different behaviour between emacs on linux and emacs on windows

different behaviour between emacs on linux and emacs on windows

[Ted]

The behaviour I am interested in involves use of a dialog box for
navigating the file system to locate files to open.  I believe the
version of emacs on Linux is 21.4 (it came with SUSE Linux v10), while
that of emacs on WIndows is 21.3.  On Windows, I get a dialog box I can
use to navigate the file system to find whatever file I want to open
it.  On Linux, I do not get such a dialog box.  Instead, I have to
remember where all my files are and type in the full path and file
name.  Is there a dialog of the sort I value available in emacs running
on Linux, just hiding somewhere waiting to be found and enabled?  If
so, please tell me where it is and how to enable it.

Thanks

Ted

Re: different behaviour between emacs on linux and emacs on windows

[Johan Bockgård]

"Ted" <r.ted.byers@rogers.com> writes:

> Instead, I have to remember where all my files are and type in the
> full path and file name.

Have you tried the TAB key?

> Is there a dialog of the sort I value available in emacs running on
> Linux, just hiding somewhere waiting to be found and enabled?

It depends on which toolkit Emacs was compiled with. File selection
dialogs are available with the Motif/LessTif (and GTK for Emacs 22)
toolkits. Also, a dialog is only used if you invoke the command
through the file menu, not when you use the keyboard. (And
use-dialog-box must be non-nil, but it should be by default.)

-- 
Johan Bockgård

Re: different behaviour between emacs on linux and emacs on windows

[Ted]

Hi Johan

Thanks.

Johan Bockgård wrote:
> "Ted" <r.ted.byers@rogers.com> writes:
>
> > Instead, I have to remember where all my files are and type in the
> > full path and file name.
>
> Have you tried the TAB key?
>
Maybe this shows how little I have used Linux in recent years, but what
would using the TAB key do for me, other than insert a tab in whatever
text I am working with?

> > Is there a dialog of the sort I value available in emacs running on
> > Linux, just hiding somewhere waiting to be found and enabled?
>
> It depends on which toolkit Emacs was compiled with. File selection
> dialogs are available with the Motif/LessTif (and GTK for Emacs 22)
> toolkits. Also, a dialog is only used if you invoke the command
> through the file menu, not when you use the keyboard. (And
> use-dialog-box must be non-nil, but it should be by default.)
>
Having used Windows and OS/2 extensively, I normally use the file menu
if I want to do something with a file.

How would I find out?  I am using the default configuration of emacs
that is used by  SUSE Linux version 10, if that tells you anything
useful.

Thanks,

Ted

Re: different behaviour between emacs on linux and emacs on windows

[Peter Dyballa]

Am 06.07.2006 um 05:32 schrieb Ted:

> Maybe this shows how little I have used Linux in recent years, but  
> what
> would using the TAB key do for me, other than insert a tab in whatever
> text I am working with?

First you could start to give GNU Emacs another mood: C-x f. Then TAB  
can be very useful.

>
> How would I find out?  I am using the default configuration of emacs
> that is used by  SUSE Linux version 10, if that tells you anything
> useful.

M-x emacs-version RET. Another way would be to search the Suse Linux  
10 documentation for that detail.

--
Greetings

   Pete

"Isn't vi that text editor with two modes... one that beeps and one
that corrupts your file?" -- Dan Jacobson, on comp.os.linux.advocacy

Re: different behaviour between emacs on linux and emacs on windows

[Kevin Rodgers]

Ted wrote:
> Johan Bockgård wrote:
>> "Ted" <r.ted.byers@rogers.com> writes:
>>> Instead, I have to remember where all my files are and type in the
>>> full path and file name.
 >>
>> Have you tried the TAB key?
> 
> Maybe this shows how little I have used Linux in recent years, but what
> would using the TAB key do for me, other than insert a tab in whatever
> text I am working with?

Read the Minibuffer section of the Emacs manual, and its File, Edit, 
Completion, and History subsections.

-- 
Kevin