1 @c This file is included either in vc-xtra.texi (when producing the
2 @c printed version) or in the main Emacs manual (for the on-line version).
4 @subsection Dired under VC
9 The VC Dired Mode described here works with all the version control
10 systems that VC supports. Another more powerful facility, designed
11 specifically for CVS, is called PCL-CVS. @xref{Top, , About PCL-CVS,
12 pcl-cvs, PCL-CVS --- The Emacs Front-End to CVS}.
16 When you are working on a large program, it is often useful to find
17 out which files have changed within an entire directory tree, or to view
18 the status of all files under version control at once, and to perform
19 version control operations on collections of files. You can use the
20 command @kbd{C-x v d} (@code{vc-directory}) to make a directory listing
21 that includes only files relevant for version control.
23 @vindex vc-dired-terse-display
24 @kbd{C-x v d} creates a buffer which uses VC Dired Mode. This looks
25 much like an ordinary Dired buffer (@pxref{Dired,,,emacs, the
26 Emacs Manual}); however, normally it shows only the noteworthy files
27 (those locked or not up-to-date). This is called @dfn{terse display}.
28 If you set the variable @code{vc-dired-terse-display} to @code{nil},
29 then VC Dired shows all relevant files---those managed under version
30 control, plus all subdirectories (@dfn{full display}). The command
31 @kbd{v t} in a VC Dired buffer toggles between terse display and full
32 display (@pxref{VC Dired Commands}).
34 @vindex vc-dired-recurse
35 By default, VC Dired produces a recursive listing of noteworthy or
36 relevant files at or below the given directory. You can change this by
37 setting the variable @code{vc-dired-recurse} to @code{nil}; then VC
38 Dired shows only the files in the given directory.
40 The line for an individual file shows the version control state in the
41 place of the hard link count, owner, group, and size of the file. If
42 the file is unmodified, in sync with the master file, the version
43 control state shown is blank. Otherwise it consists of text in
44 parentheses. Under RCS and SCCS, the name of the user locking the file
45 is shown; under CVS, an abbreviated version of the @samp{cvs status}
46 output is used. Here is an example using RCS:
52 -rw-r--r-- (jim) Apr 2 23:39 file1
53 -r--r--r-- Apr 5 20:21 file2
58 The files @samp{file1} and @samp{file2} are under version control,
59 @samp{file1} is locked by user jim, and @samp{file2} is unlocked.
61 Here is an example using CVS:
67 -rw-r--r-- (modified) Aug 2 1997 file1.c
68 -rw-r--r-- Apr 4 20:09 file2.c
69 -rw-r--r-- (merge) Sep 13 1996 file3.c
73 Here @samp{file1.c} is modified with respect to the repository, and
74 @samp{file2.c} is not. @samp{file3.c} is modified, but other changes
75 have also been checked in to the repository---you need to merge them
76 with the work file before you can check it in.
79 @vindex vc-cvs-stay-local
80 In the above, if the repository were on a remote machine, VC would
81 only contact it when the variable @code{vc-stay-local} (or
82 @code{vc-cvs-stay-local}) is nil (@pxref{CVS Options}). This is
83 because access to the repository may be slow, or you may be working
84 offline and not have access to the repository at all. As a
85 consequence, VC would not be able to tell you that @samp{file3.c} is
86 in the ``merge'' state; you would learn that only when you try to
87 check-in your modified copy of the file, or use a command such as
90 In practice, this is not a problem because CVS handles this case
91 consistently whenever it arises. In VC, you'll simply get prompted to
92 merge the remote changes into your work file first. The benefits of
93 less network communication usually outweigh the disadvantage of not
94 seeing remote changes immediately.
96 @vindex vc-directory-exclusion-list
97 When VC Dired displays subdirectories (in the ``full'' display mode),
98 it omits some that should never contain any files under version control.
99 By default, this includes Version Control subdirectories such as
100 @samp{RCS} and @samp{CVS}; you can customize this by setting the
101 variable @code{vc-directory-exclusion-list}.
103 You can fine-tune VC Dired's format by typing @kbd{C-u C-x v d}---as in
104 ordinary Dired, that allows you to specify additional switches for the
107 @node VC Dired Commands
108 @subsection VC Dired Commands
110 All the usual Dired commands work normally in VC Dired mode, except
111 for @kbd{v}, which is redefined as the version control prefix. You can
112 invoke VC commands such as @code{vc-diff} and @code{vc-print-log} by
113 typing @kbd{v =}, or @kbd{v l}, and so on. Most of these commands apply
114 to the file name on the current line.
116 The command @kbd{v v} (@code{vc-next-action}) operates on all the
117 marked files, so that you can lock or check in several files at once.
118 If it operates on more than one file, it handles each file according to
119 its current state; thus, it might lock one file, but check in another
120 file. This could be confusing; it is up to you to avoid confusing
121 behavior by marking a set of files that are in a similar state. If no
122 files are marked, @kbd{v v} operates on the file in the current line.
124 If any files call for check-in, @kbd{v v} reads a single log entry,
125 then uses it for all the files being checked in. This is convenient for
126 registering or checking in several files at once, as part of the same
129 @findex vc-dired-toggle-terse-mode
130 @findex vc-dired-mark-locked
131 You can toggle between terse display (only locked files, or files not
132 up-to-date) and full display at any time by typing @kbd{v t}
133 (@code{vc-dired-toggle-terse-mode}). There is also a special command
134 @kbd{* l} (@code{vc-dired-mark-locked}), which marks all files currently
135 locked (or, with CVS, all files not up-to-date). Thus, typing @kbd{* l
136 t k} is another way to delete from the buffer all files except those