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1 | @ignore |
2 | ||
3 | This file documents the end user interface to the GNU command line | |
4 | editing feautres. It is to be an appendix to manuals for programs which | |
5 | use these features. There is a document entitled "readline.texinfo" | |
6 | which contains both end-user and programmer documentation for the GNU | |
7 | Readline Library. | |
8 | ||
9 | Copyright (C) 1988 Free Software Foundation, Inc. | |
10 | ||
11 | Authored by Brian Fox. | |
12 | ||
13 | Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the | |
14 | results, provided the printed document carries copying permission notice | |
15 | identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph (this | |
16 | paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual). | |
17 | ||
18 | Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this manual | |
19 | provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on | |
20 | all copies. | |
21 | ||
22 | Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this | |
23 | manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the | |
24 | GNU Copyright statement is available to the distributee, and provided that | |
25 | the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a | |
26 | permission notice identical to this one. | |
27 | ||
28 | Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual | |
29 | into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions. | |
30 | @end ignore | |
31 | ||
32 | @node Command Line Editing, , , Top | |
33 | @appendix Command Line Editing | |
34 | ||
35 | This appendix describes GNU's command line editing interface. | |
36 | ||
37 | @menu | |
38 | * Introduction and Notation:: Notation used in this appendix. | |
39 | * Basic Line Editing:: The minimum set of commands for editing a line. | |
40 | * Movement Commands:: Commands for moving the cursor about the line. | |
41 | * Cutting and Pasting:: Deletion and copying of text sections. | |
42 | * Transposition:: Exchanging two characters or words. | |
43 | * Completion:: Expansion of a partially typed word into | |
44 | the full text. | |
45 | @end menu | |
46 | ||
47 | @node Introduction and Notation, Basic Line Editing, Command Line Editing, Command Line Editing | |
94bb8edc | 48 | @appendixsec Introduction to Line Editing |
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49 | |
50 | In this appendix a the following notation is used to describe | |
51 | keystrokes. | |
52 | ||
414a4971 | 53 | The text @kbd{C-k} is read as `Control-K' and describes the character |
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54 | produced when the Control key is depressed and the @key{k} key is struck. |
55 | ||
414a4971 | 56 | The text @kbd{M-k} is read as `Meta-K' and describes the character |
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57 | produced when the meta key (if you have one) is depressed, and the @key{k} |
58 | key is struck. If you do not have a meta key, the identical keystroke | |
59 | can be generated by typing @key{ESC} @i{first}, and then typing @key{k}. | |
60 | Either process is known as @dfn{metafying} the @key{k} key. | |
61 | ||
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62 | The text @kbd{M-C-k} is read as `Meta-Control-k' and describes the |
63 | character produced by @dfn{metafying} @kbd{C-k}. | |
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64 | |
65 | In addition, several keys have their own names. Specifically, | |
66 | @key{DEL}, @key{ESC}, @key{LFD}, @key{SPC}, @key{RET}, and @key{TAB} all | |
67 | stand for themselves when seen in this text, or in an init file | |
68 | (@pxref{Readline Init File}, for more info). | |
69 | ||
70 | @node Readline Interaction, Readline Init File, Readline Introduction, Readline Top | |
94bb8edc | 71 | @appendixsec Readline Interaction |
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72 | @cindex interaction, readline |
73 | ||
74 | Often during an interactive session you will type in a long line of | |
75 | text, only to notice that the first word on the line is misspelled. The | |
76 | Readline library gives you a set of commands for manipulating the text | |
77 | as you type it in, allowing you to just fix your typo, and not forcing | |
78 | you to retype the majority of the line. Using these editing commands, | |
79 | you move the cursor to the place that needs correction, and delete or | |
80 | insert the text of the corrections. Then, when you are satisfied with | |
81 | the line, you simply press @key{RETURN}. You do not have to be at the | |
82 | end of the line to press @key{RETURN}; the entire line will be accepted | |
83 | in any case. | |
84 | ||
85 | @menu | |
86 | * Readline Bare Essentials:: The least you need to know about Readline. | |
87 | * Readline Movement Commands:: Moving about the input line. | |
88 | * Readline Killing Commands:: How to delete text, and how to get it back! | |
