Readonly File, Changable Buffer

Readonly File, Changable Buffer

[Artist]

Hi,
 I like to read a file in emacs buffer and don't want to make any
change to the file itself, but should not have any problem in changing
buffer contents.
Thus I like to dis-associate the buffer from the file.
ex.. I like to sort the data in buffer etc..
I looked at dissociated-press but doesn't make much sense.

Thanks,
artist

Re: Readonly File, Changable Buffer

[Benjamin Rutt]

googleartist@yahoo.com (Artist) writes:

>  I like to read a file in emacs buffer and don't want to make any
> change to the file itself, but should not have any problem in changing
> buffer contents.
> Thus I like to dis-associate the buffer from the file.
> ex.. I like to sort the data in buffer etc..
> I looked at dissociated-press but doesn't make much sense.

If the buffer is truly read-only according to your OS, use M-x
toggle-read-only.

Otherwise, just edit the buffer and don't save it.
-- 
Benjamin

Re: Readonly File, Changable Buffer

[Barry Margolin]

In article <de3ad953.0302271003.37eca6bd@posting.google.com>,
Artist <googleartist@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Hi,
> I like to read a file in emacs buffer and don't want to make any
>change to the file itself, but should not have any problem in changing
>buffer contents.
>Thus I like to dis-associate the buffer from the file.

What I usually do is create a new buffer with C-x b, and then use C-x i to
insert the file into that buffer.  insert-file doesn't associate the file
with the buffer.

-- 
Barry Margolin, barry.margolin@level3.com
Genuity Managed Services, Woburn, MA
*** DON'T SEND TECHNICAL QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO ME, post them to newsgroups.
Please DON'T copy followups to me -- I'll assume it wasn't posted to the group.

RE: Readonly File, Changable Buffer

[Bingham, Jay]

On Thursday, February 27, 2003 12:14 PM Benjamin Rutt wrote:

>googleartist@yahoo.com (Artist) writes:
>
>>  I like to read a file in emacs buffer and don't want to make any
>> change to the file itself, but should not have any problem in
changing
>> buffer contents.
>> Thus I like to dis-associate the buffer from the file.
>> ex.. I like to sort the data in buffer etc..
>> I looked at dissociated-press but doesn't make much sense.
>
>If the buffer is truly read-only according to your OS, use M-x
>toggle-read-only.
>
>Otherwise, just edit the buffer and don't save it.

Or if you are not comfortable with either of those options (perhaps
because you are afraid that you might accidentally write your changes
back to the file) you could create a buffer using the switch to buffer
command (C-x b) and insert (C-x i)the file in it.  The advantage of this
method is that there is no file associated with the buffer so it will
not overwrite the original file, and there is no file modification
overhead either.

-_
J_)
C_)ingham
.    HP - NonStop Austin Software & Services - Software Quality
Assurance
.    Austin, TX
. "Language is the apparel in which your thoughts parade in public.
.  Never clothe them in vulgar and shoddy attire."     -Dr. George W.
Crane-

Re: Readonly File, Changable Buffer

[Piet van Oostrum]

>>>>> googleartist@yahoo.com (Artist) (A) wrote:

A> Hi,
A>  I like to read a file in emacs buffer and don't want to make any
A> change to the file itself, but should not have any problem in changing
A> buffer contents.
A> Thus I like to dis-associate the buffer from the file.
A> ex.. I like to sort the data in buffer etc..
A> I looked at dissociated-press but doesn't make much sense.

(setq buffer-file-name nil)
-- 
Piet van Oostrum <piet@cs.uu.nl>
URL: http://www.cs.uu.nl/~piet [PGP]
Private email: P.van.Oostrum@hccnet.nl