From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Mar 5 11:44:41 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8FAB1106566C for ; Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:44:41 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from michaelgrunewald@yahoo.fr) Received: from amazone2.ujf-grenoble.fr (amazone2.ujf-grenoble.fr [152.77.2.202]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 23FA58FC1E for ; Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:44:40 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from michaelgrunewald@yahoo.fr) Received: from tana1.ujf-grenoble.fr (tana1.ujf-grenoble.fr [152.77.18.74]) by amazone2.ujf-grenoble.fr (8.13.7/8.13.7/Configured by JE 21 07 2006) with ESMTP id n25AG3Qs035743; Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:16:04 +0100 (CET) Received: from localhost (unknown [127.0.0.1]) by tana1.ujf-grenoble.fr (Postfix) with ESMTP id EA1275641A; Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:16:03 +0100 (CET) X-UJF-AV: Scanned on tana1.ujf-grenoble.fr Received: from tibre2.ujf-grenoble.fr (tibre2.ujf-grenoble.fr [152.77.24.10]) by tana1.ujf-grenoble.fr (Postfix) with ESMTP id ABD745642F; Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:16:03 +0100 (CET) Received: from fourier.ujf-grenoble.fr (fourier.ujf-grenoble.fr [152.77.212.18]) by tibre2.ujf-grenoble.fr (8.14.2/8.14.2) with ESMTP id n25AG1Zp072349; Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:16:03 +0100 (CET) (envelope-from michaelgrunewald@yahoo.fr) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by fourier.ujf-grenoble.fr (Postfix) with ESMTP id 628C6D2C0C; Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:16:03 +0100 (CET) X-Virus-Scanned: Debian amavisd-new at fourier.ujf-grenoble.fr Received: from fourier.ujf-grenoble.fr ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (fourier.ujf-grenoble.fr [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id TTxqKWl+vvtC; Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:16:03 +0100 (CET) Received: from ifpoolext1.ujf-grenoble.fr (ifpoolext1.ujf-grenoble.fr [193.48.255.244]) by fourier.ujf-grenoble.fr (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3A81DD0085; Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:16:03 +0100 (CET) Message-Id: From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Gr=FCnewald_Micha=EBl?= To: prad In-Reply-To: <20090305001531.75f2495b@gom.home> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v930.3) Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:15:40 +0100 References: <20090305001531.75f2495b@gom.home> X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.930.3) Cc: "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" Subject: Re: backup files from editor X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:44:41 -0000 Hi prad, Le 5 mars 09 =E0 09:15, prad a =E9crit : > editors can produce backup files - eg emacs adds a ~ to the backup > file. the backup file keeps getting changed as you make changes to the > original so you i'm wondering what the point of them is. Please refer to the Emacs manual (info m Emacs) to learn about the =20 precise rule governing backup files. Just like you, I do not like to =20 have all of these backup files springing off everywhere in my =20 filesystem. Instead of turning backup off, I tell emacs to put them in the `.emacs.d/backup' I created for this purpose: (setq backup-directory-alist '((".*" . "~/.emacs.d/backup"))) You can get a finer control on backup location, read documentation for =20= the bariable `backup-directory-alist' to discover how. Note that this setup tends to produce super long file named in =20 `~/.emacs.d/backup' which may break some fragile systems (e.g. I =20 encountered problems when preparing ISO filesystems not supporting =20 these long names). > i turn off backups (so my directory doesn't fill up with ~ files), but > then i also don't space things properly and occasionally use cryptic > names when programming (from what my son tells me), so i figure i =20 > should change some of these bad habits. > > how do people make use of the backup feature when they program? Note that basic functionalities of RCS systems are well integrated in =20= Emacs (see the Tools menu), and I systematically use SVN (in the =20 ports) as a sophisticated backup system when I edit files that count. Note that the FreeBSD wiki features an intereting comparison of the =20 various RCS systems available, so if you are interested with this =20 approach, you can look for this comparison and make your choice. You can also use RCS without the (moderate) hassle to set up a =20 repository, Emacs has support for an `immediate' RCS system, doubling =20= the files you want to keep track of with a `,v' companion file, =20 containing revision history. (IIRC, this RCS system is the ancestor of =20= CVS, but I cannot find again the name, sorry about this.) --=20 All the best, Micha=EBl