New commands to create an empty file

Similarly as `create-directory', `dired-create-directory',
the new commands create the parent dirs as needed (Bug#24150).
* lisp/files.el (make-empty-file): New command.

* lisp/dired-aux.el (dired-create-empty-file): New command.
(dired--find-topmost-parent-dir): New function extracted
from `dired-create-directory'.
(dired-create-directory, dired-create-empty-file): Use it.

* lisp/dired.el (dired-mode-map):
Add menu entry for `dired-create-empty-file'.

* doc/emacs/dired.texi (Misc Dired Features)
* doc/lispref/files.texi (Create/Delete Dirs): Update manual.
; * etc/NEWS: Announce the changes.

2 files changed, 12 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/doc/emacs/dired.texi b/doc/emacs/dired.texi
index 007a943714a..1b03a3967aa 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/dired.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/dired.texi
@@ -1468,6 +1468,11 @@ rotation is lossless, and uses an external utility called
 directory's name, and creates that directory.  It signals an error if
 the directory already exists.
 
+@findex dired-create-empty-file
+  The command (@code{dired-create-empty-file}) reads a
+file name, and creates that file.  It signals an error if
+the file already exists.
+
 @cindex searching multiple files via Dired
 @kindex M-s a C-s @r{(Dired)}
 @kindex M-s a M-C-s @r{(Dired)}
diff --git a/doc/lispref/files.texi b/doc/lispref/files.texi
index 068cf054437..25fabe1ea5b 100644
--- a/doc/lispref/files.texi
+++ b/doc/lispref/files.texi
@@ -3005,10 +3005,16 @@ This command creates a directory named @var{dirname}.  If
 @var{parents} is non-@code{nil}, as is always the case in an
 interactive call, that means to create the parent directories first,
 if they don't already exist.
-
 @code{mkdir} is an alias for this.
 @end deffn
 
+@deffn Command make-empty-file filename &optional parents
+This command creates an empty file named @var{filename}.
+As @code{make-directory}, this command creates parent directories
+if @var{parents} is non-@code{nil}.
+If @var{filename} already exists, this command signals an error.
+@end deffn
+
 @deffn Command copy-directory dirname newname &optional keep-time parents copy-contents
 This command copies the directory named @var{dirname} to
 @var{newname}.  If @var{newname} is a directory name,