1 @comment %**start of header (This is for running Texinfo on a region.)
2 @setfilename rluser.info
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7 This file documents the end user interface to the GNU command line
8 editing features. It is to be an appendix to manuals for programs which
9 use these features. There is a document entitled "readline.texinfo"
10 which contains both end-user and programmer documentation for the GNU
13 Copyright (C) 1988 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
15 Authored by Brian Fox and Chet Ramey.
17 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
18 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission notice
19 identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph (this
20 paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
22 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this manual
23 provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on
26 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
27 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
28 GNU Copyright statement is available to the distributee, and provided that
29 the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
30 permission notice identical to this one.
32 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
33 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
36 @comment If you are including this manual as an appendix, then set the
37 @comment variable readline-appendix.
39 @node Command Line Editing
40 @chapter Command Line Editing
42 This chapter describes the basic features of the GNU
43 command line editing interface.
46 * Introduction and Notation:: Notation used in this text.
47 * Readline Interaction:: The minimum set of commands for editing a line.
48 * Readline Init File:: Customizing Readline from a user's view.
49 * Bindable Readline Commands:: A description of most of the Readline commands
51 * Readline vi Mode:: A short description of how to make Readline
52 behave like the vi editor.
55 @node Introduction and Notation
56 @section Introduction to Line Editing
58 The following paragraphs describe the notation used to represent
61 The text @key{C-k} is read as `Control-K' and describes the character
62 produced when the Control key is depressed and the @key{k} key is struck.
64 The text @key{M-k} is read as `Meta-K' and describes the character
65 produced when the meta key (if you have one) is depressed, and the @key{k}
66 key is struck. If you do not have a meta key, the identical keystroke
67 can be generated by typing @key{ESC} @i{first}, and then typing @key{k}.
68 Either process is known as @dfn{metafying} the @key{k} key.
70 The text @key{M-C-k} is read as `Meta-Control-k' and describes the
71 character produced by @dfn{metafying} @key{C-k}.
73 In addition, several keys have their own names. Specifically,
74 @key{DEL}, @key{ESC}, @key{LFD}, @key{SPC}, @key{RET}, and @key{TAB} all
75 stand for themselves when seen in this text, or in an init file
76 (@pxref{Readline Init File}, for more info).
78 @node Readline Interaction
79 @section Readline Interaction
80 @cindex interaction, readline
82 Often during an interactive session you type in a long line of text,
83 only to notice that the first word on the line is misspelled. The
84 Readline library gives you a set of commands for manipulating the text
85 as you type it in, allowing you to just fix your typo, and not forcing
86 you to retype the majority of the line. Using these editing commands,
87 you move the cursor to the place that needs correction, and delete or
88 insert the text of the corrections. Then, when you are satisfied with
89 the line, you simply press @key{RETURN}. You do not have to be at the
90 end of the line to press @key{RETURN}; the entire line is accepted
91 regardless of the location of the cursor within the line.
94 * Readline Bare Essentials:: The least you need to know about Readline.
95 * Readline Movement Commands:: Moving about the input line.
96 * Readline Killing Commands:: How to delete text, and how to get it back!
97 * Readline Arguments:: Giving numeric arguments to commands.
100 @node Readline Bare Essentials
101 @subsection Readline Bare Essentials
103 In order to enter characters into the line, simply type them. The typed
104 character appears where the cursor was, and then the cursor moves one
105 space to the right. If you mistype a character, you can use your
106 erase character to back up and delete the mistyped character.
108 Sometimes you may miss typing a character that you wanted to type, and
109 not notice your error until you have typed several other characters. In
110 that case, you can type @key{C-b} to move the cursor to the left, and then
111 correct your mistake. Afterwards, you can move the cursor to the right
114 When you add text in the middle of a line, you will notice that characters
115 to the right of the cursor are `pushed over' to make room for the text
116 that you have inserted. Likewise, when you delete text behind the cursor,
117 characters to the right of the cursor are `pulled back' to fill in the
118 blank space created by the removal of the text. A list of the basic bare
119 essentials for editing the text of an input line follows.
123 Move back one character.
125 Move forward one character.
127 Delete the character to the left of the cursor.
129 Delete the character underneath the cursor.
130 @item @w{Printing characters}
131 Insert the character into the line at the cursor.
133 Undo the last thing that you did. You can undo all the way back to an
137 @node Readline Movement Commands
138 @subsection Readline Movement Commands
141 The above table describes the most basic possible keystrokes that you need
142 in order to do editing of the input line. For your convenience, many
143 other commands have been added in addition to @key{C-b}, @key{C-f},
144 @key{C-d}, and @key{DEL}. Here are some commands for moving more rapidly
149 Move to the start of the line.
151 Move to the end of the line.
155 Move backward a word.
157 Clear the screen, reprinting the current line at the top.
160 Notice how @key{C-f} moves forward a character, while @key{M-f} moves
161 forward a word. It is a loose convention that control keystrokes
162 operate on characters while meta keystrokes operate on words.
