Jim Blandy <jimb at red-bean.com>
[bpt/emacs.git] / doc / emacs / dired.texi
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8cf51b2c
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1@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2@c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001,
3f548a7c 3@c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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4@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5@node Dired, Calendar/Diary, Rmail, Top
6@chapter Dired, the Directory Editor
59eda47f
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7@c This node is referenced in the tutorial. When renaming or deleting
8@c it, the tutorial needs to be adjusted.
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9@cindex Dired
10@cindex file management
11
12 Dired makes an Emacs buffer containing a listing of a directory, and
13optionally some of its subdirectories as well. You can use the normal
14Emacs commands to move around in this buffer, and special Dired commands
15to operate on the files listed.
16
17 The Dired buffer is ``read-only,'' and inserting text in it is not
18useful, so ordinary printing characters such as @kbd{d} and @kbd{x}
19are redefined for special Dired commands. Some Dired commands
20@dfn{mark} or @dfn{flag} the @dfn{current file} (that is, the file on
21the current line); other commands operate on the marked files or on
22the flagged files. You first mark certain files in order to operate
23on all of them with on command.
24
25 The Dired-X package provides various extra features for Dired mode.
26@xref{Top, Dired-X,,dired-x, Dired Extra Version 2 User's Manual}.
27
28@menu
29* Enter: Dired Enter. How to invoke Dired.
30* Navigation: Dired Navigation. Special motion commands in the Dired buffer.
31* Deletion: Dired Deletion. Deleting files with Dired.
32* Flagging Many Files:: Flagging files based on their names.
33* Visit: Dired Visiting. Other file operations through Dired.
34* Marks vs Flags:: Flagging for deletion vs marking.
35* Operating on Files:: How to copy, rename, print, compress, etc.
36 either one file or several files.
37* Shell Commands in Dired:: Running a shell command on the marked files.
38* Transforming File Names:: Using patterns to rename multiple files.
39* Comparison in Dired:: Running `diff' by way of Dired.
40* Subdirectories in Dired:: Adding subdirectories to the Dired buffer.
41@ifnottex
42* Subdir Switches:: Subdirectory switches in Dired.
43@end ifnottex
44* Subdirectory Motion:: Moving across subdirectories, and up and down.
45* Hiding Subdirectories:: Making subdirectories visible or invisible.
46* Updating: Dired Updating. Discarding lines for files of no interest.
47* Find: Dired and Find. Using `find' to choose the files for Dired.
48* Wdired:: Operating on files by editing the Dired buffer.
49* Image-Dired:: Viewing image thumbnails in Dired
50* Misc: Misc Dired Features. Various other features.
51@end menu
52
53@node Dired Enter
54@section Entering Dired
55
56@findex dired
57@kindex C-x d
58@vindex dired-listing-switches
59 To invoke Dired, do @kbd{C-x d} or @kbd{M-x dired}. The command
60reads a directory name or wildcard file name pattern as a minibuffer
61argument to specify the files to list. @kbd{C-x C-f} given a
62directory name also invokes Dired. Where @code{dired} differs from
63@code{list-directory} is that it puts the buffer into Dired mode, so
64that the special commands of Dired are available.
65
66 The variable @code{dired-listing-switches} specifies the options to
67give to @code{ls} for listing the directory; this string @emph{must}
68contain @samp{-l}. If you use a numeric prefix argument with the
69@code{dired} command, you can specify the @code{ls} switches with the
70minibuffer before you enter the directory specification. No matter
71how they are specified, the @code{ls} switches can include short
72options (that is, single characters) requiring no arguments, and long
73options (starting with @samp{--}) whose arguments are specified with
74@samp{=}.
75
76 On MS-Windows and MS-DOS systems, Emacs @emph{emulates} @code{ls};
77see @ref{ls in Lisp}, for options and peculiarities of that emulation.
78
79
80@findex dired-other-window
81@kindex C-x 4 d
82@findex dired-other-frame
83@kindex C-x 5 d
84 To display the Dired buffer in another window rather than in the
85selected window, use @kbd{C-x 4 d} (@code{dired-other-window}) instead
86of @kbd{C-x d}. @kbd{C-x 5 d} (@code{dired-other-frame}) uses a
87separate frame to display the Dired buffer.
88
89@node Dired Navigation
90@section Navigation in the Dired Buffer
91
92@kindex C-n @r{(Dired)}
93@kindex C-p @r{(Dired)}
94 All the usual Emacs cursor motion commands are available in Dired
95buffers. The keys @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} are redefined to put the
96cursor at the beginning of the file name on the line, rather than at
97the beginning of the line.
98
99@kindex SPC @r{(Dired)}
100 For extra convenience, @key{SPC} and @kbd{n} in Dired are equivalent
101to @kbd{C-n}. @kbd{p} is equivalent to @kbd{C-p}. (Moving by lines is
102so common in Dired that it deserves to be easy to type.) @key{DEL}
103(move up and unflag) is often useful simply for moving up.
104
105@findex dired-goto-file
106@kindex j @r{(Dired)}
107 @kbd{j} (@code{dired-goto-file}) moves point to the line that
108describes a specified file or directory.
109
110 Some additional navigation commands are available when the Dired
111buffer includes several directories. @xref{Subdirectory Motion}.
112
113@node Dired Deletion
114@section Deleting Files with Dired
115@cindex flagging files (in Dired)
116@cindex deleting files (in Dired)
117
118 One of the most frequent uses of Dired is to first @dfn{flag} files for
119deletion, then delete the files that were flagged.
120
121@table @kbd
122@item d
123Flag this file for deletion.
124@item u
125Remove deletion flag on this line.
126@item @key{DEL}
127Move point to previous line and remove the deletion flag on that line.
128@item x
129Delete the files that are flagged for deletion.
130@end table
131
132@kindex d @r{(Dired)}
133@findex dired-flag-file-deletion
134 You can flag a file for deletion by moving to the line describing
135the file and typing @kbd{d} (@code{dired-flag-file-deletion}). The
136deletion flag is visible as a @samp{D} at the beginning of the line.
137This command moves point to the next line, so that repeated @kbd{d}
138commands flag successive files. A numeric argument serves as a repeat
139count.
140
141@kindex u @r{(Dired deletion)}
142@kindex DEL @r{(Dired)}
143 The reason for flagging files for deletion, rather than deleting
144files immediately, is to reduce the danger of deleting a file
145accidentally. Until you direct Dired to delete the flagged files, you
146can remove deletion flags using the commands @kbd{u} and @key{DEL}.
147@kbd{u} (@code{dired-unmark}) works just like @kbd{d}, but removes
148flags rather than making flags. @key{DEL}
149(@code{dired-unmark-backward}) moves upward, removing flags; it is
150like @kbd{u} with argument @minus{}1.
