The file defines various settings to be used by the editline() library.

The format of each line is:

command is one of the editline() builtin commands. Refer to for more information.

prog is the program name string that a program defines when it calls el_init() to set up editline(3) , which is usually argv[0] . command will be executed for any program which matches prog .

prog may also be a regex() style regular expression, in which case command will be executed for any program that matches the regular expression.

If prog is absent, command is executed for all programs.

The editline library has some builtin commands, which affect the way that the line editing and history functions operate. These are based on similar named builtins present in the tcsh() shell.

The following builtin commands are available:

bind Xo

[-a] [-e] [-k] [-l] [-r] [-s] [-v] [key [command]] Without options, list all bound keys, and the editor command to which each is bound. If key is supplied, show the bindings for key . If key command is supplied, bind command to key . Options include:

-e

Bind all keys to the standard GNU Emacs-like bindings.

-v

Bind all keys to the standard vi(1) Ns -like bindings.

-a

List or change key bindings in the vi() mode alternate (command mode) key map.

-k

key is interpreted as a symbolic arrow key name, which may be one of or

-l

List all editor commands and a short description of each.

-r

Remove a key's binding.

-s

command is taken as a literal string and treated as terminal input when key is typed. Bound keys in command are themselves reinterpreted, and this continues for ten levels of interpretation.

command may be one of the commands documented in below, or another key. key and command can contain control characters of the form e.g. and the following backslashed escape sequences:

\a

Bell

\b

Backspace

\e

Escape

\f

Formfeed

\n

Newline

\r

Carriage return

\t

Horizontal tab

\v

Vertical tab

Sy \e nnn

The ASCII character corresponding to the octal number nnn .

nullifies the special meaning of the following character, if it has any, notably and

echotc Xo

[-sv] arg ... Exercise terminal capabilities given in arg ... . If arg is the value of that capability is printed, with or indicating that the terminal does or does not have that capability. -s returns an empty string for non-existent capabilities, rather than causing an error. -v causes messages to be verbose.

edit [ on | off]

Enable or disable the editline functionality in a program.

history list | size n | unique n

The list command lists all entries in the history. The size command sets the history size to n entries. The unique command controls if history should keep duplicate entries. If n is non zero, only keep unique history entries. If n is zero, then keep all entries (the default).

telltc

List the values of all the terminal capabilities (see termcap(5) ) .

settc cap val

Set the terminal capability cap to val , as defined in termcap(5) . No sanity checking is done.

setty Xo

[-a] [-d] [-q] [-x] [+mode] [-mode] [mode] [char=c] Control which tty modes that won't allow the user to change. -d , -q or -x tells setty to act on the or set of tty modes respectively; defaulting to -x . Without other arguments, setty lists the modes in the chosen set which are fixed on or off -a lists all tty modes in the chosen set regardless of the setting. With +mode , -mode or mode , fixes mode on or off or removes control of mode in the chosen set. Setty can also be used to set tty characters to particular values using char=value . If value is empty then the character is set to _POSIX_VDISABLE .

The following editor commands are available for use in key bindings:

vi-paste-next

Vi paste previous deletion to the right of the cursor.

vi-paste-prev

Vi paste previous deletion to the left of the cursor.

vi-prev-space-word

Vi move to the previous space delimited word.

vi-prev-word

Vi move to the previous word.

vi-next-space-word

Vi move to the next space delimited word.

vi-next-word

Vi move to the next word.

vi-change-case

Vi change case of character under the cursor and advance one character.

vi-change-meta

Vi change prefix command.

vi-insert-at-bol

Vi enter insert mode at the beginning of line.

vi-replace-char

Vi replace character under the cursor with the next character typed.

vi-replace-mode

Vi enter replace mode.

vi-substitute-char

Vi replace character under the cursor and enter insert mode.

vi-substitute-line

Vi substitute entire line.

vi-change-to-eol

Vi change to end of line.

vi-insert

Vi enter insert mode.

vi-add

Vi enter insert mode after the cursor.

vi-add-at-eol

Vi enter insert mode at end of line.

vi-delete-meta

Vi delete prefix command.

