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1 .TH EDITLINE 3
2 .SH NAME
3 editline \- command-line editing library with history
4 .SH SYNOPSIS
5 .nf
6 .B "char *"
7 .B "readline(prompt)"
8 .B " char *prompt;"
10 .B "void"
11 .B "add_history(line)"
12 .B " char *line;"
13 .fi
14 .SH DESCRIPTION
15 .I Editline
16 is a library that provides an line-editing interface with text recall.
17 It is intended to be compatible with the
18 .I readline
19 library provided by the Free Software Foundation, but much smaller.
20 The bulk of this manual page describes the user interface.
21 .PP
22 The
23 .I readline
24 routine returns a line of text with the trailing newline removed.
25 The data is returned in a buffer allocated with
26 .IR malloc (3),
27 so the space should be released with
28 .IR free (3)
29 when the calling program is done with it.
30 Before accepting input from the user, the specified
31 .I prompt
32 is displayed on the terminal.
33 .PP
34 The
35 .I add_history
36 routine makes a copy of the specified
37 .I line
38 and adds it to the internal history list.
39 .SS "User Interface"
40 A program that uses this library provides a simple emacs-like editing
41 interface to its users.
42 A line may be edited before it is sent to the calling program by typing either
43 control characters or escape sequences.
44 A control character, shown as a caret followed by a letter, is typed by
45 holding down the ``control'' key while the letter is typed.
46 For example, ``^A'' is a control-A.
47 An escape sequence is entered by typing the ``escape'' key followed by one or
48 more characters.
49 The escape key is abbreviated as ``ESC.''
50 Note that unlike control keys, case matters in escape sequences; ``ESC\ F''
51 is not the same as ``ESC\ f''.
52 .PP
53 An editing command may be typed anywhere on the line, not just at the
54 beginning.
55 In addition, a return may also be typed anywhere on the line, not just at
56 the end.
57 .PP
58 Most editing commands may be given a repeat count,
59 .IR n ,
60 where
61 .I n
62 is a number.
63 To enter a repeat count, type the escape key, the number, and then
64 the command to execute.
65 For example, ``ESC\ 4\ ^f'' moves forward four characters.
66 If a command may be given a repeat count then the text ``[n]'' is given at the
67 end of its description.
68 .PP
69 The following control characters are accepted:
70 .RS
71 .nf
72 .ta \w'ESC DEL 'u
73 ^A Move to the beginning of the line
74 ^B Move left (backwards) [n]
75 ^D Delete character [n]
76 ^E Move to end of line
77 ^F Move right (forwards) [n]
78 ^G Ring the bell
79 ^H Delete character before cursor (backspace key) [n]
80 ^I Complete filename (tab key); see below
81 ^J Done with line (return key)
82 ^K Kill to end of line (or column [n])
83 ^L Redisplay line
84 ^M Done with line (alternate return key)
85 ^N Get next line from history [n]
86 ^P Get previous line from history [n]
87 ^R Search backward (forward if [n]) through history for text;
88 \& must start line if text begins with an uparrow
89 ^T Transpose characters
90 ^V Insert next character, even if it is an edit command
91 ^W Wipe to the mark
92 ^X^X Exchange current location and mark
93 ^Y Yank back last killed text
94 ^[ Start an escape sequence (escape key)
95 ^]c Move forward to next character ``c''
96 ^? Delete character before cursor (delete key) [n]
97 .fi
98 .RE
99 .PP
100 The following escape sequences are provided.
101 .RS
102 .nf
103 .ta \w'ESC DEL 'u
104 ESC\ ^H Delete previous word (backspace key) [n]
105 ESC\ DEL Delete previous word (delete key) [n]
106 ESC\ SP Set the mark (space key); see ^X^X and ^Y above
107 ESC\ \. Get the last (or [n]'th) word from previous line
108 ESC\ \? Show possible completions; see below
109 ESC\ < Move to start of history
110 ESC\ > Move to end of history
111 ESC\ b Move backward a word [n]
112 ESC\ d Delete word under cursor [n]
113 ESC\ f Move forward a word [n]
114 ESC\ l Make word lowercase [n]
115 ESC\ m Toggle if 8bit chars display normally or with ``M\-'' prefix
116 ESC\ u Make word uppercase [n]
117 ESC\ y Yank back last killed text
118 ESC\ v Show library version
119 ESC\ w Make area up to mark yankable
120 ESC\ nn Set repeat count to the number nn
121 ESC\ C Read from environment variable ``_C_'', where C is
122 \& an uppercase letter
123 .fi
124 .RE
125 .PP
126 The
127 .I editline
128 library has a small macro facility.
129 If you type the escape key followed by an uppercase letter,
130 .IR C ,
131 then the contents of the environment variable
132 .I _C_
133 are read in as if you had typed them at the keyboard.
134 For example, if the variable
135 .I _L_
136 contains the following:
137 .RS
138 ^A^Kecho '^V^[[H^V^[[2J'^M
139 .RE
140 Then typing ``ESC L'' will move to the beginning of the line, kill the
141 entire line, enter the echo command needed to clear the terminal (if your
142 terminal is like a VT-100), and send the line back to the shell.
143 .PP
144 The
145 .I editline
146 library also does filename completion.
147 Suppose the root directory has the following files in it:
148 .RS
149 .nf
150 .ta \w'core 'u
151 bin vmunix
152 core vmunix.old
153 .fi
154 .RE
155 If you type ``rm\ /v'' and then the tab key.
156 .I Editline
157 will then finish off as much of the name as possible by adding ``munix''.
158 Because the name is not unique, it will then beep.
159 If you type the escape key and a question mark, it will display the
160 two choices.
161 If you then type a period and a tab, the library will finish off the filename
162 for you:
163 .RS
164 .nf
165 .RI "rm /v[TAB]" munix .TAB old
166 .fi
167 .RE
168 The tab key is shown by ``[TAB]'' and the automatically-entered text
169 is shown in italics.
170 .SH "BUGS AND LIMITATIONS"
171 Cannot handle lines more than 80 columns.
172 .SH AUTHORS
173 Simmule R. Turner <uunet.uu.net!capitol!sysgo!simmy>
174 and Rich $alz <rsalz@osf.org>.
175 Original manual page by DaviD W. Sanderson <dws@ssec.wisc.edu>.