This file documents the GNU History library.
Copyright (C) 1988 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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This file is meant to be an inclusion in the documentation of programs
that use the history library features. There is also a standalone
document, entitled @file{history.texinfo}.
This chapter describes the GNU History library, a programming tool that
provides a consistent user interface for recalling lines of previously
* Introduction to History:: What is the GNU History library for?
* History Interaction:: What it feels like using History as a user.
@node Introduction to History, History Interaction, History Top, Top
@section Introduction to History
Many programs read input from the user a line at a time. The GNU history
library is able to keep track of those lines, associate arbitrary data with
each line, and utilize information from previous lines in making up new
The programmer using the History library has available to him functions
for remembering lines on a history stack, associating arbitrary data
with a line, removing lines from the stack, searching through the stack
for a line containing an arbitrary text string, and referencing any line
on the stack directly. In addition, a history @dfn{expansion} function
is available which provides for a consistent user interface across many
The end-user using programs written with the History library has the
benifit of a consistent user interface, with a set of well-known
commands for manipulating the text of previous lines and using that text
in new commands. The basic history manipulation commands are similar to
the history substitution used by Csh.
If the programmer desires, he can use the Readline library, which
includes history manipulation by default, and has the added advantage of
Emacs style command line editing.
@node History Interaction, , Introduction to History, Top
@section History Interaction
The History library provides a history expansion feature that is similar
to the history expansion in Csh. The following text describes what
syntax features are available.
History expansion takes place in two parts. The first is to determine
which line from the previous history should be used during substitution.
The second is to select portions of that line for inclusion into the
current one. The line selected from the previous history is called the
@dfn{event}, and the portions of that line that are acted upon are
called @dfn{words}. The line is broken into words in the same fashion
that the Bash shell does, so that several English (or Unix) words
surrounded by quotes are considered as one word.
* Event Designators:: How to specify which history line to use. *
Word Designators:: Specifying which words are of interest. *
Modifiers:: Modifying the results of susbstitution.
@node Event Designators, Word Designators, , History Interaction
@subsection Event Designators
@cindex event designators
An event designator is a reference to a command line entry in the
Start a history subsititution, except when followed by a space, tab, or
the end of the line... @key{=} or @key{(}.
Refer to the previous command. This is a synonym for @code{!-1}.
Refer to command line @var{n}.
Refer to the command line @var{n} lines back.
Refer to the most recent command starting with @var{string}.
@item @code{!?string}[@code{?}]
Refer to the most recent command containing @var{string}.
@node Word Designators, Modifiers, Event Designators, History Interaction
@subsection Word Designators
A @key{:} separates the event specification from the word designator. It
can be omitted if the word designator begins with a @key{^}, @key{$},
@key{*} or @key{%}. Words are numbered from the beginning of the line,
with the first word being denoted by a 0 (zero).
The zero'th word. For many applications, this is the command word.
The first argument. that is, word 1.
The word matched by the most recent @code{?string?} search.
A range of words; @code{-@var{y}} Abbreviates @code{0-@var{y}}.
All of the words, excepting the zero'th. This is a synonym for @code{1-$}.
It is not an error to use @key{*} if there is just one word in the event.
The empty string is returned in that case.
@node Modifiers, , Word Designators, History Interaction
After the optional word designator, you can add a sequence of one or more
of the following modifiers, each preceded by a @key{:}.
The entire command line typed so far. This means the current command,
not the previous command, so it really isn't a word designator, and doesn't
Remove a trailing pathname component, leaving only the head.
Remove a trailing suffix of the form @samp{.}@var{suffix}, leaving the basename.
Remove all but the suffix.
Remove all leading pathname components, leaving the tail.
Print the new command but do not execute it. This takes effect
immediately, so it should be the last specifier on the line.
projects / unix-history / blob