Emacs save file series#

However, if auto-save mode is active in some buffer and the obsolete auto-save-visited-file-name variable is set to a non- nil value, that buffer won’t be affected by auto-save-visited-mode. Note that this mode is orthogonal to the auto-save mode described above you can enable both at the same time. In this mode, auto-saving is identical to explicit saving. If you want auto-saving to be done in the visited file rather than in a separate auto-save file, enable the global minor mode auto-save-visited-mode. To reenable auto-saving after this happens, save the buffer with C-x C-s, or use C-u 1 M-x auto-save-mode. This is because if you deleted the text unintentionally, you might find the auto-save file more useful if it contains the deleted text. When you delete a substantial part of the text in a large buffer, auto save turns off temporarily in that buffer. The default value puts the auto-save files for remote files (see Remote Files) into the temporary file directory on the local machine.

Emacs save file series#

It lets you specify a series of regular expressions and replacements to transform the auto save file name. The variable auto-save-file-name-transforms allows a degree of control over the auto-save file name. The file name to be used for auto-saving in a buffer is calculated when auto-saving is turned on in that buffer. Auto-save file names are made this way unless you reprogram parts of Emacs to do something different (the functions make-auto-save-file-name and auto-save-file-name-p). For example, the *mail* buffer in which you compose messages to be sent might be auto-saved in a file named #*mail*#704juu.

Most buffers that are not visiting files are auto-saved only if you request it explicitly when they are auto-saved, the auto-save file name is made by appending ‘ #’ to the front and rear of buffer name, then adding digits and letters at the end for uniqueness.

Thus, a buffer visiting file foo.c is auto-saved in a file #foo.c#. Normally, the auto-save file name is made by appending ‘ #’ to the front and rear of the visited file name. Instead, auto-saving is done in a different file called the auto-save file, and the visited file is changed only when you request saving explicitly (such as with C-x C-s). Auto-saving does not normally save in the files that you visited, because it can be very undesirable to save a change that you did not want to make permanent.