garandos/cheatsheets/emacs/emacs.file-explorer.cheatsheet.md

Doom Emacs File Explorer Cheatsheet

🗂️ What is Dired?

Dired (Directory Editor) is Emacs' built-in file manager that allows you to navigate, manage, and manipulate files and directories efficiently.

• Browse directories with keyboard navigation
• Mark, copy, move, and delete files
• Execute commands on multiple files at once
• Integrate with other Emacs tools and buffers

📋 Requirements

• Doom Emacs (Dired is built-in)
• Treemacs: Must be enabled in ~/.doom.d/init.el (uncomment treemacs line)
• Optional tools for enhanced functionality:
  • rsync - Fast file synchronization and copying
  • fd or find - Enhanced file finding
  • rg (ripgrep) or ag (the_silver_searcher) - Fast text search
  • exa or lsd - Enhanced directory listings
  • trash-cli - Safe file deletion to trash
  • zip/unzip, tar, gzip - Archive handling

⌨️ Opening File Explorers

Dired (Built-in File Manager):

• SPC . - Open Dired in current directory
• SPC f d - Find directory (open Dired in specific path)
• C-x d - Open Dired (classic Emacs binding)

Project File Navigation:

• SPC SPC - Find file in project
• SPC f f - Find file anywhere
• SPC f r - Recent files
• SPC p f - Find file in project

Tree-style Explorers:

• SPC o p - Toggle project sidebar (Treemacs)
• SPC f t - Find file in tree

🧭 Navigation in Dired

Basic Movement:

• j/k or n/p - Move up/down between files
• h - Go up one directory (parent)
• l or RET - Enter directory or open file
• ^ - Go to parent directory
• g - Refresh directory listing

Jumping Around:

• gg - Go to top of listing
• G - Go to bottom of listing
• / - Search for file/directory name
• SPC s s - Search within directory

File Information:

• ( - Toggle details (show/hide file info)
• s - Sort files (by name, date, size)
• C-h m - Show help for current mode

📁 File Operations

Opening Files:

• RET - Open file in current window
• o - Open file in other window
• C-o - Open file in other window (keep cursor in Dired)
• v - View file (read-only)
• f - Find file (same as RET)

Creating Files & Directories:

• + - Create directory
• SPC f c - Create file (when in Dired buffer)
• C-x C-f - Find/create file (from Dired)

🏷️ Marking Files

Basic Marking:

• m - Mark file for operations
• u - Unmark file
• U - Unmark all files
• t - Toggle marks (mark unmarked, unmark marked)
• * % - Mark by regex pattern

Quick Marking:

• * . - Mark by extension (e.g., *.txt)
• * / - Mark directories
• * @ - Mark symlinks
• * * - Mark executables

Advanced Marking:

• % m - Mark files matching regex
• % d - Mark for deletion files matching regex
• * c - Change marks (change one mark to another)

✂️ File Management Operations

Copy, Move, Delete:

• C - Copy marked files (or file under cursor)
• R - Rename/Move marked files
• D - Delete marked files immediately
• d - Mark for deletion (use x to execute)
• x - Execute deletions (delete files marked with d)

Deletion Options:

• d then x - Safe deletion (mark first, then execute)
• D - Immediate deletion (bypass mark step)
• Trash integration: If trash-cli is installed, files go to trash instead of permanent deletion

Advanced Operations:

• Z - Compress/uncompress files (uses gzip, zip, tar automatically)
• A - Search in marked files (uses grep or rg if available)
• Q - Query replace in marked files
• ! - Run shell command on marked files
• & - Run async shell command on marked files

📋 Copying & Moving

Copy Operations:

• C - Copy files (prompts for destination)
• Works with marked files or single file under cursor
• Uses rsync if available for faster, resumable copying
• Supports copying to different drives/partitions

Move/Rename Operations:

• R - Rename/Move files
• Can rename single files or move multiple marked files
• Supports moving across directories

Tips for Copy/Move:

• Mark multiple files first, then use C or R
• Tab completion works for destination paths
• Use relative paths (., ..) for quick navigation

🔍 Search & Filter

Finding Files:

• / - Search file names in current listing
• n/N - Next/previous search match

Enhanced Search (with external tools):

• A - Search inside files (uses rg > ag > grep in priority order)
• Much faster with ripgrep or the_silver_searcher
• Supports regex patterns and file type filtering

Filtering Display:

• ( - Toggle detailed view
• s - Sort by different criteria
• C-u s - Sort with custom options

Content Search:

• A - Search inside marked files
• Q - Query replace across marked files

🔧 Advanced Features

Wdired (Writable Dired):