89 | * Readline Arguments:: Giving numeric arguments to commands. | |
90 | @end menu | |
91 | ||
92 | @node Readline Bare Essentials, Readline Movement Commands, Readline Interaction, Readline Interaction | |
55dd74a1 | 93 | @appendixsubsec Bare Essentials |
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94 | |
95 | In order to enter characters into the line, simply type them. The typed | |
96 | character appears where the cursor was, and then the cursor moves one | |
97 | space to the right. If you mistype a character, you can use @key{DEL} to | |
98 | back up, and delete the mistyped character. | |
99 | ||
100 | Sometimes you may miss typing a character that you wanted to type, and | |
101 | not notice your error until you have typed several other characters. In | |
414a4971 | 102 | that case, you can type @kbd{C-b} to move the cursor to the left, and then |
302602b1 | 103 | correct your mistake. Aftwerwards, you can move the cursor to the right |
414a4971 | 104 | with @kbd{C-f}. |
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105 | |
106 | When you add text in the middle of a line, you will notice that characters | |
107 | to the right of the cursor get `pushed over' to make room for the text | |
108 | that you have inserted. Likewise, when you delete text behind the cursor, | |
109 | characters to the right of the cursor get `pulled back' to fill in the | |
110 | blank space created by the removal of the text. A list of the basic bare | |
111 | essentials for editing the text of an input line follows. | |
112 | ||
113 | @table @asis | |
414a4971 | 114 | @item @kbd{C-b} |
302602b1 | 115 | Move back one character. |
414a4971 | 116 | @item @kbd{C-f} |
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117 | Move forward one character. |
118 | @item @key{DEL} | |
119 | Delete the character to the left of the cursor. | |
414a4971 | 120 | @item @kbd{C-d} |
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121 | Delete the character underneath the cursor. |
122 | @item @w{Printing characters} | |
123 | Insert itself into the line at the cursor. | |
414a4971 | 124 | @item @kbd{C-_} |
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125 | Undo the last thing that you did. You can undo all the way back to an |
126 | empty line. | |
127 | @end table | |
128 | ||
129 | @node Readline Movement Commands, Readline Killing Commands, Readline Bare Essentials, Readline Interaction | |
55dd74a1 | 130 | @appendixsubsec Movement Commands |
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131 | |
132 | ||
133 | The above table describes the most basic possible keystrokes that you need | |
134 | in order to do editing of the input line. For your convenience, many | |
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135 | other commands have been added in addition to @kbd{C-b}, @kbd{C-f}, |
136 | @kbd{C-d}, and @key{DEL}. Here are some commands for moving more rapidly | |
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137 | about the line. |
138 | ||
414a4971 | 139 | @table @kbd |
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140 | @item C-a |
141 | Move to the start of the line. | |
142 | @item C-e | |
143 | Move to the end of the line. | |
144 | @item M-f | |
145 | Move forward a word. | |
146 | @item M-b | |
147 | Move backward a word. | |
148 | @item C-l | |
149 | Clear the screen, reprinting the current line at the top. | |
150 | @end table | |
151 | ||
414a4971 | 152 | Notice how @kbd{C-f} moves forward a character, while @kbd{M-f} moves |
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153 | forward a word. It is a loose convention that control keystrokes |
154 | operate on characters while meta keystrokes operate on words. | |
155 | ||
156 | @node Readline Killing Commands, Readline Arguments, Readline Movement Commands, Readline Interaction | |
55dd74a1 | 157 | @appendixsubsec Killing Commands |
302602b1 | 158 | |
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159 | @dfn{Killing} text means to delete the text from the line, but to save |
160 | it away for later use, usually by @dfn{yanking} it back into the line. | |
161 | If the description for a command says that it `kills' text, then you can | |
162 | be sure that you can get the text back in a different (or the same) | |
163 | place later. | |
164 | ||
165 | Here is the list of commands for killing text. | |
166 | ||
414a4971 | 167 | @table @kbd |
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168 | @item C-k |
169 | Kill the text from the current cursor position to the end of the line. | |
170 | ||
171 | @item M-d | |
172 | Kill from the cursor to the end of the current word, or if between | |
173 | words, to the end of the next word. | |
174 | ||
414a4971 | 175 | @item M-@key{DEL} |
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176 | Kill fromthe cursor the start ofthe previous word, or if between words, to the start of the previous word. |
177 | ||
178 | @item C-w | |
