This is Info file ../info/dired.info, produced by Makeinfo-1.63 from
the input file dired.texi.

   This file documents Tree Dired, the GNU Emacs Directory Browser, and
most of the extra features available as an option.

   Copyright (C) 1991, 1992 Free Software Foundation

   Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
preserved on all copies.

   Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of
this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also
that the section entitled "GNU General Public License" is included
exactly as in the original, and provided that the entire resulting
derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice
identical to this one.

   Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this
manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified
versions, except that the section entitled "GNU General Public License"
may be included in a translation approved by the author instead of in
the original English.


File: dired.info,  Node: Dired User Options,  Next: Dired Configuration,  Prev: Dired Customization,  Up: Dired Customization

Customization of Dired
----------------------

The following variables are for personal customization in your
`~/.emacs' file.  For example, include a line similar to the following

     (setq dired-listing-switches "-Alt")  ; sort on time, ignore . and ..

   to set your favorite Dired listing switches.

`dired-listing-switches'
     Default: `"-al"'

     Switches passed to `ls' for Dired. Must contain the `l' option.

`dired-trivial-filenames'
     Default: `"^\\.\\.?$\\|^#"'

     Regexp of files to skip when moving point to the first file of a
     new directory listing.  Nil means move to the subdirectory line, t
     means move to first file.

`dired-marker-char'
     Default: `?*' (`?*' is the Lisp notation for the character `*'.)

     In Dired, character used to mark files for later commands.

     This is a variable so that one can write things like

          (let ((dired-marker-char ?X))
             ;; great code using X markers ...
             )

`dired-del-marker'
     Default: `?D'

     Character used to flag files for deletion.

     Usually, marking for commands and flagging for deletion are
     separate features.  (Internally they use the same marking
     mechanism.)  You type `d' to flag with `D' and `x' to delete the
     `D'-flagged files.

     This explains how to make deletion behave just like a special case
     of the general file marking feature, so that you type `m' to mark
     with `*' (as usual) and `d' to delete the `*' (or next N) files:
     In your `~/.emacs', include

          (setq dired-del-marker dired-marker-char) ; use * also for deletions
          (setq dired-load-hook
                (function
                 (lambda ()
                   ;; other customizations here
                   ;; let "d" do the actual deletion:
                   (define-key dired-mode-map "d" 'dired-do-delete))))

     If you do not like that `d' defaults to the current file if there
     are no marks, replace the `define-key' statement in
     `dired-load-hook' above with this one:

              (define-key dired-mode-map "d" 'dired-do-deletions)

`dired-shrink-to-fit'
     Default: `(if (fboundp 'baud-rate) (> (baud-rate)
     search-slow-speed) t)'

     Whether Dired shrinks the display buffer to fit the marked files.

`dired-no-confirm'
     Default: `nil'

     If non-nil, list of commands Dired should not confirm.
     Confirmation for commands that require an argument to be entered
     (like the shell command for `!') means a list of marked files is
     displayed in a pop-up buffer.  Confirmation for commands that do
     not require an argument (like compressing with `C') means you have
     to confirm by typing `y' or `SPC'.

     Except `nil', it can be a sublist of

          '(byte-compile chgrp chmod chown compress copy delete hardlink load
            move print shell symlink uncompress)

     to suppress confirmation for just those commands.

`dired-keep-marker-move'
     Default: `t'

     If nil, moved files are not marked.

     If t, moved marked files are marked with the same marker they had
     before (maybe none if you used the prefix argument to specify the
     next N files).

     If a character, moved files (marked or not) are marked with that
     character.

     This also applies to the following, similar variables for copied,
     and hard or symbolically linked files:

`dired-keep-marker-copy'
     Default: `?C'

`dired-keep-marker-hardlink'
     Default: `?H'

`dired-keep-marker-symlink'
     Default: `?Y'

`dired-dwim-target'
     Default: `nil'

     If non-nil, Dired tries to guess a default target directory: If
     there is a Dired buffer displayed in the next window, use its
     current subdirectory, instead of the current subdirectory of this
     Dired buffer.

     The target is used in the prompt for file copy, move etc., *Note
     Copy and Move Into a Directory::.

`dired-copy-preserve-time'
     Default: `nil'

     If non-nil, Dired preserves the last-modified time in a file copy.
     (This works on only some systems.)  Use `c' (`dired-do-copy') with
     a zero prefix argument to toggle its value.  The prompt of copy
     commands will display `Copy [-p]' instead of just `Copy' if
     preservation of file times is turned on.

`dired-backup-if-overwrite'
     Default: `nil'

     Non-nil if Dired should ask about making backups before
     overwriting files.  Special value `'always' suppresses
     confirmation.


File: dired.info,  Node: Dired Configuration,  Next: Dired Hooks,  Prev: Dired User Options,  Up: Dired Customization

Dired Configuration
-------------------

   The following variables should have already been installed correctly
by your system manager.  If not, you can still set them in your
`~/.emacs' file.

`dired-chown-program'
     Pathname of chown command, default `"chown"' (or `"/etc/chown"' on
     System V derived systems.)

`dired-ls-program'
     Absolute or relative name of the `ls' program used by Dired,
     default `"ls"'.

`dired-ls-F-marks-symlinks'
     Set this to `t' if dired-ls-program with `-lF' marks the symbolic
     link itself with a trailing `@' (usually the case under Ultrix).

     Example: If

          ln -s foo bar; ls -F bar

     gives

          bar -> foo

     set it to `nil', if it gives

          bar@ -> foo

     set it to `t'.

