.  This includes visiting it,
saving it, inserting its contents into a buffer, loading it, and byte
compiling it.

@findex auto-compression-mode
@vindex auto-compression-mode
  To disable this feature, type the command @kbd{M-x
auto-compression-mode}.  You can disable it permanently by
customizing the variable @code{auto-compression-mode}.

@node File Archives
@section File Archives
@cindex mode, tar
@cindex Tar mode
@cindex file archives

  A file whose name ends in @samp{.tar} is normally an @dfn{archive}
made by the @code{tar} program.  Emacs views these files in a special
mode called Tar mode which provides a Dired-like list of the contents
(@pxref{Dired}).  You can move around through the list just as you
would in Dired, and visit the subfiles contained in the archive.
However, not all Dired commands are available in Tar mode.

  If Auto Compression mode is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files}), then
Tar mode is used also for compressed archives---files with extensions
@samp{.tgz}, @code{.tar.Z} and @code{.tar.gz}.

  The keys @kbd{e}, @kbd{f} and @key{RET} all extract a component file
into its own buffer.  You can edit it there, and if you save the
buffer, the edited version will replace the version in the Tar buffer.
@kbd{v} extracts a file into a buffer in View mode.  @kbd{o} extracts
the file and displays it in another window, so you could edit the file
and operate on the archive simultaneously.  @kbd{d} marks a file for
deletion when you later use @kbd{x}, and @kbd{u} unmarks a file, as in
Dired.  @kbd{C} copies a file from the archive to disk and @kbd{R}
renames a file within the archive.  @kbd{g} reverts the buffer from
the archive on disk.

  The keys @kbd{M}, @kbd{G}, and @kbd{O} change the file's permission
bits, group, and owner, respectively.

  If your display supports colors and the mouse, moving the mouse
pointer across a file name highlights that file name, indicating that
you can click on it.  Clicking @kbd{Mouse-2} on the highlighted file
name extracts the file into a buffer and displays that buffer.

  Saving the Tar buffer writes a new version of the archive to disk with
the changes you made to the components.

  You don't need the @code{tar} program to use Tar mode---Emacs reads
the archives directly.  However, accessing compressed archives
requires the appropriate uncompression program.

@cindex Archive mode
@cindex mode, archive
@cindex @code{arc}
@cindex @code{jar}
@cindex @code{rar}
@cindex @code{zip}
@cindex @code{lzh}
@cindex @code{zoo}
@pindex arc
@pindex jar
@pindex zip
@pindex rar
@pindex lzh
@pindex zoo
@cindex Java class archives
@cindex unzip archives
  A separate but similar Archive mode is used for archives produced by
the programs @code{arc}, @code{jar}, @code{lzh}, @code{zip},
@code{rar}, and @code{zoo}, which have extensions corresponding to the
program names.  Archive mode also works for those @code{exe} files
that are self-extracting executables.

  The key bindings of Archive mode are similar to those in Tar mode,
with the addition of the @kbd{m} key which marks a file for subsequent
operations, and @kbd{M-@key{DEL}} which unmarks all the marked files.
Also, the @kbd{a} key toggles the display of detailed file
information, for those archive types where it won't fit in a single
line.  Operations such as renaming a subfile, or changing its mode or
owner, are supported only for some of the archive formats.

  Unlike Tar mode, Archive mode runs the archiving program to unpack
and repack archives.  Details of the program names and their options
can be set in the @samp{Archive} Customize group.  However, you don't
need these programs to look at the archive table of contents, only to
extract or manipulate the subfiles in the archive.

@node Remote Files
@section Remote Files

@cindex Tramp
@cindex FTP
@cindex remote file access
  You can refer to files on other machines using a special file name
syntax:

@example
@group
/@var{host}:@var{filename}
/@var{user}@@@var{host}:@var{filename}
/@var{user}@@@var{host}#@var{port}:@var{filename}
/@var{method}:@var{user}@@@var{host}:@var{filename}
/@var{method}:@var{user}@@@var{host}#@var{port}:@var{filename}
@end group
@end example

@noindent
To carry out this request, Emacs uses a remote-login program such as
@command{ftp}, @command{ssh}, @command{rlogin}, or @command{telnet}.
You can always specify in the file name which method to use---for
example, @file{/ftp:@var{user}@@@var{host}:@var{filename}} uses FTP,
whereas @file{/ssh:@var{user}@@@var{host}:@var{filename}} uses
@command{ssh}.  When you don't specify a method in the file name,
Emacs chooses the method as follows:

@enumerate
@item
If the host name starts with @samp{ftp.} (with dot), then Emacs uses
FTP.
@item
If the user name is @samp{ftp} or @samp{anonymous}, then Emacs uses
FTP.
@item
If the variable @code{tramp-default-method} is set to @samp{ftp},
then Emacs uses FTP.
@item
If @command{ssh-agent} is running, then Emacs uses @command{scp}.
@item
Otherwise, Emacs uses @command{ssh}.
@end enumerate

@cindex disabling remote files
@noindent
You can entirely turn off the remote file name feature by setting the
variable @code{tramp-mode} to @code{nil}.  You can turn off the
feature in individual cases by quoting the file name with @samp{/:}
(@pxref{Quoted File Names}).