179 | Kill from the cursor to the previous whitespace. This is different than | |
414a4971 | 180 | @kbd{M-@key{DEL}} because the word boundaries differ. |
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181 | |
182 | @end table | |
183 | ||
184 | And, here is how to @dfn{yank} the text back into the line. Yanking | |
185 | is | |
186 | ||
414a4971 | 187 | @table @kbd |
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188 | @item C-y |
189 | Yank the most recently killed text back into the buffer at the cursor. | |
190 | ||
191 | @item M-y | |
192 | Rotate the kill-ring, and yank the new top. You can only do this if | |
414a4971 | 193 | the prior command is @kbd{C-y} or @kbd{M-y}. |
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194 | @end table |
195 | ||
196 | When you use a kill command, the text is saved in a @dfn{kill-ring}. | |
197 | Any number of consecutive kills save all of the killed text together, so | |
198 | that when you yank it back, you get it in one clean sweep. The kill | |
199 | ring is not line specific; the text that you killed on a previously | |
200 | typed line is available to be yanked back later, when you are typing | |
201 | another line. | |
202 | ||
203 | @node Readline Arguments, , Readline Killing Commands, Readline Interaction | |
55dd74a1 | 204 | @appendixsubsec Arguments |
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205 | |
206 | You can pass numeric arguments to Readline commands. Sometimes the | |
207 | argument acts as a repeat count, other times it is the @i{sign} of the | |
208 | argument that is significant. If you pass a negative argument to a | |
209 | command which normally acts in a forward direction, that command will | |
210 | act in a backward direction. For example, to kill text back to the | |
414a4971 | 211 | start of the line, you might type @kbd{M--} @kbd{C-k}. |
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212 | |
213 | The general way to pass numeric arguments to a command is to type meta | |
214 | digits before the command. If the first `digit' you type is a minus | |
414a4971 | 215 | sign (@kbd{-}), then the sign of the argument will be negative. Once |
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216 | you have typed one meta digit to get the argument started, you can type |
217 | the remainder of the digits, and then the command. For example, to give | |
414a4971 | 218 | the @kbd{C-d} command an argument of 10, you could type @kbd{M-1 0 C-d}. |
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219 | |
220 | ||
221 | @node Readline Init File, , Readline Interaction, Readline Top | |
94bb8edc | 222 | @appendixsec Readline Init File |
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223 | |
224 | Although the Readline library comes with a set of Emacs-like | |
225 | keybindings, it is possible that you would like to use a different set | |
226 | of keybindings. You can customize programs that use Readline by putting | |
227 | commands in an @dfn{init} file in your home directory. The name of this | |
228 | file is @file{~/.inputrc}. | |
229 | ||
230 | When a program which uses the Readline library starts up, the | |
231 | @file{~/.inputrc} file is read, and the keybindings are set. | |
232 | ||
233 | @menu | |
234 | * Readline Init Syntax:: Syntax for the commands in @file{~/.inputrc}. | |
235 | * Readline Vi Mode:: Switching to @code{vi} mode in Readline. | |
236 | @end menu | |
237 | ||
238 | @node Readline Init Syntax, Readline Vi Mode, Readline Init File, Readline Init File | |
94bb8edc | 239 | @appendixsubsec Readline Init Syntax |
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240 | |
241 | You can start up with a vi-like editing mode by placing | |
242 | ||
243 | @example | |
244 | @code{set editing-mode vi} | |
245 | @end example | |
246 | ||
247 | in your @file{~/.inputrc} file. | |
248 | ||
249 | You can have Readline use a single line for display, scrolling the input | |
250 | between the two edges of the screen by placing | |
251 | ||
252 | @example | |
253 | @code{set horizontal-scroll-mode On} | |
254 | @end example | |
255 | ||
414a4971 | 256 | @noindent |
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257 | in your @file{~/.inputrc} file. |
258 | ||
259 | The syntax for controlling keybindings in the @file{~/.inputrc} file is | |
260 | simple. First you have to know the @i{name} of the command that you | |
261 | want to change. The following pages contain tables of the command name, the | |
262 | default keybinding, and a short description of what the command does. | |
263 | ||
264 | Once you know the name of the command, simply place the name of the key | |
265 | you wish to bind the command to, a colon, and then the name of the | |
266 | command on a line in the @file{~/.inputrc} file. Here is an example: | |
267 | ||
268 | @example | |
269 | # This is a comment line. | |
270 | Meta-Rubout: backward-kill-word | |
271 | Control-u: universal-argument | |
