tickticker wrote:

> Good evening,
> 
> I'm script-challenged, and am having a little issue here.
> 
> I have a text file that I would like to update fairly regularly, let's call it 
> Update.  Every time I update it, I make a copy of it in the form of 
> Update_<today's-date>
> so that I have a historical record of what shape the file was in every time I 
> updated it.
> 
> I was thinking of making a script to do this, but my scripting is lousy.  I 
> was using emacs (no flames please) to try something along the lines of:
> 
> cp Update Update_<code-to-insert-date>
> emacs -nw Update
> 
> to first make a dated copy, then open up the original for editing.
> 
> Maybe this is sheer laziness, maybe it's learning scripting with baby steps.  
> When I take enough baby steps, I hope to have that "AHA!!!" moment of 
> comprehension soon.
> 
> I've googled, and what looks like might work, 
> http://list-archive.xemacs.org/xemacs/199906/msg00337.html for example, I 
> don't know how to implement in emacs, and no flames please, emacs is my 
> editor of choice (can you tell I'm trying to avoid the "Use VIM!!" comment).  
> IANAP (i am not a programmer) and like the interface, but there are some 
> aspects of it that elude me, this being one.
> 
> Any help would be appreciated,

cp file file_`date +%Y%m%d`.old
vi file