Re: C-x C-f RET problem...

[Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>]

Here's another idea for how to implement the feature.  It only affects
interactive calls to find-file and friends.  If you just type RET, you
visit the directory, but if you want to use the visited file name
instead, you just have to type M-n to get it.

What do you think?

*** files.el.~1.573.~	Tue May 14 01:16:00 2002
--- files.el	Fri May 17 12:15:04 2002
***************
*** 768,781 ****
      (pop-to-buffer buffer t norecord)
      (raise-frame (window-frame (selected-window)))))
  
  (defun find-file (filename &optional wildcards)
    "Edit file FILENAME.
  Switch to a buffer visiting file FILENAME,
  creating one if none already exists.
  Interactively, or if WILDCARDS is non-nil in a call from Lisp,
  expand wildcards (if any) and visit multiple files.  Wildcard expansion
  can be suppressed by setting `find-file-wildcards'."
!   (interactive "FFind file: \np")
    (let ((value (find-file-noselect filename nil nil wildcards)))
      (if (listp value)
  	(mapcar 'switch-to-buffer (nreverse value))
--- 768,799 ----
      (pop-to-buffer buffer t norecord)
      (raise-frame (window-frame (selected-window)))))
  
+ (defun find-file-read-args (prompt)
+   (list (let ((find-file-default
+ 	       (and buffer-file-name
+ 		    (abbreviate-file-name buffer-file-name)))
+ 	      (minibuffer-setup-hook
+ 	       '((lambda ()
+ 		   (setq minibuffer-default find-file-default)
+ 		   ;; Clear out this hook so it does not interfere
+ 		   ;; with any recursive minibuffer usage.
+ 		   (setq minibuffer-setup-hook nil)))))
+ 	  (read-file-name prompt nil default-directory))
+ 	current-prefix-arg))
+ 
  (defun find-file (filename &optional wildcards)
    "Edit file FILENAME.
  Switch to a buffer visiting file FILENAME,
  creating one if none already exists.
+ Interactively, the default if you just type RET is the current directory,
+ but the visited file name is available through the minibuffer history:
+ type M-n to pull it into the minibuffer.
+ 
  Interactively, or if WILDCARDS is non-nil in a call from Lisp,
  expand wildcards (if any) and visit multiple files.  Wildcard expansion
  can be suppressed by setting `find-file-wildcards'."
!   (interactive
!    (find-file-read-args "Find file: "))
    (let ((value (find-file-noselect filename nil nil wildcards)))
      (if (listp value)
  	(mapcar 'switch-to-buffer (nreverse value))
***************
*** 785,793 ****
    "Edit file FILENAME, in another window.
  May create a new window, or reuse an existing one.
  See the function `display-buffer'.
  Interactively, or if WILDCARDS is non-nil in a call from Lisp,
  expand wildcards (if any) and visit multiple files."
!   (interactive "FFind file in other window: \np")
    (let ((value (find-file-noselect filename nil nil wildcards)))
      (if (listp value)
  	(progn
--- 803,816 ----
    "Edit file FILENAME, in another window.
  May create a new window, or reuse an existing one.
  See the function `display-buffer'.
+ 
+ Interactively, the default if you just type RET is the current directory,
+ but the visited file name is available through the minibuffer history:
+ type M-n to pull it into the minibuffer.
+ 
  Interactively, or if WILDCARDS is non-nil in a call from Lisp,
  expand wildcards (if any) and visit multiple files."
!   (interactive (find-file-read-args "FFind file in other window: "))
    (let ((value (find-file-noselect filename nil nil wildcards)))
      (if (listp value)
  	(progn
***************
*** 800,808 ****
    "Edit file FILENAME, in another frame.
  May create a new frame, or reuse an existing one.
  See the function `display-buffer'.
  Interactively, or if WILDCARDS is non-nil in a call from Lisp,
  expand wildcards (if any) and visit multiple files."
!   (interactive "FFind file in other frame: \np")
    (let ((value (find-file-noselect filename nil nil wildcards)))
      (if (listp value)
  	(progn
--- 823,836 ----
    "Edit file FILENAME, in another frame.
  May create a new frame, or reuse an existing one.
  See the function `display-buffer'.
+ 
+ Interactively, the default if you just type RET is the current directory,
+ but the visited file name is available through the minibuffer history:
+ type M-n to pull it into the minibuffer.
+ 
  Interactively, or if WILDCARDS is non-nil in a call from Lisp,
  expand wildcards (if any) and visit multiple files."
!   (interactive (find-file-read-args "FFind file in other frame: "))
    (let ((value (find-file-noselect filename nil nil wildcards)))
      (if (listp value)
  	(progn
***************
*** 813,821 ****
  
  (defun find-file-read-only (filename &optional wildcards)
    "Edit file FILENAME but don't allow changes.
! Like `find-file' but marks buffer as read-only.
  Use \\[toggle-read-only] to permit editing."
!   (interactive "fFind file read-only: \np")
    (find-file filename wildcards)
    (toggle-read-only 1)
    (current-buffer))
--- 841,849 ----
  
  (defun find-file-read-only (filename &optional wildcards)
    "Edit file FILENAME but don't allow changes.
! Like \\[find-file] but marks buffer as read-only.
  Use \\[toggle-read-only] to permit editing."
!   (interactive (find-file-read-args "fFind file read-only: "))
    (find-file filename wildcards)
    (toggle-read-only 1)
    (current-buffer))
***************
*** 824,830 ****
    "Edit file FILENAME in another window but don't allow changes.
  Like \\[find-file-other-window] but marks buffer as read-only.
  Use \\[toggle-read-only] to permit editing."
!   (interactive "fFind file read-only other window: \np")
    (find-file-other-window filename wildcards)
    (toggle-read-only 1)
    (current-buffer))
--- 852,858 ----
    "Edit file FILENAME in another window but don't allow changes.
  Like \\[find-file-other-window] but marks buffer as read-only.
  Use \\[toggle-read-only] to permit editing."
!   (interactive (find-file-read-args "fFind file read-only other window: "))
    (find-file-other-window filename wildcards)
    (toggle-read-only 1)
    (current-buffer))
***************
*** 833,839 ****
    "Edit file FILENAME in another frame but don't allow changes.
  Like \\[find-file-other-frame] but marks buffer as read-only.
  Use \\[toggle-read-only] to permit editing."
!   (interactive "fFind file read-only other frame: \np")
    (find-file-other-frame filename wildcards)
    (toggle-read-only 1)
    (current-buffer))
--- 861,867 ----
    "Edit file FILENAME in another frame but don't allow changes.
  Like \\[find-file-other-frame] but marks buffer as read-only.
  Use \\[toggle-read-only] to permit editing."
!   (interactive (find-file-read-args "fFind file read-only other frame: "))
    (find-file-other-frame filename wildcards)
    (toggle-read-only 1)
    (current-buffer))