     Dired checks if there is really a @ appended.  Thus, if you have a
     marking `ls' program on one host and a non-marking one on another
     host, and do not care about symbolic links which really end in a
     @, you can always set this variable to `t'.


File: dired.info,  Node: Dired Hooks,  Prev: Dired Configuration,  Up: Dired Customization

Dired Hooks
-----------

Hook variables can contain functions that are run at certain times in
Dired.

`dired-load-hook'
     Run after loading Dired.  You can customize key bindings or load
     extensions with this.  For example:

          (setq dired-load-hook
                (function
                 (lambda ()
                  ;; Load extras:
                  (load "dired-x")
                  ;; How to define your own key bindings:
                  (define-key dired-mode-map " " 'scroll-up)
                  (define-key dired-mode-map "b" 'scroll-down))))

`dired-mode-hook'
     Run at the very end of `dired-mode', after most buffer local
     variables have been initialized (e.g., `default-directory' and
     `dired-directory'), but before the directory listing has been read
     in.

     Do buffer local things here, for example:

          (setq dired-mode-hook
                (function
                 (lambda ()
                   (dired-extra-startup)	 ;; dired-extra support
                   ;; How to set (local) variables in each new Dired buffer:
                   (setq case-fold-search t)
                   (setq truncate-lines t))))

     Since the listing has not yet been inserted you could still change
     `dired-actual-switches'.  For example, if you use `ange-ftp.el',
     you might want to replace the `-A' with the `-a' switch, depending
     on whether `default-directory' corresponds to a System V hosts
     that does not understand all BSD `ls' switches.  The
     `dired.README' file gives an example.  If you set
     `dired-actual-switches' remember that you may also have to set
     `dired-sort-mode' to the appropriate string so that the modeline
     looks right.

     Do not set `dired-mode-hook' inside your `dired-load-hook', simply
     set it somewhere in your `~/.emacs' (before Dired is loaded, if
     you explicitly load Dired).  This is so that extensions packages
     loaded via the load hook can add things to the `dired-mode-hook' at
     the front or at the end, as they see fit.

     In case you set `truncate-lines' to `t' as in the above example,
     here is a function to toggle the value of `truncate-lines', in
     Dired and other buffers:
          (defun set-truncate-lines ()
            "Toggle value of truncate-lines and refresh window display."
            (interactive)
            (setq truncate-lines (not truncate-lines))
            ;; now refresh window display (an idiom from simple.el):
            (save-excursion
              (set-window-start (selected-window)
                                (window-start (selected-window)))))
     You could bind it to `C-x 4 $':
          (define-key ctl-x-4-map "$" 'set-truncate-lines)
     It is sometimes useful to toggle `truncate-lines' in Dired buffers
     to make long filenames completely visible and get the listing
     properly aligned again.

`dired-before-readin-hook'
     This hook is run before a dired buffer is newly read in (created
     or reverted).

`dired-after-readin-hook'
     After each listing of a file or directory, this hook is run with
     the buffer narrowed to the listing.

     The `dired-subdir-alist' has already been updated so that the usual
     Dired functions like `dired-get-filename' work.  It is possible to
     modify the buffer with this hook.  The package `dired-x.el' does
     this to implement omitting certain uninteresting files from a Dired
     buffer.  Under X11, highlighting of certain files is also possible
     (see package `dired-x11.el').


File: dired.info,  Node: Tree Dired Extra,  Next: Dired Internals,  Prev: Dired,  Up: Top

Tree Dired Extra features
*************************

   Numerous "extra" features are available, such as omitting certain
files from listings, minibuffer history, RCS related commands, and more.

* Menu:

* Tree Dired Extra Features::
* Dired Minibuffer History::
* Inserting All Marked Subdirectories::
* Dynamic Dired Markers::
* Omitting Files in Dired::
* Advanced Dired Mark Commands::
* Virtual Dired::
* Multiple Dired Directories::
* Dired Local Variables::
* Making Relative Symbolic Links in Dired::
* Letting Dired Guess What Shell Command to Apply::
* dired-trns.el::		Filename Transformers for Dired Shell Commands
* dired-cd.el::			Changing the Working Directory for Dired Shell Commands
* dired-nstd.el::		Nested Dired format
* find-dired.el::		Feeding Find Output to Dired


File: dired.info,  Node: Tree Dired Extra Features,  Next: Dired Minibuffer History,  Prev: Tree Dired Extra,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Tree Dired Extra Features
=========================

   The rest of this manual describes the extra features provided by the
file `dired-x.el' and some other files.

   To take advantage of these features, you must load the file and set
some variables and hooks.  See the accompanying `dired-x.README' file
for details and a template of code to insert in your `.emacs'.

   Miscellanous features not fitting anywhere else:

   Variables:

`dired-find-subdir'
     Default: `nil'

     If non-nil, Dired does not make a new buffer for a directory if it
     can be found (perhaps as subdirectory) in some existing Dired
     buffer.

     If there are several Dired buffers for a directory, the most
     recently used is chosen.

     Dired avoids switching to the current buffer, so that if you have a
     normal and a wildcard buffer for the same directory, `C-x d RET'
     will toggle between those two.

`M-g'
     (`dired-goto-file') Goto file line of a file (or directory).

`M-G'
     (`dired-goto-subdir') Goto headerline of an inserted directory.
     This commands reads its argument with completion over the names of
     the inserted subdirectories.

