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1 @ignore
2 This file documents the user interface to the GNU History library.
3
4 Copyright (C) 1988--2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
5 Authored by Brian Fox and Chet Ramey.
6
7 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this manual
8 provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on
9 all copies.
10
11 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
12 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission notice
13 identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph (this
14 paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
15
16 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
17 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
18 GNU Copyright statement is available to the distributee, and provided that
19 the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
20 permission notice identical to this one.
21
22 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
23 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
24 @end ignore
25
26 @node Using History Interactively
27 @chapter Using History Interactively
28
29 @c GDB bundling modification:
30 @c @ifclear BashFeatures
31 @c @defcodeindex bt
32 @c @end ifclear
33
34 @ifset BashFeatures
35 This chapter describes how to use the @sc{gnu} History Library
36 interactively, from a user's standpoint.
37 It should be considered a user's guide.
38 For information on using the @sc{gnu} History Library in other programs,
39 see the @sc{gnu} Readline Library Manual.
40 @end ifset
41 @ifclear BashFeatures
42 This chapter describes how to use the @sc{gnu} History Library interactively,
43 from a user's standpoint. It should be considered a user's guide. For
44 information on using the @sc{gnu} History Library in your own programs,
45 @c GDB bundling modification:
46 @pxref{Programming with GNU History, , , history, GNU History Library}.
47 @end ifclear
48
49 @ifset BashFeatures
50 @menu
51 * Bash History Facilities:: How Bash lets you manipulate your command
52 history.
53 * Bash History Builtins:: The Bash builtin commands that manipulate
54 the command history.
55 * History Interaction:: What it feels like using History as a user.
56 @end menu
57 @end ifset
58 @ifclear BashFeatures
59 @menu
60 * History Interaction:: What it feels like using History as a user.
61 @end menu
62 @end ifclear
63
64 @ifset BashFeatures
65 @node Bash History Facilities
66 @section Bash History Facilities
67 @cindex command history
68 @cindex history list
69
70 When the @option{-o history} option to the @code{set} builtin
71 is enabled (@pxref{The Set Builtin}),
72 the shell provides access to the @dfn{command history},
73 the list of commands previously typed.
74 The value of the @env{HISTSIZE} shell variable is used as the
75 number of commands to save in a history list.
76 The text of the last @env{$HISTSIZE}
77 commands (default 500) is saved.
78 The shell stores each command in the history list prior to
79 parameter and variable expansion
80 but after history expansion is performed, subject to the
81 values of the shell variables
82 @env{HISTIGNORE} and @env{HISTCONTROL}.
83
84 When the shell starts up, the history is initialized from the
85 file named by the @env{HISTFILE} variable (default @file{~/.bash_history}).
86 The file named by the value of @env{HISTFILE} is truncated, if
87 necessary, to contain no more than the number of lines specified by
88 the value of the @env{HISTFILESIZE} variable.
89 When a shell with history enabled exits, the last
90 @env{$HISTSIZE} lines are copied from the history list to the file
91 named by @env{$HISTFILE}.
92 If the @code{histappend} shell option is set (@pxref{Bash Builtins}),
93 the lines are appended to the history file,
94 otherwise the history file is overwritten.
95 If @env{HISTFILE}
96 is unset, or if the history file is unwritable, the history is not saved.
97 After saving the history, the history file is truncated
98 to contain no more than @env{$HISTFILESIZE} lines.
99 If @env{HISTFILESIZE} is unset, or set to null, a non-numeric value, or
100 a numeric value less than zero, the history file is not truncated.
101
102 If the @env{HISTTIMEFORMAT} is set, the time stamp information
103 associated with each history entry is written to the history file,
104 marked with the history comment character.
105 When the history file is read, lines beginning with the history
106 comment character followed immediately by a digit are interpreted
107 as timestamps for the following history entry.
108
109 The builtin command @code{fc} may be used to list or edit and re-execute
110 a portion of the history list.
111 The @code{history} builtin may be used to display or modify the history
112 list and manipulate the history file.
113 When using command-line editing, search commands
114 are available in each editing mode that provide access to the
115 history list (@pxref{Commands For History}).
116
117 The shell allows control over which commands are saved on the history
118 list. The @env{HISTCONTROL} and @env{HISTIGNORE}
119 variables may be set to cause the shell to save only a subset of the
120 commands entered.
