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authorJohn Gilmore <gnu@cygnus>1990-09-27 11:31:14 +0000
committerJohn Gilmore <gnu@cygnus>1990-09-27 11:31:14 +0000
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+@ignore
+
+This file documents the end user interface to the GNU command line
+editing feautres. It is to be an appendix to manuals for programs which
+use these features. There is a document entitled "readline.texinfo"
+which contains both end-user and programmer documentation for the GNU
+Readline Library.
+
+Copyright (C) 1988 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+Authored by Brian Fox.
+
+Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
+results, provided the printed document carries copying permission notice
+identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph (this
+paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
+
+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 also that the
+GNU Copyright statement is available to the distributee, and 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.
+@end ignore
+
+@node Command Line Editing, , , Top
+@appendix Command Line Editing
+
+This appendix describes GNU's command line editing interface.
+
+@menu
+* Introduction and Notation:: Notation used in this appendix.
+* Basic Line Editing:: The minimum set of commands for editing a line.
+* Movement Commands:: Commands for moving the cursor about the line.
+* Cutting and Pasting:: Deletion and copying of text sections.
+* Transposition:: Exchanging two characters or words.
+* Completion:: Expansion of a partially typed word into
+ the full text.
+@end menu
+
+@node Introduction and Notation, Basic Line Editing, Command Line Editing, Command Line Editing
+@section Introduction to Line Editing
+
+In this appendix a the following notation is used to describe
+keystrokes.
+
+The text @key{C-k} is read as `Control-K' and describes the character
+produced when the Control key is depressed and the @key{k} key is struck.
+
+The text @key{M-k} is read as `Meta-K' and describes the character
+produced when the meta key (if you have one) is depressed, and the @key{k}
+key is struck. If you do not have a meta key, the identical keystroke
+can be generated by typing @key{ESC} @i{first}, and then typing @key{k}.
+Either process is known as @dfn{metafying} the @key{k} key.
+
+The text @key{M-C-k} is read as `Meta-Control-k' and describes the
+character produced by @dfn{metafying} @key{C-k}.
+
+In addition, several keys have their own names. Specifically,
+@key{DEL}, @key{ESC}, @key{LFD}, @key{SPC}, @key{RET}, and @key{TAB} all
+stand for themselves when seen in this text, or in an init file
+(@pxref{Readline Init File}, for more info).
+
+@node Readline Interaction, Readline Init File, Readline Introduction, Readline Top
+@section Readline Interaction
+@cindex interaction, readline
+
+Often during an interactive session you will 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 @key{RETURN}. You do not have to be at the
+end of the line to press @key{RETURN}; the entire line will be accepted
+in any case.
+
+@menu
+* 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.
+@end menu
+
+@node Readline Bare Essentials, Readline Movement Commands, Readline Interaction, Readline Interaction
+@subsection 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 @key{DEL} to
+back up, and delete the mistyped character.
+
+Sometimes you may miss typing a character that you wanted to type, and
+not notice your error until you have typed several other characters. In
+that case, you can type @key{C-b} to move the cursor to the left, and then
+correct your mistake. Aftwerwards, you can move the cursor to the right
+with @key{C-f}.
+
+When you add text in the middle of a line, you will notice that characters
+to the right of the cursor get `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 get `pulled back' to fill in the
+blank space created by the removal of the text. A list of the basic bare
+essentials for editing the text of an input line follows.
+
+@table @asis
+@item @key{C-b}
+Move back one character.
+@item @key{C-f}
+Move forward one character.
+@item @key{DEL}
+Delete the character to the left of the cursor.
+@item @key{C-d}
+Delete the character underneath the cursor.
+@item @w{Printing characters}
+Insert itself into the line at the cursor.
+@item @key{C-_}
+Undo the last thing that you did. You can undo all the way back to an
+empty line.
+@end table
+
+@node Readline Movement Commands, Readline Killing Commands, Readline Bare Essentials, Readline Interaction
+@subsection Readline Movement Commands
+
+
+The above table describes the most basic possible 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 @key{C-b}, @key{C-f},
+@key{C-d}, and @key{DEL}. Here are some commands for moving more rapidly
+about the line.
+
+@table @key
+@item C-a
+Move to the start of the line.
+@item C-e
+Move to the end of the line.
+@item M-f
+Move forward a word.
+@item M-b
+Move backward a word.
+@item C-l
+Clear the screen, reprinting the current line at the top.
+@end table
+
+Notice how @key{C-f} moves forward a character, while @key{M-f} moves
+forward a word. It is a loose convention that control keystrokes
+operate on characters while meta keystrokes operate on words.
