When I write Java programs for school, the beginning of each .java file has my name and the date. Eclipse does this automatically, but I'd rather use Emacs. Is there a way to make Emacs automatically write in such text for every new .java file?

it seems that CVS 's magic string may help you to solve that problem.
$Date$
$Author$

when you checkout or commit your projects, the magic strings will be changed automatically.

Do you mean that I can put
/********
@$Author$
@$Date$
*********/
and it'll fill them in? Where does it get the Name from? Oh, and I was hoping Emacs could enter that whole thing automatically upon creation of a .java file.

here is the manual:
http://www.gnu.org/software/cvs/manu..._mono/cvs.html

$Author$ will add the login name automatically
$Date$ will record the commit date
$Head$ will record the standard header file info
$Id$ will do as $Header$ without path info
.....................

you can record macros in emacs.
for all repetitive work !
type
Cntrl-x (
return
emacs is now recording your keystrokes
when you are done
Cntrl-x )
Cntrl-g to cancel
to execute your macro
Cntrl-x e
to see if it'e right
to save your macro
Esc-x name-last-kbd-macro
return
<macroname>
return
or
Alt-x name-last-kbd-macro
(you know how to use the escape key i know !)
return
now open up ~/.emacs
Cntrl-x Cntrl-f ~/.emacs
return
esc->
or Alt->
to go to the end of the file
Esc-x insert-kbd-macro
return
<macroname>
return
Cntrl-x Cntrl-s
to save the file

now to use your new macro
Esc-x <macroname>
return
or of course
Alt-x <macroname>

waynechen: I do need to RTFM, so thanks for the link. (edit: it goes to the CVS manual?) foo_bar_foo, a macro might be exactly what I need -- thanks.