As of version 1.3, GNU indent makes GNU--style backup files, the
same way GNU Emacs does. This means that either simple or
numbered backup filenames may be made.
Simple backup file names are generated by appending a suffix to the original file name. The default for the this suffix is the one-character string `~' (tilde). Thus, the backup file for `python.c' would be `python.c~'.
Instead of the default, you may specify any string as a suffix by
setting the environment variable SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX to
your preferred suffix.
Numbered backup versions of a file `momewraths' look like `momewraths.c.~23~', where 23 is the version of this particular backup. When making a numbered backup of the file `src/momewrath.c', the backup file will be named `src/momewrath.c.~V~', where V is one greater than the highest version currently existing in the directory `src'.
The type of backup file made is controlled by the value of the
environment variable VERSION_CONTROL. If it is the string
`simple', then only simple backups will be made. If its value is
the string `numbered', then numbered backups will be made. If its
value is `numbered-existing', then numbered backups will be made if
there already exist numbered backups for the file being indented;
otherwise, a simple backup is made. If VERSION_CONTROL is not
set, then indent assumes the behaviour of
`numbered-existing'.
Other versions of indent use the suffix `.BAK' in naming
backup files. This behaviour can be emulated by setting
SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX to `.BAK'.
Note also that other versions of indent make backups in the
current directory, rather than in the directory of the source file as
GNU indent now does.
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