js/editline/editline.3

.TH EDITLINE 3
.SH NAME
editline \- command-line editing library with history
.SH SYNOPSIS
.nf
.B "char *"
.B "readline(prompt)"
.B "     char   *prompt;"

.B "void"
.B "add_history(line)"
.B "    char    *line;"
.fi
.SH DESCRIPTION
.I Editline
is a library that provides an line-editing interface with text recall.
It is intended to be compatible with the
.I readline
library provided by the Free Software Foundation, but much smaller.
The bulk of this manual page describes the user interface.
.PP
The
.I readline
routine returns a line of text with the trailing newline removed.
The data is returned in a buffer allocated with
.IR malloc (3),
so the space should be released with
.IR free (3)
when the calling program is done with it.
Before accepting input from the user, the specified
.I prompt
is displayed on the terminal.
.PP
The
.I add_history
routine makes a copy of the specified
.I line
and adds it to the internal history list.
.SS "User Interface"
A program that uses this library provides a simple emacs-like editing
interface to its users.
A line may be edited before it is sent to the calling program by typing either
control characters or escape sequences.
A control character, shown as a caret followed by a letter, is typed by
holding down the ``control'' key while the letter is typed.
For example, ``^A'' is a control-A.
An escape sequence is entered by typing the ``escape'' key followed by one or
more characters.
The escape key is abbreviated as ``ESC.''
Note that unlike control keys, case matters in escape sequences; ``ESC\ F''
is not the same as ``ESC\ f''.
.PP
An editing command may be typed anywhere on the line, not just at the
beginning.
In addition, a return may also be typed anywhere on the line, not just at
the end.
.PP
Most editing commands may be given a repeat count,
.IR n ,
where
.I n
is a number.
To enter a repeat count, type the escape key, the number, and then
the command to execute.
For example, ``ESC\ 4\ ^f'' moves forward four characters.
If a command may be given a repeat count then the text ``[n]'' is given at the
end of its description.
.PP
The following control characters are accepted:
.RS
.nf
.ta \w'ESC DEL  'u
^A      Move to the beginning of the line
^B      Move left (backwards) [n]
^D      Delete character [n]
^E      Move to end of line
^F      Move right (forwards) [n]
^G      Ring the bell
^H      Delete character before cursor (backspace key) [n]
^I      Complete filename (tab key); see below
^J      Done with line (return key)
^K      Kill to end of line (or column [n])
^L      Redisplay line
^M      Done with line (alternate return key)
^N      Get next line from history [n]
^P      Get previous line from history [n]
^R      Search backward (forward if [n]) through history for text;
\&      must start line if text begins with an uparrow
^T      Transpose characters
^V      Insert next character, even if it is an edit command
^W      Wipe to the mark
^X^X    Exchange current location and mark
^Y      Yank back last killed text
^[      Start an escape sequence (escape key)
^]c     Move forward to next character ``c''
^?      Delete character before cursor (delete key) [n]
.fi
.RE
.PP
The following escape sequences are provided.
.RS
.nf
.ta \w'ESC DEL  'u
ESC\ ^H Delete previous word (backspace key) [n]
ESC\ DEL        Delete previous word (delete key) [n]
ESC\ SP Set the mark (space key); see ^X^X and ^Y above
ESC\ \. Get the last (or [n]'th) word from previous line
ESC\ \? Show possible completions; see below
ESC\ <  Move to start of history
ESC\ >  Move to end of history
ESC\ b  Move backward a word [n]
ESC\ d  Delete word under cursor [n]
ESC\ f  Move forward a word [n]
ESC\ l  Make word lowercase [n]
ESC\ m  Toggle if 8bit chars display normally or with ``M\-'' prefix
ESC\ u  Make word uppercase [n]
ESC\ y  Yank back last killed text
ESC\ v  Show library version
ESC\ w  Make area up to mark yankable
ESC\ nn Set repeat count to the number nn
ESC\ C  Read from environment variable ``_C_'', where C is
\&      an uppercase letter
.fi
.RE
.PP
The
.I editline
library has a small macro facility.
If you type the escape key followed by an uppercase letter,
.IR C ,
then the contents of the environment variable
.I _C_
are read in as if you had typed them at the keyboard.
For example, if the variable
.I _L_
contains the following:
.RS
^A^Kecho '^V^[[H^V^[[2J'^M
.RE
Then typing ``ESC L'' will move to the beginning of the line, kill the
entire line, enter the echo command needed to clear the terminal (if your
terminal is like a VT-100), and send the line back to the shell.
.PP
The
.I editline
library also does filename completion.
Suppose the root directory has the following files in it:
.RS
.nf
.ta \w'core   'u
bin     vmunix
core    vmunix.old
.fi
.RE
If you type ``rm\ /v'' and then the tab key.
.I Editline
will then finish off as much of the name as possible by adding ``munix''.
Because the name is not unique, it will then beep.
If you type the escape key and a question mark, it will display the
two choices.
If you then type a period and a tab, the library will finish off the filename
for you:
.RS
.nf
.RI "rm /v[TAB]" munix .TAB old
.fi
.RE
The tab key is shown by ``[TAB]'' and the automatically-entered text
is shown in italics.
.SH "BUGS AND LIMITATIONS"
Cannot handle lines more than 80 columns.
.SH AUTHORS
Simmule R. Turner <uunet.uu.net!capitol!sysgo!simmy>
and Rich $alz <rsalz@osf.org>.
Original manual page by DaviD W. Sanderson <dws@ssec.wisc.edu>.
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;"
9
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>.