> how do I rename old_name into new_name so that it overwrites new_name

Overwriting a directory is a highly destructive activity. It would be
better to make the user explicitly delete the old directory, and then do
the rename IMO.

But we can add a new custom variable. I am all for giving everyone options.
I don't think it can integrate with `dired-create-destination-dirs' though;
`dired-create-destination-dirs-trailing-slash-special'?

On Wed, Sep 29, 2021 at 4:39 PM Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:

> > From: Tassilo Horn <tsdh@gnu.org>
> > Cc: rudiwillalwaysloveyou@gmail.com, stefankangas@gmail.com,
> >  emacs-devel@gnu.org
> > Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2021 06:46:04 +0200
> >
> > > So the behavior will now differ depending on whether new_name already
> > > exists or not?
> >
> > Right.  And also `dired-create-destination-dirs' has to be non-nil for
> > the new behavior which conforms to its documentation.  I have that set
> > to 'ask, and when I apply Rudi's patch and do the recipe, it'll ask if a
> > new directory new_name/ should be created.
> >
> > > because if the user types
> > >
> > >   R /new_ TAB
> > >
> > > Emacs will complete it to "/new_name/", including the trailing slash.
> >
> > But only if it exists, and then the patch makes no difference in
> > behavior.
>
> Isn't that exactly the problem?  If both old_name and new_name exist,
> how do I rename old_name into new_name so that it overwrites new_name
> instead of becoming its subdirectory?  I must carefully type new_name
> RET so as to avoid having a slash at its end.
>
> I would support such a change only if it had an explicit defcustom to
> control it.  (It could be a new value of
> dired-create-destination-dirs, if that makes sense.)
>