`&'
     (`dired-do-background-shell-command') Run a shell command on the
     marked files, in the background.  This requires `background.el'
     from Olin Shiver's comint package to work.  Note that you can type
     input to the command in its buffer.

`w'
     (`dired-copy-filename-as-kill') The `w' command puts the names of
     the marked (or next N) files into the kill ring, as if you had
     killed them with `C-w'.  With a zero prefix argument N=0, use the
     complete pathname of each file.  With a raw (just `C-u') prefix
     argument, use the relative pathname of each marked file.  As a
     special case, if no prefix argument is given and point is on a
     directory headerline, it gives you the name of that directory,
     without looking for marked files.

     The list of names is also stored onto the variable
     `dired-marked-files' for use, e.g., in an `ESC ESC'
     (`eval-expression') command.

     As this command also displays what was pushed onto the kill ring
     you can use it to display the list of currently marked files in the
     echo area (unless you happen to be on a subdirectory headerline).

     You can then feed the file name to other Emacs commands with `C-y'.
     For example, say you want to rename a long filename to a slightly
     different name.  First type `w' to push the old name onto the kill
     ring.  Then type `r' to rename it and use `C-y' inside `r''s
     minibuffer prompt to insert the old name at a convenient place.

`T'
     (`dired-do-toggle') Toggle marks.  That is, currently marked files
     become unmarked and vice versa.  Files marked with other flags
     (such as `D') are not affected.  The special directories `.' and
     `..' are never toggled.


File: dired.info,  Node: Dired Minibuffer History,  Next: Inserting All Marked Subdirectories,  Prev: Tree Dired Extra Features,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Minibuffer History for Dired Shell Commands
===========================================

   If `dired-x.el' determines at load-time that the Gmhist package is
available, the Dired shell commands `!' and `&' maintain a history of
commands.  Use `M-p' and `M-n' to scroll through them while you are
prompted in the minibuffer for a shell command.  *Note Gmhist Keys in
the Minibuffer: (gmhist)Gmhist Keys in the Minibuffer, for more info.

   Gmhist also handles defaults:

`dired-dangerous-shell-command'
     Default: `"rm"'

     Regexp for dangerous shell commands that should never be the
     default.  It is deliberately chosen to match `rm' anywhere in the
     command, e.g. in `rmdir'.


File: dired.info,  Node: Inserting All Marked Subdirectories,  Next: Dynamic Dired Markers,  Prev: Dired Minibuffer History,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Insert all marked subdirectories
================================

`I'
     (`dired-do-insert-subdir') Insert all marked subdirectories that
     are not already inserted.  Non-directories are silently ignored.

     Thus type `/I' to insert one more level of subdirectories.  You can
     repeat this until no new directories are inserted to fully expand
     the directory tree in this buffer.  As a faster alternative, use
     the prefix argument for `C-x d' (`dired') to add `R' to the
     switches.


File: dired.info,  Node: Dynamic Dired Markers,  Next: Omitting Files in Dired,  Prev: Inserting All Marked Subdirectories,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Dynamic Marker Characters
=========================

   You can change the marker character from its usual value `*' to
something else.  Use this to mark a different set of files while keeping
the information on the already marked files.  You can nest several
marker characters.  The current stack of marker characters is displayed
in the Dired mode line, and all prompts of mark-using commands mention
to which marker they apply.

`('
     (`dired-set-marker-char') Set the marker character to something
     else.  Use `)' to restore the previous value.

`)'
     (`dired-restore-marker-char') Restore the marker character to its
     previous value.  Uses `dired-default-marker' if the marker stack is
     empty.

   Instead of using `m' inside a `('...`)', you can mark files "in
passing" with, say `Z' without changing the current marker character.
You will probably later use `(' to temporarily make `Z' to the marker
and do something on the `Z'-files, and then return using `)'.

`dired-mark-keys'
     Default: `'("Z")'

     List of keys (strings) that insert themselves as file markers.


File: dired.info,  Node: Omitting Files in Dired,  Next: Advanced Dired Mark Commands,  Prev: Dynamic Dired Markers,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Omitting Files in Dired
=======================

   "Omitting" a file means removing it from the directory listing.
Omitting is useful for keeping Dired buffers free of uninteresting files
(for instance, auto-save, auxiliary, backup, and revision control files)
so that the user can concentrate on the interesting files.  Like hidden
files, omitted files are never seen by Dired.  *Note Hiding in Dired:
(dired)Dired Hiding.  Omitting differs from hiding in several respects:

   * Omitting works on individual files, not on directories; an entire
     directory cannot be omitted (though each of its files could be).

   * Omitting is wholesale; if omitting is turned on for a dired
     buffer, then all "uninteresting" files listed in that buffer are
     omitted.  The user does not omit (or unomit) files one at a time.

   * Omitting can be automatic; uninteresting file lines in the buffer
     can be removed before the user ever sees them.

   * Marked files are never omitted.

`M-o'
     (`dired-omit-toggle') Toggle between displaying and omitting
     "uninteresting" files.  With a prefix argument, don't toggle and
     just mark the files, but don't actually omit them.

   In order to make omitting work, you must have `dired-omit-expunge'
on your `dired-after-readin-hook', and you must call
`dired-omit-startup' (or `dired-extra-startup', which calls
`dired-omit-startup') in your `dired-mode-hook'.  Simply loading
`dired-x.el' inside `dired-load-hook' takes care of all this.

   The following variables can be used to customize omitting.

