zsh/Doc/Zsh/mod_zle.yo

COMMENT(!MOD!zsh/zle
The Zsh Line Editor, including the tt(bindkey) and tt(vared) builtins.
!MOD!)
The tt(zsh/zle) module contains the Zsh Line Editor.  See
ifzman(zmanref(zshzle))\
ifnzman(noderef(Zsh Line Editor))\
.  It also contains three related builtin commands:

startitem()
findex(bindkey)
cindex(keys, rebinding)
cindex(rebinding keys)
cindex(keys, binding)
cindex(binding keys)
cindex(keymaps)
xitem(tt(bindkey) [ var(options) ] tt(-l))
xitem(tt(bindkey) [ var(options) ] tt(-d))
xitem(tt(bindkey) [ var(options) ] tt(-D) var(keymap) ...)
xitem(tt(bindkey) [ var(options) ] tt(-A) var(old-keymap new-keymap))
xitem(tt(bindkey) [ var(options) ] tt(-N) var(new-keymap) [ var(old-keymap) ])
xitem(tt(bindkey) [ var(options) ] tt(-m))
xitem(tt(bindkey) [ var(options) ] tt(-r) var(in-string) ...)
xitem(tt(bindkey) [ var(options) ] tt(-s) var(in-string out-string) ...)
xitem(tt(bindkey) [ var(options) ] var(in-string command) ...)
item(tt(bindkey) [ var(options) ] [ var(in-string) ])(
tt(bindkey)'s options can be divided into three categories: keymap selection,
operation selection, and others.  The keymap selection options are:

startitem()
item(tt(-e))(
Selects keymap `tt(emacs)', and also links it to `tt(main)'.
)
item(tt(-v))(
Selects keymap `tt(viins)', and also links it to `tt(main)'.
)
item(tt(-a))(
Selects keymap `tt(vicmd)'.
)
item(tt(-M))(
The first non-option argument is used as a keymap name,
and does not otherwise count as an argument.
)
enditem()

If a keymap selection is required and none of the options above are used, the
`tt(main)' keymap is used.  Some operations do not permit a keymap to be
selected, namely:

startitem()
item(tt(-l))(
List all existing keymap names.  If the tt(-L)
option is also used, list in the form of tt(bindkey)
commands to create the keymaps.
)
item(tt(-d))(
Delete all existing keymaps and reset to the default state.
)
item(tt(-D) var(keymap) ...)(
Delete the named var(keymap)s.
)
item(tt(-A) var(old-keymap new-keymap))(
Make the var(new-keymap) name an alias for var(old-keymap), so that
both names refer to the same keymap.  The names have equal standing;
if either is deleted, the other remains.  If there is already a keymap
with the var(new-keymap) name, it is deleted.
)
item(tt(-N) var(new-keymap) [ var(old-keymap) ])(
Create a new keymap, named var(new-keymap).  If a keymap already has that
name, it is deleted.  If an var(old-keymap) name is given, the new keymap
is initialized to be a duplicate of it, otherwise the new keymap will
be empty.
)
enditem()

To use a newly created keymap, it should be linked to tt(main).  Hence
the sequence of commands to create and use a new keymap `tt(mymap)'
initialized from the tt(emacs) keymap (which remains unchanged) is:

example(bindkey -N mymap emacs
bindkey -A mymap main)

Note that while `tt(bindkey -A) var(newmap) tt(main)' will work when
var(newmap) is tt(emacs) or tt(viins), it will not work for tt(vicmd), as
switching from vi insert to command mode becomes impossible.

The following operations act on the `tt(main)' keymap if no keymap
selection option was given:

startitem()
item(tt(-m))(
Add the built-in set of meta-key bindings to the selected keymap.
Only keys that are unbound or bound to tt(self-insert) are affected.
)
item(tt(-r) var(in-string) ...)(
Unbind the specified var(in-string)s in the selected keymap.
This is exactly equivalent to binding the strings to tt(undefined-key).
When tt(-R) is also used, interpret the var(in-string)s as ranges.
)
item(tt(-s) var(in-string out-string) ...)(
Bind each var(in-string) to each var(out-string).
When var(in-string) is typed, var(out-string) will be
pushed back and treated as input to the line editor.
When tt(-R) is also used, interpret the var(in-string)s as ranges.
)
item(var(in-string command) ...)(
Bind each var(in-string) to each var(command).
When tt(-R) is used, interpret the var(in-string)s as ranges.
)
item([ var(in-string) ])(
List key bindings.  If an var(in-string) is specified, the binding of
that string in the selected keymap is displayed.  Otherwise, all key
bindings in the selected keymap are displayed.  (As a special case,
if the tt(-e) or tt(-v) option is used alone, the keymap is em(not)
displayed - the implicit linking of keymaps is the only thing that
happens.)