151
152@kindex x @r{(Dired)}
153@findex dired-do-flagged-delete
154@cindex expunging (Dired)
155 To delete the flagged files, type @kbd{x}
156(@code{dired-do-flagged-delete}). (This is also known as
157@dfn{expunging}.) This command first displays a list of all the file
158names flagged for deletion, and requests confirmation with @kbd{yes}.
159If you confirm, Dired deletes the flagged files, then deletes their
160lines from the text of the Dired buffer. The Dired buffer, with
161somewhat fewer lines, remains selected.
162
163 If you answer @kbd{no} or quit with @kbd{C-g} when asked to confirm, you
164return immediately to Dired, with the deletion flags still present in
165the buffer, and no files actually deleted.
166
167@cindex recursive deletion
168@vindex dired-recursive-deletes
169 You can delete empty directories just like other files, but normally
170Dired cannot delete directories that are nonempty. If the variable
171@code{dired-recursive-deletes} is non-@code{nil}, then Dired can
172delete nonempty directories including all their contents. That can
173be somewhat risky.
174
175@node Flagging Many Files
176@section Flagging Many Files at Once
177@cindex flagging many files for deletion (in Dired)
178
179@table @kbd
180@item #
181Flag all auto-save files (files whose names start and end with @samp{#})
182for deletion (@pxref{Auto Save}).
183
184@item ~
185Flag all backup files (files whose names end with @samp{~}) for deletion
186(@pxref{Backup}).
187
188@item &
189Flag for deletion all files with certain kinds of names which suggest
190you could easily create those files again.
191
192@item .@: @r{(Period)}
193Flag excess numeric backup files for deletion. The oldest and newest
194few backup files of any one file are exempt; the middle ones are
195flagged.
196
197@item % d @var{regexp} @key{RET}
198Flag for deletion all files whose names match the regular expression
199@var{regexp}.
200@end table
201
202 The @kbd{#}, @kbd{~}, @kbd{&}, and @kbd{.} commands flag many files for
203deletion, based on their file names. These commands are useful
204precisely because they do not themselves delete any files; you can
205remove the deletion flags from any flagged files that you really wish to
206keep.@refill
207
208@kindex & @r{(Dired)}
209@findex dired-flag-garbage-files
210@vindex dired-garbage-files-regexp
211@cindex deleting some backup files
212 @kbd{&} (@code{dired-flag-garbage-files}) flags files whose names
213match the regular expression specified by the variable
214@code{dired-garbage-files-regexp}. By default, this matches certain
215files produced by @TeX{}, @samp{.bak} files, and the @samp{.orig} and
216@samp{.rej} files produced by @code{patch}.
217
218@kindex # @r{(Dired)}
219@findex dired-flag-auto-save-files
220@cindex deleting auto-save files
221 @kbd{#} (@code{dired-flag-auto-save-files}) flags for deletion all
222files whose names look like auto-save files---that is, files whose
223names begin and end with @samp{#}. @xref{Auto Save}.
224
225@kindex ~ @r{(Dired)}
226@findex dired-flag-backup-files
227 @kbd{~} (@code{dired-flag-backup-files}) flags for deletion all
228files whose names say they are backup files---that is, files whose
229names end in @samp{~}. @xref{Backup}.
230
231@kindex . @r{(Dired)}
232@vindex dired-kept-versions
233@findex dired-clean-directory
234 @kbd{.} (period, @code{dired-clean-directory}) flags just some of the
235backup files for deletion: all but the oldest few and newest few backups
236of any one file. Normally @code{dired-kept-versions} (@strong{not}
237@code{kept-new-versions}; that applies only when saving) specifies the
238number of newest versions of each file to keep, and
239@code{kept-old-versions} specifies the number of oldest versions to
240keep.
241
242 Period with a positive numeric argument, as in @kbd{C-u 3 .},
243specifies the number of newest versions to keep, overriding
244@code{dired-kept-versions}. A negative numeric argument overrides
245@code{kept-old-versions}, using minus the value of the argument to
246specify the number of oldest versions of each file to keep.
247
248@findex dired-flag-files-regexp
249@kindex % d @r{(Dired)}
250 The @kbd{% d} command flags all files whose names match a specified
251regular expression (@code{dired-flag-files-regexp}). Only the
252non-directory part of the file name is used in matching. You can use
253@samp{^} and @samp{$} to anchor matches. You can exclude certain
254subdirectories from marking by hiding them while you use @kbd{% d}.
255@xref{Hiding Subdirectories}.
256
257@node Dired Visiting
258@section Visiting Files in Dired
259
260 There are several Dired commands for visiting or examining the files
261listed in the Dired buffer. All of them apply to the current line's
262file; if that file is really a directory, these commands invoke Dired on
263that subdirectory (making a separate Dired buffer).
264
265@table @kbd
266@item f
267@kindex f @r{(Dired)}
268@findex dired-find-file
269Visit the file described on the current line, like typing @kbd{C-x C-f}
270and supplying that file name (@code{dired-find-file}). @xref{Visiting}.
271
272@item @key{RET}
273@itemx e
274@kindex RET @r{(Dired)}
275@kindex e @r{(Dired)}
276Equivalent to @kbd{f}.
277
278@ignore @c This command seems too risky to document at all.
279@item a
280@kindex a @r{(Dired)}
281@findex dired-find-alternate-file
282Like @kbd{f}, but replaces the contents of the Dired buffer with
283that of an alternate file or directory (@code{dired-find-alternate-file}).
284@end ignore
285
286@item o
287@kindex o @r{(Dired)}
288@findex dired-find-file-other-window
289Like @kbd{f}, but uses another window to display the file's buffer
290(@code{dired-find-file-other-window}). The Dired buffer remains visible
291in the first window. This is like using @kbd{C-x 4 C-f} to visit the
292file. @xref{Windows}.
293
294@item C-o
295@kindex C-o @r{(Dired)}
296@findex dired-display-file
297Visit the file described on the current line, and display the buffer in
298another window, but do not select that window (@code{dired-display-file}).
299
300@item Mouse-1
301@itemx Mouse-2
302@findex dired-mouse-find-file-other-window
303Visit the file named by the line you click on
304(@code{dired-mouse-find-file-other-window}). This uses another window
305to display the file, like the @kbd{o} command.
306
307@item v
308@kindex v @r{(Dired)}
309@findex dired-view-file
310View the file described on the current line, using @kbd{M-x view-file}
311(@code{dired-view-file}). Viewing a file with @code{view-file} is
312like visiting it, but is slanted toward moving around in the file
313conveniently and does not allow changing the file. @xref{Misc File
314Ops, View File, Miscellaneous File Operations}.
315
316@item ^
317@kindex ^ @r{(Dired)}
318@findex dired-up-directory
319Visit the parent directory of the current directory
320(@code{dired-up-directory}). This is equivalent to moving to the line
321for @file{..} and typing @kbd{f} there.
