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(emacs)Marks vs Flags

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Dired Marks vs. Flags
=====================

   Instead of flagging a file with `D', you can "mark" the file with
some other character (usually `*').  Most Dired commands to operate on
files use the files marked with `*', the exception being `x' which
deletes the flagged files.

   Here are some commands for marking with `*', or for unmarking or
operating on marks.  (Note: Dired Deletion, for commands to flag and
unflag files.)

`m'
`* m'
     Mark the current file with `*' (`dired-mark').  With a numeric
     argument N, mark the next N files starting with the current file.
     (If N is negative, mark the previous -N files.)

`* *'
     Mark all executable files with `*' (`dired-mark-executables').
     With a numeric argument, unmark all those files.

`* @'
     Mark all symbolic links with `*' (`dired-mark-symlinks').  With a
     numeric argument, unmark all those files.

`* /'
     Mark with `*' all files which are actually directories, except for
     `.' and `..' (`dired-mark-directories').  With a numeric argument,
     unmark all those files.

`* s'
     Mark all the files in the current subdirectory, aside from `.' and
     `..' (`dired-mark-subdir-files').

`u'
`* u'
     Remove any mark on this line (`dired-unmark').

`<DEL>'
`* <DEL>'
     Move point to previous line and remove any mark on that line
     (`dired-unmark-backward').

`* !'
     Remove all marks from all the files in this Dired buffer
     (`dired-unmark-all-marks').

`* ? MARKCHAR'
     Remove all marks that use the character MARKCHAR
     (`dired-unmark-all-files').  The argument is a single
     character--do not use <RET> to terminate it.  See the description
     of the `* c' command below, which lets you replace one mark
     character with another.

     With a numeric argument, this command queries about each marked
     file, asking whether to remove its mark.  You can answer `y'
     meaning yes, `n' meaning no, or `!' to remove the marks from the
     remaining files without asking about them.

`* C-n'
     Move down to the next marked file (`dired-next-marked-file') A
     file is "marked" if it has any kind of mark.

`* C-p'
     Move up to the previous marked file (`dired-prev-marked-file')

`* t'
     Toggle all marks (`dired-do-toggle'): files marked with `*' become
     unmarked, and unmarked files are marked with `*'.  Files marked in
     any other way are not affected.

`* c OLD-MARKCHAR NEW-MARKCHAR'
     Replace all marks that use the character OLD-MARKCHAR with marks
     that use the character NEW-MARKCHAR (`dired-change-marks').  This
     command is the primary way to create or use marks other than `*'
     or `D'.  The arguments are single characters--do not use <RET> to
     terminate them.

     You can use almost any character as a mark character by means of
     this command, to distinguish various classes of files.  If
     OLD-MARKCHAR is a space (` '), then the command operates on all
     unmarked files; if NEW-MARKCHAR is a space, then the command
     unmarks the files it acts on.

     To illustrate the power of this command, here is how to put `D'
     flags on all the files that have no marks, while unflagging all
     those that already have `D' flags:

          * c D t  * c SPC D  * c t SPC

     This assumes that no files were already marked with `t'.

`% m REGEXP <RET>'
`* % REGEXP <RET>'
     Mark (with `*') all files whose names match the regular expression
     REGEXP (`dired-mark-files-regexp').  This command is like `% d',
     except that it marks files with `*' instead of flagging with `D'.
     Note: Flagging Many Files.

     Only the non-directory part of the file name is used in matching.
     Use `^' and `$' to anchor matches.  Exclude subdirectories by
     hiding them (Note: Hiding Subdirectories).

`% g REGEXP <RET>'
     Mark (with `*') all files whose _contents_ contain a match for the
     regular expression REGEXP (`dired-mark-files-containing-regexp').
     This command is like `% m', except that it searches the file
     contents instead of the file name.

`C-_'
     Undo changes in the Dired buffer, such as adding or removing marks
     (`dired-undo').  _This command does not revert the actual file
     operations, nor recover lost files!_  It just undoes changes in
     the buffer itself.  For example, if used after renaming one or
     more files, `dired-undo' restores the original names, which will
     get the Dired buffer out of sync with the actual contents of the
     directory.