`dired-omit-files-p'
     Default: `nil'

     If non-nil, "uninteresting" files are not listed.  Uninteresting
     files are those whose filenames match regexp `dired-omit-files',
     plus those ending with extensions in `dired-omit-extensions'.
     `M-o' (`dired-omit-toggle') toggles its value, which is
     buffer-local.  Do

          (setq dired-omit-files-p t)

     inside your `dired-mode-hook' to have omitting initially turned on
     in every Dired buffer.  Since `dired-x.el' prepends the form
     `(dired-extra-startup)' to what you put yourself in your
     `dired-mode-hook', the `setq' will take place after
     `dired-omit-files-p' has already been made local to the current
     Dired buffer, so modelines of non-dired buffers are not affected.
     For this to work you shouldn't set `dired-mode-hook' inside
     `dired-load-hook', but directly in your `~/.emacs' (before Dired
     is loaded, if you explicitly load Dired).

     You can then use `M-o' to unomit in that buffer.

`dired-omit-files'
     Default: `"^#\\|\\.$"'

     Filenames matching this buffer-local regexp will not be displayed.
     This only has effect when `dired-omit-files-p' is t.

     The default value omits the special directories `.' and `..' and
     autosave files (plus other files ending in ".").

`dired-omit-extensions'
     Default: The elements of `completion-ignored-extensions',
     `latex-unclean-extensions', `bibtex-unclean-extensions' and
     `texinfo-unclean-extensions'.

     If non-nil, a list of extensions (strings) to omit from Dired
     listings.  Its format is the same as that of
     `completion-ignored-extensions'.

`dired-omit-localp'
     Default:  `'no-dir'

     The LOCALP argument `dired-omit-expunge' passes to
     `dired-get-filename'.  If it is `'no-dir', omitting is much
     faster, but you can only match against the non-directory part of
     the filename.  Set it to `nil' if you need to match the whole
     pathname or `t' to match the pathname relative to the buffer's
     top-level directory.

`dired-omit-marker-char'
     Default: `C-o'

     Temporary marker used by Dired to implement omitting.  Should
     never be used as marker by the user or other packages.  There is
     one exception to this rule: by doing
          (setq dired-mark-keys "\C-o")
          ;; i.e., the value of dired-omit-marker-char
          ;; (which is not defined yet)
     anywhere in your `~/.emacs', you will bind the `C-o' key to insert
     a C-o marker, thus causing these files to be omitted in addition
     to the usually omitted files.  Unfortunately the files you omitted
     manually this way will show up again after reverting the buffer,
     unlike the others.

   To avoid seeing RCS files and the RCS directory, do
     (setq dired-omit-files "\\.$\\|#\\|^RCS$\\|,v$")
   This assumes `dired-omit-localp' has its default value of `'no-dir'
to make the `^'-anchored matches work.  As a slower alternative, with
`dired-omit-localp' set to `nil', you can use `/' instead of `^' in the
regexp.

   If you use tib, the bibliography program for use with TeX and LaTeX,
you might want to omit the `INDEX' and the `-t.tex' files:
     (setq dired-omit-files "\\.$\\|#\\|^INDEX$\\|-t\\.tex$")


File: dired.info,  Node: Advanced Dired Mark Commands,  Next: Virtual Dired,  Prev: Omitting Files in Dired,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Advanced Mark Commands
======================

`M-('
     (`dired-mark-sexp') Mark files for which PREDICATE returns non-nil.
     With a prefix argument, unflag those files instead.

     The PREDICATE is a lisp expression that can refer to the following
     symbols:
    `inode'
          [integer] the inode of the file (only for `ls -i' output)

    `s'
          [integer] the size of the file for `ls -s' output (usually in
          blocks or, with `-k', in KBytes)

    `mode'
          [string]  file permission bits, e.g., `"-rw-r--r--"'

    `nlink'
          [integer] number of links to file

    `uid'
          [string]  owner

    `gid'
          [string]  group  (If the gid is not displayed by `ls', this
          will still be set (to the same as uid))

    `size'
          [integer] file size in bytes

    `time'
          [string]  the time that `ls' displays, e.g., `"Feb 12 14:17"'

    `name'
          [string]  the name of the file

    `sym'
          [string]  if file is a symbolic link, the linked-to name,
          else `""'

     For example, use
          (equal 0 size)
     to mark all zero length files.

     To find out all not yet compiled Emacs lisp files in a directory,
     dired all `.el' files in the lisp directory using the wildcard
     `*.el'.  Then use `M-(' with
          (not (file-exists-p (concat name "c")))
     to mark all `.el' files without a corresponding `.elc' file.

`M-M'
     (`dired-do-unmark') Unmark marked files by replacing the marker
     with another character.  The new character defaults to a space,
     effectively unmarking them.

`,'
     (`dired-mark-rcs-files') Mark all files that are under RCS control.
     With prefix argument, unflag all those files.  Mentions RCS files
     for which a working file was not found in this buffer.  Type `W'
     (`dired-why') to see them again.

`C-m C-c'
     (`C-m C-c' is the suggested binding for
     `dired-mark-files-compilation-buffer', it is not bound by default.)
     Mark the files mentioned in the `*compilation*' buffer.  With an
     argument, you may specify the other buffer and your own regexp
     instead of `compilation-error-regexp'.  Use `^.+$' (the default
     with a prefix argument) to match complete lines.  In conjunction
     with narrowing the other buffer you can mark an arbitrary list of
     files, one per line, with this command.  If your regexp contains a
     subexpression, i.e.  `\(...\)', that subexpression is taken for
     the file name, else the whole match is used.  Thus you can easily
     strip pre- and suffixes from filenames by using
     `PREFIX\(.+\)POSTFIX' as regexp.