322@end table
323
324@node Marks vs Flags
325@section Dired Marks vs. Flags
326
327@cindex marking many files (in Dired)
328 Instead of flagging a file with @samp{D}, you can @dfn{mark} the
329file with some other character (usually @samp{*}). Most Dired
330commands to operate on files use the files marked with @samp{*}. The
331only command that operates on flagged files is @kbd{x}, which expunges
332them.
333
334 Here are some commands for marking with @samp{*}, for unmarking, and
335for operating on marks. (@xref{Dired Deletion}, for commands to flag
336and unflag files.)
337
338@table @kbd
339@item m
340@itemx * m
341@kindex m @r{(Dired)}
342@kindex * m @r{(Dired)}
343@findex dired-mark
344Mark the current file with @samp{*} (@code{dired-mark}). With a numeric
345argument @var{n}, mark the next @var{n} files starting with the current
346file. (If @var{n} is negative, mark the previous @minus{}@var{n}
347files.)
348
349@item * *
350@kindex * * @r{(Dired)}
351@findex dired-mark-executables
352@cindex marking executable files (in Dired)
353Mark all executable files with @samp{*}
354(@code{dired-mark-executables}). With a numeric argument, unmark all
355those files.
356
357@item * @@
358@kindex * @@ @r{(Dired)}
359@findex dired-mark-symlinks
360@cindex marking symbolic links (in Dired)
361Mark all symbolic links with @samp{*} (@code{dired-mark-symlinks}).
362With a numeric argument, unmark all those files.
363
364@item * /
365@kindex * / @r{(Dired)}
366@findex dired-mark-directories
367@cindex marking subdirectories (in Dired)
368Mark with @samp{*} all files which are directories, except for
369@file{.} and @file{..} (@code{dired-mark-directories}). With a numeric
370argument, unmark all those files.
371
372@item * s
373@kindex * s @r{(Dired)}
374@findex dired-mark-subdir-files
375Mark all the files in the current subdirectory, aside from @file{.}
376and @file{..} (@code{dired-mark-subdir-files}).
377
378@item u
379@itemx * u
380@kindex u @r{(Dired)}
381@kindex * u @r{(Dired)}
382@findex dired-unmark
383Remove any mark on this line (@code{dired-unmark}).
384
385@item @key{DEL}
386@itemx * @key{DEL}
387@kindex * DEL @r{(Dired)}
388@findex dired-unmark-backward
389@cindex unmarking files (in Dired)
390Move point to previous line and remove any mark on that line
391(@code{dired-unmark-backward}).
392
393@item * !
394@itemx U
395@kindex * ! @r{(Dired)}
396@kindex U @r{(Dired)}
397@findex dired-unmark-all-marks
398Remove all marks from all the files in this Dired buffer
399(@code{dired-unmark-all-marks}).
400
401@item * ? @var{markchar}
402@itemx M-@key{DEL}
403@kindex * ? @r{(Dired)}
404@kindex M-DEL @r{(Dired)}
405@findex dired-unmark-all-files
406Remove all marks that use the character @var{markchar}
407(@code{dired-unmark-all-files}). The argument is a single
408character---do not use @key{RET} to terminate it. See the description
409of the @kbd{* c} command below, which lets you replace one mark
410character with another.
411
412With a numeric argument, this command queries about each marked file,
413asking whether to remove its mark. You can answer @kbd{y} meaning yes,
414@kbd{n} meaning no, or @kbd{!} to remove the marks from the remaining
415files without asking about them.
416
417@item * C-n
418@itemx M-@}
419@findex dired-next-marked-file
420@kindex * C-n @r{(Dired)}
421@kindex M-@} @r{(Dired)}
422Move down to the next marked file (@code{dired-next-marked-file})
423A file is ``marked'' if it has any kind of mark.
424
425@item * C-p
426@itemx M-@{
427@findex dired-prev-marked-file
428@kindex * C-p @r{(Dired)}
429@kindex M-@{ @r{(Dired)}
430Move up to the previous marked file (@code{dired-prev-marked-file})
431
432@item t
433@itemx * t
434@kindex t @r{(Dired)}
435@kindex * t @r{(Dired)}
436@findex dired-toggle-marks
437@cindex toggling marks (in Dired)
438Toggle all marks (@code{dired-toggle-marks}): files marked with @samp{*}
439become unmarked, and unmarked files are marked with @samp{*}. Files
440marked in any other way are not affected.
441
442@item * c @var{old-markchar} @var{new-markchar}
443@kindex * c @r{(Dired)}
444@findex dired-change-marks
445Replace all marks that use the character @var{old-markchar} with marks
446that use the character @var{new-markchar} (@code{dired-change-marks}).
447This command is the primary way to create or use marks other than
448@samp{*} or @samp{D}. The arguments are single characters---do not use
449@key{RET} to terminate them.
450
451You can use almost any character as a mark character by means of this
452command, to distinguish various classes of files. If @var{old-markchar}
453is a space (@samp{ }), then the command operates on all unmarked files;
454if @var{new-markchar} is a space, then the command unmarks the files it
455acts on.
456
457To illustrate the power of this command, here is how to put @samp{D}
458flags on all the files that have no marks, while unflagging all those
459that already have @samp{D} flags:
460
461@example
462* c D t * c SPC D * c t SPC
463@end example
464
465This assumes that no files were already marked with @samp{t}.
466
467@item % m @var{regexp} @key{RET}
468@itemx * % @var{regexp} @key{RET}
469@findex dired-mark-files-regexp
470@kindex % m @r{(Dired)}
471@kindex * % @r{(Dired)}
472Mark (with @samp{*}) all files whose names match the regular expression
473@var{regexp} (@code{dired-mark-files-regexp}). This command is like
474@kbd{% d}, except that it marks files with @samp{*} instead of flagging
475with @samp{D}.
476
477Only the non-directory part of the file name is used in matching. Use
478@samp{^} and @samp{$} to anchor matches. You can exclude
479subdirectories by temporarily hiding them (@pxref{Hiding
480Subdirectories}).
481
482@item % g @var{regexp} @key{RET}
483@findex dired-mark-files-containing-regexp
484@kindex % g @r{(Dired)}
485@cindex finding files containing regexp matches (in Dired)
486Mark (with @samp{*}) all files whose @emph{contents} contain a match for
487the regular expression @var{regexp}
488(@code{dired-mark-files-containing-regexp}). This command is like
489@kbd{% m}, except that it searches the file contents instead of the file
490name.
491
492@item C-x u
493@itemx C-_
494@itemx C-/
495@kindex C-_ @r{(Dired)}
496@findex dired-undo
497Undo changes in the Dired buffer, such as adding or removing
498marks (@code{dired-undo}). @emph{This command does not revert the
499actual file operations, nor recover lost files!} It just undoes
500changes in the buffer itself.
501
502In some cases, using this after commands that operate on files can
503cause trouble. For example, after renaming one or more files,
504@code{dired-undo} restores the original names in the Dired buffer,
505which gets the Dired buffer out of sync with the actual contents of
506the directory.