+
+@node Readline Killing Commands, Readline Arguments, Readline Movement Commands, Readline Interaction
+@subsection Readline Killing Commands
+
+The act of @dfn{cutting} text means to delete the text from the line, and
+to save away the deleted text for later use, just as if you had cut the
+text out of the line with a pair of scissors. There is a
+
+@dfn{Killing} text means to delete the text from the line, but to save
+it away for later use, usually by @dfn{yanking} it back into the line.
+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.
+
+Here is the list of commands for killing text.
+
+@table @key
+@item C-k
+Kill the text from the current cursor position to the end of the line.
+
+@item M-d
+Kill from the cursor to the end of the current word, or if between
+words, to the end of the next word.
+
+@item M-DEL
+Kill fromthe cursor the start ofthe previous word, or if between words, to the start of the previous word.
+
+@item C-w
+Kill from the cursor to the previous whitespace. This is different than
+@key{M-DEL} because the word boundaries differ.
+
+@end table
+
+And, here is how to @dfn{yank} the text back into the line. Yanking
+is
+
+@table @key
+@item C-y
+Yank the most recently killed text back into the buffer at the cursor.
+
+@item M-y
+Rotate the kill-ring, and yank the new top. You can only do this if
+the prior command is @key{C-y} or @key{M-y}.
+@end table
+
+When you use a kill command, the text is saved in a @dfn{kill-ring}.
+Any number of consecutive kills save all of the killed text together, so
+that when you yank it back, you get it in one clean sweep. 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.
+
+@node Readline Arguments, , Readline Killing Commands, Readline Interaction
+@subsection Readline Arguments
+
+You can pass numeric arguments to Readline commands. Sometimes the
+argument acts as a repeat count, other times it is the @i{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 @key{M--} @key{C-k}.
+
+The general way to pass numeric arguments to a command is to type meta
+digits before the command. If the first `digit' you type is a minus
+sign (@key{-}), 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 @key{C-d} command an argument of 10, you could type @key{M-1 0 C-d}.
+
+
+@node Readline Init File, , Readline Interaction, Readline Top
+@section Readline Init File
+
+Although the Readline library comes with a set of Emacs-like
+keybindings, it is possible that you would like to use a different set
+of keybindings. You can customize programs that use Readline by putting
+commands in an @dfn{init} file in your home directory. The name of this
+file is @file{~/.inputrc}.
+
+When a program which uses the Readline library starts up, the
+@file{~/.inputrc} file is read, and the keybindings are set.
+
+@menu
+* Readline Init Syntax:: Syntax for the commands in @file{~/.inputrc}.
+* Readline Vi Mode:: Switching to @code{vi} mode in Readline.
+@end menu
+
+@node Readline Init Syntax, Readline Vi Mode, Readline Init File, Readline Init File
+@subsection Readline Init Syntax
+
+You can start up with a vi-like editing mode by placing
+
+@example
+@code{set editing-mode vi}
+@end example
+
+in your @file{~/.inputrc} file.
+
+You can have Readline use a single line for display, scrolling the input
+between the two edges of the screen by placing
+
+@example
+@code{set horizontal-scroll-mode On}
+@end example
+
+in your @file{~/.inputrc} file.
+
+The syntax for controlling keybindings in the @file{~/.inputrc} file is
+simple. First you have to know the @i{name} of the command that you
+want to change. The following pages contain tables of the command name, the
+default keybinding, 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 @file{~/.inputrc} file. Here is an example:
+
+@example
+# This is a comment line.
+Meta-Rubout: backward-kill-word
+Control-u: universal-argument
+@end example
+
+@menu
+* 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.
+* Miscellaneous Commands:: Other miscillaneous commands.
+@end menu
+
+@node Commands For Moving, Commands For History, Readline Init Syntax, Readline Init Syntax
+@subsubsection Commands For Moving
+@table @code
+@item beginning-of-line (C-a)
+Move to the start of the current line.
+
+@item end-of-line (C-e)
+Move to the end of the line.
+
+@item forward-char (C-f)
+Move forward a character.
+
+@item backward-char (C-b)
+Move back a character.
+
+@item forward-word (M-f)
+Move forward to the end of the next word.
+
+@item backward-word (M-b)
+Move back to the start of this, or the previous, word.
+
+@item clear-screen (C-l)
+Clear the screen leaving the current line at the top of the screen.
+
+@end table
+
+@node Commands For History, Commands For Text, Commands For Moving, Readline Init Syntax
+@subsubsection Commands For Manipulating The History
+
+@table @code
+@item accept-line (Newline, Return)
+Accept the line regardless of where the cursor is. If this line is
+non-empty, add it too the history list. If this line was a history
+line, then restore the history line to its original state.
+
+@item previous-history (C-p)
+Move `up' through the history list.
+
+@item next-history (C-n)
+Move `down' through the history list.
