Re: .dir-locals.el

[Kevin Rodgers <kevin.d.rodgers@gmail.com>]

Eric Schulte wrote:
> Is there a good way to apply the variables set in .dir-locals.el when
> changing into and out of a directory in eshell (or I suppose in other
> Emacs shells as well)?
> 
> I've tried setting eshell as a mode in the .dir-locals.el file but with
> no success.  I've also tried to define after-advice on the `cd' function
> in eshell, but there doesn't appear to be any means for applying local
> variables to a buffer which doesn't have a file-name.
> 
> (defadvice cd (after dir-locals-on-cd activate)
>   "Apply the variables defined in .dir-locals.el when changing
> into and outof a directory in eshell."
>   (hack-dir-local-variables))
> 
> Fails because `hack-dir-local-variables' checks that the buffer is
> visiting a file before applying the variables.
> 
> Is there a supported way to do this?
> 
> If not should I write a new function for this?
> 
> If so should it be included in the dir-locals.el functionality?
> 
> If not is there a reason to only allow setting local variables for
> buffers visiting files?

I don't know.  But you should be able to get your advice to work by
let-binding buffer-file-name to default-directory around the call to
hack-dir-local-variables.

Or perhaps to (expand-file-name "foo").

-- 
Kevin Rodgers
Denver, Colorado, USA