     This is especially useful for a list of files obtained from `M-x
     grep' or output from a similar shell command.

`C-m C-d'
     (`C-m C-d' is the suggested binding for
     `dired-mark-files-from-other-dired-buffer', it is not bound by
     default.) Mark those files in this Dired buffer that have the same
     name as the marked files in the Dired buffer in the other window.

     In short, mark the corresponding files from the other Dired buffer.

`F'
     (`dired-do-find-file') Visit all marked files at once, and display
     them simultaneously.  If you want to keep the dired buffer
     displayed, type `C-x 2' first.  If you want just the marked files
     displayed and nothing else, type `C-x 1' first.

     The current window is split across all files.  Remaining lines go
     to the last window.

     The number of files that can be displayed this way is restricted
     by the height of the current window and the variable
     `window-min-height'.

`dired-mark-extension'
     Mark all files with a certain extension for use in later commands.
     A `.' is not automatically prepended to the string entered.

     When called from lisp, EXTENSION may also be a list of extensions
     and an optional argument MARKER-CHAR specifies the marker used.

`dired-flag-extension'
     Flag all files with a certain extension for deletion.  A `.' is
     *not* automatically prepended to the string entered.

`dired-clean-patch'
     Flag dispensable files created by the `patch' program for deletion.
     See variable `patch-unclean-extensions'.

`dired-clean-tex'
     Flag dispensable files created by TeX, LaTeX and `texinfo' for
     deletion.  See variables `tex-unclean-extensions',
     `texinfo-unclean-extensions', `latex-unclean-extensions' and
     `bibtex-unclean-extensions'.

   Variables used by the above cleanup commands (and in the default
value for variable `dired-omit-extensions'):

`patch-unclean-extensions'
     Default:  `'(".rej" ".orig")'

     List of extensions of dispensable files created by the `patch'
     program.

`tex-unclean-extensions'
     Default:  `'(".toc" ".log" ".aux")'

     List of extensions of dispensable files created by TeX.

`texinfo-unclean-extensions'
     Default: `'(".cp" ".cps" ".fn" ".fns" ".ky" ".kys" ".pg" ".pgs"
     ".tp" ".tps" ".vr" ".vrs")'

     List of extensions of dispensable files created by texinfo.

`latex-unclean-extensions'
     Default: `'(".idx" ".lof" ".lot" ".glo")'

     List of extensions of dispensable files created by LaTeX.

`bibtex-unclean-extensions'
     Default:  `'(".blg" ".bbl")'

     List of extensions of dispensable files created by BibTeX.


File: dired.info,  Node: Virtual Dired,  Next: Multiple Dired Directories,  Prev: Advanced Dired Mark Commands,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Virtual Dired
=============

   Using "Virtual Dired" means putting a buffer with Dired-like
contents in Dired mode.  The files described by the buffer contents need
not actually exist.  This is useful if you want to peruse an `ls -lR'
output file, for example one you got from an FTP server.  You can use
all motion commands usually available in Tree Dired.  You can also use
it to save a Dired buffer in a file and resume it in a later session.

   Type `M-x dired-virtual' to put the current buffer into virtual
Dired mode.  You will be prompted for the top level directory of this
buffer, with a default value guessed from the buffer contents.  To
convert the virtual to a real Dired buffer again, type `g' (which calls
`dired-virtual-revert') in the virtual Dired buffer and answer `y'.
You don't have to do this, though: you can relist single subdirectories
using `l' (`dired-do-redisplay') on the subdirectory headerline,
leaving the buffer in virtual Dired mode all the time.

   The function `dired-virtual-mode' is specially designed to turn on
virtual Dired mode from the `auto-mode-alist'.  To automatically edit
all `*.dired' files in virtual Dired mode, put this into your
`~/.emacs':

     (setq auto-mode-alist (cons '("[^/]\\.dired$" . dired-virtual-mode)
                                   auto-mode-alist))

   The regexp is a bit more complicated than usual to exclude ".dired"
local variable files.


File: dired.info,  Node: Multiple Dired Directories,  Next: Dired Local Variables,  Prev: Virtual Dired,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Multiple Dired Directories and Non-Dired Commands
=================================================

   An Emacs buffer can have but one working directory, stored in the
buffer-local variable `default-directory'.  A Dired buffer may have
several subdirectories inserted, but still has but one working
directory: that of the top level Dired directory in that buffer.  For
some commands it is appropriate that they use the current Dired
directory instead of `default-directory', e.g., `find-file' and
`compile'.

   A general mechanism is provided for special handling of the working
directory in special major modes:

`default-directory-alist'
     Default: `((dired-mode . (dired-current-directory)))'

     Alist of major modes and their opinion on `default-directory', as a
     lisp expression to evaluate.  A resulting value of `nil' is ignored
     in favor of `default-directory'.

`default-directory'
     Function with usage like variable `default-directory', but knows
     about the special cases in variable `default-directory-alist'.

   The following dired-x commands take special care about the current
Dired directory:

`find-this-file'
     Bind this to `C-x C-f' as a replacement for `find-file' that will
     prompt for the filename within the current Dired subdirectory, not
     the top level directory.

`find-this-file-other-window'
     Bind this to `C-x 4 C-f' as a replacement for
     `find-file-other-window'.

