From 2916980bde9ae4d8b8e9d60062660bdca947f56e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Chet Ramey Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:59:00 -0500 Subject: Readline-4.1 import --- doc/rluserman.html | 1566 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 1566 insertions(+) create mode 100644 doc/rluserman.html (limited to 'doc/rluserman.html') diff --git a/doc/rluserman.html b/doc/rluserman.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b813dda --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/rluserman.html @@ -0,0 +1,1566 @@ + + + + +GNU Readline Library + + +

GNU Readline Library User Interface

Edition 4.1, for `Readline Library` Version 4.1.

January 2000

Brian Fox, Free Software Foundation

Chet Ramey, Case Western Reserve University

Command Line Editing +
+

+ +

+This document describes the end user interface of the GNU Readline Library, +a utility which aids in the consistency of user interface across discrete +programs that need to provide a command line interface. + +

+Published by the Free Software Foundation
+59 Temple Place, Suite 330,
+Boston, MA 02111 USA + +

+Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of +this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice +are preserved on all copies. + +

+Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this +manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the entire +resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission +notice identical to this one. + +

+Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual +into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, +except that this permission notice may be stated in a translation approved +by the Free Software Foundation. + +

+ + + +

Command Line Editing

+ +

+This chapter describes the basic features of the GNU +command line editing interface. + +

+ +

Introduction and Notation: Notation used in this text. +
Readline Interaction: The minimum set of commands for editing a line. +
Readline Init File: Customizing Readline from a user's view. +
Bindable Readline Commands: A description of most of the Readline commands + available for binding +
Readline vi Mode: A short description of how to make Readline + behave like the vi editor. +

+ + + +

Introduction to Line Editing

+ +

+The following paragraphs describe the notation used to represent +keystrokes. + +

+The text C-k is read as `Control-K' and describes the character +produced when the k key is pressed while the Control key +is depressed. + +

+The text M-k is read as `Meta-K' and describes the character +produced when the Meta key (if you have one) is depressed, and the k +key is pressed. +The Meta key is labeled ALT on many keyboards. +On keyboards with two keys labeled ALT (usually to either side of +the space bar), the ALT on the left side is generally set to +work as a Meta key. +The ALT key on the right may also be configured to work as a +Meta key or may be configured as some other modifier, such as a +Compose key for typing accented characters. + +

+If you do not have a Meta or ALT key, or another key working as +a Meta key, the identical keystroke can be generated by typing ESC +first, and then typing k. +Either process is known as metafying the k key. + +

+The text M-C-k is read as `Meta-Control-k' and describes the +character produced by metafying C-k. + +

+In addition, several keys have their own names. Specifically, +DEL, ESC, LFD, SPC, RET, and TAB all +stand for themselves when seen in this text, or in an init file +(see section Readline Init File). +If your keyboard lacks a LFD key, typing C-j will +produce the desired character. +The RET key may be labeled Return or Enter on +some keyboards. + +

+ + +

Readline Interaction

+ + +

+Often during an interactive session you type in a long line of text, +only to notice that the first word on the line is misspelled. The +Readline library gives you a set of commands for manipulating the text +as you type it in, allowing you to just fix your typo, and not forcing +you to retype the majority of the line. Using these editing commands, +you move the cursor to the place that needs correction, and delete or +insert the text of the corrections. Then, when you are satisfied with +the line, you simply press RETURN. You do not have to be at the +end of the line to press RETURN; the entire line is accepted +regardless of the location of the cursor within the line. + +

+ +

Readline Bare Essentials: The least you need to know about Readline. +
Readline Movement Commands: Moving about the input line. +
Readline Killing Commands: How to delete text, and how to get it back! +
Readline Arguments: Giving numeric arguments to commands. +
Searching: Searching through previous lines. +

+ + + +

Readline Bare Essentials

+ + + + +

+In order to enter characters into the line, simply type them. The typed +character appears where the cursor was, and then the cursor moves one +space to the right. If you mistype a character, you can use your +erase character to back up and delete the mistyped character. + +

+Sometimes you may mistype a character, and +not notice the error until you have typed several other characters. In +that case, you can type C-b to move the cursor to the left, and then +correct your mistake. Afterwards, you can move the cursor to the right +with C-f. + +