121 The @code{cmdhist}
122 shell option, if enabled, causes the shell to attempt to save each
123 line of a multi-line command in the same history entry, adding
124 semicolons where necessary to preserve syntactic correctness.
125 The @code{lithist}
126 shell option causes the shell to save the command with embedded newlines
127 instead of semicolons.
128 The @code{shopt} builtin is used to set these options.
129 @xref{The Shopt Builtin}, for a description of @code{shopt}.
130
131 @node Bash History Builtins
132 @section Bash History Builtins
133 @cindex history builtins
134
135 Bash provides two builtin commands which manipulate the
136 history list and history file.
137
138 @table @code
139
140 @item fc
141 @btindex fc
142 @example
143 @code{fc [-e @var{ename}] [-lnr] [@var{first}] [@var{last}]}
144 @code{fc -s [@var{pat}=@var{rep}] [@var{command}]}
145 @end example
146
147 The first form selects a range of commands from @var{first} to
148 @var{last} from the history list and displays or edits and re-executes
149 them.
150 Both @var{first} and
151 @var{last} may be specified as a string (to locate the most recent
152 command beginning with that string) or as a number (an index into the
153 history list, where a negative number is used as an offset from the
154 current command number). If @var{last} is not specified, it is set to
155 @var{first}. If @var{first} is not specified, it is set to the previous
156 command for editing and @minus{}16 for listing. If the @option{-l} flag is
157 given, the commands are listed on standard output. The @option{-n} flag
158 suppresses the command numbers when listing. The @option{-r} flag
159 reverses the order of the listing. Otherwise, the editor given by
160 @var{ename} is invoked on a file containing those commands. If
161 @var{ename} is not given, the value of the following variable expansion
162 is used: @code{$@{FCEDIT:-$@{EDITOR:-vi@}@}}. This says to use the
163 value of the @env{FCEDIT} variable if set, or the value of the
164 @env{EDITOR} variable if that is set, or @code{vi} if neither is set.
165 When editing is complete, the edited commands are echoed and executed.
166
167 In the second form, @var{command} is re-executed after each instance
168 of @var{pat} in the selected command is replaced by @var{rep}.
169 @var{command} is intepreted the same as @var{first} above.
170
171 A useful alias to use with the @code{fc} command is @code{r='fc -s'}, so
172 that typing @samp{r cc} runs the last command beginning with @code{cc}
173 and typing @samp{r} re-executes the last command (@pxref{Aliases}).
174
175 @item history
176 @btindex history
177 @example
178 history [@var{n}]
179 history -c
180 history -d @var{offset}
181 history -d @var{start}-@var{end}
182 history [-anrw] [@var{filename}]
183 history -ps @var{arg}
184 @end example
185
186 With no options, display the history list with line numbers.
187 Lines prefixed with a @samp{*} have been modified.
188 An argument of @var{n} lists only the last @var{n} lines.
189 If the shell variable @env{HISTTIMEFORMAT} is set and not null,
190 it is used as a format string for @var{strftime} to display
191 the time stamp associated with each displayed history entry.
192 No intervening blank is printed between the formatted time stamp
193 and the history line.
194
195 Options, if supplied, have the following meanings:
196
197 @table @code
198 @item -c
199 Clear the history list. This may be combined
200 with the other options to replace the history list completely.
201
202 @item -d @var{offset}
203 Delete the history entry at position @var{offset}.
204 If @var{offset} is positive, it should be specified as it appears when
205 the history is displayed.
206 If @var{offset} is negative, it is interpreted as relative to one greater
207 than the last history position, so negative indices count back from the
208 end of the history, and an index of @samp{-1} refers to the current
209 @code{history -d} command.
210
211 @item -d @var{start}-@var{end}
212 Delete the history entries between positions @var{start} and @var{end},
213 inclusive. Positive and negative values for @var{start} and @var{end}
214 are interpreted as described above.
215
216 @item -a
217 Append the new history lines to the history file.
218 These are history lines entered since the beginning of the current
219 Bash session, but not already appended to the history file.
220
221 @item -n
222 Append the history lines not already read from the history file
223 to the current history list. These are lines appended to the history
224 file since the beginning of the current Bash session.
225
226 @item -r
227 Read the history file and append its contents to
228 the history list.
229
230 @item -w
231 Write out the current history list to the history file.
232
233 @item -p
234 Perform history substitution on the @var{arg}s and display the result
235 on the standard output, without storing the results in the history list.
236
237 @item -s
238 The @var{arg}s are added to the end of
239 the history list as a single entry.