`dired-smart-shell-command'
     Like function `shell-command', but in the current Tree Dired
     directory.  Bound to `M-!' in Dired buffers.

`dired-smart-background-shell-command'
     Like function `background', but in the current Tree Dired
     directory.  Bound to `M-&' in Dired buffers.

`dired-jump-back'
     (Suggested binding `C-x j') Jump back to dired: If in a file, dired
     the current directory and move to file's line.  If in Dired
     already, pop up a level and goto old directory's line.  In case
     the proper Dired file line cannot be found, refresh the Dired
     buffer and try again.

`dired-jump-back-other-window'
     (Suggested binding `C-x 4 j') Like `dired-jump-back', but to other
     window.

`dired-vm'
     (`V') Run VM on this file (assumed to be a UNIX mail folder).
     Further `v' commands from within VM in that folder will default to
     the folder's directory, not the usual `vm-folder-directory'.

     If you give this command a prefix argument, it will visit the
     folder read-only.  This only works in VM 5, not VM 4.

     If the variable `dired-vm-read-only-folders' is t, `dired-vm' will
     visit all folders read-only.  If it is neither `nil' nor `t',
     e.g., the symbol `'if-file-read-only', only files not writable by
     you are visited read-only.  This is the recommended value if you
     run VM 5.

`dired-rmail'
     Run Rmail on this file (assumed to be mail folder in Rmail/BABYL
     format).


File: dired.info,  Node: Dired Local Variables,  Next: Making Relative Symbolic Links in Dired,  Prev: Multiple Dired Directories,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Local Variables for Dired Directories
=====================================

   When Dired visits a directory, it looks for a file whose name is the
value of variable `dired-local-variables-file' (default: `.dired').  If
such a file is found, Dired will temporarily insert it into the Dired
buffer and run `hack-local-variables'.  *Note Local Variables in Files:
(emacs)File Variables.  You can set `dired-local-variables-file' to
`nil' to suppress this.

   For example, put

     Local Variables:
     dired-actual-switches: "-lat"
     dired-sort-mode: " by date"
     End:

   into a `.dired' file of a directory to sort by date only in that
directory.  Note that since `dired-hack-local-variables' is run inside
`dired-mode-hook' the modeline has already been set, so you have to
update that for yourself by setting `dired-sort-mode' in addition to
changing the switches.


File: dired.info,  Node: Making Relative Symbolic Links in Dired,  Next: Letting Dired Guess What Shell Command to Apply,  Prev: Dired Local Variables,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Making Relative Symbolic Links in Dired
=======================================

   In GNU Emacs version 18, the built-in function `make-symbolic-link'
always calls `expand-file-name' on its arguments, so relative symlinks
(e.g.  `foo -> ../bar/foo') are impossible to create.

   Dired Extra uses `call-process' and `ln -s' for a workaround.

`dired-make-symbolic-link'
     Arguments NAME1 NAME2 and optional OK-IF-ALREADY-EXISTS.  Create
     file NAME2, a symbolic link pointing to NAME1 (which may be any
     string whatsoever and is passed untouched to `ln -s').
     OK-IF-ALREADY-EXISTS means that NAME2 will be overwritten if it
     already exists.  If it is an integer, user will be asked about
     this.  On error, signals a file-error.

`dired-make-relative-symlink'
     Three arguments: FILE1 FILE2 and optional OK-IF-ALREADY-EXISTS.
     Make a symbolic link FILE2 (pointing to FILE1).  The link is
     relative (if possible), for example

          (dired-make-relative-symlink "/vol/tex/bin/foo"
                                       "/vol/local/bin/foo")

     results in a link

          /vol/local/bin/foo -> ../../tex/bin/foo

`dired-do-relsymlink'
     (binding `S') Symbolically link all marked (or next N) files into
     a directory, or make a symbolic link to the current file.  This
     creates relative symbolic links like

              foo -> ../bar/foo

     not absolute ones like
              foo -> /ugly/path/that/may/change/any/day/bar/foo

`dired-do-relsymlink-regexp'
     (`%S') Symbolically link all marked files containing REGEXP to
     NEWNAME, using relative (not absolute) names.  See functions
     `dired-rename-regexp' and `dired-do-relsymlink' for more info.


File: dired.info,  Node: Letting Dired Guess What Shell Command to Apply,  Next: dired-trns.el,  Prev: Making Relative Symbolic Links in Dired,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Letting Dired Guess What Shell Command to Apply
===============================================

   Based upon the name of a filename, Dired tries to guess what shell
command you might want to apply to it.  For example, if you have point
on a file named `foo.tar' and you press `!', Dired will guess you want
to `tar xvf' it and suggest that as the default shell command.

   If you are using the `gmhist' package (*Note Dired Minibuffer
History::), the default will be mentioned in brackets and you can type
`M-p' to get the default into the minibuffer so that you can edit it,
e.g., changing `tar xvf' to `tar tvf'.  If there are several commands
for a given file, e.g., `xtex' and `dvips' for a `.dvi' file, you can
type `M-p' several times to see each of the matching commands.

   Dired only tries to guess a command for a single file, never for a
list of marked files.

`dired-auto-shell-command-alist-default'
     Predefined rules for shell commands.  Set this to nil to turn
     guessing off.  The elements of `dired-auto-shell-command-alist'
     (defined by the user) will override these rules.

`dired-auto-shell-command-alist'
     If non-nil, an alist of file regexps and their suggested commands
     overriding the predefined rules in
     `dired-auto-shell-command-alist-default'.

