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## 4 Local Variables for Dired Directories

When Dired visits a directory, it looks for a file whose name is the value of variable `dired-local-variables-file` (default: `.dired`). If such a file is found, Dired will temporarily insert it into the Dired buffer and run `hack-local-variables`.

For example, if the user puts

         Local Variables:
         dired-actual-switches: "-lat"
         dired-omit-mode: t
         End:

into a file called `.dired` in a directory then when that directory is viewed it will be

1. sorted by date
2. omitted automatically

You can set `dired-local-variables-file` to `nil` to suppress this. The value of `dired-enable-local-variables` controls if and how these local variables are read. This variable exists so that if may override the default value of `enable-local-variables`.

Please see the GNU Emacs Manual to learn more about local variables. See Local Variables in Files.

The following variables affect Dired Local Variables

`dired-local-variables-file`
  Default: `".dired"`

  If non-`nil`, file name for local variables for Dired. If Dired finds a file with that name in the current directory, it will temporarily insert it into the Dired buffer and run `hack-local-variables`.

`dired-enable-local-variables`
  Default: `t`

  Controls the use of local-variables lists in Dired. The value can be `t`, `nil`, or something else. A value of `t` means local-variables lists are obeyed in the `dired-local-variables-file`; `nil` means they are ignored; anything else means query. This variable temporarily overrides the value of `enable-local-variables` when the Dired Local Variables are hacked.