+When you add text in the middle of a line, you will notice that characters +to the right of the cursor are `pushed over' to make room for the text +that you have inserted. Likewise, when you delete text behind the cursor, +characters to the right of the cursor are `pulled back' to fill in the +blank space created by the removal of the text. A list of the bare +essentials for editing the text of an input line follows. + +

C-b +: +Move back one character. +
C-f +: +Move forward one character. +
DEL or Backspace +: +Delete the character to the left of the cursor. +
C-d +: +Delete the character underneath the cursor. +
Printing characters +: +Insert the character into the line at the cursor. +
C-_ or C-x C-u +: +Undo the last editing command. You can undo all the way back to an +empty line. +

+ +

+(Depending on your configuration, the Backspace key be set to +delete the character to the left of the cursor and the DEL key set +to delete the character underneath the cursor, like C-d, rather +than the character to the left of the cursor.) + +

+ + +

Readline Movement Commands

+ +

+The above table describes the most basic keystrokes that you need +in order to do editing of the input line. For your convenience, many +other commands have been added in addition to C-b, C-f, +C-d, and DEL. Here are some commands for moving more rapidly +about the line. + +

C-a +: +Move to the start of the line. +
C-e +: +Move to the end of the line. +
M-f +: +Move forward a word, where a word is composed of letters and digits. +
M-b +: +Move backward a word. +
C-l +: +Clear the screen, reprinting the current line at the top. +

+ +

+Notice how C-f moves forward a character, while M-f moves +forward a word. It is a loose convention that control keystrokes +operate on characters while meta keystrokes operate on words. + +

+ + +

Readline Killing Commands

+ +

+ + + +

+Killing text means to delete the text from the line, but to save +it away for later use, usually by yanking (re-inserting) +it back into the line. +(`Cut' and `paste' are more recent jargon for `kill' and `yank'.) + +

+If the description for a command says that it `kills' text, then you can +be sure that you can get the text back in a different (or the same) +place later. + +

+When you use a kill command, the text is saved in a kill-ring. +Any number of consecutive kills save all of the killed text together, so +that when you yank it back, you get it all. The kill +ring is not line specific; the text that you killed on a previously +typed line is available to be yanked back later, when you are typing +another line. + + +

+Here is the list of commands for killing text. + +

C-k +: +Kill the text from the current cursor position to the end of the line. + +
M-d +: +Kill from the cursor to the end of the current word, or, if between +words, to the end of the next word. +Word boundaries are the same as those used by M-f. + +
M-DEL +: +Kill from the cursor the start of the previous word, or, if between +words, to the start of the previous word. +Word boundaries are the same as those used by M-b. + +
C-w +: +Kill from the cursor to the previous whitespace. This is different than +M-DEL because the word boundaries differ. + +

+ +

+Here is how to yank the text back into the line. Yanking +means to copy the most-recently-killed text from the kill buffer. + +

C-y +: +Yank the most recently killed text back into the buffer at the cursor. + +
M-y +: +Rotate the kill-ring, and yank the new top. You can only do this if +the prior command is C-y or M-y. +

+ + + +

Readline Arguments

+ +

+You can pass numeric arguments to Readline commands. Sometimes the +argument acts as a repeat count, other times it is the sign of the +argument that is significant. If you pass a negative argument to a +command which normally acts in a forward direction, that command will +act in a backward direction. For example, to kill text back to the +start of the line, you might type `M-- C-k'. + +

+The general way to pass numeric arguments to a command is to type meta +digits before the command. If the first `digit' typed is a minus +sign (`-'), then the sign of the argument will be negative. Once +you have typed one meta digit to get the argument started, you can type +the remainder of the digits, and then the command. For example, to give +the C-d command an argument of 10, you could type `M-1 0 C-d'. + +

+ + +

Searching for Commands in the History

+ +

+Readline provides commands for searching through the command history +for lines containing a specified string. +There are two search modes: incremental and non-incremental. + +

+Incremental searches begin before the user has finished typing the +search string. +As each character of the search string is typed, Readline displays +the next entry from the history matching the string typed so far. +An incremental search requires only as many characters as needed to +find the desired history entry. +To search backward in the history for a particular string, type +C-r. Typing C-s searches forward through the history. +The characters present in the value of the isearch-terminators variable +are used to terminate an incremental search. +If that variable has not been assigned a value, the ESC and +C-J characters will terminate an incremental search. +C-g will abort an incremental search and restore the original line. +When the search is terminated, the history entry containing the +search string becomes the current line. + +