507@end table
508
509@node Operating on Files
510@section Operating on Files
511@cindex operating on files in Dired
512
513 This section describes the basic Dired commands to operate on one file
514or several files. All of these commands are capital letters; all of
515them use the minibuffer, either to read an argument or to ask for
516confirmation, before they act. All of them let you specify the
517files to manipulate in these ways:
518
519@itemize @bullet
520@item
521If you give the command a numeric prefix argument @var{n}, it operates
522on the next @var{n} files, starting with the current file. (If @var{n}
523is negative, the command operates on the @minus{}@var{n} files preceding
524the current line.)
525
526@item
527Otherwise, if some files are marked with @samp{*}, the command operates
528on all those files.
529
530@item
531Otherwise, the command operates on the current file only.
532@end itemize
533
534@noindent
535Certain other Dired commands, such as @kbd{!} and the @samp{%}
536commands, use the same conventions to decide which files to work on.
537
538@vindex dired-dwim-target
539@cindex two directories (in Dired)
540 Commands which ask for a destination directory, such as those which
541copy and rename files or create links for them, try to guess the default
542target directory for the operation. Normally, they suggest the Dired
543buffer's default directory, but if the variable @code{dired-dwim-target}
544is non-@code{nil}, and if there is another Dired buffer displayed in the
545next window, that other buffer's directory is suggested instead.
546
547 Here are the file-manipulating Dired commands that operate on files.
548
549@table @kbd
550@findex dired-do-copy
551@kindex C @r{(Dired)}
552@cindex copying files (in Dired)
553@item C @var{new} @key{RET}
554Copy the specified files (@code{dired-do-copy}). The argument @var{new}
555is the directory to copy into, or (if copying a single file) the new
556name. This is like the shell command @code{cp}.
557
558@vindex dired-copy-preserve-time
559If @code{dired-copy-preserve-time} is non-@code{nil}, then copying
560with this command preserves the modification time of the old file in
561the copy, like @samp{cp -p}.
562
563@vindex dired-recursive-copies
564@cindex recursive copying
565The variable @code{dired-recursive-copies} controls whether to copy
566directories recursively (like @samp{cp -r}). The default is
567@code{nil}, which means that directories cannot be copied.
568
569@item D
570@findex dired-do-delete
571@kindex D @r{(Dired)}
572Delete the specified files (@code{dired-do-delete}). This is like the
573shell command @code{rm}.
574
575Like the other commands in this section, this command operates on the
576@emph{marked} files, or the next @var{n} files. By contrast, @kbd{x}
577(@code{dired-do-flagged-delete}) deletes all @dfn{flagged} files.
578
579@findex dired-do-rename
580@kindex R @r{(Dired)}
581@cindex renaming files (in Dired)
582@cindex moving files (in Dired)
583@item R @var{new} @key{RET}
584Rename the specified files (@code{dired-do-rename}). If you rename a
585single file, the argument @var{new} is the new name of the file. If
586you rename several files, the argument @var{new} is the directory into
587which to move the files (this is like the shell command @code{mv}).
588
589Dired automatically changes the visited file name of buffers associated
590with renamed files so that they refer to the new names.
591
592@findex dired-do-hardlink
593@kindex H @r{(Dired)}
594@cindex hard links (in Dired)
595@item H @var{new} @key{RET}
596Make hard links to the specified files (@code{dired-do-hardlink}).
597This is like the shell command @code{ln}. The argument @var{new} is
598the directory to make the links in, or (if making just one link) the
599name to give the link.
600
601@findex dired-do-symlink
602@kindex S @r{(Dired)}
603@cindex symbolic links (creation in Dired)
604@item S @var{new} @key{RET}
605Make symbolic links to the specified files (@code{dired-do-symlink}).
606This is like @samp{ln -s}. The argument @var{new} is the directory to
607make the links in, or (if making just one link) the name to give the
608link.
609
610@findex dired-do-chmod
611@kindex M @r{(Dired)}
612@cindex changing file permissions (in Dired)
613@item M @var{modespec} @key{RET}
614Change the mode (also called ``permission bits'') of the specified files
615(@code{dired-do-chmod}). This uses the @code{chmod} program, so
616@var{modespec} can be any argument that @code{chmod} can handle.
617
618@findex dired-do-chgrp
619@kindex G @r{(Dired)}
620@cindex changing file group (in Dired)
621@item G @var{newgroup} @key{RET}
622Change the group of the specified files to @var{newgroup}
623(@code{dired-do-chgrp}).
624
625@findex dired-do-chown
626@kindex O @r{(Dired)}
627@cindex changing file owner (in Dired)
628@item O @var{newowner} @key{RET}
629Change the owner of the specified files to @var{newowner}
630(@code{dired-do-chown}). (On most systems, only the superuser can do
631this.)
632
633@vindex dired-chown-program
634The variable @code{dired-chown-program} specifies the name of the
635program to use to do the work (different systems put @code{chown} in
636different places).
637
638@findex dired-do-touch
639@kindex T @r{(Dired)}
640@cindex changing file time (in Dired)
641@item T @var{timestamp} @key{RET}
642Touch the specified files (@code{dired-do-touch}). This means
643updating their modification times to the present time. This is like
644the shell command @code{touch}.
645
646@findex dired-do-print
647@kindex P @r{(Dired)}
648@cindex printing files (in Dired)
649@item P @var{command} @key{RET}
650Print the specified files (@code{dired-do-print}). You must specify the
651command to print them with, but the minibuffer starts out with a
652suitable guess made using the variables @code{lpr-command} and
653@code{lpr-switches} (the same variables that @code{lpr-buffer} uses;
654@pxref{Printing}).
655
656@findex dired-do-compress
657@kindex Z @r{(Dired)}
658@cindex compressing files (in Dired)
659@item Z
660Compress the specified files (@code{dired-do-compress}). If the file
661appears to be a compressed file already, uncompress it instead.
662
663@findex dired-do-load
664@kindex L @r{(Dired)}
665@cindex loading several files (in Dired)
666@item L
667Load the specified Emacs Lisp files (@code{dired-do-load}).
668@xref{Lisp Libraries}.
669
670@findex dired-do-byte-compile
671@kindex B @r{(Dired)}
672@cindex byte-compiling several files (in Dired)
673@item B
674Byte compile the specified Emacs Lisp files
675(@code{dired-do-byte-compile}). @xref{Byte Compilation,, Byte
676Compilation, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
677
678@kindex A @r{(Dired)}
679@findex dired-do-search
680@cindex search multiple files (in Dired)
681@item A @var{regexp} @key{RET}
682Search all the specified files for the regular expression @var{regexp}
683(@code{dired-do-search}).
684
685This command is a variant of @code{tags-search}. The search stops at
686the first match it finds; use @kbd{M-,} to resume the search and find
687the next match. @xref{Tags Search}.