     Each element of the alist looks like

          (REGEXP COMMAND...)

     where each COMMAND can either be a string or a lisp expression
     that evaluates to a string.  If several COMMANDs are given, all
     will temporarily be pushed on the history.

     These rules take precedence over the predefined rules in the
     variable `dired-auto-shell-command-alist-default' (to which they
     are prepended when `dired-x' is loaded).

     You can set this variable in your `~/.emacs'.  For example, to add
     rules for `.foo' and `.bar' file extensions, write

          (setq dired-auto-shell-command-alist
                (list
                 (list "\\.foo$" "FOO-COMMAND");; fixed rule
                 ;; possibly more rules...
                 (list "\\.bar$";; rule with condition test
                        '(if CONDITION
                             "BAR-COMMAND-1"
                           "BAR-COMMAND-2"))))

     This will override any predefined rules for the same extensions.

`dired-guess-have-gnutar'
     Default: `nil'

     If non-nil, name of the GNU tar executable (e.g., `"tar"' or
     `"gnutar"').  GNU tar's `z' switch is used for compressed tar
     files.  If you don't have GNU tar, set this to nil: a pipe using
     `zcat' is then used.


File: dired.info,  Node: dired-trns.el,  Next: dired-cd.el,  Prev: Letting Dired Guess What Shell Command to Apply,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Filename Transformers for Dired Shell Commands
==============================================

   File name "transformers" are functions that take a filename (a
string) as an argument and transform it into some other string (e.g., a
filename without an extension).  This package makes transformers
available in Dired shell commands.

   For example, running the Dired shell command (type `!' or `M-x'
`dired-do-shell-command')

     echo * [b] [db]

   would list the full name, the basename, and the absolute basename of
each marked file.

   Each transformer is associated with a dispatch character. The
associations are stored in a keymap for fast and easy lookup. The
dispatch character is used to activate the associated transformer
function at a particular position in a shell command issued in Dired.
The dispatch character must be enclosed in brackets to distinguish it
from normal letters.

   To take advantage of this package, simply load it after loading
Dired, e.g., in your `dired-load-hook'.  You can then use transformers
like "[b]" for the basename in your Dired shell commands (see below).

   You can define your own transformers using the macro
`dired-trans-define'.

`dired-trans-define'
     Macro that assigns the transformer function `(lambda (file) BODY)'
     to CHAR (a character or string).  BODY must return a string: the
     transformed file.

   Several transformers are predefined:

`*'
     returns the unmodified filename (equivalent to `[dbe]').

`n'
     returns the Name component of a filename without directory
     information

`d'
     returns the Directory component of a filename

`b'
     returns the Basename of a filename, i.e., the name of the file
     without directory and extension (see variable `dired-trans-re-ext')
     A basename with directory component can be obtained by `[db]'.

`e'
     returns the Extension of a filename (i.e., whatever
     `dired-trans-re-ext' splits off)

`v'
     returns a file without directory and without `,v' suffixes if any.

`z'
     returns a file without directory and without `.Z' suffixes if any.

The following variables can be used to customize `dired-trns.el':

`dired-trans-re-ext'
     Default: `"\\.[^.]*\\(\\.Z\\)?$"'

     The part of a filename matching this regexp will be viewed as
     extension.

`dired-trans-starters'
     Default: `"[#[]"'

     User definable set of characters to be used to indicate the start
     of a transformer sequence.

`dired-trans-enders'
     Default: `"[]# ]"'

     User definable set of characters to be used to indicate the end of
     a transformer sequence.


File: dired.info,  Node: dired-cd.el,  Next: dired-nstd.el,  Prev: dired-trns.el,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Changing the Working Directory for Dired Shell Commands
=======================================================

   The package `dired-cd.el' permits the working directory of the Dired
shell commands `!' (`dired-do-shell-command') and `&'
(`dired-do-background-shell-command') to be the files' subdirectory
under certain circumstances.  Loading this extension does not change the
behavior of Dired until the variables `dired-cd-same-subdir' and/or
`dired-cd-on-each' are non-nil.

   If `dired-cd-same-subdir' is non-nil and if all the selected files
(marked, non-zero numeric argument, etc.) are in the same subdirectory,
then `dired-do-shell-command' and `dired-do-background-shell-command'
cause the shell to perform a `cd' into that directory before the
commands are executed.  Also, the selected filenames are provided to
the command without any directory components.

   If `dired-cd-on-each' is non-nil and if the `on-each' option is
specified (numeric argument of zero), then `!'
(`dired-do-shell-command') and `&'
(`dired-mark-background-shell-command') use a subshell to perform a
`cd' into the subdirectory of each file before the commands on that
file are executed.  Also, each filename is provided to the command
without any directory components.  Note that this behavior occurs
regardless of whether the files are all in the same directory or not.

   After the above `cd' wrapping has occured, the existing
`dired-shell-stuff-it' is used to do the actual file-name quoting and
substitution into the command.  Thus, custom versions of this procedure
should work, e.g., the `dired-trans' package will transform commands
correctly.  However, since filenames lack any directory components,
features that use the directory components will fail, e.g.  the `[d]'
transform specifier will be empty.

   To use this package, load it in your `dired-load-hook'.  Do

     (setq dired-cd-same-subdir t)

and perhaps

     (setq dired-cd-on-each t)

in your `~/.emacs'.  By default, `dired-cd' doesn't change the behavior
of Dired when it is loaded.

