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I'm trying to use tabbar to setup groups for each remote host where I have buffers open. I need to get the full buffer name, so I can parse the hostname to set the group name.

I've figured out how to do everything I want, except for when using tramp and dired.

When I initially open /ssh:dev:/home/fandingo/, I get some strange values for dired-directory and default-directory:

 (default-directory .
   #("/ssh:fandingo@dev:/home/fandingo/" 5 12
     (tramp-default t)))

 (dired-directory .
                  #("/ssh:fandingo@dev:/home/fandingo/" 5 12
                    (tramp-default t)))

(I used M-x pp-eval-expression RET (buffer-local-variables) RET to get this info.)

If I navigate to a directory within this buffer (say elisp/), these variables become "normal:"

 (default-directory . "/ssh:fandingo@dev:/home/fandingo/elisp/")

 (dired-directory . "/ssh:fandingo@dev:/home/fandingo/elisp/")

If I go up (..) to the original directory, things go back to the weird values.

What variable or function can I use to consistently get the full tramp path, regardless of whether I've navigated anywhere or not in the dired buffer?

Alternatively, how can I transparently handle both data structures to get the tramp path? I'm not sure I even understand what Emacs is returning in the originally visited directory (It's not a list, or at least I couldn't car it.).

GNU Emacs 24.5.1 (x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.16.6)

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  • Here is a related thread to test for a particular remote host: stackoverflow.com/questions/24481381/…
    – lawlist
    Dec 16, 2015 at 19:16
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    The form #("/ssh:fandingo@dev:/home/fandingo/" 5 12 (tramp-default t)) is how Emacs writes a string that has text properties. This is just the string "/ssh:fandingo@dev:/home/fandingo/", but with text property tramp-default with value t. You can use that string anywhere, as an ordinary string. This is just the way Emacs prints the value of a propertized string.
    – Drew
    Dec 16, 2015 at 19:28
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    Wrt having different remote directories set up ahead of time: Instead of using tab bar for this, consider using bookmarks. You can bookmark a Dired buffer, including one for a remote directory. "Jumping" to a Dired bookmark just opens Dired on that directory.
    – Drew
    Dec 16, 2015 at 19:30
  • Wow, elisp continues to blow me away. That's really cool. Thanks for the info @Drew!
    – fandingo
    Dec 17, 2015 at 5:10
  • Emacs strings can be pretty cool. Just as symbols have a property list, where you can store any info you like, the same is true of Emacs-Lisp strings. Both Lisp symbols and Emacs-Lisp strings are objects of a sort. An odd feature, especially for strings, but one that can actually be pretty handy.
    – Drew
    Dec 17, 2015 at 5:58

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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As Drew wrote, you see strings with text properties. If you worry about, use (substring-no-properties default-directory) and (substring-no-properties dired-directory)

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  • That's really neat. Thanks for the info1
    – fandingo
    Dec 17, 2015 at 5:04

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