+To find other matching entries in the history list, type C-r or +C-s as appropriate. +This will search backward or forward in the history for the next +entry matching the search string typed so far. +Any other key sequence bound to a Readline command will terminate +the search and execute that command. +For instance, a RET will terminate the search and accept +the line, thereby executing the command from the history list. + +

+Non-incremental searches read the entire search string before starting +to search for matching history lines. The search string may be +typed by the user or be part of the contents of the current line. + +

+ + +

Readline Init File

+ + +

+Although the Readline library comes with a set of Emacs-like +keybindings installed by default, it is possible to use a different set +of keybindings. +Any user can customize programs that use Readline by putting +commands in an inputrc file, conventionally in his home directory. +The name of this +file is taken from the value of the environment variable INPUTRC. If +that variable is unset, the default is `~/.inputrc'. + +

+When a program which uses the Readline library starts up, the +init file is read, and the key bindings are set. + +

+In addition, the C-x C-r command re-reads this init file, thus +incorporating any changes that you might have made to it. + +

+ +

Readline Init File Syntax: Syntax for the commands in the inputrc file. + +
Conditional Init Constructs: Conditional key bindings in the inputrc file. + +
Sample Init File: An example inputrc file. +

+ + + +

Readline Init File Syntax

+ +

+There are only a few basic constructs allowed in the +Readline init file. Blank lines are ignored. +Lines beginning with a `#' are comments. +Lines beginning with a `$' indicate conditional +constructs (see section Conditional Init Constructs). Other lines +denote variable settings and key bindings. + +

Variable Settings +

+You can modify the run-time behavior of Readline by +altering the values of variables in Readline +using the set command within the init file. Here is how to +change from the default Emacs-like key binding to use +vi line editing commands: + + +

+set editing-mode vi
+

+ +A great deal of run-time behavior is changeable with the following +variables. + +

bell-style +: + +Controls what happens when Readline wants to ring the terminal bell. +If set to `none', Readline never rings the bell. If set to +`visible', Readline uses a visible bell if one is available. +If set to `audible' (the default), Readline attempts to ring +the terminal's bell. + +
comment-begin +: + +The string to insert at the beginning of the line when the +insert-comment command is executed. The default value +is "#". + +
completion-ignore-case +: +If set to `on', Readline performs filename matching and completion +in a case-insensitive fashion. +The default value is `off'. + +
completion-query-items +: + +The number of possible completions that determines when the user is +asked whether he wants to see the list of possibilities. If the +number of possible completions is greater than this value, +Readline will ask the user whether or not he wishes to view +them; otherwise, they are simply listed. The default limit is +100. + +
convert-meta +: + +If set to `on', Readline will convert characters with the +eighth bit set to an ASCII key sequence by stripping the eighth +bit and prefixing an ESC character, converting them to a +meta-prefixed key sequence. The default value is `on'. + +
disable-completion +: + +If set to `On', Readline will inhibit word completion. +Completion characters will be inserted into the line as if they had +been mapped to self-insert. The default is `off'. + +
editing-mode +: + +The editing-mode variable controls which default set of +key bindings is used. By default, Readline starts up in Emacs editing +mode, where the keystrokes are most similar to Emacs. This variable can be +set to either `emacs' or `vi'. + +
enable-keypad +: + +When set to `on', Readline will try to enable the application +keypad when it is called. Some systems need this to enable the +arrow keys. The default is `off'. + +
expand-tilde +: + +If set to `on', tilde expansion is performed when Readline +attempts word completion. The default is `off'. + +
horizontal-scroll-mode +: + +This variable can be set to either `on' or `off'. Setting it +to `on' means that the text of the lines being edited will scroll +horizontally on a single screen line when they are longer than the width +of the screen, instead of wrapping onto a new screen line. By default, +this variable is set to `off'. + +
input-meta +: + + +If set to `on', Readline will enable eight-bit input (it +will not strip the eighth bit from the characters it reads), +regardless of what the terminal claims it can support. The +default value is `off'. The name meta-flag is a +synonym for this variable. + +
isearch-terminators +: + +The string of characters that should terminate an incremental search without +subsequently executing the character as a command (see section Searching for Commands in the History). +If this variable has not been given a value, the characters ESC and +C-J will terminate an incremental search. + +
keymap +: + +Sets Readline's idea of the current keymap for key binding commands. +Acceptable keymap names are +emacs, +emacs-standard, +emacs-meta, +emacs-ctlx, +vi, +vi-command, and +vi-insert. +vi is equivalent to vi-command; emacs is +equivalent to emacs-standard. The default value is emacs. +The value of the editing-mode variable also affects the +default keymap. + +
mark-directories +: +If set to `on', completed directory names have a slash +appended. The default is `on'. + +
mark-modified-lines +: + +This variable, when set to `on', causes Readline to display an +asterisk (`*') at the start of history lines which have been modified. +This variable is `off' by default. + +
output-meta +: + +If set to `on', Readline will display characters with the +eighth bit set directly rather than as a meta-prefixed escape +sequence. The default is `off'. + +
print-completions-horizontally +: +If set to `on', Readline will display completions with matches +sorted horizontally in alphabetical order, rather than down the screen. +The default is `off'. + +
show-all-if-ambiguous +: + +This alters the default behavior of the completion functions. If +set to `on', +words which have more than one possible completion cause the +matches to be listed immediately instead of ringing the bell. +The default value is `off'. + +
visible-stats +: + +If set to `on', a character denoting a file's type +is appended to the filename when listing possible +completions. The default is `off'. + +