240
241 @end table
242
243 When any of the @option{-w}, @option{-r}, @option{-a}, or @option{-n} options is
244 used, if @var{filename}
245 is given, then it is used as the history file. If not, then
246 the value of the @env{HISTFILE} variable is used.
247
248 @end table
249 @end ifset
250
251 @node History Interaction
252 @section History Expansion
253 @cindex history expansion
254
255 The History library provides a history expansion feature that is similar
256 to the history expansion provided by @code{csh}. This section
257 describes the syntax used to manipulate the history information.
258
259 History expansions introduce words from the history list into
260 the input stream, making it easy to repeat commands, insert the
261 arguments to a previous command into the current input line, or
262 fix errors in previous commands quickly.
263
264 @ifset BashFeatures
265 History expansion is performed immediately after a complete line
266 is read, before the shell breaks it into words, and is performed
267 on each line individually. Bash attempts to inform the history
268 expansion functions about quoting still in effect from previous lines.
269 @end ifset
270
271 History expansion takes place in two parts. The first is to determine
272 which line from the history list should be used during substitution.
273 The second is to select portions of that line for inclusion into the
274 current one. The line selected from the history is called the
275 @dfn{event}, and the portions of that line that are acted upon are
276 called @dfn{words}. Various @dfn{modifiers} are available to manipulate
277 the selected words. The line is broken into words in the same fashion
278 that Bash does, so that several words
279 surrounded by quotes are considered one word.
280 History expansions are introduced by the appearance of the
281 history expansion character, which is @samp{!} by default.
282
283 History expansion implements shell-like quoting conventions:
284 a backslash can be used to remove the special handling for the next character;
285 single quotes enclose verbatim sequences of characters, and can be used to
286 inhibit history expansion;
287 and characters enclosed within double quotes may be subject to history
288 expansion, since backslash can escape the history expansion character,
289 but single quotes may not, since they are not treated specially within
290 double quotes.
291
292 @ifset BashFeatures
293 When using the shell, only @samp{\} and @samp{'} may be used to escape the
294 history expansion character, but the history expansion character is
295 also treated as quoted if it immediately precedes the closing double quote
296 in a double-quoted string.
297 @end ifset
298
299 @ifset BashFeatures
300 Several shell options settable with the @code{shopt}
301 builtin (@pxref{The Shopt Builtin}) may be used to tailor
302 the behavior of history expansion. If the
303 @code{histverify} shell option is enabled, and Readline
304 is being used, history substitutions are not immediately passed to
305 the shell parser.
306 Instead, the expanded line is reloaded into the Readline
307 editing buffer for further modification.
308 If Readline is being used, and the @code{histreedit}
309 shell option is enabled, a failed history expansion will be
310 reloaded into the Readline editing buffer for correction.
311 The @option{-p} option to the @code{history} builtin command
312 may be used to see what a history expansion will do before using it.
313 The @option{-s} option to the @code{history} builtin may be used to
314 add commands to the end of the history list without actually executing
315 them, so that they are available for subsequent recall.
316 This is most useful in conjunction with Readline.
317
318 The shell allows control of the various characters used by the
319 history expansion mechanism with the @code{histchars} variable,
320 as explained above (@pxref{Bash Variables}). The shell uses
321 the history comment character to mark history timestamps when
322 writing the history file.
323 @end ifset
324
325 @menu
326 * Event Designators:: How to specify which history line to use.
327 * Word Designators:: Specifying which words are of interest.
328 * Modifiers:: Modifying the results of substitution.
329 @end menu
330
331 @node Event Designators
332 @subsection Event Designators
333 @cindex event designators
334
335 An event designator is a reference to a command line entry in the
336 history list.
337 Unless the reference is absolute, events are relative to the current
338 position in the history list.
339 @cindex history events
340
341 @table @asis
342
343 @item @code{!}
344 @ifset BashFeatures
345 Start a history substitution, except when followed by a space, tab,
346 the end of the line, @samp{=} or @samp{(} (when the
347 @code{extglob} shell option is enabled using the @code{shopt} builtin).
348 @end ifset
349 @ifclear BashFeatures
350 Start a history substitution, except when followed by a space, tab,
351 the end of the line, or @samp{=}.
