readline/NEWS

   1 This is a terse description of the new features added to readline-8.0 since
   2 the release of readline-7.0.
   3
   4 New Features in Readline
   5
   6 a. Non-incremental vi-mode search (`N', `n') can search for a shell pattern, as
   7    Posix specifies (uses fnmatch(3) if available).
   8
   9 b. There are new `next-screen-line' and `previous-screen-line' bindable
  10    commands, which move the cursor to the same column in the next, or previous,
  11    physical line, respectively.
  12
  13 c. There are default key bindings for control-arrow-key key combinations.
  14
  15 d. A negative argument (-N) to `quoted-insert' means to insert the next N
  16    characters using quoted-insert.
  17
  18 e. New public function: rl_check_signals(), which allows applications to
  19    respond to signals that readline catches while waiting for input using
  20    a custom read function.
  21
  22 f. There is new support for conditionally testing the readline version in an
  23    inputrc file, with a full set of arithmetic comparison operators available.
  24
  25 g. There is a simple variable comparison facility available for use within an
  26    inputrc file. Allowable operators are equality and inequality; string
  27    variables may be compared to a value; boolean variables must be compared to
  28    either `on' or `off'; variable names are separated from the operator by
  29    whitespace.
  30
  31 h. The history expansion library now understands command and process
  32    substitution and extended globbing and allows them to appear anywhere in a
  33    word.
  34
  35 i. The history library has a new variable that allows applications to set the
  36    initial quoting state, so quoting state can be inherited from a previous
  37    line.
  38
  39 j. Readline now allows application-defined keymap names; there is a new public
  40    function, rl_set_keymap_name(), to do that.
  41
  42 k. The "Insert" keypad key, if available, now puts readline into overwrite
  43    mode.
  44
  45 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  46 This is a terse description of the new features added to readline-7.0 since
  47 the release of readline-6.3.
  48
  49 New Features in Readline
  50
  51 a.  The history truncation code now uses the same error recovery mechansim as
  52     the history writing code, and restores the old version of the history file
  53     on error.  The error recovery mechanism handles symlinked history files.
  54
  55 b.  There is a new bindable variable, `enable-bracketed-paste', which enables
  56     support for a terminal's bracketed paste mode.
  57
  58 c.  The editing mode indicators can now be strings and are user-settable
  59     (new `emacs-mode-string', `vi-cmd-mode-string' and `vi-ins-mode-string'
  60     variables).  Mode strings can contain invisible character sequences.
  61     Setting mode strings to null strings restores the defaults.
  62
  63 d.  Prompt expansion adds the mode string to the last line of a multi-line
  64     prompt (one with embedded newlines).
  65
  66 e.  There is a new bindable variable, `colored-completion-prefix', which, if
  67     set, causes the common prefix of a set of possible completions to be
  68     displayed in color.
  69
  70 f.  There is a new bindable command `vi-yank-pop', a vi-mode version of emacs-
  71     mode yank-pop.
  72
  73 g.  The redisplay code underwent several efficiency improvements for multibyte
  74     locales.
  75
  76 h.  The insert-char function attempts to batch-insert all pending typeahead
  77     that maps to self-insert, as long as it is coming from the terminal.
  78
  79 i.  rl_callback_sigcleanup: a new application function that can clean up and
  80     unset any state set by readline's callback mode.  Intended to be used
  81     after a signal.
  82
  83 j.  If an incremental search string has its last character removed with DEL, the
  84     resulting empty search string no longer matches the previous line.
  85
  86 k.  If readline reads a history file that begins with `#' (or the value of
  87     the history comment character) and has enabled history timestamps, the history
  88     entries are assumed to be delimited by timestamps.  This allows multi-line
  89     history entries.
  90
  91 l.  Readline now throws an error if it parses a key binding without a terminating
  92     `:' or whitespace.
  93
  94 m.  The default binding for ^W in vi mode now uses word boundaries specified
  95     by Posix (vi-unix-word-rubout is bindable command name).
  96
  97 n.  rl_clear_visible_line: new application-callable function; clears all
  98     screen lines occupied by the current visible readline line.
  99
 100 o.  rl_tty_set_echoing: application-callable function that controls whether
 101     or not readline thinks it is echoing terminal output.
 102
 103 p.  Handle >| and strings of digits preceding and following redirection
 104     specifications as single tokens when tokenizing the line for history
 105     expansion.
 106
 107 q.  Fixed a bug with displaying completions when the prefix display length
 108     is greater than the length of the completions to be displayed.
 109
 110 r.  The :p history modifier now applies to the entire line, so any expansion
 111     specifying :p causes the line to be printed instead of expanded.
 112
 113 s.  New application-callable function: rl_pending_signal(): returns the signal
 114     number of any signal readline has caught but not yet handled.
 115
 116 t.  New application-settable variable: rl_persistent_signal_handlers: if set
 117     to a non-zero value, readline will enable the readline-6.2 signal handler
 118     behavior in callback mode: handlers are installed when
 119     rl_callback_handler_install is called and removed removed when a complete
 120     line has been read.