688
689@kindex Q @r{(Dired)}
690@findex dired-do-query-replace-regexp
691@cindex search and replace in multiple files (in Dired)
692@item Q @var{regexp} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET}
693Perform @code{query-replace-regexp} on each of the specified files,
694replacing matches for @var{regexp} with the string
695@var{to} (@code{dired-do-query-replace-regexp}).
696
697This command is a variant of @code{tags-query-replace}. If you exit the
698query replace loop, you can use @kbd{M-,} to resume the scan and replace
699more matches. @xref{Tags Search}.
700@end table
701
702@node Shell Commands in Dired
703@section Shell Commands in Dired
704@cindex shell commands, Dired
705
706@findex dired-do-shell-command
707@kindex ! @r{(Dired)}
708@kindex X @r{(Dired)}
709The Dired command @kbd{!} (@code{dired-do-shell-command}) reads a
710shell command string in the minibuffer and runs that shell command on
711all the specified files. (@kbd{X} is a synonym for @kbd{!}.) You can
712specify the files to operate on in the usual ways for Dired commands
713(@pxref{Operating on Files}).
714
715 The working directory for the shell command is the top-level directory
716of the Dired buffer.
717
718 There are two ways of applying a shell command to multiple files:
719
720@itemize @bullet
721@item
722If you use @samp{*} surrounded by whitespace in the shell command,
723then the command runs just once, with the list of file names
724substituted for the @samp{*}. The order of file names is the order of
725appearance in the Dired buffer.
726
727Thus, @kbd{! tar cf foo.tar * @key{RET}} runs @code{tar} on the entire
728list of file names, putting them into one tar file @file{foo.tar}.
729
730If you want to use @samp{*} as a shell wildcard with whitespace around
731it, write @samp{*""}. In the shell, this is equivalent to @samp{*};
732but since the @samp{*} is not surrounded by whitespace, Dired does
733not treat it specially.
734
735@item
736If the command string doesn't contain @samp{*} surrounded by
737whitespace, then it runs once @emph{for each file}. Normally the file
738name is added at the end.
739
740For example, @kbd{! uudecode @key{RET}} runs @code{uudecode} on each
741file.
742
743@item
744However, if the command string contains @samp{?} surrounded by
745whitespace, the current file name is substituted for @samp{?} (rather
746than added at the end). You can use @samp{?} this way more than once
747in the command, and the same file name replaces each occurrence.
748@end itemize
749
750 To iterate over the file names in a more complicated fashion, use an
751explicit shell loop. For example, here is how to uuencode each file,
752making the output file name by appending @samp{.uu} to the input file
753name:
754
755@example
756for file in * ; do uuencode "$file" "$file" >"$file".uu; done
757@end example
758
759 The @kbd{!} command does not attempt to update the Dired buffer to
760show new or modified files, because it doesn't understand shell
761commands, and does not know what files the shell command changed. Use
762the @kbd{g} command to update the Dired buffer (@pxref{Dired
763Updating}).
764
765@node Transforming File Names
766@section Transforming File Names in Dired
767
768 This section describes Dired commands which alter file names in a
769systematic way. Each command operates on some or all of the marked
770files, using a new name made by transforming the existing name.
771
772 Like the basic Dired file-manipulation commands (@pxref{Operating on
773Files}), the commands described here operate either on the next
774@var{n} files, or on all files marked with @samp{*}, or on the current
775file. (To mark files, use the commands described in @ref{Marks vs
776Flags}.)
777
778 All of the commands described in this section work
779@emph{interactively}: they ask you to confirm the operation for each
780candidate file. Thus, you can select more files than you actually
781need to operate on (e.g., with a regexp that matches many files), and
782then filter the selected names by typing @kbd{y} or @kbd{n} when the
783command prompts for confirmation.
784
785@table @kbd
786@findex dired-upcase
787@kindex % u @r{(Dired)}
788@cindex upcase file names
789@item % u
790Rename each of the selected files to an upper-case name
791(@code{dired-upcase}). If the old file names are @file{Foo}
792and @file{bar}, the new names are @file{FOO} and @file{BAR}.
793
794@item % l
795@findex dired-downcase
796@kindex % l @r{(Dired)}
797@cindex downcase file names
798Rename each of the selected files to a lower-case name
799(@code{dired-downcase}). If the old file names are @file{Foo} and
800@file{bar}, the new names are @file{foo} and @file{bar}.
801
802@item % R @var{from} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET}
803@kindex % R @r{(Dired)}
804@findex dired-do-rename-regexp
805@itemx % C @var{from} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET}
806@kindex % C @r{(Dired)}
807@findex dired-do-copy-regexp
808@itemx % H @var{from} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET}
809@kindex % H @r{(Dired)}
810@findex dired-do-hardlink-regexp
811@itemx % S @var{from} @key{RET} @var{to} @key{RET}
812@kindex % S @r{(Dired)}
813@findex dired-do-symlink-regexp
814These four commands rename, copy, make hard links and make soft links,
815in each case computing the new name by regular-expression substitution
816from the name of the old file.
817@end table
818
819 The four regular-expression substitution commands effectively
820perform a search-and-replace on the selected file names. They read
821two arguments: a regular expression @var{from}, and a substitution
822pattern @var{to}; they match each ``old'' file name against
823@var{from}, and then replace the matching part with @var{to}. You can
824use @samp{\&} and @samp{\@var{digit}} in @var{to} to refer to all or
825part of what the pattern matched in the old file name, as in
826@code{replace-regexp} (@pxref{Regexp Replace}). If the regular
827expression matches more than once in a file name, only the first match
828is replaced.
829
830 For example, @kbd{% R ^.*$ @key{RET} x-\& @key{RET}} renames each
831selected file by prepending @samp{x-} to its name. The inverse of this,
832removing @samp{x-} from the front of each file name, is also possible:
833one method is @kbd{% R ^x-\(.*\)$ @key{RET} \1 @key{RET}}; another is
834@kbd{% R ^x- @key{RET} @key{RET}}. (Use @samp{^} and @samp{$} to anchor
835matches that should span the whole file name.)
836
837 Normally, the replacement process does not consider the files'
838directory names; it operates on the file name within the directory. If
839you specify a numeric argument of zero, then replacement affects the
840entire absolute file name including directory name. (A non-zero
841argument specifies the number of files to operate on.)
842
843 You may want to select the set of files to operate on using the same
844regexp @var{from} that you will use to operate on them. To do this,
845mark those files with @kbd{% m @var{from} @key{RET}}, then use the
846same regular expression in the command to operate on the files. To
847make this more convenient, the @kbd{%} commands to operate on files
848use the last regular expression specified in any @kbd{%} command as a
849default.
850
851@node Comparison in Dired
852@section File Comparison with Dired
853@cindex file comparison (in Dired)
854@cindex compare files (in Dired)
855
856 Here are two Dired commands that compare specified files using
857@code{diff}. They show the output in a buffer using Diff mode
858(@pxref{Comparing Files}).