+ +

Key Bindings +

+The syntax for controlling key bindings in the init file is +simple. First you need to find the name of the command that you +want to change. The following sections contain tables of the command +name, the default keybinding, if any, and a short description of what +the command does. + +Once you know the name of the command, simply place the name of the key +you wish to bind the command to, a colon, and then the name of the +command on a line in the init file. The name of the key +can be expressed in different ways, depending on which is most +comfortable for you. + +

keyname: function-name or macro +

+keyname is the name of a key spelled out in English. For example: + +

+Control-u: universal-argument
+Meta-Rubout: backward-kill-word
+Control-o: "> output"
+

+ +In the above example, C-u is bound to the function +universal-argument, and C-o is bound to run the macro +expressed on the right hand side (that is, to insert the text +`> output' into the line). + +

"keyseq": function-name or macro +

+keyseq differs from keyname above in that strings +denoting an entire key sequence can be specified, by placing +the key sequence in double quotes. Some GNU Emacs style key +escapes can be used, as in the following example, but the +special character names are not recognized. + + +

+"\C-u": universal-argument
+"\C-x\C-r": re-read-init-file
+"\e[11~": "Function Key 1"
+

+ +In the above example, C-u is bound to the function +universal-argument (just as it was in the first example), +`C-x C-r' is bound to the function re-read-init-file, +and `ESC [ 1 1 ~' is bound to insert +the text `Function Key 1'. + +

+ +The following GNU Emacs style escape sequences are available when +specifying key sequences: + +

\C- +: +control prefix +
\M- +: +meta prefix +
\e +: +an escape character +
\\ +: +backslash +
\" +: +", a double quotation mark +
\' +: +', a single quote or apostrophe +

+ +In addition to the GNU Emacs style escape sequences, a second +set of backslash escapes is available: + +

\a +: +alert (bell) +
\b +: +backspace +
\d +: +delete +
\f +: +form feed +
\n +: +newline +
\r +: +carriage return +
\t +: +horizontal tab +
\v +: +vertical tab +
\nnn +: +the character whose ASCII code is the octal value nnn +(one to three digits) +
\xnnn +: +the character whose ASCII code is the hexadecimal value nnn +(one to three digits) +

+ +When entering the text of a macro, single or double quotes must +be used to indicate a macro definition. +Unquoted text is assumed to be a function name. +In the macro body, the backslash escapes described above are expanded. +Backslash will quote any other character in the macro text, +including `"' and `''. +For example, the following binding will make `C-x \' +insert a single `\' into the line: + +

+"\C-x\\": "\\"
+

+ +

+ + + +

Conditional Init Constructs

+ +

+Readline implements a facility similar in spirit to the conditional +compilation features of the C preprocessor which allows key +bindings and variable settings to be performed as the result +of tests. There are four parser directives used. + +