+
+@item beginning-of-history (M-<)
+Move to the first line in the history.
+
+@item end-of-history (M->)
+Move to the end of the input history, i.e., the line you are entering!
+
+@item 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.
+
+@item forward-search-history (C-s)
+Search forward starting at the current line and moving `down' through
+the the history as neccessary.
+
+@end table
+
+@node Commands For Text, Commands For Killing, Commands For History, Readline Init Syntax
+@subsubsection Commands For Changing Text
+
+@table @code
+@item delete-char (C-d)
+Delete the character under the cursor. If the cursor is at the
+beginning of the line, and there are no characters in the line, and
+the last character typed was not C-d, then return EOF.
+
+@item backward-delete-char (Rubout)
+Delete the character behind the cursor. A numeric arg says to kill
+the characters instead of deleting them.
+
+@item quoted-insert (C-q, C-v)
+Add the next character that you type to the line verbatim. This is
+how to insert things like C-q for example.
+
+@item tab-insert (M-TAB)
+Insert a tab character.
+
+@item self-insert (a, b, A, 1, !, ...)
+Insert yourself.
+
+@item transpose-chars (C-t)
+Drag the character before point forward over the character at point.
+Point moves forward as well. If point is at the end of the line, then
+transpose the two characters before point. Negative args don't work.
+
+@item transpose-words (M-t)
+Drag the word behind the cursor past the word in front of the cursor
+moving the cursor over that word as well.
+
+@item upcase-word (M-u)
+Uppercase the current (or following) word. With a negative argument,
+do the previous word, but do not move point.
+
+@item downcase-word (M-l)
+Lowercase the current (or following) word. With a negative argument,
+do the previous word, but do not move point.
+
+@item capitalize-word (M-c)
+Uppercase the current (or following) word. With a negative argument,
+do the previous word, but do not move point.
+
+@end table
+
+@node Commands For Killing, Numeric Arguments, Commands For Text, Readline Init Syntax
+@subsubsection Killing And Yanking
+
+@table @code
+
+@item kill-line (C-k)
+Kill the text from the current cursor position to the end of the line.
+
+@item backward-kill-line ()
+Kill backward to the beginning of the line. This is normally unbound.
+
+@item kill-word (M-d)
+Kill from the cursor to the end of the current word, or if between
+words, to the end of the next word.
+
+@item backward-kill-word (M-DEL)
+Kill the word behind the cursor.
+
+@item unix-line-discard (C-u)
+Do what C-u used to do in Unix line input. We save the killed text on
+the kill-ring, though.
+
+@item unix-word-rubout (C-w)
+Do what C-w used to do in Unix line input. The killed text is saved
+on the kill-ring. This is different than backward-kill-word because
+the word boundaries differ.
+
+@item yank (C-y)
+Yank the top of the kill ring into the buffer at point.
+
+@item 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.
+@end table
+
+@node Numeric Arguments, Commands For Completion, Commands For Killing, Readline Init Syntax
+@subsubsection Specifying Numeric Arguments
+@table @code
+
+@item 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.
+
+@item universal-argument ()
+Do what C-u does in emacs. By default, this is not bound.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Commands For Completion, Miscellaneous Commands, Numeric Arguments, Readline Init Syntax
+@subsubsection Letting Readline Type For You
+
+@table @code
+@item complete (TAB)
+Attempt to do completion on the text before point. This is
+implementation defined. 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...
+
+@item possible-completions (M-?)
+List the possible completions of the text before point.
+@end table
+
+@node Miscellaneous Commands, , Commands For Completion, Readline Init Syntax
+@subsubsection Some Miscellaneous Commands
+@table @code
+
+@item abort (C-g)
+Ding! Stops things.
+
+@item do-uppercase-version (M-a, M-b, ...)
+Run the command that is bound to your uppercase brother.
+
+@item prefix-meta (ESC)
+Make the next character that you type be metafied. This is for
+people without a meta key. @key{ESC-f} is equivalent to @key{M-f}.
+
+@item undo (C-_)
+Incremental undo, separately remembered for each line.
+
+@item revert-line (M-r)
+Undo all changes made to this line. This is like typing the `undo'
+command enough times to get back to the beginning.
+@end table
+
+@node Readline Vi Mode, , Readline Init Syntax, Readline Init File
+@subsection 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.
+
+In order to switch interactively between Emacs and Vi editing modes, use
+the command M-C-j (toggle-editing-mode).
+
+When you enter a line in Vi mode, you are already placed in `insertion'
+mode, as if you had typed an `i'. Pressing @key{ESC} switches you into
+`edit' mode, where you can edit the text of the line with the standard
+Vi movement keys, move to previous history lines with `k', and following
+lines with `j', and so forth.
+
+
+
+