@var{filename} in the minibuffer.
@end deffn
+@deffn Command find-file-literally filename
+This command visits @var{filename}, like @code{find-file} does, but it
+does not perform any format conversions (@pxref{Format Conversion}),
+character code conversions (@pxref{Coding Systems}), or end-of-line
+conversions (@pxref{Coding System Basics, End of line conversion}).
+The buffer visiting the file is made unibyte, and its major mode is
+Fundamental mode, regardless of the file name. File local variable
+specifications in the file (@pxref{File Local Variables}) are
+ignored, and automatic decompression and adding a newline at the end
+of the file due to @code{require-final-newline} (@pxref{Saving
+Buffers, require-final-newline}) are also disabled.
+
+Note that if Emacs already has a buffer visiting the same file
+non-literally, it will not visit the same file literally, but instead
+just switch to the existing buffer. If you want to be sure of
+accessing a file's contents literally, you should create a temporary
+buffer and then read the file contents into it using
+@code{insert-file-contents-literally} (@pxref{Reading from Files}).
+@end deffn
+
@defun find-file-noselect filename &optional nowarn rawfile wildcards
This function is the guts of all the file-visiting functions. It
returns a buffer visiting the file @var{filename}. You may make the
used, and in many cases only some of the functions are called.
@end defvar
+@defvar find-file-literally
+This buffer-local variable, if set to a non-@code{nil} value, makes
+@code{save-buffer} behave as if the buffer were visiting its file
+literally, i.e. without conversions of any kind. The command
+@code{find-file-literally} sets this variable's local value, but other
+equivalent functions and commands can do that as well, e.g.@: to avoid
+automatic addition of a newline at the end of the file. This variable
+is permanent local, so it is unaffected by changes of major modes.
+@end defvar
+
@node Subroutines of Visiting
@comment node-name, next, previous, up
@subsection Subroutines of Visiting
because this is not portable. Always use
@code{file-name-as-directory}.
-@cindex directory name abbreviation
- Directory name abbreviations are useful for directories that are
-normally accessed through symbolic links. Sometimes the users recognize
-primarily the link's name as ``the name'' of the directory, and find it
-annoying to see the directory's ``real'' name. If you define the link
-name as an abbreviation for the ``real'' name, Emacs shows users the
-abbreviation instead.
-
-@defopt directory-abbrev-alist
-The variable @code{directory-abbrev-alist} contains an alist of
-abbreviations to use for file directories. Each element has the form
-@code{(@var{from} . @var{to})}, and says to replace @var{from} with
-@var{to} when it appears in a directory name.
-
-The @var{from} string is actually a regular expression. It ought to
-always start with @samp{\`}, to avoid incorrectly matching to a
-relative portion of the supplied directory name.
-
-The @var{to} string should be an ordinary absolute directory name.
-Do not use @samp{~} to stand for a home directory in that string; the
-function @code{abbreviate-file-name} performs these substitutions.
-
-You can set this variable in @file{site-init.el} to describe the
-abbreviations appropriate for your site.
-
-Here's an example, from a system on which file system @file{/home/fsf}
-and so on are normally accessed through symbolic links named @file{/fsf}
-and so on.
-
-@example
-(("\\`/home/fsf" . "/fsf")
- ("\\`/home/gp" . "/gp")
- ("\\`/home/gd" . "/gd"))
-@end example
-@end defopt
-
To convert a directory name to its abbreviation, use this
function:
@defun abbreviate-file-name filename
@anchor{Definition of abbreviate-file-name}
-This function applies abbreviations from @code{directory-abbrev-alist}
-to its argument, and also substitutes @samp{~} for the user's home
-directory if the argument names a file in the home directory or one of
-its subdirectories. (If the home directory is a root directory, it is
-not replaced with @samp{~}, because this does not make the result
-shorter on many systems.) You can use it for directory names and for
-file names, because it recognizes abbreviations even as part of the
-name.
+This function returns an abbreviated form of @var{filename}. It
+applies the abbreviations specified in @code{directory-abbrev-alist}
+(@pxref{File Aliases,,File Aliases, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}),
+then substitutes @samp{~} for the user's home directory if the
+argument names a file in the home directory or one of its
+subdirectories. If the home directory is a root directory, it is not
+replaced with @samp{~}, because this does not make the result shorter
+on many systems.
+
+You can use this function for directory names and for file names,
+because it recognizes abbreviations even as part of the name.
@end defun
@node File Name Expansion