$if +

+The $if construct allows bindings to be made based on the +editing mode, the terminal being used, or the application using +Readline. The text of the test extends to the end of the line; +no characters are required to isolate it. + +

mode +

+The mode= form of the $if directive is used to test +whether Readline is in emacs or vi mode. +This may be used in conjunction +with the `set keymap' command, for instance, to set bindings in +the emacs-standard and emacs-ctlx keymaps only if +Readline is starting out in emacs mode. + +

term +

+The term= form may be used to include terminal-specific +key bindings, perhaps to bind the key sequences output by the +terminal's function keys. The word on the right side of the +`=' is tested against both the full name of the terminal and +the portion of the terminal name before the first `-'. This +allows sun to match both sun and sun-cmd, +for instance. + +

application +

+The application construct is used to include +application-specific settings. Each program using the Readline +library sets the application name, and you can test for it. +This could be used to bind key sequences to functions useful for +a specific program. For instance, the following command adds a +key sequence that quotes the current or previous word in Bash: + +

+$if Bash
+# Quote the current or previous word
+"\C-xq": "\eb\"\ef\""
+$endif
+

+ +

$endif +

+This command, as seen in the previous example, terminates an +$if command. + +

$else +

+Commands in this branch of the $if directive are executed if +the test fails. + +

$include +

+This directive takes a single filename as an argument and reads commands +and bindings from that file. + +

+$include /etc/inputrc
+

+ +

+ + + +

Sample Init File

+ +

+Here is an example of an inputrc file. This illustrates key +binding, variable assignment, and conditional syntax. + +

+ +

+# This file controls the behaviour of line input editing for
+# programs that use the Gnu Readline library.  Existing programs
+# include FTP, Bash, and Gdb.
+#
+# You can re-read the inputrc file with C-x C-r.
+# Lines beginning with '#' are comments.
+#
+# First, include any systemwide bindings and variable assignments from
+# /etc/Inputrc
+$include /etc/Inputrc
+
+#
+# Set various bindings for emacs mode.
+
+set editing-mode emacs 
+
+$if mode=emacs
+
+Meta-Control-h:	backward-kill-word	Text after the function name is ignored
+
+#
+# Arrow keys in keypad mode
+#
+#"\M-OD":        backward-char
+#"\M-OC":        forward-char
+#"\M-OA":        previous-history
+#"\M-OB":        next-history
+#
+# Arrow keys in ANSI mode
+#
+"\M-[D":        backward-char
+"\M-[C":        forward-char
+"\M-[A":        previous-history
+"\M-[B":        next-history
+#
+# Arrow keys in 8 bit keypad mode
+#
+#"\M-\C-OD":       backward-char
+#"\M-\C-OC":       forward-char
+#"\M-\C-OA":       previous-history
+#"\M-\C-OB":       next-history
+#
+# Arrow keys in 8 bit ANSI mode
+#
+#"\M-\C-[D":       backward-char
+#"\M-\C-[C":       forward-char
+#"\M-\C-[A":       previous-history
+#"\M-\C-[B":       next-history
+
+C-q: quoted-insert
+
+$endif
+
+# An old-style binding.  This happens to be the default.
+TAB: complete
+
+# Macros that are convenient for shell interaction
+$if Bash
+# edit the path
+"\C-xp": "PATH=${PATH}\e\C-e\C-a\ef\C-f"
+# prepare to type a quoted word -- insert open and close double quotes
+# and move to just after the open quote
+"\C-x\"": "\"\"\C-b"
+# insert a backslash (testing backslash escapes in sequences and macros)
+"\C-x\\": "\\"
+# Quote the current or previous word
+"\C-xq": "\eb\"\ef\""
+# Add a binding to refresh the line, which is unbound
+"\C-xr": redraw-current-line
+# Edit variable on current line.
+"\M-\C-v": "\C-a\C-k$\C-y\M-\C-e\C-a\C-y="
+$endif
+
+# use a visible bell if one is available
+set bell-style visible
+
+# don't strip characters to 7 bits when reading
+set input-meta on
+
+# allow iso-latin1 characters to be inserted rather than converted to
+# prefix-meta sequences
+set convert-meta off
+
+# display characters with the eighth bit set directly rather than
+# as meta-prefixed characters
+set output-meta on
+
+# if there are more than 150 possible completions for a word, ask the
+# user if he wants to see all of them
+set completion-query-items 150
+
+# For FTP
+$if Ftp
+"\C-xg": "get \M-?"
+"\C-xt": "put \M-?"
+"\M-.": yank-last-arg
+$endif
+

