Directory Editor (Dired)

Dired (Directory Editor) is Emacs's built-in file manager that allows you to navigate, view, and manipulate files and directories directly within Emacs. This configuration enhances Dired with modern features like icons, filtering, tree views, and advanced file operations.

The base Dired settings provide human-readable file listings, automatic buffer updates, and convenient file operations.

Key features:

• Human-readable file sizes (-h flag)
• Show all files including hidden ones (-a flag)
• Long listing format with detailed information (-l flag)
• Automatically revert buffers when files change
• Recursive operations for copy/delete
• Kill buffers when deleting directories

;;; dired-conf.el --- Directory Editor Configuration  -*- lexical-binding: t; -*-
;;; Commentary:
;;; Enhanced Dired configuration with modern features
;;; Code:

(use-package dired
  :ensure nil
  :commands (dired dired-jump)
  :bind (("C-x C-j" . dired-jump))
  :custom
  ;; Listing switches: all files, human-readable sizes, long format
  (dired-listing-switches "-ahl --group-directories-first")
  ;; Auto-refresh dired buffers when files change
  (dired-auto-revert-buffer t)
  ;; Human-readable file sizes
  (dired-hide-details-hide-symlink-targets nil)
  ;; Ask for recursive operations
  (dired-recursive-copies 'always)
  (dired-recursive-deletes 'always)
  ;; Kill buffer when deleting directory
  (dired-kill-when-opening-new-dired-buffer t)
  :config
  ;; (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook #'dired-hide-details-mode)
  ;; Use 'a' to open files in same buffer
  (put 'dired-find-alternate-file 'disabled nil))

Dired-X provides additional functionality including omitting uninteresting files, jumping to the current file's directory, and advanced marking operations.

Features:

• Omit mode to hide uninteresting files (toggle with C-x M-o)
• Jump to dired from any buffer (C-x C-j)
• Guess shell commands based on file type

(use-package dired-x
  :ensure nil
  :after dired
  :bind (("C-x C-j" . dired-jump)
         ("C-x 4 C-j" . dired-jump-other-window))
  :custom
  ;; Files to omit in omit-mode
  (dired-omit-files "^\\.[^.]\\|^\\.?#\\|^\\.$\\|^\\.\\.$")
  :hook
  ;; Enable omit mode by default
  (dired-mode . dired-omit-mode))

The dired-subtree package allows you to expand and collapse directories inline, creating a tree-like view without opening multiple buffers.

Usage:

• C-, : Toggle subtree expansion/collapse
• Navigate through the tree structure without leaving the current buffer
• Great for exploring nested directory structures

(use-package dired-subtree
  :after dired
  :bind (:map dired-mode-map
              ("C-," . dired-subtree-toggle)
              ("TAB" . dired-subtree-cycle)))

The dired-filter package provides powerful filtering capabilities to narrow down file lists based on various criteria.

Features:

• Filter by name, extension, regexp
• Stack multiple filters
• Save and restore filter configurations
• Quick filtering with keyboard shortcuts

(use-package dired-filter
  :after dired
  :bind (:map dired-mode-map
              ("/" . dired-filter-map))
  :hook
  (dired-mode . dired-filter-mode))

The peep-dired package provides a quick file preview without opening the file, similar to macOS Finder's Quick Look.

Usage: Press P to toggle preview mode, then navigate files to see previews.

(use-package peep-dired
  :after dired
  :bind (:map dired-mode-map
              ("P" . peep-dired))
  :custom
  (peep-dired-cleanup-on-disable t)
  (peep-dired-enable-on-directories t))

Some useful Dired commands to remember:

(provide 'dired-conf)
;;; dired-conf.el ends here