Xref: utzoo comp.os.vms:15900 comp.emacs:6468 Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!iuvax!bsu-cs!neubauer From: neubauer@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Paul Neubauer) Newsgroups: comp.os.vms,comp.emacs Subject: Re: Zero Length File save with Emacs and VMS Keywords: Emacs, Purge, VMS Message-ID: <8186@bsu-cs.bsu.edu> Date: 12 Jul 89 22:13:28 GMT References: <114@egrunix.UUCP> <426@uncw.UUCP> Reply-To: neubauer@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Paul Neubauer) Organization: CS Dept, Ball St U, Muncie, Indiana Lines: 56 In article <426@uncw.UUCP> session@uncw.UUCP (Zack Sessions) writes: +In article <114@egrunix.UUCP> steyaert@egrunix.UUCP (Terry Steyaert) writes: +>[trimmed] +>In Emacs, if there is no quota, emacs saves a nice zero length file, +>and tells the student there was a problem on save. What does this nice +>beginning computer student do but save again, and again. This puts +>multiple versions with zero lengths to them all. When the student decides +>to check his quota, notices it is low, and purges, what is he left with? +>Of course, the zero length files, and his program is gone. Now, as +>I see it, there are several options available. (More room per class +>isn't possible, so that is out.) +>[trimmed] + +I am unfamiliar with Emacs, but if it can run in a command file then why +not write yourself an 'envelope' command file for the students to run +by foreign command. It could prompt for the name of the file to edit, +save off the version number, run Emacs, after the user exits the editor, +check the new file created. Make sure it is the next version and that +its file size is not zero. If it is zero, it could do various things, +like automatic deletion, warning the user of its existance, showing +the user their current quota, etc. All this is doable with simple +F$ calls in DCL. + +As also mentioned, a version limit on the students directories is another +way to manage disk space. If you implement that, though, make sure your +users are aware of it! The problem with this suggestion, as with an earlier one that I just read is that the student sees the save-problem message while still WITHIN THE EDITOR and may save several times. As long as Emacs (I assume from the version # deleted from ZS's reply -- 3.8, i believe-- that this refers to MicroEmacs, rather than, e.g., GnuEmacs -- WHICH Emacs is usually an important question) saves a 0-length file then later versions are created. A version limit MIGHT (I'm not too sure of this) cause the previous good file to be eliminated in favor of the newer 0-length files. This might not be wholly bad, because IF that creates enough room to save the current version, then eventually it might get saved. HOWEVER, if the old version gets obsoleted, but the new version is enough larger than the old version, then the new version still might be too big to save and the student will still be left with no file. I know of no good solution that does not involve the source to (Micro?)Emacs. I am crossposting this discussion to comp.emacs, where it will probably be seen by Dan Lawrence, the author of MicroEmacs. (I have seen his postings there before, but I do not remember his email address, or I would simply forward your problem to him directly.) Assuming that the emacs under discussion IS MicroEmacs, this would be a rather serious bug. It should be noted, however, that MicroEmacs has had a couple of major revisions since 3.8. It is now up to 3.10. I have no idea whatsoever, whether Dan would have fixed this behavior in those versions. Good Luck (you may need it) -- Paul Neubauer neubauer@bsu-cs.bsu.edu neubauer@bsu-cs.UUCP !{iuvax,pur-ee}!bsu-cs!neubauer