randomwangran / dired-registers

Evil-like registers for dired (without dependence on evil)

dired-registers

Evil-like registers for dired

• No dependence on evil
• Functions can be used outside of dired as well

Slightly more detail

I like emacs bookmarks but I rarely want to create something so permanent to just hold my place when moving between directories (e.g., when copying and pasting files between directories; see dired-copy-paste for more on copying and pasting in dired). This package lowers the barrier to keeping your place by implementing registers storing a directory and making it easy to jump back later. Think of these registers like temporary bookmarks that don't persist between sessions (just like evil registers).

Install and Configuration Example

The following use-package snippet uses straight to install the package and then set some registers I use frequently.

(use-package dired-registers
  :straight (dired-registers :type git :host github :repo "jsilve24/dired-registers")
  :config
  (dired-registers-store ?d "~/Downloads/")
  (dired-registers-store ?h "~/")
  (dired-registers-store ?c "~/.emacs.d/")
  (dired-registers-store ?g "~/Dropbox/Faculty/Grants/")
  (dired-registers-store ?t "~/Dropbox/Faculty/Teaching/")
  (dired-registers-store ?p "~/Dropbox/Faculty/Presentations/")
  (dired-registers-store ?o "~/Dropbox/org/"))

There are two main functions and one helper function in this package. The main functions are

• dired-registers-store which, when called interactively, prompts the user for a character (a-z) then stores the current value of default-directory in that register.
• dired-registers-goto which, when called interactively, prompts the user for a character (a-z) and then jumps to the directory stored in that register. Also, if currently visited buffer has major-mode dired-mode then moves current buffer rather than cluttering things up by creating a new dired buffer. If not a dired buffer, then creates a new dired buffer (to avoid overwriting another dired buffer you may be looking at in a different window). Finally, if a filename (not a directory) is stored in a register this function uses find-file to jump to open that file.

Beyond these main functions, users can also use the function dired-registers-goto-completing-read to view the registers and jump using completing-read.

My Bindings for This Package

The following uses general.el for binding.

I bind the following for quick use in dired-mode.

(general-define-key 
 :states 'normal
 :keymaps 'dired-mode-map
 ";m" #'dired-registers-store
 ";j" #'dired-registers-goto)

I bind the following for use everywhere under my leader key (SPC).

(jds/leader-def
  "j" '(:ignore t :which-key "jump")
  "j RET" #'dired-registers-goto-completing-read
  "j m"   #'dired-registers-store
  "j j"   #'dired-registers-goto)