164 @node Readline Killing Commands
165 @subsection Readline Killing Commands
170 @dfn{Killing} text means to delete the text from the line, but to save
171 it away for later use, usually by @dfn{yanking} (re-inserting)
172 it back into the line.
173 If the description for a command says that it `kills' text, then you can
174 be sure that you can get the text back in a different (or the same)
177 When you use a kill command, the text is saved in a @dfn{kill-ring}.
178 Any number of consecutive kills save all of the killed text together, so
179 that when you yank it back, you get it all. The kill
180 ring is not line specific; the text that you killed on a previously
181 typed line is available to be yanked back later, when you are typing
185 Here is the list of commands for killing text.
189 Kill the text from the current cursor position to the end of the line.
192 Kill from the cursor to the end of the current word, or if between
193 words, to the end of the next word.
196 Kill from the cursor the start of the previous word, or if between
197 words, to the start of the previous word.
200 Kill from the cursor to the previous whitespace. This is different than
201 @key{M-DEL} because the word boundaries differ.
205 And, here is how to @dfn{yank} the text back into the line. Yanking
206 means to copy the most-recently-killed text from the kill buffer.
210 Yank the most recently killed text back into the buffer at the cursor.
213 Rotate the kill-ring, and yank the new top. You can only do this if
214 the prior command is @key{C-y} or @key{M-y}.
217 @node Readline Arguments
218 @subsection Readline Arguments
220 You can pass numeric arguments to Readline commands. Sometimes the
221 argument acts as a repeat count, other times it is the @i{sign} of the
222 argument that is significant. If you pass a negative argument to a
223 command which normally acts in a forward direction, that command will
224 act in a backward direction. For example, to kill text back to the
225 start of the line, you might type @key{M--} @key{C-k}.
227 The general way to pass numeric arguments to a command is to type meta
228 digits before the command. If the first `digit' you type is a minus
229 sign (@key{-}), then the sign of the argument will be negative. Once
230 you have typed one meta digit to get the argument started, you can type
231 the remainder of the digits, and then the command. For example, to give
232 the @key{C-d} command an argument of 10, you could type @key{M-1 0 C-d}.
235 @node Readline Init File
236 @section Readline Init File
238 Although the Readline library comes with a set of Emacs-like
239 keybindings installed by default,
240 it is possible that you would like to use a different set
241 of keybindings. You can customize programs that use Readline by putting
242 commands in an @dfn{init} file in your home directory. The name of this
244 file is taken from the value of the shell variable @code{INPUTRC}. If
246 @ifclear BashFeatures
247 file is taken from the value of the environment variable @code{INPUTRC}. If
249 that variable is unset, the default is @file{~/.inputrc}.
251 When a program which uses the Readline library starts up, the
252 init file is read, and the key bindings are set.
254 In addition, the @code{C-x C-r} command re-reads this init file, thus
255 incorporating any changes that you might have made to it.
258 * Readline Init Syntax:: Syntax for the commands in the inputrc file.
259 * Conditional Init Constructs:: Conditional key bindings in the inputrc file.
262 @node Readline Init Syntax
263 @subsection Readline Init Syntax
265 There are only a few basic constructs allowed in the
266 Readline init file. Blank lines are ignored.
267 Lines beginning with a @key{#} are comments.
268 Lines beginning with a @key{$} indicate conditional
269 constructs (@pxref{Conditional Init Constructs}). Other lines
270 denote variable settings and key bindings.
273 @item Variable Settings
274 You can change the state of a few variables in Readline by
275 using the @code{set} command within the init file. Here is how you
276 would specify that you wish to use @code{vi} line editing commands:
282 Right now, there are only a few variables which can be set;
283 so few, in fact, that we just list them here:
289 The @code{editing-mode} variable controls which editing mode you are
290 using. By default, Readline starts up in Emacs editing mode, where
291 the keystrokes are most similar to Emacs. This variable can be
292 set to either @code{emacs} or @code{vi}.
