LEDIT(1)						      General Commands Manual							  LEDIT(1)

NAME

       ledit - line editor, version 2.03

SYNOPSIS

       ledit [-h file] [-x] [-t] [-l length] [-a | -u] [command options]

DESCRIPTION

       The  command  ledit allows to edit lines one by one when running an interactive command. When typing a line, some keys with control or meta
       are interpreted: it is possible to insert characters in the middle of the line, go to the beginning or the end of the line, get a  previous
       line, search for a line with a pattern, etc.

OPTIONS

       The options are:

       -h file
	      Save the lines typed (history) in file. The default is to have them only in memory (so, they are lost at the end of the program).

       -x     Extend the history file (given in option "-h") if it already exists. The default is to truncate the history file.

       -t     Display the sequences generated by the keys (for debugging).

       -v     Print ledit version and exit.

       -l length
	      Tells  that  length  is  the maximum line length displayed. If the line edited is longer than this length, the line scrolls horizon-
	      tally, while editing. The default value is 70.

       -a     Ascii encoding: characters whose code is greater than 128 are displayed with a backslash followed by their code.

       -u     Unicode encoding: the terminal must have been set in unicode mode. See commands unicode_start and unicode_stop.

       command options
	      Runs the command command and its possible options. This must be the last option of ledit. The default value is "cat".

KEYS BINDINGS

       When ledit starts, some default key bindings are defined. The can be completed with a "leditrc" file. See the section LEDITRC.

       In the following lines, the caret sign "^" means "control" and the sequence "M-" means "meta" (either with the "meta" prefix, or by  press-
       ing the "escape" key before). Examples:

       ^a	 press the "control" key, then press "a", then release "a", then release "control".

       M-a	 press	the  "meta" key, then press "a", then release "a", then release "meta", or: press and release the "escape" key, then press
		 and release "a" (the manipulation with "meta" may not work in some systems: in this case, use the manipulation with "escape").

       The default editing commands are:

	     ^a   : beginning of line
	     ^e   : end of line
	     ^f   : forward char
	     ^b   : backward char
	     M-f  : forward word
	     M-b  : backard word
	     TAB  : complete file name
	     ^p   : previous line in history
	     ^n   : next line in history
	     M-<  : first line in history
	     M->  : last line in history
	     ^r   : reverse search in history (see below)
	     ^d   : delete char (or EOF if the line is empty)
	     ^h   : (or backspace) backward delete char
	     ^t   : transpose chars
	     M-c  : capitalize word
	     M-u  : upcase word
	     M-l  : downcase word
	     M-d  : kill word
	     M-^h : (or M-del or M-backspace) backward kill word
	     ^q   : insert next char
	     M-/  : expand abbreviation
	     ^k   : cut until end of line
	     ^y   : paste
	     ^u   : line discard
	     ^l   : redraw current line
	     ^g   : abort prefix
	     ^c   : interrupt
	     ^z   : suspend
	     ^   : quit
	     return : send line
	     ^x     : send line and show next history line
	     other  : insert char

       The arrow keys can be used, providing your keyword returns standard key sequences:

	     up arrow	 : previous line in history
	     down arrow  : next line in history
	     right arrow : forward char
	     left arrow  : backward char

       Other keys:

	     home	 : beginning of line
	     end	 : end of line
	     delete	 : delete char
	     page up	 : previous line in history
	     page down	 : next line in history
	     shift home  : beginning of history
	     shift end	 : end of history

REVERSE SEARCH

       The reverse search in incremental, i.e. ledit backward searchs in the history a line holding the characters typed. If  you  type  "a",  its
       search  the  first line before the current line holding an "a" and displays it. If you then type a "b", its search a line holding "ab", and
       so on. If you type ^h (or backspace), it returns to the previous line found. To cancel the search, type ^g. To  find  another  line  before
       holding	the  same  string,  type  ^r.  To stop the editing and display the current line found, type "escape" (other commands of the normal
       editing, different from ^h, ^g, and ^r stop the editing too).

       Summary of reverse search commands:

	     ^g  : abort search
	     ^r  : search previous same pattern
	     ^h  : (or backspace) search without the last char
	     del : search without the last char
	     any other command : stop search and show the line found

LEDITRC

       If the environment variable LEDITRC is set, it contains the name of the leditrc file. Otherwise it is the file named ".leditrc"	in  user's
       home  directory.  When  starting,  ledit reads this file, if it exists, to modify or complete the default bindings. If this file is changed
       while reading lines, it is read again to take the new file into account.

       Bindings lines are the ones which start with a string defining the key sequence and follow with a colon and a binding. A binding is  either
       a string or a command. The other lines are ignored For example,the line:

	   "C-a": beginning-of-line

       binds the sequence "control-a" to the command "beginning-of-line".

       The key sequence may contain the specific meta-sequences:

	   C-	 followed by a key: "control" of this key
	   M-	 followed by a key: "meta" of this key
	   e	 the "escape" key
	   
nn  where nnn is one, two, or three octal digits, or:
	   xnn  where nn is one or two hexadecimal digits:
		   the binary representation of a byte
	   a	 bell = C-g
	   	 backspace = C-h
	   d	 delete = 277
	   f	 form feed = C-l
	   
	 newline = C-j
	   
	 carriage return = C-m
	   		 tabulation = C-i
	   v	 vertical tabulation = C-k

       The commands are:

	 abort: do nothing
	 accept-line: send the current line
	 backward-char: move the cursor to the previous character
	 backward-delete-char: delete the previous character
	 backward-kill-word: delete the previous word
	 backward-word: move the cursor before the previous word
	 beginning-of-history: display the first line of the history
	 beginning-of-line: move the cursor at the beginning of the line
	 capitalize-word: uppercase the first char and lowercase the rest
	 delete-char: delete the character under the cursor
	 delete-char-or-end-of-file: same but eof if no character in the line
	 downcase-word: lowercase whole word
	 end-of-history: display the last line of the history
	 end-of-line: move the cursor to the end of the line
	 expand-abbrev: try to complete the word by looking at the history
	 expand-to-file-name: try to complete the word from a file name
	 forward-char: move the cursor after the next word
	 forward-word: move the cursor to the next character
	 interrupt: interrupt command (send control-C)
	 kill-line: delete from the cursor to the end and save in buffer
	 kill-word: delete the next word
	 next-history: display the next line of the history
	 operate-and-get-next: send line and display the next history line
	 previous-history: display the previous line of the history
	 quit: quit ledit
	 quoted-insert: insert the next character as it is
	 redraw-current-line: redisplay the current line
	 reverse-search-history: backward search in the history
	 suspend: suspend ledit (send control-Z)
	 transpose-chars: exchange the last two characters
	 unix-line-discard: kill current line
	 upcase-word: uppercase whole word
	 yank: insert kill buffer

KNOWN BUGS

       If  ledit  has  been  launched  in  a shell script, the suspend command kills it and its command... Use "exec ledit comm" instead of "ledit
       comm".
       The suspend command stops ledit but not the called program. Do not do this if the called program is not waiting on standard input.
       In some systems (e.g. alpha), pasting two many characters works bad and may block the terminal. Probably a kernel problem. No solution.

SEE ALSO

       unicode_start(1), unicode_stop(1).

AUTHOR

       Daniel de Rauglaudre, at INRIA, france.
       daniel.de_rauglaudre@inria.fr

INRIA
								 Wed Jan 23, 2008							  LEDIT(1)