859
860@table @kbd
861@item =
862@findex dired-diff
863@kindex = @r{(Dired)}
864Compare the current file (the file at point) with another file (the
865file at the mark) using the @code{diff} program (@code{dired-diff}).
866The file at the mark is the first argument of @code{diff}, and the
867file at point is the second argument. This refers to the ordinary
868Emacs mark, not Dired marks; use @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}
869(@code{set-mark-command}) to set the mark at the first file's line
870(@pxref{Setting Mark}).
871
872@findex dired-backup-diff
873@kindex M-= @r{(Dired)}
874@item M-=
875Compare the current file with its latest backup file
876(@code{dired-backup-diff}). If the current file is itself a backup,
877compare it with the file it is a backup of; this way, you can compare
878a file with any one of its backups.
879
880The backup file is the first file given to @code{diff}.
881@end table
882
883@node Subdirectories in Dired
884@section Subdirectories in Dired
885@cindex subdirectories in Dired
886@cindex expanding subdirectories in Dired
887
888 A Dired buffer displays just one directory in the normal case;
889but you can optionally include its subdirectories as well.
890
891 The simplest way to include multiple directories in one Dired buffer is
892to specify the options @samp{-lR} for running @code{ls}. (If you give a
893numeric argument when you run Dired, then you can specify these options
894in the minibuffer.) That produces a recursive directory listing showing
895all subdirectories at all levels.
896
897 More often, you will want to show only specific subdirectories. You
898can do this with the @kbd{i} command:
899
900@table @kbd
901@findex dired-maybe-insert-subdir
902@kindex i @r{(Dired)}
903@item i
904@cindex inserted subdirectory (Dired)
905@cindex in-situ subdirectory (Dired)
906Insert the contents of a subdirectory later in the buffer.
907@end table
908
909Use the @kbd{i} (@code{dired-maybe-insert-subdir}) command on a line
910that describes a file which is a directory. It inserts the contents of
911that directory into the same Dired buffer, and moves there. Inserted
912subdirectory contents follow the top-level directory of the Dired
913buffer, just as they do in @samp{ls -lR} output.
914
915If the subdirectory's contents are already present in the buffer, the
916@kbd{i} command just moves to it.
917
918In either case, @kbd{i} sets the Emacs mark before moving, so @kbd{C-u
919C-@key{SPC}} takes you back to the old position in the buffer (the line
367c9b7c
JL
920describing that subdirectory). You can also use @samp{^} to return
921to the parent directory in the same Dired buffer.
8cf51b2c
GM
922
923Use the @kbd{l} command (@code{dired-do-redisplay}) to update the
924subdirectory's contents. Use @kbd{C-u k} on the subdirectory header
e3e0fb39
GM
925line to delete the subdirectory (@pxref{Dired Updating}). You can also
926hide and show inserted subdirectories (@pxref{Hiding Subdirectories}).
8cf51b2c
GM
927
928
929
930
931@ifnottex
932@include dired-xtra.texi
933@end ifnottex
934
935@node Subdirectory Motion
936@section Moving Over Subdirectories
937
938 When a Dired buffer lists subdirectories, you can use the page motion
939commands @kbd{C-x [} and @kbd{C-x ]} to move by entire directories
940(@pxref{Pages}).
941
942@cindex header line (Dired)
943@cindex directory header lines
944 The following commands move across, up and down in the tree of
945directories within one Dired buffer. They move to @dfn{directory header
946lines}, which are the lines that give a directory's name, at the
947beginning of the directory's contents.
948
949@table @kbd
950@findex dired-next-subdir
951@kindex C-M-n @r{(Dired)}
952@item C-M-n
953Go to next subdirectory header line, regardless of level
954(@code{dired-next-subdir}).
955
956@findex dired-prev-subdir
957@kindex C-M-p @r{(Dired)}
958@item C-M-p
959Go to previous subdirectory header line, regardless of level
960(@code{dired-prev-subdir}).
961
962@findex dired-tree-up
963@kindex C-M-u @r{(Dired)}
964@item C-M-u
965Go up to the parent directory's header line (@code{dired-tree-up}).
966
967@findex dired-tree-down
968@kindex C-M-d @r{(Dired)}
969@item C-M-d
970Go down in the directory tree, to the first subdirectory's header line
971(@code{dired-tree-down}).
972
973@findex dired-prev-dirline
974@kindex < @r{(Dired)}
975@item <
976Move up to the previous directory-file line (@code{dired-prev-dirline}).
977These lines are the ones that describe a directory as a file in its
978parent directory.
979
980@findex dired-next-dirline
981@kindex > @r{(Dired)}
982@item >
983Move down to the next directory-file line (@code{dired-prev-dirline}).
984@end table
985
986@node Hiding Subdirectories
987@section Hiding Subdirectories
8b74f389
BG
988@cindex hiding subdirectories (Dired)
989@cindex showing hidden subdirectories (Dired)
8cf51b2c 990
8cf51b2c
GM
991 @dfn{Hiding} a subdirectory means to make it invisible, except for its
992header line.
993
994@table @kbd
995@item $
996@findex dired-hide-subdir
997@kindex $ @r{(Dired)}
8b74f389
BG
998Hide or show the subdirectory that point is in, and move point to the
999next subdirectory (@code{dired-hide-subdir}). This is a toggle. A
1000numeric argument serves as a repeat count.
8cf51b2c
GM
1001
1002@item M-$
1003@findex dired-hide-all
1004@kindex M-$ @r{(Dired)}
1005Hide all subdirectories in this Dired buffer, leaving only their header
1006lines (@code{dired-hide-all}). Or, if any subdirectory is currently
1007hidden, make all subdirectories visible again. You can use this command
1008to get an overview in very deep directory trees or to move quickly to
1009subdirectories far away.
1010@end table
1011
1012 Ordinary Dired commands never consider files inside a hidden
1013subdirectory. For example, the commands to operate on marked files
1014ignore files in hidden directories even if they are marked. Thus you
1015can use hiding to temporarily exclude subdirectories from operations
1016without having to remove the Dired marks on files in those
1017subdirectories.
1018
e3e0fb39 1019@xref{Dired Updating}, for how to insert or delete a subdirectory listing.
8b74f389 1020
8cf51b2c
GM
1021@node Dired Updating
1022@section Updating the Dired Buffer
1023@cindex updating Dired buffer
1024@cindex refreshing displayed files
1025
1026 This section describes commands to update the Dired buffer to reflect
1027outside (non-Dired) changes in the directories and files, and to delete
1028part of the Dired buffer.
1029
1030@table @kbd
1031@item g
1032Update the entire contents of the Dired buffer (@code{revert-buffer}).
1033
1034@item l
1035Update the specified files (@code{dired-do-redisplay}). You specify the
1036files for @kbd{l} in the same way as for file operations.
1037
1038@item k
1039Delete the specified @emph{file lines}---not the files, just the lines
1040(@code{dired-do-kill-lines}).