294 @item horizontal-scroll-mode
295 @vindex horizontal-scroll-mode
296 This variable can be set to either @code{On} or @code{Off}. Setting it
297 to @code{On} means that the text of the lines that you edit will scroll
298 horizontally on a single screen line when they are longer than the width
299 of the screen, instead of wrapping onto a new screen line. By default,
300 this variable is set to @code{Off}.
302 @item mark-modified-lines
303 @vindex mark-modified-lines
304 This variable, when set to @code{On}, says to display an asterisk
305 (@samp{*}) at the start of history lines which have been modified.
306 This variable is @code{off} by default.
310 Controls what happens when Readline wants to ring the terminal bell.
311 If set to @code{none}, Readline never rings the bell. If set to
312 @code{visible}, Readline uses a visible bell if one is available.
313 If set to @code{audible} (the default), Readline attempts to ring
317 @vindex comment-begin
318 The string to insert at the beginning of the line when the
319 @code{vi-comment} command is executed. The default value
324 If set to @code{on}, Readline will enable eight-bit input (it
325 will not strip the eighth bit from the characters it reads),
326 regardless of what the terminal claims it can support. The
327 default value is @code{off}.
331 If set to @code{on}, Readline will convert characters with the
332 eigth bit set to an ASCII key sequence by stripping the eigth
333 bit and prepending an @key{ESC} character, converting them to a
334 meta-prefixed key sequence. The default value is @code{on}.
338 If set to @code{on}, Readline will display characters with the
339 eighth bit set directly rather than as a meta-prefixed escape
340 sequence. The default is @code{off}.
342 @item completion-query-items
343 @vindex completion-query-items
344 The number of possible completions that determines when the user is
345 asked whether he wants to see the list of possibilities. If the
346 number of possible completions is greater than this value,
347 Readline will ask the user whether or not he wishes to view
348 them; otherwise, they are simply listed. The default limit is
353 Sets Readline's idea of the current keymap for key binding commands.
354 Acceptable @code{keymap} names are
356 @code{emacs-standard},
361 @code{vi-command}, and
363 @code{vi} is equivalent to @code{vi-command}; @code{emacs} is
364 equivalent to @code{emacs-standard}. The default value is @code{emacs}.
365 The value of the @code{editing-mode} variable also affects the
368 @item show-all-if-ambiguous
369 @vindex show-all-if-ambiguous
370 This alters the default behavior of the completion functions. If
372 words which have more than one possible completion cause the
373 matches to be listed immediately instead of ringing the bell.
374 The default value is @code{off}.
378 If set to @code{on}, tilde expansion is performed when Readline
379 attempts word completion. The default is @code{off}.
384 The syntax for controlling key bindings in the init file is
385 simple. First you have to know the name of the command that you
386 want to change. The following pages contain tables of the command name,
387 the default keybinding, and a short description of what the command
390 Once you know the name of the command, simply place the name of the key
391 you wish to bind the command to, a colon, and then the name of the
392 command on a line in the init file. The name of the key
393 can be expressed in different ways, depending on which is most
397 @item @w{@var{keyname}: @var{function-name} or @var{macro}}
398 @var{keyname} is the name of a key spelled out in English. For example:
400 Control-u: universal-argument
401 Meta-Rubout: backward-kill-word
402 Control-o: ">&output"
405 In the above example, @samp{C-u} is bound to the function
406 @code{universal-argument}, and @samp{C-o} is bound to run the macro
407 expressed on the right hand side (that is, to insert the text
408 @samp{>&output} into the line).
410 @item @w{"@var{keyseq}": @var{function-name} or @var{macro}}
411 @var{keyseq} differs from @var{keyname} above in that strings
412 denoting an entire key sequence can be specified, by placing
413 the key sequence in double quotes. Some GNU Emacs style key
414 escapes can be used, as in the following example, but the
415 special character names are not recognized.
418 "\C-u": universal-argument
419 "\C-x\C-r": re-read-init-file
420 "\e[11~": "Function Key 1"
423 In the above example, @samp{C-u} is bound to the function
424 @code{universal-argument} (just as it was in the first example),
425 @samp{C-x C-r} is bound to the function @code{re-read-init-file}, and
426 @samp{ESC [ 1 1 ~} is bound to insert the text @samp{Function Key 1}.
427 The following escape sequences are available when specifying key
445 When entering the text of a macro, single or double quotes should
446 be used to indicate a macro definition. Unquoted text
447 is assumed to be a function name. Backslash
448 will quote any character in the macro text, including @key{"}
450 For example, the following binding will make @kbd{C-x \}
451 insert a single @key{\} into the line:
459 @node Conditional Init Constructs
460 @subsection Conditional Init Constructs
462 Readline implements a facility similar in spirit to the conditional
463 compilation features of the C preprocessor which allows key
464 bindings and variable settings to be performed as the result
465 of tests. There are three parser directives used.