272 | @end example | |
273 | ||
274 | @menu | |
275 | * Commands For Moving:: Moving about the line. | |
276 | * Commands For History:: Getting at previous lines. | |
277 | * Commands For Text:: Commands for changing text. | |
278 | * Commands For Killing:: Commands for killing and yanking. | |
279 | * Numeric Arguments:: Specifying numeric arguments, repeat counts. | |
280 | * Commands For Completion:: Getting Readline to do the typing for you. | |
281 | * Miscellaneous Commands:: Other miscillaneous commands. | |
282 | @end menu | |
283 | ||
284 | @node Commands For Moving, Commands For History, Readline Init Syntax, Readline Init Syntax | |
55dd74a1 | 285 | @appendixsubsubsec Moving |
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286 | @table @code |
287 | @item beginning-of-line (C-a) | |
288 | Move to the start of the current line. | |
289 | ||
290 | @item end-of-line (C-e) | |
291 | Move to the end of the line. | |
292 | ||
293 | @item forward-char (C-f) | |
294 | Move forward a character. | |
295 | ||
296 | @item backward-char (C-b) | |
297 | Move back a character. | |
298 | ||
299 | @item forward-word (M-f) | |
300 | Move forward to the end of the next word. | |
301 | ||
302 | @item backward-word (M-b) | |
303 | Move back to the start of this, or the previous, word. | |
304 | ||
305 | @item clear-screen (C-l) | |
306 | Clear the screen leaving the current line at the top of the screen. | |
307 | ||
308 | @end table | |
309 | ||
310 | @node Commands For History, Commands For Text, Commands For Moving, Readline Init Syntax | |
94bb8edc | 311 | @appendixsubsubsec Using the History |
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312 | |
313 | @table @code | |
314 | @item accept-line (Newline, Return) | |
315 | Accept the line regardless of where the cursor is. If this line is | |
ab7d02af | 316 | non-empty, add it to the history list. If this line was a history |
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317 | line, then restore the history line to its original state. |
318 | ||
319 | @item previous-history (C-p) | |
320 | Move `up' through the history list. | |
321 | ||
322 | @item next-history (C-n) | |
323 | Move `down' through the history list. | |
324 | ||
325 | @item beginning-of-history (M-<) | |
326 | Move to the first line in the history. | |
327 | ||
328 | @item end-of-history (M->) | |
329 | Move to the end of the input history, i.e., the line you are entering! | |
330 | ||
331 | @item reverse-search-history (C-r) | |
332 | Search backward starting at the current line and moving `up' through | |
333 | the history as necessary. This is an incremental search. | |
334 | ||
335 | @item forward-search-history (C-s) | |
336 | Search forward starting at the current line and moving `down' through | |
337 | the the history as neccessary. | |
338 | ||
339 | @end table | |
340 | ||
341 | @node Commands For Text, Commands For Killing, Commands For History, Readline Init Syntax | |
94bb8edc | 342 | @appendixsubsubsec Changing Text |
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343 | |
344 | @table @code | |
345 | @item delete-char (C-d) | |
346 | Delete the character under the cursor. If the cursor is at the | |
347 | beginning of the line, and there are no characters in the line, and | |
348 | the last character typed was not C-d, then return EOF. | |
349 | ||
350 | @item backward-delete-char (Rubout) | |
351 | Delete the character behind the cursor. A numeric arg says to kill | |
352 | the characters instead of deleting them. | |
353 | ||
354 | @item quoted-insert (C-q, C-v) | |
355 | Add the next character that you type to the line verbatim. This is | |
356 | how to insert things like C-q for example. | |
357 | ||
358 | @item tab-insert (M-TAB) | |
359 | Insert a tab character. | |
360 | ||
361 | @item self-insert (a, b, A, 1, !, ...) | |
362 | Insert yourself. | |
363 | ||
364 | @item transpose-chars (C-t) | |
365 | Drag the character before point forward over the character at point. | |
366 | Point moves forward as well. If point is at the end of the line, then | |
367 | transpose the two characters before point. Negative args don't work. | |
368 | ||
369 | @item transpose-words (M-t) | |
370 | Drag the word behind the cursor past the word in front of the cursor | |
371 | moving the cursor over that word as well. | |
372 | ||
373 | @item upcase-word (M-u) | |
374 | Uppercase the current (or following) word. With a negative argument, | |
375 | do the previous word, but do not move point. | |
376 | ||
377 | @item downcase-word (M-l) | |
378 | Lowercase the current (or following) word. With a negative argument, | |
379 | do the previous word, but do not move point. | |
380 | ||
381 | @item capitalize-word (M-c) | |
382 | Uppercase the current (or following) word. With a negative argument, | |
383 | do the previous word, but do not move point. | |
384 | ||
385 | @end table | |
386 | ||
387 | @node Commands For Killing, Numeric Arguments, Commands For Text, Readline Init Syntax | |