+ + + +

Bindable Readline Commands

+ + +

Commands For Moving: Moving about the line. +
Commands For History: Getting at previous lines. +
Commands For Text: Commands for changing text. +
Commands For Killing: Commands for killing and yanking. +
Numeric Arguments: Specifying numeric arguments, repeat counts. +
Commands For Completion: Getting Readline to do the typing for you. +
Keyboard Macros: Saving and re-executing typed characters +
Miscellaneous Commands: Other miscellaneous commands. +

+ +

+This section describes Readline commands that may be bound to key +sequences. + +

+Command names without an accompanying key sequence are unbound by default. +In the following descriptions, point refers to the current cursor +position, and mark refers to a cursor position saved by the +set-mark command. +The text between the point and mark is referred to as the region. + +

+ + +

Commands For Moving

beginning-of-line (C-a) +: + +Move to the start of the current line. + +
end-of-line (C-e) +: + +Move to the end of the line. + +
forward-char (C-f) +: + +Move forward a character. + +
backward-char (C-b) +: + +Move back a character. + +
forward-word (M-f) +: + +Move forward to the end of the next word. Words are composed of +letters and digits. + +
backward-word (M-b) +: + +Move back to the start of the current or previous word. Words are +composed of letters and digits. + +
clear-screen (C-l) +: + +Clear the screen and redraw the current line, +leaving the current line at the top of the screen. + +
redraw-current-line () +: + +Refresh the current line. By default, this is unbound. + +

+ + + +

Commands For Manipulating The History

+ +

accept-line (Newline, Return) +: + +Accept the line regardless of where the cursor is. If this line is +non-empty, add it to the history list. If this line was a history +line, then restore the history line to its original state. + +
previous-history (C-p) +: + +Move `up' through the history list. + +
next-history (C-n) +: + +Move `down' through the history list. + +
beginning-of-history (M-<) +: + +Move to the first line in the history. + +
end-of-history (M->) +: + +Move to the end of the input history, i.e., the line currently +being entered. + +
reverse-search-history (C-r) +: + +Search backward starting at the current line and moving `up' through +the history as necessary. This is an incremental search. + +
forward-search-history (C-s) +: + +Search forward starting at the current line and moving `down' through +the the history as necessary. This is an incremental search. + +
non-incremental-reverse-search-history (M-p) +: + +Search backward starting at the current line and moving `up' +through the history as necessary using a non-incremental search +for a string supplied by the user. + +
non-incremental-forward-search-history (M-n) +: + +Search forward starting at the current line and moving `down' +through the the history as necessary using a non-incremental search +for a string supplied by the user. + +
history-search-forward () +: + +Search forward through the history for the string of characters +between the start of the current line and the point. +This is a non-incremental search. +By default, this command is unbound. + +
history-search-backward () +: + +Search backward through the history for the string of characters +between the start of the current line and the point. This +is a non-incremental search. By default, this command is unbound. + +
yank-nth-arg (M-C-y) +: + +Insert the first argument to the previous command (usually +the second word on the previous line). With an argument n, +insert the nth word from the previous command (the words +in the previous command begin with word 0). A negative argument +inserts the nth word from the end of the previous command. + +
yank-last-arg (M-., M-_) +: + +Insert last argument to the previous command (the last word of the +previous history entry). With an +argument, behave exactly like yank-nth-arg. +Successive calls to yank-last-arg move back through the history +list, inserting the last argument of each line in turn. + +