• C-x C-q - Edit filenames directly (like renaming)
• Edit filenames as text, then C-c C-c to apply changes
• C-c C-k to cancel edits

Multiple Windows:

• o - Open in other window
• C-o - Display in other window (stay in Dired)
• 2 - Split window vertically for two Dired views

Subdirectories:

• i - Insert subdirectory in same buffer
• $ - Hide/show subdirectory contents
• M-$ - Hide all subdirectories

📊 File Comparison

Diff Operations:

• = - Diff file with another
• M-= - Diff marked files against each other
• Works with external diff tools

🗜️ Archive Operations

Compression & Archives:

• Z - Compress/decompress automatically detects format
• Supports: .gz, .zip, .tar, .tar.gz, .tar.xz, .7z
• Uses appropriate tools: gzip, zip, tar, 7z

Archive Viewing:

• Open .zip, .tar, etc. files directly to browse contents
• Extract specific files from archives

🎛️ Customization & Settings

View Options:

• ( - Toggle between simple and detailed view
• s - Cycle through sort orders (name, date, size)
• Enhanced listings with exa or lsd if available

Useful Settings:

• Dired reuses buffers by default in Doom
• Auto-refresh on file changes
• Integration with Evil mode keybindings

⚡ Treemacs (Tree Explorer)

Basic Treemacs:

• SPC o p - Toggle Treemacs sidebar
• j/k - Navigate up/down in tree
• RET - Open file or expand/collapse directory
• TAB - Expand/collapse directory

Treemacs File Operations:

• cf - Create file
• cd - Create directory
• R - Rename
• d - Delete
• yy - Copy path to clipboard

🚀 Quick Start Workflow

Basic File Management:

1. Press SPC . - Open Dired in current directory
2. Navigate with j/k - Move between files
3. Mark files with m - Select multiple files
4. Use C to copy or R to move/rename
5. Press g to refresh when done

Efficient File Operations:

1. Mark multiple files with m
2. Execute batch operations (C for copy, R for move)
3. Use ! to run shell commands on marked files
4. Toggle details with ( for more/less information

📚 Essential Keybind Summary

Action	Key	Description
Open Dired	SPC .	Open file explorer
Navigate	j/k	Move up/down
Enter/Open	RET or l	Open file/directory
Parent Dir	h or ^	Go up one directory
Mark	m	Mark file for operations
Copy	C	Copy marked files
Move/Rename	R	Move or rename files
Delete	d then x	Mark for deletion, execute
Create Dir	+	Create new directory
Compress	Z	Compress/decompress
Search Files	A	Search inside files
Refresh	g	Refresh directory listing
Help	?	Show available commands

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

• Dired buffer not updating? Press g to refresh
• Can't see file details? Press ( to toggle detailed view
• Operations feel slow? Use marking (m) for batch operations
• Wrong sort order? Press s to cycle through sort options

Performance Tips:

• Install fd for faster file finding
• Install rg (ripgrep) for faster text search
• Use rsync for efficient file copying
• Consider exa or lsd for enhanced directory listings

Getting Help:

• ? - Context help in any Dired buffer
• C-h m - Mode-specific help
• SPC h d f dired - Full Dired documentation

📋 Comparison: Dired vs Treemacs

Use Dired when:

• Managing multiple files at once
• Need detailed file information
• Performing batch operations
• Working with file permissions/ownership

Use Treemacs when:

• Quick project overview
• Simple file navigation
• Prefer visual tree structure
• Need persistent sidebar

🛠️ External Tool Integration

Recommended Tools:

• rsync - Fast, reliable file copying with resume capability
• ripgrep (rg) - Extremely fast text search, much faster than grep
• fd - Fast alternative to find with better defaults
• exa - Modern replacement for ls with colors and git integration
• trash-cli - Safe deletion to trash instead of permanent removal
• 7z - Handle 7zip archives and other compression formats

Installation (Debian/Ubuntu):

sudo apt install rsync ripgrep fd-find exa trash-cli p7zip-full

🎯 Pro Tips

• Batch operations: Mark files first (m), then execute operations
• Quick navigation: Use / to search for files by name
• Edit filenames: Use C-x C-q for Wdired mode to rename multiple files
• Shell integration: Use ! to run shell commands on files
• Multiple directories: Use i to show subdirectories in same buffer
• Safe deletion: Install trash-cli to send files to trash instead of permanent deletion
• Fast search: Install ripgrep for lightning-fast text search in files

Dired provides a comprehensive file management experience that integrates well with external Linux tools, making file operations both efficient and powerful.