94bb8edc | 388 | @appendixsubsubsec Killing And Yanking |
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389 | |
390 | @table @code | |
391 | ||
392 | @item kill-line (C-k) | |
393 | Kill the text from the current cursor position to the end of the line. | |
394 | ||
395 | @item backward-kill-line () | |
396 | Kill backward to the beginning of the line. This is normally unbound. | |
397 | ||
398 | @item kill-word (M-d) | |
399 | Kill from the cursor to the end of the current word, or if between | |
400 | words, to the end of the next word. | |
401 | ||
402 | @item backward-kill-word (M-DEL) | |
403 | Kill the word behind the cursor. | |
404 | ||
405 | @item unix-line-discard (C-u) | |
406 | Do what C-u used to do in Unix line input. We save the killed text on | |
407 | the kill-ring, though. | |
408 | ||
409 | @item unix-word-rubout (C-w) | |
410 | Do what C-w used to do in Unix line input. The killed text is saved | |
411 | on the kill-ring. This is different than backward-kill-word because | |
412 | the word boundaries differ. | |
413 | ||
414 | @item yank (C-y) | |
415 | Yank the top of the kill ring into the buffer at point. | |
416 | ||
417 | @item yank-pop (M-y) | |
418 | Rotate the kill-ring, and yank the new top. You can only do this if | |
419 | the prior command is yank or yank-pop. | |
420 | @end table | |
421 | ||
422 | @node Numeric Arguments, Commands For Completion, Commands For Killing, Readline Init Syntax | |
94bb8edc | 423 | @appendixsubsubsec Numeric Arguments |
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424 | @table @code |
425 | ||
426 | @item digit-argument (M-0, M-1, ... M--) | |
427 | Add this digit to the argument already accumulating, or start a new | |
428 | argument. M-- starts a negative argument. | |
429 | ||
430 | @item universal-argument () | |
431 | Do what C-u does in emacs. By default, this is not bound. | |
432 | @end table | |
433 | ||
434 | ||
435 | @node Commands For Completion, Miscellaneous Commands, Numeric Arguments, Readline Init Syntax | |
94bb8edc | 436 | @appendixsubsubsec Letting Readline Type |
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437 | |
438 | @table @code | |
439 | @item complete (TAB) | |
440 | Attempt to do completion on the text before point. This is | |
441 | implementation defined. Generally, if you are typing a filename | |
442 | argument, you can do filename completion; if you are typing a command, | |
443 | you can do command completion, if you are typing in a symbol to GDB, you | |
444 | can do symbol name completion, if you are typing in a variable to Bash, | |
445 | you can do variable name completion... | |
446 | ||
447 | @item possible-completions (M-?) | |
448 | List the possible completions of the text before point. | |
449 | @end table | |
450 | ||
451 | @node Miscellaneous Commands, , Commands For Completion, Readline Init Syntax | |
94bb8edc | 452 | @appendixsubsubsec Other Commands |
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453 | @table @code |
454 | ||
414a4971 | 455 | @item abort (@kbd{C-g}) |
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456 | Ding! Stops things. |
457 | ||
414a4971 | 458 | @item do-uppercase-version (@kbd{M-a}, @kbd{M-b}, @dots) |
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459 | Run the command that is bound to your uppercase brother. |
460 | ||
414a4971 | 461 | @item prefix-meta (@key{ESC}) |
302602b1 | 462 | Make the next character that you type be metafied. This is for |
414a4971 | 463 | people without a meta key. @kbd{@key{ESC}-f} is equivalent to @kbd{M-f}. |
302602b1 | 464 | |
414a4971 | 465 | @item undo (@kbd{C-_}) |
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466 | Incremental undo, separately remembered for each line. |
467 | ||
414a4971 | 468 | @item revert-line (@kbd{M-r}) |
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469 | Undo all changes made to this line. This is like typing the `undo' |
470 | command enough times to get back to the beginning. | |
471 | @end table | |
472 | ||
473 | @node Readline Vi Mode, , Readline Init Syntax, Readline Init File | |
94bb8edc | 474 | @appendixsubsec Readline Vi Mode |
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475 | |
476 | While the Readline library does not have a full set of Vi editing | |
477 | functions, it does contain enough to allow simple editing of the line. | |
478 | ||
479 | In order to switch interactively between Emacs and Vi editing modes, use | |
480 | the command M-C-j (toggle-editing-mode). | |
481 | ||
482 | When you enter a line in Vi mode, you are already placed in `insertion' | |
483 | mode, as if you had typed an `i'. Pressing @key{ESC} switches you into | |
484 | `edit' mode, where you can edit the text of the line with the standard | |
485 | Vi movement keys, move to previous history lines with `k', and following | |
486 | lines with `j', and so forth. | |
487 | ||
488 | ||
489 | ||
490 |