   If `dired-cd-same-subdir' is non-nil, then the shell commands `cd'
to the appropriate directory if all the selected files are in that
directory; however, on-each behavior (with zero prefix argument) is not
changed.

   If `dired-cd-on-each' is non-nil, then each instance of the command
for an on-each shell command runs in the file's directory regardless of
whether the files are all in the same directory.


File: dired.info,  Node: dired-nstd.el,  Next: find-dired.el,  Prev: dired-cd.el,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Nested Dired format
===================

   [NO DOCUMENTATION YET]

   This is still buggy, *Note Dired Known Problems::.


File: dired.info,  Node: find-dired.el,  Prev: dired-nstd.el,  Up: Tree Dired Extra

Feeding Find Output to Dired
============================

   The `find-dired' command runs the `find' command in a buffer and
starts Dired on the inserted file lines, even while `find' is still
running.  For example, with `-type d' as argument, you will get a Dired
buffer that contains all subdirectories of a given directory, but none
of the other files.

   Note that `find' just gives you file lines, not inserted
subdirectories with associated headerlines as repeated use of the `i'
(`dired-maybe-insert-subdir') command would.  Also, the names contain
slashes if they are in a subdirectory, which never occurs in a normal
Dired buffer.  Dired understands these names anyway and you can for
example type `f' on such lines as usual.  However, while `find' is
still running you shouldn't type `i' to insert subdirectories, since
new `find' output is always appended at the end.  Use `f' or `o'
instead to dired the specific subdirectory in a new Dired buffer.
After `find' has finished (as indicated by a message and the modeline)
all Dired commands work as usual.

`find-dired'
     Run `find' on a directory DIR, with find arguments ARGS, and go
     into dired-mode on a buffer of the output.  The command run (after
     changing into DIR) is
          find . \( ARGS \) -ls

`find-name-dired'
     Search DIR recursively for files matching the globbing pattern
     PATTERN, and run Dired on those files.  PATTERN is a shell
     wildcard (not an Emacs regexp) and need not be quoted.  The command
     run (after changing into DIR) is
              find . -name 'PATTERN' -ls

`find-grep-dired'
     Find files in directory DIR containing a regexp ARG and start
     Dired on output.  The command run (after changing into DIR) is
          find . -exec grep -s ARG {} \; -ls


File: dired.info,  Node: Dired Internals,  Next: Dired Known Problems,  Prev: Tree Dired Extra,  Up: Top

Dired Internals
***************

   This is a short introduction about how Dired's Tree and Mark features
work.  You are encouraged to read the code (`dired.el') for more
information.

* Menu:

* Tree Dired Internals::
* Dired Mark Internals::


File: dired.info,  Node: Tree Dired Internals,  Next: Dired Mark Internals,  Prev: Dired Internals,  Up: Dired Internals

Tree Dired Internals
====================

   In Tree Dired, instead of just one directory, all or part of the
directory *tree* starting at the top level directory (the working
directory or `default-directory' of the buffer) may be in a Dired
buffer.  Each file line belongs to exactly one of those subdirectories.
After the `ls' program has inserted its output, Dired parses the
buffer once to find out where the subdirectory boundaries are and saves
them in the variable `dired-subdir-alist'.  The beginning of the
headerline inserted by `ls' serves as boundary between subdirectories.

   Subsequent `i' (`dired-maybe-insert-subdir') commands update this
alist and insert the appropriate headerline.  Each retrieval of the
filename on the current line first extracts the basename (assuming a
more or less standard `ls' output format), and then function
`dired-current-directory' looks up the current Dired directory in
`dired-subdir-alist'.  The lookup is keyed on buffer position, as each
buffer position is between exactly two subdirectory boundaries.  (The
end of the buffer serves as an implicit subdirectory boundary.)

`dired-subdir-alist'
     Association list of subdirectories and their buffer positions:

          ((LASTDIR . LASTMARKER) ... (DEFAULT-DIRECTORY . FIRSTMARKER)).

     The markers point right before the beginning of the line, so that
     they separate subdirectories adjacent in the buffer.  The
     directories must be in the form returned by
     `file-name-as-directory'.

`dired-subdir-regexp'
     Value: "^. \\([^ \n\r]+\\)\\(:\\)[\n\r]"

     Regexp matching a maybe hidden subdirectory line in `ls -lR'
     output.  Subexpression 1 is subdirectory proper, no trailing
     colon.  The match starts at the beginning of the line and ends
     after the end of the line (`\n' or `\r').  Subexpression 2 must
     end right before the `\n' or `\r'.  This is so that Dired can
     easily check whether a subdirectory is hidden or not: hidden lines
     end with `\r' (`C-m') instead of a newline.

     This regexp used to be `"^. \\(/[^\n\r]*\\)\\(:\\)[\n\r]"',
     allowing spaces, but disallowing relative filenames (which occur
     when browsing ls -lR listing in virtual Dired mode, so I changed
     it).

     Note that `"^. \\([^\n\r]+\\)\\(:\\)[\n\r]"' (desirable since it
     allows both spaces and relative names) will not always work: if
     you have a file that ends in a colon, its whole line (including
     permission bits, date etc.) would be mistaken for a subdirectory
     headerline when parsing `ls -lR' output.

     `dired-subdir-regexp' is only relevant for parsing `ls -lR'
     output.  If Dired inserts subdirectories itself (using
     `dired-insert-subdir'), they will always be absolute and there is
     no restriction on the format of filenames, e.g., they can contain
     spaces.

