Refactor auto-save of files

See committed documentation.

CHANGELOG.org

@@ -21,9 +21,15 @@
 - elixir (split from =erlang-elixir=)
 - erlang (split from =erlang-elixir=)
 - github (split from =git=)
-- ipython (ein) (thanks to CestDiego)
+- ipython-notebook (ein) (thanks to CestDiego)
 - latex (was =auctex=)
 - version-control
+*** Dotfile changes
+- New variable =dotspacemacs-auto-save-file-location= which enable or
+  disable auto-saving of modified files. Possible values are =original= to
+  auto-save the file in-place, =cache= to auto-save the file to another
+  file stored in the cache directory and =nil= to disable auto-saving.
+  Default value is =cache=.
 *** Layer changes
 **** Spacemacs
 - Add text alignment key bindings on ~SPC x a~ prefix (thanks to justbur and
@@ -117,7 +123,7 @@
 - Add support for =flycheck= (thanks to swaroopch)
 **** Scala
 - Set classpath directory of =ensime= to =.cache/ensime= (thanks to cyrillk)
-**** Themes
+**** Theme
 - Add spacemacs-theme
 *** Core
 - New interactive function =spacemacs/switch-to-version=

core/core-dotspacemacs.el

@@ -87,9 +87,11 @@ with `:' and Emacs commands are executed with `<leader> :'.")
   "If non nil then `ido' replaces `helm' for some commands. For now only
 `find-files' (SPC f f) is replaced.")
 
-(defvar dotspacemacs-autosave-file-directly nil
-  "If non-nil, auto-save to the file directly. If nil, just save
-to auto-save file in `spacemacs-cache-directory'")
+(defvar dotspacemacs-auto-save-file-location 'cache
+  "Location where to auto-save files. Possible values are `original' to
+auto-save the file in-place, `cache' to auto-save the file to another
+file stored in the cache directory and `nil' to disable auto-saving.
+Default value is `cache'.")
 
 (defvar dotspacemacs-enable-paste-micro-state t
   "If non nil the paste micro-state is enabled. While enabled pressing `p`

core/core-load-paths.el

@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@
 (defconst spacemacs-cache-directory
   (expand-file-name (concat user-emacs-directory ".cache/"))
   "Spacemacs storage area for persistent files")
+(defconst spacemacs-auto-save-directory
+  (expand-file-name (concat spacemacs-cache-directory "auto-save/"))
+  "Spacemacs auto-save directory")
 (defconst spacemacs-docs-directory
   (expand-file-name (concat user-emacs-directory "doc/"))
   "Spacemacs documentation directory.")

core/templates/.spacemacs.template

@@ -96,9 +96,11 @@ before layers configuration."
    ;; By default the command key is `:' so ex-commands are executed like in Vim
    ;; with `:' and Emacs commands are executed with `<leader> :'.
    dotspacemacs-command-key ":"
-   ;; If non-nil, auto-save to the file directly. If nil, just save
-   ;; to auto-save file in `spacemacs-cache-directory'
-   dotspacemacs-autosave-file-directly nil
+   ;; Location where to auto-save files. Possible values are `original' to
+   ;; auto-save the file in-place, `cache' to auto-save the file to another
+   ;; file stored in the cache directory and `nil' to disable auto-saving.
+   ;; Default value is `cache'.
+   dotspacemacs-auto-save-file-location 'cache
    ;; If non nil then `ido' replaces `helm' for some commands. For now only
    ;; `find-files' (SPC f f) is replaced.
    dotspacemacs-use-ido nil

doc/DOCUMENTATION.org

@@ -100,6 +100,10 @@
              - [[#neotree-mode-line][NeoTree mode-line]]
          - [[#bookmarks][Bookmarks]]
          - [[#docview-mode][DocView mode]]
+     - [[#auto-saving][Auto-saving]]
+         - [[#frequency-of-auto-saving][Frequency of auto-saving]]
+         - [[#location-of-auto-saved-files][Location of auto-saved files]]
+         - [[#disable-auto-save][Disable auto-save]]
      - [[#searching][Searching]]
          - [[#with-an-external-tool][With an external tool]]
              - [[#useful-key-bindings][Useful key bindings]]
@@ -1297,7 +1301,7 @@ The mode can be toggled on and off with ~SPC t g~.
 Since =helm= is used everywhere, by default Spacemacs uses =helm= to open files.
 
