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 .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>.