Re: Remote temporary directory

[Michael Albinus]

Eli Zaretskii <address@hidden> writes:

Hi Eli,

>> (defun temporary-file-directory (&optional base)
>>   "The directory for writing temporary files.
>> BASE indicates the host where this directory is located.  If this
>> is a remote file name, the directory for writing temporary files
>> is located on the same host.  A local file name for BASE lets the
>> function return the value of the variable `temporary-file-directory'.
>> 
>> The default value of BASE is `default-directory'."
>> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>> 
>> Then you could call
>> 
>> (let ((temporary-file-directory (temporary-file-directory)))
>>   (make-temp-file "my-prefix))
>> 
>> Similar for `make-temp-name'.
>
> I don't understand what you meant by the last sentence.  Currently,
> make-temp-name doesn't support remote files and doesn't pay attention
> to temporary-file-directory.

You're right, my bad. `make-temp-name' doesn't pay attention to any directory.

> It seems to me that we need to extend make-temp-file to support remote
> files, but I see no reason to extend temporary-file-directory for that
> purpose, sincea remote version of make-temp-file will invoke utilities
> that might have their own ideas about where temporary file should live
> and how they should be called.

These "utilities that might have their own ideas about where temporary
file should live" are triggered by the function `temporary-file-directory'
proposed above. It would call a file name handler, if BASE (or its
default value `default-directory') indicates this.

If you find it too confusing, that the function has the same name like
the existing variable, we could choose any other name.

Best regards, Michael.