  Remote file access through FTP is handled by the Ange-FTP package, which
is documented in the following.  Remote file access through the other
methods is handled by the Tramp package, which has its own manual.
@xref{Top, The Tramp Manual,, tramp, The Tramp Manual}.

When the Ange-FTP package is used, Emacs logs in through FTP using
your user name or the name @var{user}.  It may ask you for a password
from time to time (@pxref{Passwords}); this is used for logging in on
@var{host}.  The form using @var{port} allows you to access servers
running on a non-default TCP port.

@cindex backups for remote files
@vindex ange-ftp-make-backup-files
  If you want to disable backups for remote files, set the variable
@code{ange-ftp-make-backup-files} to @code{nil}.

  By default, the auto-save files (@pxref{Auto Save Files}) for remote
files are made in the temporary file directory on the local machine.
This is achieved using the variable @code{auto-save-file-name-transforms}.

@cindex ange-ftp
@vindex ange-ftp-default-user
@cindex user name for remote file access
  Normally, if you do not specify a user name in a remote file name,
that means to use your own user name.  But if you set the variable
@code{ange-ftp-default-user} to a string, that string is used instead.

@cindex anonymous FTP
@vindex ange-ftp-generate-anonymous-password
  To visit files accessible by anonymous FTP, you use special user
names @samp{anonymous} or @samp{ftp}.  Passwords for these user names
are handled specially.  The variable
@code{ange-ftp-generate-anonymous-password} controls what happens: if
the value of this variable is a string, then that string is used as
the password; if non-@code{nil} (the default), then the value of
@code{user-mail-address} is used; if @code{nil}, then Emacs prompts
you for a password as usual (@pxref{Passwords}).

@cindex firewall, and accessing remote files
@cindex gateway, and remote file access with @code{ange-ftp}
@vindex ange-ftp-smart-gateway
@vindex ange-ftp-gateway-host
  Sometimes you may be unable to access files on a remote machine
because a @dfn{firewall} in between blocks the connection for security
reasons.  If you can log in on a @dfn{gateway} machine from which the
target files @emph{are} accessible, and whose FTP server supports
gatewaying features, you can still use remote file names; all you have
to do is specify the name of the gateway machine by setting the
variable @code{ange-ftp-gateway-host}, and set
@code{ange-ftp-smart-gateway} to @code{t}.  Otherwise you may be able
to make remote file names work, but the procedure is complex.  You can
read the instructions by typing @kbd{M-x finder-commentary @key{RET}
ange-ftp @key{RET}}.

@node Quoted File Names
@section Quoted File Names

@cindex quoting file names
@cindex file names, quote special characters
  You can @dfn{quote} an absolute file name to prevent special
characters and syntax in it from having their special effects.
The way to do this is to add @samp{/:} at the beginning.

  For example, you can quote a local file name which appears remote, to
prevent it from being treated as a remote file name.  Thus, if you have
a directory named @file{/foo:} and a file named @file{bar} in it, you
can refer to that file in Emacs as @samp{/:/foo:/bar}.

  @samp{/:} can also prevent @samp{~} from being treated as a special
character for a user's home directory.  For example, @file{/:/tmp/~hack}
refers to a file whose name is @file{~hack} in directory @file{/tmp}.

  Quoting with @samp{/:} is also a way to enter in the minibuffer a
file name that contains @samp{$}.  In order for this to work, the
@samp{/:} must be at the beginning of the minibuffer contents.  (You
can also double each @samp{$}; see @ref{File Names with $}.)

  You can also quote wildcard characters with @samp{/:}, for visiting.
For example, @file{/:/tmp/foo*bar} visits the file
@file{/tmp/foo*bar}.

  Another method of getting the same result is to enter
@file{/tmp/foo[*]bar}, which is a wildcard specification that matches
only @file{/tmp/foo*bar}.  However, in many cases there is no need to
quote the wildcard characters because even unquoted they give the
right result.  For example, if the only file name in @file{/tmp} that
starts with @samp{foo} and ends with @samp{bar} is @file{foo*bar},
then specifying @file{/tmp/foo*bar} will visit only
@file{/tmp/foo*bar}.

@node File Name Cache
@section File Name Cache

@cindex file name caching
@cindex cache of file names
@pindex find
@kindex C-@key{TAB}
@findex file-cache-minibuffer-complete
  You can use the @dfn{file name cache} to make it easy to locate a
file by name, without having to remember exactly where it is located.
When typing a file name in the minibuffer, @kbd{C-@key{tab}}
(@code{file-cache-minibuffer-complete}) completes it using the file
name cache.  If you repeat @kbd{C-@key{tab}}, that cycles through the
possible completions of what you had originally typed.  (However, note
that the @kbd{C-@key{tab}} character cannot be typed on most text-only
terminals.)