 121
 122 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 123 This is a terse description of the new features added to readline-6.3 since
 124 the release of readline-6.2.
 125
 126 New Features in Readline
 127
 128 a.  Readline is now more responsive to SIGHUP and other fatal signals when
 129     reading input from the terminal or performing word completion but no
 130     longer attempts to run any not-allowable functions from a signal handler
 131     context.
 132
 133 b.  There are new bindable commands to search the history for the string of
 134     characters between the beginning of the line and the point
 135     (history-substring-search-forward, history-substring-search-backward)
 136
 137 c.  Readline allows quoted strings as the values of variables when setting
 138     them with `set'.  As a side effect, trailing spaces and tabs are ignored
 139     when setting a string variable's value.
 140
 141 d.  The history library creates a backup of the history file when writing it
 142     and restores the backup on a write error.
 143
 144 e.  New application-settable variable: rl_filename_stat_hook: a function called
 145     with a filename before using it in a call to stat(2).  Bash uses it to
 146     expand shell variables so things like $HOME/Downloads have a slash
 147     appended.
 148
 149 f.  New bindable function `print-last-kbd-macro', prints the most-recently-
 150     defined keyboard macro in a reusable format.
 151
 152 g.  New user-settable variable `colored-stats', enables use of colored text
 153     to denote file types when displaying possible completions (colored analog
 154     of visible-stats).
 155
 156 h.  New user-settable variable `keyseq-timout', acts as an inter-character
 157     timeout when reading input or incremental search strings.
 158
 159 i.  New application-callable function: rl_clear_history. Clears the history list
 160     and frees all readline-associated private data.
 161
 162 j.  New user-settable variable, show-mode-in-prompt, adds a characters to the
 163     beginning of the prompt indicating the current editing mode.
 164
 165 k.  New application-settable variable: rl_input_available_hook; function to be
 166     called when readline detects there is data available on its input file
 167     descriptor.
 168
 169 l.  Readline calls an application-set event hook (rl_event_hook) after it gets
 170     a signal while reading input (read returns -1/EINTR but readline does not
 171     handle the signal immediately) to allow the application to handle or
 172     otherwise note it.
 173
 174 m.  If the user-settable variable `history-size' is set to a value less than
 175     0, the history list size is unlimited.
 176
 177 n.  New application-settable variable: rl_signal_event_hook; function that is
 178     called when readline is reading terminal input and read(2) is interrupted
 179     by a signal.  Currently not called for SIGHUP or SIGTERM.
 180
 181 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 182 This is a terse description of the new features added to readline-6.1 since
 183 the release of readline-6.0.
 184
 185 New Features in Readline
 186
 187 a.  New bindable function: menu-complete-backward.
 188
 189 b.  In the vi insertion keymap, C-n is now bound to menu-complete by default,
 190     and C-p to menu-complete-backward.
 191
 192 c.  When in vi command mode, repeatedly hitting ESC now does nothing, even
 193     when ESC introduces a bound key sequence.  This is closer to how
 194     historical vi behaves.
 195
 196 d.  New bindable function: skip-csi-sequence.  Can be used as a default to
 197     consume key sequences generated by keys like Home and End without having
 198     to bind all keys.
 199
 200 e.  New application-settable function: rl_filename_rewrite_hook.  Can be used
 201     to rewite or modify filenames read from the file system before they are
 202     compared to the word to be completed.
 203
 204 f.  New bindable variable: skip-completed-text, active when completing in the
 205     middle of a word.  If enabled, it means that characters in the completion
 206     that match characters in the remainder of the word are "skipped" rather
 207     than inserted into the line.
 208
 209 g.  The pre-readline-6.0 version of menu completion is available as
 210     "old-menu-complete" for users who do not like the readline-6.0 version.
 211
 212 h.  New bindable variable: echo-control-characters.  If enabled, and the
 213     tty ECHOCTL bit is set, controls the echoing of characters corresponding
 214     to keyboard-generated signals.
 215
 216 i.  New bindable variable: enable-meta-key.  Controls whether or not readline
 217     sends the smm/rmm sequences if the terminal indicates it has a meta key
 218     that enables eight-bit characters.
 219
 220 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 221 This is a terse description of the new features added to readline-6.0 since
 222 the release of readline-5.2.
 223
 224 New Features in Readline
 225
 226 a.  A new variable, rl_sort_completion_matches; allows applications to inhibit
 227     match list sorting (but beware: some things don't work right if
 228     applications do this).
 229
 230 b.  A new variable, rl_completion_invoking_key; allows applications to discover
 231     the key that invoked rl_complete or rl_menu_complete.
 232
 233 c.  The functions rl_block_sigint and rl_release_sigint are now public and
 234     available to calling applications who want to protect critical sections
 235     (like redisplay).
 236
 237 d.  The functions rl_save_state and rl_restore_state are now public and
 238     available to calling applications; documented rest of readline's state
 239     flag values.