+ + + +

Commands For Changing Text

+ +

delete-char (C-d) +: + +Delete the character under the cursor. If the cursor is at the +beginning of the line, there are no characters in the line, and +the last character typed was not bound to delete-char, then +return EOF. + +
backward-delete-char (Rubout) +: + +Delete the character behind the cursor. A numeric argument means +to kill the characters instead of deleting them. + +
forward-backward-delete-char () +: + +Delete the character under the cursor, unless the cursor is at the +end of the line, in which case the character behind the cursor is +deleted. By default, this is not bound to a key. + +
quoted-insert (C-q, C-v) +: + +Add the next character typed to the line verbatim. This is +how to insert key sequences like C-q, for example. + +
tab-insert (M-TAB) +: + +Insert a tab character. + +
self-insert (a, b, A, 1, !, ...) +: + +Insert yourself. + +
transpose-chars (C-t) +: + +Drag the character before the cursor forward over +the character at the cursor, moving the +cursor forward as well. If the insertion point +is at the end of the line, then this +transposes the last two characters of the line. +Negative arguments have no effect. + +
transpose-words (M-t) +: + +Drag the word before point past the word after point, +moving point past that word as well. + +
upcase-word (M-u) +: + +Uppercase the current (or following) word. With a negative argument, +uppercase the previous word, but do not move the cursor. + +
downcase-word (M-l) +: + +Lowercase the current (or following) word. With a negative argument, +lowercase the previous word, but do not move the cursor. + +
capitalize-word (M-c) +: + +Capitalize the current (or following) word. With a negative argument, +capitalize the previous word, but do not move the cursor. + +

+ + + +

Killing And Yanking

+ +

kill-line (C-k) +: + +Kill the text from point to the end of the line. + +
backward-kill-line (C-x Rubout) +: + +Kill backward to the beginning of the line. + +
unix-line-discard (C-u) +: + +Kill backward from the cursor to the beginning of the current line. + +
kill-whole-line () +: + +Kill all characters on the current line, no matter point is. +By default, this is unbound. + +
kill-word (M-d) +: + +Kill from point to the end of the current word, or if between +words, to the end of the next word. +Word boundaries are the same as forward-word. + +
backward-kill-word (M-DEL) +: + +Kill the word behind point. +Word boundaries are the same as backward-word. + +
unix-word-rubout (C-w) +: + +Kill the word behind point, using white space as a word boundary. +The killed text is saved on the kill-ring. + +
delete-horizontal-space () +: + +Delete all spaces and tabs around point. By default, this is unbound. + +
kill-region () +: + +Kill the text in the current region. +By default, this command is unbound. + +
copy-region-as-kill () +: + +Copy the text in the region to the kill buffer, so it can be yanked +right away. By default, this command is unbound. + +
copy-backward-word () +: + +Copy the word before point to the kill buffer. +The word boundaries are the same as backward-word. +By default, this command is unbound. + +
copy-forward-word () +: + +Copy the word following point to the kill buffer. +The word boundaries are the same as forward-word. +By default, this command is unbound. + +
yank (C-y) +: + +Yank the top of the kill ring into the buffer at the current +cursor position. + +
yank-pop (M-y) +: + +Rotate the kill-ring, and yank the new top. You can only do this if +the prior command is yank or yank-pop. +

+ + + +

Specifying Numeric Arguments

digit-argument (M-0, M-1, ... M--) +: + +Add this digit to the argument already accumulating, or start a new +argument. M-- starts a negative argument. + +
universal-argument () +: + +This is another way to specify an argument. +If this command is followed by one or more digits, optionally with a +leading minus sign, those digits define the argument. +If the command is followed by digits, executing universal-argument +again ends the numeric argument, but is otherwise ignored. +As a special case, if this command is immediately followed by a +character that is neither a digit or minus sign, the argument count +for the next command is multiplied by four. +The argument count is initially one, so executing this function the +first time makes the argument count four, a second time makes the +argument count sixteen, and so on. +By default, this is not bound to a key. +

+ + + +

Letting Readline Type For You

+ +

complete (TAB) +: + +Attempt to do completion on the text before the cursor. This is +application-specific. Generally, if you are typing a filename +argument, you can do filename completion; if you are typing a command, +you can do command completion; if you are typing in a symbol to GDB, you +can do symbol name completion; if you are typing in a variable to Bash, +you can do variable name completion, and so on. + +
possible-completions (M-?) +: + +List the possible completions of the text before the cursor. + +
insert-completions (M-*) +: + +Insert all completions of the text before point that would have +been generated by possible-completions. + +
menu-complete () +: + +Similar to complete, but replaces the word to be completed +with a single match from the list of possible completions. +Repeated execution of menu-complete steps through the list +of possible completions, inserting each match in turn. +At the end of the list of completions, the bell is rung and the +original text is restored. +An argument of n moves n positions forward in the list +of matches; a negative argument may be used to move backward +through the list. +This command is intended to be bound to TAB, but is unbound +by default. + +
delete-char-or-list () +: + +Deletes the character under the cursor if not at the beginning or +end of the line (like delete-char). +If at the end of the line, behaves identically to +possible-completions. +This command is unbound by default. + +

