UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

is there a way to choose the complement from the output from the [ESC][=] sequense in "ksh -o vi"

root# ls
testa testb

root# cat tes[ESC][=]
1) testa
2) testb
root# cat tes <-- what to do now?
this output looks like a select function, otherwise the numbers wouldn't make sense, is there a chance to use the numbers?

gP

Any numbered list will look like a select menu. There is no direct way to do anything with the list. (Cut and paste using x or windows doesn't count...the question is looking for functionality built into ksh itself.) There is a sequence of operations that can exploit that list somewhat. The only time I ever use it is just to show that it is possible. Most of the time you would be better off just typing "testb" or whatever. I usually work in emacs mode. But it looks like vi mode can do it too.

root# ls
testa testb

root# cat tes[ESC][=]
1) testa
2) testb
root# cat tes <-- what to do now?

Type * to replace "tes" with "testa testb" on the command line.

root# cat testa testb

Type [Esc][#] to turn the current line into a comment and drop it in your history file.

Now you retype your command but now you can extract words from the previous (commented) command in you history. Item n in the list you displayed is word n+1. So for example, "testb" is item 2 in the list and thus word 3 in the previous list. To extract word 3...

cat[Esc]3_

root# cat testb

Note that we did not need a space after the t in "cat". In this case, it so happens that we want the last word of the previous command. So we actually could have omitted the 3. The default is the last word. With enough complex filenames this technique could, in theory, be useful. I know, this isn't what you were looking for. But it is the the closest I can come to exploiting that numbered list of filenames.

thanks for your answer Perderabo, but there is a way to work with that list, but i still don't know how (BTW, funny workaround )

the sequence i found would be [ESC][=]<number>[=], but for any strange reason, it is only working in some ksh versions....

i've tried it with the default ksh in solaris (/usr/bin/ksh) which is a ksh88 (Version M-11/16/88i) and it doesn't work.
so i've tried it in the ksh93 version of solaris (/usr/dt/bin/dtksh; Version M-12/28/93d, ksh93 + X, Xt, Xm and CDE functions). with the ksh93 that [ESC][=] also list matching executables from $PATH and shell functions(), but the select trick still doesn't work.
so i had a look on my gentoo box and compiled the newest version of pdksh (PD KSH v5.2.14-r4 99/07/13.2, no USEFLAGS only CFLAGS="-march=pentium4 -O2 -pipe -msse2 -mfpmath=sse -mmmx"), the list also comes up with $PWD, $PATH and f() but no luck with the selection. tried the same pdksh version on a BSD box, no luck....

B U T :

it is working in a pdksh on slackware (Version M 1993-12-28).... i found another ksh version in the solaris bolthole package tree, installed it, and guess what, it works with that ksh (Version M 1993-12-28 n+). i don't know what that "n+" stands for, but that would let me think about an environment settings or an profile setting, but looking at the "set" output i cannot find special settings....

anyone know how i could enable this behavior?
regards pressy