vi-end-word

Vi move to the end of the current space delimited word.

vi-to-end-word

Vi move to the end of the current word.

vi-undo

Vi undo last change.

vi-command-mode

Vi enter command mode (use alternative key bindings).

vi-zero

Vi move to the beginning of line.

vi-delete-prev-char

Vi move to previous character (backspace).

vi-list-or-eof

Vi list choices for completion or indicate end of file if empty line.

vi-kill-line-prev

Vi cut from beginning of line to cursor.

vi-search-prev

Vi search history previous.

vi-search-next

Vi search history next.

vi-repeat-search-next

Vi repeat current search in the same search direction.

vi-repeat-search-prev

Vi repeat current search in the opposite search direction.

vi-next-char

Vi move to the character specified next.

vi-prev-char

Vi move to the character specified previous.

vi-to-next-char

Vi move up to the character specified next.

vi-to-prev-char

Vi move up to the character specified previous.

vi-repeat-next-char

Vi repeat current character search in the same search direction.

vi-repeat-prev-char

Vi repeat current character search in the opposite search direction.

em-delete-or-list

Delete character under cursor or list completions if at end of line.

em-delete-next-word

Cut from cursor to end of current word.

em-yank

Paste cut buffer at cursor position.

em-kill-line

Cut the entire line and save in cut buffer.

em-kill-region

Cut area between mark and cursor and save in cut buffer.

em-copy-region

Copy area between mark and cursor to cut buffer.

em-gosmacs-transpose

Exchange the two characters before the cursor.

em-next-word

Move next to end of current word.

em-upper-case

Uppercase the characters from cursor to end of current word.

em-capitol-case

Capitalize the characters from cursor to end of current word.

em-lower-case

Lowercase the characters from cursor to end of current word.

em-set-mark

Set the mark at cursor.

em-exchange-mark

Exchange the cursor and mark.

em-universal-argument

Universal argument (argument times 4).

em-meta-next

Add 8th bit to next character typed.

em-toggle-overwrite

Switch from insert to overwrite mode or vice versa.

em-copy-prev-word

Copy current word to cursor.

em-inc-search-next

Emacs incremental next search.

em-inc-search-prev

Emacs incremental reverse search.

ed-end-of-file

Indicate end of file.

ed-insert

Add character to the line.

ed-delete-prev-word

Delete from beginning of current word to cursor.

ed-delete-next-char

Delete character under cursor.

ed-kill-line

Cut to the end of line.

ed-move-to-end

Move cursor to the end of line.

ed-move-to-beg

Move cursor to the beginning of line.

ed-transpose-chars

Exchange the character to the left of the cursor with the one under it.

ed-next-char

Move to the right one character.

ed-prev-word

Move to the beginning of the current word.

ed-prev-char

Move to the left one character.

ed-quoted-insert

Add the next character typed verbatim.

ed-digit

Adds to argument or enters a digit.

ed-argument-digit

Digit that starts argument.

ed-unassigned

Indicates unbound character.

ed-tty-sigint

Tty interrupt character.

ed-tty-dsusp

Tty delayed suspend character.

ed-tty-flush-output

Tty flush output characters.

ed-tty-sigquit

Tty quit character.

ed-tty-sigtstp

Tty suspend character.

ed-tty-stop-output

Tty disallow output characters.

ed-tty-start-output

Tty allow output characters.

ed-newline

Execute command.

ed-delete-prev-char

Delete the character to the left of the cursor.

ed-clear-screen

Clear screen leaving current line at the top.

ed-redisplay

Redisplay everything.

ed-start-over

Erase current line and start from scratch.

ed-sequence-lead-in

First character in a bound sequence.

ed-prev-history

Move to the previous history line.

ed-next-history

Move to the next history line.

ed-search-prev-history

Search previous in history for a line matching the current.

ed-search-next-history

Search next in history for a line matching the current.

ed-prev-line

Move up one line.

ed-next-line

Move down one line.

ed-command

Editline extended command.

The editline library was written by Christos Zoulas, and this manual was written by Luke Mewburn, with some sections inspired by tcsh(1) .