  The file name cache does not fill up automatically.  Instead, you
load file names into the cache using these commands:

@findex file-cache-add-directory
@table @kbd
@item M-x file-cache-add-directory @key{RET} @var{directory} @key{RET}
Add each file name in @var{directory} to the file name cache.
@item M-x file-cache-add-directory-using-find @key{RET} @var{directory} @key{RET}
Add each file name in @var{directory} and all of its nested
subdirectories to the file name cache.
@item M-x file-cache-add-directory-using-locate @key{RET} @var{directory} @key{RET}
Add each file name in @var{directory} and all of its nested
subdirectories to the file name cache, using @command{locate} to find
them all.
@item M-x file-cache-add-directory-list @key{RET} @var{variable} @key{RET}
Add each file name in each directory listed in @var{variable}
to the file name cache.  @var{variable} should be a Lisp variable
such as @code{load-path} or @code{exec-path}, whose value is a list
of directory names.
@item M-x file-cache-clear-cache @key{RET}
Clear the cache; that is, remove all file names from it.
@end table

  The file name cache is not persistent: it is kept and maintained
only for the duration of the Emacs session.  You can view the contents
of the cache with the @code{file-cache-display} command.

@node File Conveniences
@section Convenience Features for Finding Files

  In this section, we introduce some convenient facilities for finding
recently-opened files, reading file names from a buffer, and viewing
image files.

@findex recentf-mode
@vindex recentf-mode
@findex recentf-save-list
@findex recentf-edit-list
  If you enable Recentf mode, with @kbd{M-x recentf-mode}, the
@samp{File} menu includes a submenu containing a list of recently
opened files.  @kbd{M-x recentf-save-list} saves the current
@code{recent-file-list} to a file, and @kbd{M-x recentf-edit-list}
edits it.

  The @kbd{M-x ffap} command generalizes @code{find-file} with more
powerful heuristic defaults (@pxref{FFAP}), often based on the text at
point.  Partial Completion mode offers other features extending
@code{find-file}, which can be used with @code{ffap}.
@xref{Completion Options}.

@findex image-mode
@findex image-toggle-display
@cindex images, viewing
  Visiting image files automatically selects Image mode.  This major
mode allows you to toggle between displaying the file as an image in
the Emacs buffer, and displaying its underlying text representation,
using the command @kbd{C-c C-c} (@code{image-toggle-display}).  This
works only when Emacs can display the specific image type.  If the
displayed image is wider or taller than the frame, the usual point
motion keys (@kbd{C-f}, @kbd{C-p}, and so forth) cause different parts
of the image to be displayed.

@findex thumbs-mode
@findex mode, thumbs
  See also the Image-Dired package (@pxref{Image-Dired}) for viewing
images as thumbnails.

@node Filesets
@section Filesets
@cindex filesets

@findex filesets-init
  If you regularly edit a certain group of files, you can define them
as a @dfn{fileset}.  This lets you perform certain operations, such as
visiting, @code{query-replace}, and shell commands on all the files
at once.  To make use of filesets, you must first add the expression
@code{(filesets-init)} to your @file{.emacs} file (@pxref{Init File}).
This adds a @samp{Filesets} menu to the menu bar.

@findex filesets-add-buffer
@findex filesets-remove-buffer
  The simplest way to define a fileset is by adding files to it one
at a time.  To add a file to fileset @var{name}, visit the file and
type @kbd{M-x filesets-add-buffer @kbd{RET} @var{name} @kbd{RET}}.  If
there is no fileset @var{name}, this creates a new one, which
initially creates only the current file.  The command @kbd{M-x
filesets-remove-buffer} removes the current file from a fileset.

  You can also edit the list of filesets directly, with @kbd{M-x
filesets-edit} (or by choosing @samp{Edit Filesets} from the
@samp{Filesets} menu).  The editing is performed in a Customize buffer
(@pxref{Easy Customization}).  Filesets need not be a simple list of
files---you can also define filesets using regular expression matching
file names.  Some examples of these more complicated filesets are
shown in the Customize buffer.  Remember to select @samp{Save for
future sessions} if you want to use the same filesets in future Emacs
sessions.

  You can use the command @kbd{M-x filesets-open} to visit all the
files in a fileset, and @kbd{M-x filesets-close} to close them.  Use
@kbd{M-x filesets-run-cmd} to run a shell command on all the files in
a fileset.  These commands are also available from the @samp{Filesets}
menu, where each existing fileset is represented by a submenu.

   Emacs uses the concept of a fileset elsewhere @pxref{Version
Control} to describe sets of files to be treated as a group for
purposes of version control operations.  Those filesets are unnamed
and do not persist across Emacs sessions.