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I want to use .dir-locals.el to append to the before-save-hook in a project for c++ files.

Currently I'm using:

(add-hook 'c++-mode-hook
          (lambda ()
            (add-hook 'before-save-hook 'clang-format-buffer nil t)))

This will set before-save-hook as a buffer local variable ignoring everything that I set globally.

How can I create a buffer-local variable of 'before-save-hook' that takes the value from the global version and then adds clang-format-buffer?

Another thing that is a little bit annoying is that this will only be applied after the second file I open in the project. In the first cpp file that I open the hook is not applied.

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1
  • If it doesn't have to go to before-save-hook, you can add it to local-write-file-hooks which is buffer local by default. Commented May 15, 2015 at 13:42

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
8 
(add-hook 'before-save-hook #'clang-format-buffer nil t)

This is the right way to add a function locally to a hook.

This will set before-save-hook as a buffer local variable ignoring everything that I set globally.

No, it won't. The global value will still exist, and run-hooks will run both values. before-save-hook is no exception here, try it out and you will see. Nothing will get ignored.

Another thing that is a little bit annoying is that this will only be applied after the second file I open in the project. In the first cpp file that I open the hook is not applied.

This is what your .dir-locals.el should look like:

;;; Directory Local Variables
;;; For more information see (info "(emacs) Directory Variables")

((c++-mode
  (eval add-hook 'before-save-hook #'clang-format-buffer nil t)))
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5
  • With some more looking around, from add-hook documentation: The optional fourth argument, LOCAL, if non-nil, says to modify the hook's buffer-local value rather than its global value. This makes the hook buffer-local, and it makes t a member of the buffer-local value. That acts as a flag to run the hook functions of the global value as well as in the local value. Commented May 15, 2015 at 15:02
  • Thanks I wasn't aware that this will add a new before-save-hook that is independent from the global value. Commented May 15, 2015 at 17:07
  • The difference between the line in the question and the answer seems to be the hash. Is the # important here? Commented May 27, 2016 at 8:32
  • @JayeshBadwaik there's no difference. I just corrected the OP's understanding of what it does. Commented May 27, 2016 at 8:56
  • Okay, cool. :-) Commented May 27, 2016 at 8:56

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