1041
1042@item s
1043Toggle between alphabetical order and date/time order
1044(@code{dired-sort-toggle-or-edit}).
1045
1046@item C-u s @var{switches} @key{RET}
1047Refresh the Dired buffer using @var{switches} as
1048@code{dired-listing-switches}.
1049@end table
1050
1051@kindex g @r{(Dired)}
1052@findex revert-buffer @r{(Dired)}
1053 Type @kbd{g} (@code{revert-buffer}) to update the contents of the
1054Dired buffer, based on changes in the files and directories listed.
1055This preserves all marks except for those on files that have vanished.
1056Hidden subdirectories are updated but remain hidden.
1057
1058@kindex l @r{(Dired)}
1059@findex dired-do-redisplay
1060 To update only some of the files, type @kbd{l}
1061(@code{dired-do-redisplay}). Like the Dired file-operating commands,
1062this command operates on the next @var{n} files (or previous
1063@minus{}@var{n} files), or on the marked files if any, or on the
1064current file. Updating the files means reading their current status,
1065then updating their lines in the buffer to indicate that status.
1066
1067 If you use @kbd{l} on a subdirectory header line, it updates the
1068contents of the corresponding subdirectory.
1069
1070@kindex k @r{(Dired)}
1071@findex dired-do-kill-lines
1072 To delete the specified @emph{file lines} from the buffer---not
1073delete the files---type @kbd{k} (@code{dired-do-kill-lines}). Like
1074the file-operating commands, this command operates on the next @var{n}
1075files, or on the marked files if any; but it does not operate on the
1076current file as a last resort.
1077
1078 If you use @kbd{k} with a numeric prefix argument to kill the line
1079for a file that is a directory, which you have inserted in the Dired
1080buffer as a subdirectory, it deletes that subdirectory from the buffer
1081as well. Typing @kbd{C-u k} on the header line for a subdirectory
1082also deletes the subdirectory from the Dired buffer.
1083
1084 The @kbd{g} command brings back any individual lines that you have
1085killed in this way, but not subdirectories---you must use @kbd{i} to
1086reinsert a subdirectory.
1087
1088@cindex Dired sorting
1089@cindex sorting Dired buffer
1090@kindex s @r{(Dired)}
1091@findex dired-sort-toggle-or-edit
1092 The files in a Dired buffers are normally listed in alphabetical order
1093by file names. Alternatively Dired can sort them by date/time. The
1094Dired command @kbd{s} (@code{dired-sort-toggle-or-edit}) switches
1095between these two sorting modes. The mode line in a Dired buffer
1096indicates which way it is currently sorted---by name, or by date.
1097
1098 @kbd{C-u s @var{switches} @key{RET}} lets you specify a new value for
1099@code{dired-listing-switches}.
1100
1101@node Dired and Find
1102@section Dired and @code{find}
1103@cindex @code{find} and Dired
1104
1105 You can select a set of files for display in a Dired buffer more
1106flexibly by using the @code{find} utility to choose the files.
1107
1108@findex find-name-dired
1109 To search for files with names matching a wildcard pattern use
1110@kbd{M-x find-name-dired}. It reads arguments @var{directory} and
1111@var{pattern}, and chooses all the files in @var{directory} or its
1112subdirectories whose individual names match @var{pattern}.
1113
1114 The files thus chosen are displayed in a Dired buffer, in which the
1115ordinary Dired commands are available.
1116
1117@findex find-grep-dired
1118 If you want to test the contents of files, rather than their names,
1119use @kbd{M-x find-grep-dired}. This command reads two minibuffer
1120arguments, @var{directory} and @var{regexp}; it chooses all the files in
1121@var{directory} or its subdirectories that contain a match for
1122@var{regexp}. It works by running the programs @code{find} and
1123@code{grep}. See also @kbd{M-x grep-find}, in @ref{Grep Searching}.
1124Remember to write the regular expression for @code{grep}, not for Emacs.
1125(An alternative method of showing files whose contents match a given
1126regexp is the @kbd{% g @var{regexp}} command, see @ref{Marks vs Flags}.)
1127
1128@findex find-dired
1129 The most general command in this series is @kbd{M-x find-dired}, which
1130lets you specify any condition that @code{find} can test. It takes two
1131minibuffer arguments, @var{directory} and @var{find-args}; it runs
1132@code{find} in @var{directory}, passing @var{find-args} to tell
1133@code{find} what condition to test. To use this command, you need to
1134know how to use @code{find}.
1135
1136@vindex find-ls-option
1137 The format of listing produced by these commands is controlled by the
1138variable @code{find-ls-option}, whose default value specifies using
1139options @samp{-ld} for @code{ls}. If your listings are corrupted, you
1140may need to change the value of this variable.
1141
1142@findex locate
1143@findex locate-with-filter
1144@cindex file database (locate)
1145@vindex locate-command
1146 The command @kbd{M-x locate} provides a similar interface to the
1147@code{locate} program. @kbd{M-x locate-with-filter} is similar, but
1148keeps only files whose names match a given regular expression.
1149
1150 These buffers don't work entirely like ordinary Dired buffers: file
1151operations work, but do not always automatically update the buffer.
1152Reverting the buffer with @kbd{g} deletes all inserted subdirectories,
1153and erases all flags and marks.
1154
1155@node Wdired
1156@section Editing the Dired Buffer
1157
1158@cindex wdired mode
1159@findex wdired-change-to-wdired-mode
1160 Wdired is a special mode that allows you to perform file operations
1161by editing the Dired buffer directly (the ``W'' in ``Wdired'' stands
1162for ``writable.'') To enter Wdired mode, type @kbd{C-x C-q} or @kbd{M-x
1163wdired-change-to-wdired-mode} while in a Dired buffer. Alternatively,
1164use @samp{Edit File Names} in the @samp{Immediate} menu bar menu.
1165
1166@findex wdired-finish-edit
1167 While in Wdired mode, you can rename files by editing the file names
1168displayed in the Dired buffer. All the ordinary Emacs editing
1169commands, including rectangle operations and @code{query-replace}, are
1170available for this. Once you are done editing, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
1171(@code{wdired-finish-edit}). This applies your changes and switches
1172back to ordinary Dired mode.
1173
1174 Apart from simply renaming files, you can move a file to another
1175directory by typing in the new file name (either absolute or
1176relative). To mark a file for deletion, delete the entire file name.
1177To change the target of a symbolic link, edit the link target name
1178which appears next to the link name.
1179
1180 The rest of the text in the buffer, such as the file sizes and
1181modification dates, is marked read-only, so you can't edit it.
1182However, if you set @code{wdired-allow-to-change-permissions} to
1183@code{t}, you can edit the file permissions. For example, you can
1184change @samp{-rw-r--r--} to @samp{-rw-rw-rw-} to make a file
1185world-writable. These changes also take effect when you type @kbd{C-c
1186C-c}.
