find-file(2)

NAME

find-file - Load a file

SYNOPSIS

n find-file "file-name" (C-x C-f) 

DESCRIPTION

find-file finds the named file file-name. If it is already in a buffer, make that buffer active in the current window, otherwise attempt to create a new buffer and read the file into it.

If the file does not exist and the variable $rcs-file(5) is set then the existence of the RCS file is tested. If the rcs file exists then it will be checked out using a command-line created from the variable $rcs-co-com(5). If the check-out is successful then this file is loaded.

If the file does not exist and an argument n of 0 is specified the command fails at this point. If the file does not exist and a non-zero or no argument is specified then a new empty buffer is created with the given file name, saving the buffer subsequently creates a new file.

Text files are usually thought of as named collections of text residing on disk (or some other storage medium). In MicroEmacs '99 the disk based versions of files come into play only when reading into or writing out buffers. The link between the physical file and the buffer is through the associated file name.

MicroEmacs '99 permits full file names, i.e. you can specify:

disk:\directories\filename.extension 

or (UNIX)

/directories/filename.extension 

If the disk and directories are not specified, the current buffers disk/ directory is used. Several points should be noted in respect to the methods that MicroEmacs '99 utilizes in the handling of files:-

• Without explicitly saving the buffer(s) to file, all edits would be lost upon leaving MicroEmacs '99 - you are asked to confirm whenever you are about to lose edits.

• MicroEmacs '99 has a mechanism for "protecting" your disk-based files from overwriting when it saves files. When instructed to save a file, it proceeds to dump the file to disk, making a backup of the existing file when backup(2m) mode is enabled.

• Auto-saving files can be performed on edited buffers by setting the $auto-time(5) variable. The file is saved in the same place with a '#' appended to the file name. This can be used directly by the user or in the unlikely event of MicroEmacs '99 crashing (or system crash), the files are automatically recovered next time it is edited.

If you do not wish to perform any edits but merely browse the file(s), add the view(2m) mode to the buffer or ask for the file to be read in for viewing only.

HTTP Support

MicroEmacs supports http file loading, this is available by default on unix systems but must be compiled in on win32 platforms (socket libraries not available on all win95 machines so cannot be compiled in by default). When available a http file can be loaded by simply executing find-file and giving the http file name, i.e. "http://user:password@address:port/file". Only the http://, address and /file components are mandatory, the rest can usually be omitted. e.g.:

find-file "http://members.xoom.com/jasspa/index.html" 

See help page on %proxy-addr(5) for information on proxy server support.

SEE ALSO

$rcs-file(5), auto(2m), buffer-mode(2), find-bfile(2), read-file(2), save-buffer(2), next-window-find-file(2), time(2m), view(2m), view-file(2), %proxy-addr(5), write-buffer(2).

(c) Copyright JASSPA 1999
Last Modified: 1999/11/29
Generated On: 1999/12/01