Edit but Not Save Read Only Files?

[Lester M Petrie]

On Thu, 2007-05-03 at 10:12 -0400, Tony Balinski wrote:
> Quoting Michael Will <michael.will at l-3com.com>:
> 
> > Is there a way to edit (i.e. make changes to, not merely open) read only
> > files? Obviously Save would be disabled, but Save As... would work, or
> > quit/close.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Mike
> 
> No. The workaround is usually something like Ctrl-A Ctrl-C Ctrl-N Ctrl-V
> Ctrl-W (select-all, copy, new-file, paste, close-window) which opens up a Save
> As... dialog for the "Untitled" window you're closing. I like not being
> allowed to modify read-only files. Its irritation is enough to warn me that
> the file won't be saveable directly. I therefore decide early (when I start
> modifying) where the new file should be stored, rather than when I'm shutting
> nedit down.
> 
> You would argue the other way, I gather. Or add a preference to allow
> modification of documents that come from read-only files.
> 
> Tony

I do a Save As first, which creates a new file, then I am able to make
changes to the open file. This does have the effect of removing the read
only file from the list of open files.