When the tt(-L) option is used, the list is in the form of tt(bindkey)
commands to create the key bindings.
)
enditem()

When the tt(-R) option is used as noted above, a valid range consists of
two characters, with an optional `tt(-)' between them.  All characters
between the two specified, inclusive, are bound as specified.

For either var(in-string) or var(out-string), the following
escape sequences are recognised:

startsitem()
sitem(tt(\a))(bell character)
sitem(tt(\b))(backspace)
sitem(tt(\e), tt(\E))(escape)
sitem(tt(\f))(form feed)
sitem(tt(\n))(linefeed (newline))
sitem(tt(\r))(carriage return)
sitem(tt(\t))(horizontal tab)
sitem(tt(\v))(vertical tab)
sitem(tt(\)var(NNN))(character code in octal)
sitem(tt(\x)var(NN))(character code in hexadecimal)
sitem(tt(\M)[tt(-)]var(X))(character with meta bit set)
sitem(tt(\C)[tt(-)]var(X))(control character)
sitem(tt(^)var(X))(control character)
endsitem()

In all other cases, `tt(\)' escapes the following character.  Delete is
written as `tt(^?)'.  Note that `tt(\M^?)' and `tt(^\M?)' are not the same,
and that (unlike emacs), the bindings `tt(\M-)var(X)' and `tt(\e)var(X)'
are entirely distinct, although they are initialized to the same bindings
by `tt(bindkey -m)'.
)
findex(vared)
cindex(parameters, editing)
cindex(editing parameters)
item(tt(vared) [ tt(-Aache) ] [ tt(-p) var(prompt) ] [ tt(-r) var(rprompt) ] var(name))(
The value of the parameter var(name) is loaded into the edit
buffer, and the line editor is invoked.  When the editor exits,
var(name) is set to the string value returned by the editor.
When the tt(-c) flag is given, the parameter is created if it doesn't
already exist.  The tt(-a) flag may be given with tt(-c) to create
an array parameter, or the tt(-A) flag to create an associative array.
If the type of an existing parameter does not match the type to be
created, the parameter is unset and recreated.

If an array or array slice is being edited, separator characters as defined
in tt($IFS) will be shown quoted with a backslash.  Conversely, when the
edited text is split into an array, a backslash quotes an immediately
following separator character; no other special handling of backslashes, or
any handling of quotes, is performed.

Individual elements of existing array or associative array parameters
may be edited by using subscript syntax on var(name).  New elements are
created automatically, even without tt(-c).

If the tt(-p) flag is given, the following string will be taken as
the prompt to display at the left.  If the tt(-r) flag is given,
the following string gives the prompt to display at the right.  If the
tt(-h) flag is specified, the history can be accessed from ZLE. If the 
tt(-e) flag is given, typing tt(^D) (Control-D) on an empty line
causes tt(vared) to exit immediately with a non-zero return value.
)
findex(zle)
cindex(widgets, rebinding)
cindex(rebinding widgets)
cindex(widgets, binding)
cindex(binding widgets)
cindex(widgets, invoking)
cindex(invoking widgets)
cindex(widgets, calling)
cindex(calling widgets)
cindex(widgets, defining)
cindex(defining widgets)
xitem(tt(zle) tt(-l) [ tt(-L) ] [ tt(-a) ] [ var(string) ... ])
xitem(tt(zle) tt(-D) var(widget) ...)
xitem(tt(zle) tt(-A) var(old-widget) var(new-widget))
xitem(tt(zle) tt(-N) var(widget) [ var(function) ])
xitem(tt(zle) tt(-C) var(widget) var(completion-widget) var(function))
xitem(tt(zle) tt(-R) [ tt(-c) ] [ var(display-string) ] [ var(string) ... ])
xitem(tt(zle) tt(-M) var(string))
xitem(tt(zle) tt(-U) var(string))
xitem(tt(zle) var(widget) tt([ -n) var(num) tt(]) tt([ -N ]) var(args) ...)
item(tt(zle))(
The tt(zle) builtin performs a number of different actions concerning
ZLE.  Which operation it performs depends on its options:

startitem()
item(tt(-l) [ tt(-L) ])(
List all existing user-defined widgets.  If the tt(-L)
option is used, list in the form of tt(zle)
commands to create the widgets.