352 @end ifclear
353
354 @item @code{!@var{n}}
355 Refer to command line @var{n}.
356
357 @item @code{!-@var{n}}
358 Refer to the command @var{n} lines back.
359
360 @item @code{!!}
361 Refer to the previous command. This is a synonym for @samp{!-1}.
362
363 @item @code{!@var{string}}
364 Refer to the most recent command
365 preceding the current position in the history list
366 starting with @var{string}.
367
368 @item @code{!?@var{string}[?]}
369 Refer to the most recent command
370 preceding the current position in the history list
371 containing @var{string}.
372 The trailing
373 @samp{?} may be omitted if the @var{string} is followed immediately by
374 a newline.
375
376 @item @code{^@var{string1}^@var{string2}^}
377 Quick Substitution. Repeat the last command, replacing @var{string1}
378 with @var{string2}. Equivalent to
379 @code{!!:s/@var{string1}/@var{string2}/}.
380
381 @item @code{!#}
382 The entire command line typed so far.
383
384 @end table
385
386 @node Word Designators
387 @subsection Word Designators
388
389 Word designators are used to select desired words from the event.
390 A @samp{:} separates the event specification from the word designator. It
391 may be omitted if the word designator begins with a @samp{^}, @samp{$},
392 @samp{*}, @samp{-}, or @samp{%}. Words are numbered from the beginning
393 of the line, with the first word being denoted by 0 (zero). Words are
394 inserted into the current line separated by single spaces.
395
396 @need 0.75
397 For example,
398
399 @table @code
400 @item !!
401 designates the preceding command. When you type this, the preceding
402 command is repeated in toto.
403
404 @item !!:$
405 designates the last argument of the preceding command. This may be
406 shortened to @code{!$}.
407
408 @item !fi:2
409 designates the second argument of the most recent command starting with
410 the letters @code{fi}.
411 @end table
412
413 @need 0.75
414 Here are the word designators:
415
416 @table @code
417
418 @item 0 (zero)
419 The @code{0}th word. For many applications, this is the command word.
420
421 @item @var{n}
422 The @var{n}th word.
423
424 @item ^
425 The first argument; that is, word 1.
426
427 @item $
428 The last argument.
429
430 @item %
431 The word matched by the most recent @samp{?@var{string}?} search.
432
433 @item @var{x}-@var{y}
434 A range of words; @samp{-@var{y}} abbreviates @samp{0-@var{y}}.
435
436 @item *
437 All of the words, except the @code{0}th. This is a synonym for @samp{1-$}.
438 It is not an error to use @samp{*} if there is just one word in the event;
439 the empty string is returned in that case.
440
441 @item @var{x}*
442 Abbreviates @samp{@var{x}-$}
443
444 @item @var{x}-
445 Abbreviates @samp{@var{x}-$} like @samp{@var{x}*}, but omits the last word.
446
447 @end table
448
449 If a word designator is supplied without an event specification, the
450 previous command is used as the event.
451
452 @node Modifiers
453 @subsection Modifiers
454
455 After the optional word designator, you can add a sequence of one or more
456 of the following modifiers, each preceded by a @samp{:}.
457
458 @table @code
459
460 @item h
461 Remove a trailing pathname component, leaving only the head.
462
463 @item t
464 Remove all leading pathname components, leaving the tail.
465
466 @item r
467 Remove a trailing suffix of the form @samp{.@var{suffix}}, leaving
468 the basename.
469
470 @item e
471 Remove all but the trailing suffix.
472
473 @item p
474 Print the new command but do not execute it.
475
476 @ifset BashFeatures
477 @item q
478 Quote the substituted words, escaping further substitutions.
479
480 @item x
481 Quote the substituted words as with @samp{q},
482 but break into words at spaces, tabs, and newlines.
483 @end ifset
484
485 @item s/@var{old}/@var{new}/
486 Substitute @var{new} for the first occurrence of @var{old} in the
487 event line. Any delimiter may be used in place of @samp{/}.
488 The delimiter may be quoted in @var{old} and @var{new}
489 with a single backslash. If @samp{&} appears in @var{new},
490 it is replaced by @var{old}. A single backslash will quote
491 the @samp{&}. The final delimiter is optional if it is the last
492 character on the input line.
493
494 @item &
495 Repeat the previous substitution.
496
497 @item g
498 @itemx a
499 Cause changes to be applied over the entire event line. Used in
500 conjunction with @samp{s}, as in @code{gs/@var{old}/@var{new}/},
501 or with @samp{&}.
502
503 @item G
504 Apply the following @samp{s} modifier once to each word in the event.
505
506 @end table