File Directories
The file system groups files into directories. A directory listing is a list of all the files in a directory. Emacs provides commands to create and delete directories, and to make directory listings in brief format (file names only) and verbose format (sizes, dates, and authors included). There is also a directory browser called Dired; see Dired.
- C-x C-d dir-or-pattern <RET>
Display a brief directory listing (list-directory). - C-u C-x C-d dir-or-pattern <RET>
Display a verbose directory listing. - M-x make-directory <RET> dirname <RET>
Create a new directory named dirname. - M-x delete-directory <RET> dirname <RET>
Delete the directory named dirname. It must be empty, or you get an error.
The command to display a directory listing is C-x C-d (list-directory). It reads using the minibuffer a file name which is either a directory to be listed or a wildcard-containing pattern for the files to be listed. For example,
C-x C-d /u2/emacs/etc <RET>
lists all the files in directory /u2/emacs/etc. Here is an example of specifying a file name pattern:
C-x C-d /u2/emacs/src/*.c <RET>
Normally, C-x C-d displays a brief directory listing containing just file names. A numeric argument (regardless of value) tells it to make a verbose listing including sizes, dates, and owners (like ls -l).
The text of a directory listing is obtained by running ls in an inferior process. Two Emacs variables control the switches passed to ls: list-directory-brief-switches is a string giving the switches to use in brief listings ("-CF" by default), and list-directory-verbose-switches is a string giving the switches to use in a verbose listing ("-l" by default).