When combined with the tt(-a) option, all widget names are listed,
including the builtin ones. In this case the tt(-L) option is ignored.

If at least one var(string) is given, nothing will be printed but the
return status will be zero if all var(string)s are names of existing
widgets (or of user-defined widgets if the tt(-a) flag is not given)
and non-zero if at least one var(string) is not a name of an defined
widget.
)
item(tt(-D) var(widget) ...)(
Delete the named var(widget)s.
)
item(tt(-A) var(old-widget) var(new-widget))(
Make the var(new-widget) name an alias for var(old-widget), so that
both names refer to the same widget.  The names have equal standing;
if either is deleted, the other remains.  If there is already a widget
with the var(new-widget) name, it is deleted.
)
item(tt(-N) var(widget) [ var(function) ])(
Create a user-defined widget.  If there is already a widget with the
specified name, it is overwritten.  When the new
widget is invoked from within the editor, the specified shell var(function)
is called.  If no function name is specified, it defaults to
the same name as the widget.  For further information, see the section
em(Widgets) in
ifzman(zmanref(zshzle))\
ifnzman(noderef(Zsh Line Editor))\
.
)
citem(completion widgets, creating)
item(tt(-C) var(widget) var(completion-widget) var(function))(
Create a user-defined completion widget named var(widget). The 
completion widget will behave like the built-in completion-widget
whose name is given as var(completion-widget). To generate the
completions, the shell function var(function) will be called.
For further information, see
ifzman(zmanref(zshcompwid))\
ifnzman(noderef(Completion Widgets))\
.
)
item(tt(-R) [ tt(-c) ] [ var(display-string) ] [ var(string) ... ])(
Redisplay the command line; this is to be called from within a user-defined
widget to allow changes to become visible.  If a var(display-string) is
given and not empty, this is shown in the status line (immediately
below the line being edited).

If the optional var(string)s are given they are listed below the
prompt in the same way as completion lists are printed. If no
var(string)s are given but the tt(-c) option is used such a list is
cleared.

Note that this option is only useful for widgets that do not exit
immediately after using it because the strings displayed will be erased 
immediately after return from the widget.
)
item(tt(-M) var(string))(
As with the tt(-R) option, the var(string) will be displayed below the 
command line; unlike the tt(-R) option, the string will not be put into
the status line but will instead be printed normally below the
prompt.  This means that the var(string) will still be displayed after
the widget returns (until it is overwritten by subsequent commands).
)
item(tt(-U) var(string))(
This pushes the characters in the var(string) onto the input stack of
ZLE.  After the widget currently executed finishes ZLE will behave as
if the characters in the var(string) were typed by the user.

As ZLE uses a stack, if this option is used repeatedly
the last string pushed onto the stack will be processed first.  However,
the characters in each var(string) will be processed in the order in which
they appear in the string.
)
item(var(widget) tt([ -n) var(num) tt(]) tt([ -N ]) var(args) ...)(
Invoke the specified widget.  This can only be done when ZLE is
active; normally this will be within a user-defined widget.

With the options tt(-n) and tt(-N), the current numerical argument will be
saved and then restored after the call to tt(widget); `tt(-n) var(num)'
sets the numerical argument temporarily to var(num), while `tt(-N)' sets it
to the default, i.e. as if there were none.

Any further arguments will be passed to the widget.  If it is a shell
function, these are passed down as positional parameters; for builtin
widgets it is up to the widget in question what it does with them.
Currently arguments are only handled by the incremental-search commands,
the tt(history-search-forward) and tt(-backward) and the corresponding
functions prefixed by tt(vi-), and by tt(universal-argument).  No error is
flagged if the command does not use the arguments, or only uses some of
them.

The return status reflects the success or failure of the operation carried
out by the widget, or if it is a user-defined widget the return status of
the shell function.  

A non-zero return status causes the shell to beep when the widget exits,
unless the tt(BEEP) options was unset or the widget was called via the
tt(zle) command.  Thus if a user defined widget requires an immediate beep,
it should call the tt(beep) widget directly.
)
enditem()

With no options and no arguments, only the return status will be
set. It is zero if ZLE is currently active and widgets could be
invoked using this builtin command and non-zero if ZLE is not active.
)
enditem()