Re: two dired questions

[David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org>]

"B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net> writes:

> i.
> Is there a function or, better yet, a keychord that backspaces (by
> erasing) subdirectory components in the minibuffer. So, if the current
> directory is deeply embedded in the file hierarchy, can I hit a key
> combo to move backwards (upwards toward the root) in the directory tree:
>
> c:\abc\def\ghi\jkl
> becomes
> c:\abc\def\ghi
> then
> c:\abc\def
>

M-DEL (translated from <M-backspace>) runs the command
backward-kill-word, which is an interactive compiled Lisp function in
`simple.el'.

It is bound to <C-backspace>, M-DEL.

(backward-kill-word ARG)

Kill characters backward until encountering the beginning of a word.
With argument ARG, do this that many times.


> ii.
> Is there a setting that overwrites the dired buffer with the new one
> navigated to (or alternatively kills the one navigated from), so that
> there is only one dired buffer at a time instead of a long trail of them?

dired-find-alternate-file is an interactive compiled Lisp function in
`dired.el'.

(dired-find-alternate-file)

In Dired, visit this file or directory instead of the dired buffer.

[back]

Or more generally:

C-x C-v runs the command find-alternate-file, which is an interactive
compiled Lisp function in `files.el'.

It is bound to C-x C-v.

(find-alternate-file FILENAME &optional WILDCARDS)

Find file FILENAME, select its buffer, kill previous buffer.




-- 
David Kastrup