Re: how to handle buffer modifications that are not to be saved

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

On 3/31/12 1:06 PM, Will Parsons wrote:
> I recently discovered a utility (Perl script) to convert a Word .docx
> file to plain text (http://docx2txt.sourceforge.net/).  The author
> thoughtfully provides the following addition to .emacs for viewing a
> .docx file within Emacs using the utility:
> ----------------
> (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.docx\\'" . docx2txt))
>
> (defun docx2txt ()
>    "Run docx2txt on the entire buffer."
>    (shell-command-on-region (point-min) (point-max) "docx2txt.pl" t t))
> ----------------
> He also warns:
>
>    Be warned that with above ~/.emacs code addition, if you happen to
>    save the buffer/file, it will overwrite the .docx file with the text
>    content.
>
> I would like to avoid the danger of unintentionally overwriting the
> original file.

Then don't specify t for the optional OUTPUT-BUFFER and REPLACE arguments.

> I know I could do that my renaming the buffer to end
> in .txt rather than .docx, but really I probably don't want a separate
> text file, or have to answer a question about saving a modified
> buffer.  What would be the recommended way of simply making the
> converted .docx buffer temporary, so I don't have to worry about
> saving it accidentally, or answering any questions about saving it
> when exiting?

Create a buffer that is not visiting a file:

(shell-command-on-region (point-min) (point-max) "docx2txt.pl"
			 (generate-new-buffer "*docx2txt*")
			 t)

-- 
Kevin Rodgers
Denver, Colorado, USA