 240
 241 e.  A new user-settable variable, `history-size', allows setting the maximum
 242     number of entries in the history list.
 243
 244 f.  There is a new implementation of menu completion, with several improvements
 245     over the old; the most notable improvement is a better `completions
 246     browsing' mode.
 247
 248 g.  The menu completion code now uses the rl_menu_completion_entry_function
 249     variable, allowing applications to provide their own menu completion
 250     generators.
 251
 252 h.  There is support for replacing a prefix  of a pathname with a `...' when
 253     displaying possible completions.  This is controllable by setting the
 254     `completion-prefix-display-length' variable.  Matches with a common prefix
 255     longer than this value have the common prefix replaced with `...'.
 256
 257 i.  There is a new `revert-all-at-newline' variable.  If enabled, readline will
 258     undo all outstanding changes to all history lines when `accept-line' is
 259     executed.
 260
 261 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 262 This is a terse description of the new features added to readline-5.2 since
 263 the release of readline-5.1.
 264
 265 New Features in Readline
 266
 267 a.  Calling applications can now set the keyboard timeout to 0, allowing
 268     poll-like behavior.
 269
 270 b.  The value of SYS_INPUTRC (configurable at compilation time) is now used as
 271     the default last-ditch startup file.
 272
 273 c.  The history file reading functions now allow windows-like \r\n line
 274     terminators.
 275
 276 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 277 This is a terse description of the new features added to readline-5.1 since
 278 the release of readline-5.0.
 279
 280 New Features in Readline
 281
 282 a.  The key sequence sent by the keypad `delete' key is now automatically
 283     bound to delete-char.
 284
 285 b.  A negative argument to menu-complete now cycles backward through the
 286     completion list.
 287
 288 c.  A new bindable readline variable:  bind-tty-special-chars.  If non-zero,
 289     readline will bind the terminal special characters to their readline
 290     equivalents when it's called (on by default).
 291
 292 d.  New bindable command: vi-rubout.  Saves deleted text for possible
 293     reinsertion, as with any vi-mode `text modification' command; `X' is bound
 294     to this in vi command mode.
 295
 296 e.  If the rl_completion_query_items is set to a value < 0, readline never
 297     asks the user whether or not to view the possible completions.
 298
 299 f.  New application-callable auxiliary function, rl_variable_value, returns
 300     a string corresponding to a readline variable's value.
 301
 302 g.  When parsing inputrc files and variable binding commands, the parser
 303     strips trailing whitespace from values assigned to boolean variables
 304     before checking them.
 305
 306 h.  A new external application-controllable variable that allows the LINES
 307     and COLUMNS environment variables to set the window size regardless of
 308     what the kernel returns.
 309
 310
 311 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 312 This is a terse description of the new features added to readline-5.0 since
 313 the release of readline-4.3.
 314
 315 New Features in Readline
 316
 317 a.  History expansion has a new `a' modifier equivalent to the `g' modifier
 318     for compatibility with the BSD csh.
 319
 320 b.  History expansion has a new `G' modifier equivalent to the BSD csh `g'
 321     modifier, which performs a substitution once per word.
 322
 323 c.  All non-incremental search operations may now undo the operation of
 324     replacing the current line with the history line.
 325
 326 d.  The text inserted by an `a' command in vi mode can be reinserted with
 327     `.'.
 328
 329 e.  New bindable variable, `show-all-if-unmodified'.  If set, the readline
 330     completer will list possible completions immediately if there is more
 331     than one completion and partial completion cannot be performed.
 332
 333 f.  There is a new application-callable `free_history_entry()' function.
 334
 335 g.  History list entries now contain timestamp information; the history file
 336     functions know how to read and write timestamp information associated
 337     with each entry.
 338
 339 h.  Four new key binding functions have been added:
 340
 341         rl_bind_key_if_unbound()
 342         rl_bind_key_if_unbound_in_map()
 343         rl_bind_keyseq_if_unbound()
 344         rl_bind_keyseq_if_unbound_in_map()
 345
 346 i.  New application variable, rl_completion_quote_character, set to any
 347     quote character readline finds before it calls the application completion
 348     function.
 349
 350 j.  New application variable, rl_completion_suppress_quote, settable by an
 351     application completion function.  If set to non-zero, readline does not
 352     attempt to append a closing quote to a completed word.
 353
 354 k.  New application variable, rl_completion_found_quote, set to a non-zero
 355     value if readline determines that the word to be completed is quoted.
 356     Set before readline calls any application completion function.
 357
 358 l.  New function hook, rl_completion_word_break_hook, called when readline
 359     needs to break a line into words when completion is attempted.  Allows
 360     the word break characters to vary based on position in the line.
 361
 362 m.  New bindable command: unix-filename-rubout.  Does the same thing as
 363     unix-word-rubout, but adds `/' to the set of word delimiters.
 364
 365 n.  When listing completions, directories have a `/' appended if the
 366     `mark-directories' option has been enabled.