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GNU Readline

Last updated: 5 Aug 2020 ·

Posted in wiki#notes

vi mode

Entering input mode

Shortcut	Command
`i`	Insert before cursor
`a`	Insert after cursor
`I`	Insert at the beginning of line
`A`	Insert at the end of line
`c<movement command>`	Change text of a movement command
`C` or `c$`	Change text to the end of line
`cc` or `S` or `0c$`	Change current line
`s` or c[SPACE]	Delete a single character under the cursor and enter input mode
`r`	Replace a single character under the cursor(without leaving the command mode)
`R`	Replace characters under the cursor
`v`	Edit(and execute) the current command in a text editor(an editor in $VISUAL and$ EDITOR variables or vi)

Moving

Shortcut	Command
`l` or `SPACE`	Move one character right
`h`	Move one character left
`w`	Move one word/token right
`b`	Move one word/token left
`W`	Move one non-blank word right
`B`	Move one non-blank word left
`e`	Move to the end of the current word
`E`	Move to the end of the current non-blank word
`0`	Move to the beginning of line
`ˆ`	Move to the first non-blank character of line
`$`	Move to the end of line
`%`	Move to the corresponding opening/closing bracket

Searching

Shortcut	Command
`fc`	Move right to the next occurance of c
`Fc`	Move left to the previous occurance of c
`tc`	Move right to the next occurance of c, then one char backward
`Tc`	Move left to the previous occurance of c, then one char forward
`;`	Redo the last character finding command
`,`	Redo the last character finding command in opposite direction

Deleting

Shortcut	Command
`x`	Delete a single character under the cursor
`X`	Delete a character before the cursor
`d<movement command>`	Delete text of a movement command
`D` or `d$`	Delete to the end of the line
`dd` or `0d$`	Delete current line
`Ctrl-w`	Delete the previous word
`Ctrl-u`	Delete from the cursor to the beginning of line

Undo/Redo

Shortcut	Command
`u`	Undo previous text modification.
`U`	Undo all previous text modifications on the line.
`.`	Redo the last text modification.

Yanking and pasting

Shortcut	Command
`y<movement command>`	Yank a movement into buffer
`yy`	Yank the whole line
`p`	Insert the yanked text at the cursor
`P`	Insert the yanked text before the cursor

History

Shortcut	Command
`k`	Move backward one command in history
`j`	Move forward one command in history
`G`	Move to the history line n (you may specify the argument n by typing it on number keys, for example, 15G)
`/string` or `Ctrl-r`	Search history backward for a command matching string
`?string` or `Ctrl-s`	Search history forward for a command matching string (remember that on most machines Ctrl-s stops the output to the terminal (Ctrl-q starts output) and you
`n`	Repeat search in the same direction as previous
`N`	Repeat search in the opposite direction as previous

Completing

Shortcut	Command
`TAB` or `Ctrl-i` or `=`	List possible completions
`-`	Insert all possible completions

Misc

Shortcut	Command
`∼`	Invert the case of the character under cursor, and move a character right
`#`	Prepend # (comment character) to the line and send it to the history list
`_`	Inserts the n-th word of the previous command in the current line
`0, 1, 2, ...`	Sets the numeric argument
`Ctrl-v`	Insert a character literally (quoted insert)
`Ctrl-t`	Transpose (exchange) two characters

Emacs mode

Moving

Shortcut	Command
`Ctrl-a`	Move to the start of the current line
`Ctrl-e`	Move to the end of the line
`Ctrl-f`	Move forward a character
`Ctrl-b`	Move back a character
`Alt-f`	Move forward to the end of the next word Words are alphanumeric
`Alt-b`	Move back to the start of the current/previous word Words are alphanumeric
`Ctrl-l`	Clear the screen

History

Shortcut	Command
`Ctrl-p`	Fetch the previous command from the history list
`Ctrl-n`	Fetch the next command from the history list
`Alt-<`	Move to the first line in the history
`Alt->`	Move to the last line in the history
`Ctrl-r`	Search backward through history
`Ctrl-s`	Search forward through history
`Alt-p`	Search backward through history for a given string
`Alt-n`	Search forward through history for a given string
`Ctrl-Alt-y`	Insert the first argument to the previous command With an argument n, insert the nth word from the previous command
`Alt-.` or `Alt-_`	Insert the last argument to the previous command With an argument n, insert the nth word from the previous command

Changing text

Shortcut	Command
`Ctrl-d`	Delete the character under the cursor
`Delete`	Delete the character before the cursor
`Ctrl-v`/`Ctrl-q`	Add the next character you type verbatim
`Ctrl-t`	Transpose characters
`Alt-t`	Transpose words
`Alt-u`	Uppercase the current word
`Alt-l`	Lowercase the current word
`Alt-c`	Capitalize the current word

Killing and yanking

Shortcut	Command
`Ctrl-k`	Kill (cut) forwards to the end of the line
`Ctrl-u` or `Ctrl-x`/`Delete`	Kill (cut) backwards to the start of the line
`Alt-d`	Kill (cut) forwards to the end of the current word
`Alt-Delete` or `Ctrl-w`	Kill (cut) backwards to the start of the current word
`Alt-\`	Delete whitespace around the cursor
`Ctrl-y`	Yank (paste) the top of the kill ring
`Alt-y`	Rotate the kill ring, and yank (paste) the new top. Only works after a yank

Completing

Shortcut	Command
`TAB`	Autocomplete.
`Alt-?`	List possible completions.
`Alt-*`	Insert possible completions.

Macros

Shortcut	Command
`Ctrl-x (`	Begin saving the characters typed as a macro.
`Ctrl-x )`	Stop saving the characters typed as a macro.
`Ctrl-x e`	Execute the most recent macro.

Misc

Shortcut	Command
`Ctrl-x` or `Ctrl-r`	Read in the contents of the inputrc file.
`Ctrl-g`	Abort current editing command.
`Ctrl-_` or `Ctrl-x` or `Ctrl-u`	Incremental undo, separately remembered for each line.
`Alt-r`	Undo all changes made to this line. This is like executing the undo command enough times to return the line to its initial state.
`Alt-Space` or `Ctrl-@`	Set the mark (save this location).
`Ctrl-x` or `Ctrl-x`	Set the mark and jump to the previous mark.
`Ctrl-]`	Search forwards for a single character in the current line and jump to that location.
`Ctrl-Alt-]`	Search backwards for a single character in the current line and jump to that location.
`Alt-#`	Comment the current line and start a new one.
`Ctrl-e`	Enter Emacs editing mode.
`Ctrl-Alt-j`	Enter Vi editing mode.

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