1187
1188@node Image-Dired
1189@section Viewing Image Thumbnails in Dired
1190@cindex image-dired mode
1191@cindex image-dired
1192
1193 Image-Dired is a facility for browsing image files. It provides viewing
1194the images either as thumbnails or in full size, either inside Emacs
1195or through an external viewer.
1196
1197@kindex C-t d @r{(Image-Dired)}
1198@findex image-dired-display-thumbs
1199 To enter Image-Dired, mark the image files you want to look at in
1200the Dired buffer, using @kbd{m} as usual. Then type @kbd{C-t d}
1201(@code{image-dired-display-thumbs}). This creates and switches to a
1202buffer containing image-dired, corresponding to the marked files.
1203
1204 You can also enter Image-Dired directly by typing @kbd{M-x
1205image-dired}. This prompts for a directory; specify one that has
1206image files. This creates thumbnails for all the images in that
1207directory, and displays them all in the ``thumbnail buffer.'' This
1208takes a long time if the directory contains many image files, and it
1209asks for confirmation if the number of image files exceeds
1210@code{image-dired-show-all-from-dir-max-files}.
1211
1212 With point in the thumbnail buffer, you can type @kbd{RET}
1213(@code{image-dired-display-thumbnail-original-image}) to display a
1214sized version of it in another window. This sizes the image to fit
1215the window. Use the arrow keys to move around in the buffer. For
1216easy browsing, use @kbd{SPC}
1217(@code{image-dired-display-next-thumbnail-original}) to advance and
1218display the next image. Typing @kbd{DEL}
1219(@code{image-dired-display-previous-thumbnail-original}) backs up to
1220the previous thumbnail and displays that instead.
1221
1222@vindex image-dired-external-viewer
1223 To view and the image in its original size, either provide a prefix
1224argument (@kbd{C-u}) before pressing @kbd{RET}, or type
1225@kbd{C-@key{RET}} (@code{image-dired-thumbnail-display-external}) to
1226display the image in an external viewer. You must first configure
1227@code{image-dired-external-viewer}.
1228
1229 You can delete images through Image-Dired also. Type @kbd{d}
1230(@code{image-dired-flag-thumb-original-file}) to flag the image file
1231for deletion in the Dired buffer. You can also delete the thumbnail
1232image from the thumbnail buffer with @kbd{C-d}
1233(@code{image-dired-delete-char}).
1234
1235 More advanced features include @dfn{image tags}, which are metadata
1236used to categorize image files. The tags are stored in a plain text
1237file configured by @code{image-dired-db-file}.
1238
1239 To tag image files, mark them in the dired buffer (you can also mark
1240files in Dired from the thumbnail buffer by typing @kbd{m}) and type
1241@kbd{C-t t} (@code{image-dired-tag-files}). You will be prompted for
1242a tag. To mark files having a certain tag, type @kbd{C-t f}
1243(@code{image-dired-mark-tagged-files}). After marking image files
1244with a certain tag, you can use @kbd{C-t d} to view them.
1245
1246 You can also tag a file directly from the thumbnail buffer by typing
1247@kbd{t t} and you can remove a tag by typing @kbd{t r}. There is also
1248a special ``tag'' called ``comment'' for each file (it is not a tag in
1249the exact same sense as the other tags, it is handled slightly
1250different). That is used to enter a comment or description about the
1251image. You comment a file from the thumbnail buffer by typing
1252@kbd{c}. You will be prompted for a comment. Type @kbd{C-t c} to add
1253a comment from Dired (@code{image-dired-dired-comment-files}).
1254
1255 Image-Dired also provides simple image manipulation. In the
1256thumbnail buffer, type @kbd{L} to rotate the original image 90 degrees
1257anti clockwise, and @kbd{R} to rotate it 90 degrees clockwise. This
1258rotation is lossless, and uses an external utility called JpegTRAN.
1259
1260@node Misc Dired Features
1261@section Other Dired Features
1262
1263@kindex + @r{(Dired)}
1264@findex dired-create-directory
1265 An unusual Dired file-operation command is @kbd{+}
1266(@code{dired-create-directory}). This command reads a directory name,
1267and creates the directory if it does not already exist.
1268
1269@cindex Adding to the kill ring in Dired.
1270@kindex w @r{(Dired)}
1271@findex dired-copy-filename-as-kill
1272 The @kbd{w} command (@code{dired-copy-filename-as-kill}) puts the
1273names of the marked (or next @var{n}) files into the kill ring, as if
1274you had killed them with @kbd{C-w}. The names are separated by a space.
1275
1276 With a zero prefix argument, this uses the absolute file name of
1277each marked file. With just @kbd{C-u} as the prefix argument, it uses
1278file names relative to the Dired buffer's default directory. (This
1279can still contain slashes if in a subdirectory.) As a special case,
1280if point is on a directory headerline, @kbd{w} gives you the absolute
1281name of that directory. Any prefix argument or marked files are
1282ignored in this case.
1283
1284 The main purpose of this command is so that you can yank the file
1285names into arguments for other Emacs commands. It also displays what
1286it added to the kill ring, so you can use it to display the list of
1287currently marked files in the echo area.
1288
1289@findex dired-compare-directories
1290 The command @kbd{M-x dired-compare-directories} is used to compare
1291the current Dired buffer with another directory. It marks all the files
1292that are ``different'' between the two directories. It puts these marks
1293in all Dired buffers where these files are listed, which of course includes
1294the current buffer.
1295
1296 The default comparison method (used if you type @key{RET} at the
1297prompt) is to compare just the file names---each file name that does
1298not appear in the other directory is ``different.'' You can specify
1299more stringent comparisons by entering a Lisp expression, which can
1300refer to the variables @code{size1} and @code{size2}, the respective
1301file sizes; @code{mtime1} and @code{mtime2}, the last modification
1302times in seconds, as floating point numbers; and @code{fa1} and
1303@code{fa2}, the respective file attribute lists (as returned by the
1304function @code{file-attributes}). This expression is evaluated for
1305each pair of like-named files, and if the expression's value is
1306non-@code{nil}, those files are considered ``different.''
1307
1308 For instance, the sequence @code{M-x dired-compare-directories
1309@key{RET} (> mtime1 mtime2) @key{RET}} marks files newer in this
1310directory than in the other, and marks files older in the other
1311directory than in this one. It also marks files with no counterpart,
1312in both directories, as always.
1313
1314@cindex drag and drop, Dired
1315 On the X window system, Emacs supports the ``drag and drop''
1316protocol. You can drag a file object from another program, and drop
1317it onto a Dired buffer; this either moves, copies, or creates a link
1318to the file in that directory. Precisely which action is taken is
1319determined by the originating program. Dragging files out of a Dired
1320buffer is currently not supported.
1321
1322@ignore
1323 arch-tag: d105f9b9-fc1b-4c5f-a949-9b2cf3ca2fc1
1324@end ignore