Re: ido.el, usability when saving a new file

[Kim F. Storm]

Phillip Lord <phillip.lord@newcastle.ac.uk> writes:

> I have a question about ido.el. 
>
> In general, I find it works very well and am a compulsive
> user. However, there is a problem when saving a new file. 
>
> Be default it offers something like
>
> ~/emacs/theNewFileToSave.txt

Really?
I can't remember how the old version worked...

But I don't see this with ido from emacs' CVS.
Below is how it works with the latest version from CVS:


> which is fine if it's where you want it to go. But otherwise, 
> you have to delete "theNewFileToSave.txt" and then navigate to the
> directory that you want. 
>
> When you get there, say
>
> ~/scratch
>
> you now have to type the file name in again (if you select ~/scratch
> alone, ido asks you if you want to overwrite the file which already
> exists.

When I use C-x C-w with ido, it gives me the option to select the
directory where to save the file so I just navigate to the desired
target directory, and press C-j.  Ido then saves the file with the
current file name [unless I have entered another name].

So doing what you want is trivial with ido.



In general, if you want to find the current file in another
directory, you can do it with the following keystrokes:

 C-x C-f      - ido-find-file
 <navigate to target directory>
 C-w           - insert current file name (C-w C-w may be needed)
 RET or C-j    - open file.


If you have entered a file name, but realize that it is not
in the current directory, you can "push it away" and navigate
to another location like this:

 C-x C-f      - ido-find-file
 xyzzy        - enter a file name
 M-b or M-v   - push entered text or first matching item
 navigate using M-BS and M-SPC 
 M-f          - pop
 C-j or RET   - 

> Anyone got any suggestions. Am I missing something?

And of course, you can just M-x cd before using C-x C-w...