DiredMode

Dired is the main mode for Emacs file-manager operations. The name “Dired” stands for “directory editor”.

A single Dired buffer can display the contents of a single directory, or it can include listings of one or more sub-directories. A Dired buffer can alternatively display an arbitrary set of files and directories, from any file systems.

A Dired buffer can display a filtered subset of directory contents, and it can show either just file names or additional file details.

All the operations you expect from a typical file-manager application are available in Dired, plus some that are specific to Emacs.

You can use ‘C-x C-q’ to make a Dired buffer editable. This enters WDired mode (writable Dired). For example, you can use this to bulk-rename files, or to change file ownerships and privileges.

You can operate on multiple files after marking them. The usual mark is ‘*’, but the mark used for deletion is ‘D’. ‘D’ marks are also called flags, and the operation of marking with ‘D’ is also called flagging.

You visit a directory in Dired mode using key bindings ‘C-x d’, ‘C-x 4 d’, and ‘C-x 5 d’.

The menu bar is helpful for learning operations and key bindings. As always, ‘C-h m’ provides information on the mode. Consult the Emacs manual (‘C-h r’) for more info – choose Dired under Advanced Features. You can also read about Dired online.)

Dired as Distributed with Gnu Emacs

• Dired X – standard library dired-x.el.
• DiredOmitMode – Selectively remove files and subdirectories from the display, to reduce clutter.
• Dired Aux – library dired-aux.el.
• WDired – Edit a Dired buffer.
• Image Dired Thumbnail Mode – Use listings of image files
• DiredSearchAndReplace – Search multiple files.

Some Tips and Features

• DiredFindFileOtherFrame – open a new frame from dired
• DiredFindInLisp – Run ‘find-dired’ and ‘find-grep-dired’ with only Emacs Lisp code.
• DiredGetFileSize – File size of selected files
• DiredLineCommands – Improvements to next and previous line in Dired.
• DiredPower – Various Dired tips and features.
• DiredOfFile – Open Dired for current file only
• DiredReuseDirectoryBuffer – Make Dired reuse an existing Dired buffer
• DiredSorting – Dired tips and addons for sorting listings
• DiredSortCriterias – minimalistic dired sorting by different criterias This page provides supplementary information about DiredMode and some enhancements to it.
• ExecuteSomeDiredCommand – Execute Command whose Name Contains ‘dired’
• FindGrepDiredDoSearch – logical combination of find-grep-dired and dired-do-search
• FindGrepDiredSearchAndReplace – interactive regexp search/replace in, say “*.rb” in current dir and all subdirs.

3rd-Party Packages That Provide Dired Features

• Bookmark+
  • In the bookmark list, `M-d >’ opens Dired on the marked file and directory bookmarks (only).
  • In Dired, ‘C-j’ jumps among different “views” or states of the same Dired buffer.
  • You can bookmark any Dired buffer – its current state. Jump among Dired bookmarks using ‘J’ in Dired (or ‘C-x j d’ globally).
  • In Dired, ‘M-b’ bookmarks each of the marked files and dirs.
• Dired+ – Extends standard Emacs libraries dired.el, dired-aux.el, and dired-x.el in many ways. (see also: DiredPlus)
• DiredBookmarks – Save/restore Dired state persistently, including switches, marked files, inserted subdirectories, and hidden (sub)directories.
• diredc – Dual-pane Dired with many Midnight Commander features, and more.
• DiredDetails – Hide or show file and directory details in a Dired listing. When details are hidden, all you see (and all IncrementalSearch sees) are the file names.
• DiMode – Simple directory editor for GNU Emacs, by JoeKeane.
• DiredDragAndDrop – Drag-and-drop files.
• DiredEfap – Rename the file at point in Dired.
• DiredFileTypeFaces – Colorful file names in Dired buffers.
• Diredful – Colorful file names in Dired buffers.
• dired-hacks – Collection of Dired packages that add filtering, subtrees, intelligent file opening, ‘avfs’ support, coloring and more.
• DiredSync – Synchronize directories within Dired.
• DiredView – Browse and select files using the first character of their names.
• dired-icon – Display file icons in Dired buffers.
• dired-toggle.el – A simple way to toggle Dired buffer for current directory, similar to ‘dired-jump’(‘C-x C-j’)
• dired-visit-history.el – Add Dired visits to ‘file-name-history’.
• Files+ – (see also: FilesPlus)
  • Integrates ‘find-file’ (‘C-x C-f’) and related commands with Dired
  • Together with ls-lisp+.el, modifies ‘insert-directory’ so that Dired’s second header line lists the number of files: files 691 space used 49439 available 56233408
• `grep' the marked files
• Icicles - Dired Enhancements – minibuffer regexp completion and completion-candidate cycling to navigate directories and perform operations on files
  • Search-and-replace on the marked files.
  • Save marked file names as completion candidates for later reuse.
  • Open Dired on saved file names (`C-M-<’), that is, names that you previously saved as an Emacs fileset or as an Icicles completion candidates set.
• Isearch
  • DiredIsearch – Run ‘isearch’ in Dired, but match only file names
  • DiredLis – Letter ‘isearch’ in Dired mode, no need to use keys to activate ‘isearch-mode’.
• MidnightCommanderMode – Emulates Midnight Commander.
• NortonCommanderMode – Emulates Norton Commander.
• OperatingOnFilesInDired – Open files using associated applications.
• Sunrise Commander – Midnight Commander clone (github).
• ThumbsMode – Automatic image previewing.
• Trashcan – A recoverable file-deletion system that behaves like the trash can or recycle bin of many operating systems.
• Virtual Dired – Edit text files that list files as if they were directory listings.

MS Windows Tips and Features For Dired

• DiredWThirtyTwoTweaks – Dired Enhancements for MS Windows
• MsShellExecute – Open files from Dired on MS Windows
• WThirtyTwoFindDired – Lightweight MS Windows-specific version of ‘find-dired’.

See also

• CategoryDirectories for some other listing formats, besides what you get in Dired.
• DiredModeScreenshots - Here are some screenshots of Dired buffers, vanilla and otherwise.
• IbufferMode lets you control your buffers in a dired-like fashion.

CategoryDirectories CategoryFiles CategoryModes CategoryProgrammerUtils