Re: dired-do-touch

[Juri Linkov]

Richard Stallman <address@hidden> writes:
> When we are discussing one new feature, please do not add a second
> feature into the same patch.  That is an obstacle to considering it.
>
> Would you please send *only* the new T command, with nothing else?
> Then maybe we can install it.  Please include the ChangeLog entries
> and an entry for etc/NEWS.
>
> After that we could consider the other change.

Below is the patch for the new T command.  It uses the external touch
program and behaves like other dired commands `chmod', `chgrp' and `chown'.

I suggest to install this patch first.  Then I suggest to consider and
install the patch that allows the initial default values for
dired-do-touch, dired-do-chmod, dired-do-chgrp, dired-do-chown and
some other dired commands.

And after this I suggest to install the patch posted by Matthew Mundell
that uses the new function `set-file-times', with small modifications
which will allow to use it instead of the external program in cases
when there is no touch program installed or depending on a new user option.

lisp/ChangeLog:

        * dired.el (dired-touch-program): New var.
        (dired-mode-map): Bind `dired-do-touch' to `T' and add menu-item.
        (dired-no-confirm): Add `touch' to docstring.
        (dired-do-touch): Add autoload for `dired-do-touch'.

        * dired-aux.el (dired-do-touch): New fun.
        (dired-do-chxxx): Add argument `-t' for touch operation.

An entry for etc/NEWS could be written later to describe all the
related changes.

Index: emacs/lisp/dired.el
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/emacs/emacs/lisp/dired.el,v
retrieving revision 1.278
diff -c -r1.278 dired.el
*** emacs/lisp/dired.el 27 Mar 2004 01:16:58 -0000      1.278
--- emacs/lisp/dired.el 27 Mar 2004 10:10:01 -0000
***************
*** 79,84 ****
--- 79,87 ----
  (defvar dired-chmod-program "chmod"
    "Name of chmod command (usually `chmod').")
  
+ (defvar dired-touch-program "touch"
+   "Name of touch command (usually `touch').")
+ 
  ;;;###autoload
  (defcustom dired-ls-F-marks-symlinks nil
    "*Informs dired about how `ls -lF' marks symbolic links.
***************
*** 919,924 ****
--- 922,928 ----
      (define-key map "Q" 'dired-do-query-replace-regexp)
      (define-key map "R" 'dired-do-rename)
      (define-key map "S" 'dired-do-symlink)
+     (define-key map "T" 'dired-do-touch)
      (define-key map "X" 'dired-do-shell-command)
      (define-key map "Z" 'dired-do-compress)
      (define-key map "!" 'dired-do-shell-command)
***************
*** 1189,1194 ****
--- 1193,1201 ----
      (define-key map [menu-bar operate chmod]
        '(menu-item "Change Mode..." dired-do-chmod
                  :help "Change mode (attributes) of marked files"))
+     (define-key map [menu-bar operate touch]
+       '(menu-item "Change Timestamp..." dired-do-touch
+                 :help "Change timestamp of marked files"))
      (define-key map [menu-bar operate load]
        '(menu-item "Load" dired-do-load
                  :help "Load marked Emacs Lisp files"))
***************
*** 2333,2340 ****
  (defvar dired-no-confirm nil
    "A list of symbols for commands dired should not confirm.
  Command symbols are `byte-compile', `chgrp', `chmod', `chown', `compress',
! `copy', `delete', `hardlink', `load', `move', `print', `shell', `symlink' and
! `uncompress'.")
  
  (defun dired-mark-pop-up (bufname op-symbol files function &rest args)
    "Return FUNCTION's result on ARGS after showing which files are marked.
--- 2340,2347 ----
  (defvar dired-no-confirm nil
    "A list of symbols for commands dired should not confirm.
  Command symbols are `byte-compile', `chgrp', `chmod', `chown', `compress',
! `copy', `delete', `hardlink', `load', `move', `print', `shell', `symlink',
! `touch' and `uncompress'.")
  
  (defun dired-mark-pop-up (bufname op-symbol files function &rest args)
    "Return FUNCTION's result on ARGS after showing which files are marked.
***************
*** 2975,2980 ****
--- 2982,2991 ----
  
  (autoload 'dired-do-chown "dired-aux"
    "Change the owner of the marked (or next ARG) files."
+   t)
+ 
+ (autoload 'dired-do-touch "dired-aux"
+   "Change the timestamp of the marked (or next ARG) files."
    t)
  
  (autoload 'dired-do-print "dired-aux"
Index: emacs/lisp/dired-aux.el
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/emacs/emacs/lisp/dired-aux.el,v
retrieving revision 1.115
diff -c -r1.115 dired-aux.el
*** emacs/lisp/dired-aux.el     23 Mar 2004 07:39:35 -0000      1.115
--- emacs/lisp/dired-aux.el     27 Mar 2004 10:10:02 -0000
***************
*** 186,192 ****
     (directory-files dir)))
  
  (defun dired-do-chxxx (attribute-name program op-symbol arg)
!   ;; Change file attributes (mode, group, owner) of marked files and
    ;; refresh their file lines.
    ;; ATTRIBUTE-NAME is a string describing the attribute to the user.
    ;; PROGRAM is the program used to change the attribute.
--- 186,192 ----
     (directory-files dir)))
  
  (defun dired-do-chxxx (attribute-name program op-symbol arg)
!   ;; Change file attributes (mode, group, owner, timestamp) of marked files 
and
    ;; refresh their file lines.
    ;; ATTRIBUTE-NAME is a string describing the attribute to the user.
    ;; PROGRAM is the program used to change the attribute.
***************
*** 203,209 ****
          (dired-bunch-files 10000
                             (function dired-check-process)
                             (append
!                             (list operation program new-attribute)
                              (if (string-match "gnu" system-configuration)
                                  '("--") nil))
                             files))
--- 203,212 ----
          (dired-bunch-files 10000
                             (function dired-check-process)
                             (append
!                             (list operation program)
!                             (if (eq op-symbol 'touch)
!                                 '("-t") nil)
!                             (list new-attribute)
                              (if (string-match "gnu" system-configuration)
                                  '("--") nil))
                             files))
***************
*** 235,240 ****
--- 238,249 ----
    (if (memq system-type '(ms-dos windows-nt))
        (error "chown not supported on this system"))
    (dired-do-chxxx "Owner" dired-chown-program 'chown arg))
+ 
+ (defun dired-do-touch (&optional arg)
+   "Change the timestamp of the marked (or next ARG) files.
+ This calls touch."
+   (interactive "P")
+   (dired-do-chxxx "Timestamp" dired-touch-program 'touch arg))
  
  ;; Process all the files in FILES in batches of a convenient size,
  ;; by means of (FUNCALL FUNCTION ARGS... SOME-FILES...).

-- 
Juri Linkov
http://www.jurta.org/emacs/