+ + + +

Keyboard Macros

start-kbd-macro (C-x () +: + +Begin saving the characters typed into the current keyboard macro. + +
end-kbd-macro (C-x )) +: + +Stop saving the characters typed into the current keyboard macro +and save the definition. + +
call-last-kbd-macro (C-x e) +: + +Re-execute the last keyboard macro defined, by making the characters +in the macro appear as if typed at the keyboard. + +

+ + + +

Some Miscellaneous Commands

re-read-init-file (C-x C-r) +: + +Read in the contents of the inputrc file, and incorporate +any bindings or variable assignments found there. + +
abort (C-g) +: + +Abort the current editing command and +ring the terminal's bell (subject to the setting of +bell-style). + +
do-uppercase-version (M-a, M-b, M-x, ...) +: + +If the metafied character x is lowercase, run the command +that is bound to the corresponding uppercase character. + +
prefix-meta (ESC) +: + +Make the next character typed be metafied. This is for keyboards +without a meta key. Typing `ESC f' is equivalent to typing +`M-f'. + +
undo (C-_, C-x C-u) +: + +Incremental undo, separately remembered for each line. + +
revert-line (M-r) +: + +Undo all changes made to this line. This is like executing the undo +command enough times to get back to the beginning. + +
tilde-expand (M-~) +: + +Perform tilde expansion on the current word. + +
set-mark (C-@) +: + +Set the mark to the current point. If a +numeric argument is supplied, the mark is set to that position. + +
exchange-point-and-mark (C-x C-x) +: + +Swap the point with the mark. The current cursor position is set to +the saved position, and the old cursor position is saved as the mark. + +
character-search (C-]) +: + +A character is read and point is moved to the next occurrence of that +character. A negative count searches for previous occurrences. + +
character-search-backward (M-C-]) +: + +A character is read and point is moved to the previous occurrence +of that character. A negative count searches for subsequent +occurrences. + +
insert-comment (M-#) +: + +The value of the comment-begin +variable is inserted at the beginning of the current line, +and the line is accepted as if a newline had been typed. + +
dump-functions () +: + +Print all of the functions and their key bindings to the +Readline output stream. If a numeric argument is supplied, +the output is formatted in such a way that it can be made part +of an inputrc file. This command is unbound by default. + +
dump-variables () +: + +Print all of the settable variables and their values to the +Readline output stream. If a numeric argument is supplied, +the output is formatted in such a way that it can be made part +of an inputrc file. This command is unbound by default. + +
dump-macros () +: + +Print all of the Readline key sequences bound to macros and the +strings they ouput. If a numeric argument is supplied, +the output is formatted in such a way that it can be made part +of an inputrc file. This command is unbound by default. + +

+ + + +

Readline vi Mode

+ +

+While the Readline library does not have a full set of vi +editing functions, it does contain enough to allow simple editing +of the line. The Readline vi mode behaves as specified in +the POSIX 1003.2 standard. + +

+In order to switch interactively between emacs and vi +editing modes, use the command M-C-j (toggle-editing-mode). +The Readline default is emacs mode. + +

+When you enter a line in vi mode, you are already placed in +`insertion' mode, as if you had typed an `i'. Pressing ESC +switches you into `command' mode, where you can edit the text of the +line with the standard vi movement keys, move to previous +history lines with `k' and subsequent lines with `j', and +so forth. + +

+ +

+This document was generated on 1 March 2000 using the +texi2html +translator version 1.52.

+ + -- cgit v1.2.1

GNU Readline Library User Interface

Edition 4.1, for Readline Library Version 4.1.

January 2000

Table of Contents

Edition 4.1, for `Readline Library` Version 4.1.