 Some users prefer the =ido= way to navigate the file system because it can
-remember the last selected directories and buffers and return is used to open
+remember the last selected directories and buffers and ~RET~ is used to open
 directories instead of ~TAB~ or ~C-z~ in =helm=. It is possible to use =ido=
 instead of =helm= by setting the variable =dotspacemacs-use-ido= to =t= in your
 dotfile.
@@ -1538,6 +1542,31 @@ OpenDocument, and Microsoft Office documents.
 | ~C-c C-c~   | toggle display text and image display    |
 | ~C-c C-t~   | open new buffer with doc's text contents |
 
+** Auto-saving
+*** Frequency of auto-saving
+By default auto-saving of files is performed every 300 characters and
+every 30 seconds of idle time which can be changed by setting to a
+new value the variables =auto-save-inteval= and =auto-save-timeout=
+respectively.
+
+*** Location of auto-saved files
+Auto-save of modified files can be performed in-place on the original file
+itself /or/ in the cache directory (in this case the original file will remain
+unsaved). By default Spacemacs auto-save the file in the cache directory.
+
+To modify the location set the variable =dotspacemacs-auto-save-file-location=
+to =original= or =cache=.
+
+Local files are auto-saved in a sub-directory called =site= in the =cache=
+directory whereas remote files editing via TRAMP are auto-saved in a
+sub-directory called =dist=.
+
+*** Disable auto-save
+To disable auto-saving set the variable =dotspacemacs-auto-save-file-location=
+to =nil=.
+
+You can toggle auto-save in a buffer by calling the command =auto-save-mode=.
+
 ** Searching
 *** With an external tool
 =Spacemacs= can be interfaced with different search utilities like:

spacemacs/config.el

@@ -219,8 +219,27 @@ Can be installed with `brew install trash'."
       make-backup-files nil
       create-lockfiles nil)
 
-(setq auto-save-file-name-transforms `((".*" ,spacemacs-cache-directory t)))
-(add-hook 'auto-save-hook 'save-buffer-if-visiting-file)
+;; Auto-save file
+(setq auto-save-default (not (null dotspacemacs-auto-save-file-location)))
+(setq auto-save-list-file-prefix (concat spacemacs-auto-save-directory))
+;; always save TRAMP URLs to cache directory no matter what is the value
+;; of `dotspacemacs-auto-save-file-location'
+(let ((autosave-dir (concat spacemacs-auto-save-directory "dist/")))
+  (setq auto-save-file-name-transforms
+        `(("\\`/[^/]*:\\([^/]*/\\)*\\([^/]*\\)\\'" ,autosave-dir  t)))
+  (unless (or (file-exists-p autosave-dir)
+              (null dotspacemacs-auto-save-file-location))
+    (make-directory autosave-dir t)))
+;; Choose auto-save location
+(case dotspacemacs-auto-save-file-location
+  (cache (let ((autosave-dir (concat spacemacs-auto-save-directory "site/")))
+           (add-to-list 'auto-save-file-name-transforms
+                        `(".*" ,autosave-dir t) 'append)
+           (unless (file-exists-p autosave-dir)
+             (make-directory autosave-dir t))))
+  (original (setq auto-save-visited-file-name t))
+  (_ (setq auto-save-default nil
+           auto-save-list-file-prefix nil)))
 
 (require 'uniquify)
 ;; When having windows with repeated filenames, uniquify them
@@ -245,14 +264,6 @@ Can be installed with `brew install trash'."
       savehist-autosave-interval 60)
 (savehist-mode +1)
 
-;; auto-save
-(let
-    ((autosave-dir (expand-file-name (concat spacemacs-cache-directory "autosave"))))
-  (unless (file-exists-p autosave-dir)
-    (make-directory autosave-dir))
-  (setq auto-save-list-file-prefix (concat autosave-dir "/")
-        auto-save-file-name-transforms `((".*" ,autosave-dir t))))
-
 ;; cache files
 ;; bookmarks
 (setq bookmark-default-file (concat spacemacs-cache-directory "bookmarks")

spacemacs/funcs.el

@@ -1007,11 +1007,3 @@ the right."
 (create-align-repeat-x "bar" "|")
 (create-align-repeat-x "left-paren" "(")
 (create-align-repeat-x "right-paren" ")" t)
-
-(defun save-buffer-if-visiting-file (&optional args)
-  "Save the current buffer only if it is visiting a file"
-  (interactive)
-  (if (and dotspacemacs-autosave-file-directly
-           (buffer-file-name)
-           (buffer-modified-p))
-      (save-buffer args)))