469 The @code{$if} construct allows bindings to be made based on the
470 editing mode, the terminal being used, or the application using
471 Readline. The text of the test extends to the end of the line;
472 no characters are required to isolate it.
476 The @code{mode=} form of the @code{$if} directive is used to test
477 whether Readline is in @code{emacs} or @code{vi} mode.
478 This may be used in conjunction
479 with the @samp{set keymap} command, for instance, to set bindings in
480 the @code{emacs-standard} and @code{emacs-ctlx} keymaps only if
481 Readline is starting out in @code{emacs} mode.
484 The @code{term=} form may be used to include terminal-specific
485 key bindings, perhaps to bind the key sequences output by the
486 terminal's function keys. The word on the right side of the
487 @samp{=} is tested against the full name of the terminal and the
488 portion of the terminal name before the first @samp{-}. This
489 allows @var{sun} to match both @var{sun} and @var{sun-cmd},
493 The @var{application} construct is used to include
494 application-specific settings. Each program using the Readline
495 library sets the @var{application name}, and you can test for it.
496 This could be used to bind key sequences to functions useful for
497 a specific program. For instance, the following command adds a
498 key sequence that quotes the current or previous word in Bash:
501 # Quote the current or previous word
502 "\C-xq": "\eb\"\ef\""
508 This command, as you saw in the previous example, terminates an
512 Commands in this branch of the @code{$if} directive are executed if
516 @node Bindable Readline Commands
517 @section Bindable Readline Commands
520 * Commands For Moving:: Moving about the line.
521 * Commands For History:: Getting at previous lines.
522 * Commands For Text:: Commands for changing text.
523 * Commands For Killing:: Commands for killing and yanking.
524 * Numeric Arguments:: Specifying numeric arguments, repeat counts.
525 * Commands For Completion:: Getting Readline to do the typing for you.
526 * Keyboard Macros:: Saving and re-executing typed characters
527 * Miscellaneous Commands:: Other miscellaneous commands.
530 @node Commands For Moving
531 @subsection Commands For Moving
533 @item beginning-of-line (C-a)
534 Move to the start of the current line.
536 @item end-of-line (C-e)
537 Move to the end of the line.
539 @item forward-char (C-f)
540 Move forward a character.
542 @item backward-char (C-b)
543 Move back a character.
545 @item forward-word (M-f)
546 Move forward to the end of the next word. Words are composed of
549 @item backward-word (M-b)
550 Move back to the start of this, or the previous, word. Words are
551 composed of letters and digits.
553 @item clear-screen (C-l)
554 Clear the screen and redraw the current line,
555 leaving the current line at the top of the screen.
557 @item redraw-current-line ()
558 Refresh the current line. By default, this is unbound.
562 @node Commands For History
563 @subsection Commands For Manipulating The History
566 @item accept-line (Newline, Return)
568 Accept the line regardless of where the cursor is. If this line is
569 non-empty, add it to the history list according to the setting of
570 the @code{HISTCONTROL} variable. If this line was a history
571 line, then restore the history line to its original state.
573 @ifclear BashFeatures
574 Accept the line regardless of where the cursor is. If this line is
575 non-empty, add it to the history list. If this line was a history
576 line, then restore the history line to its original state.
579 @item previous-history (C-p)
580 Move `up' through the history list.
582 @item next-history (C-n)
583 Move `down' through the history list.
585 @item beginning-of-history (M-<)
586 Move to the first line in the history.
588 @item end-of-history (M->)
589 Move to the end of the input history, i.e., the line you are entering.
591 @item reverse-search-history (C-r)
592 Search backward starting at the current line and moving `up' through
593 the history as necessary. This is an incremental search.
595 @item forward-search-history (C-s)
596 Search forward starting at the current line and moving `down' through
597 the the history as necessary. This is an incremental search.
599 @item non-incremental-reverse-search-history (M-p)
600 Search backward starting at the current line and moving `up'
601 through the history as necessary using a non-incremental search
602 for a string supplied by the user.
604 @item non-incremental-forward-search-history (M-n)
605 Search forward starting at the current line and moving `down'
606 through the the history as necessary using a non-incremental search
607 for a string supplied by the user.
609 @item history-search-forward ()
610 Search forward through the history for the string of characters
611 between the start of the current line and the current point. This
612 is a non-incremental search. By default, this command is unbound.
614 @item history-search-backward ()
615 Search backward through the history for the string of characters
616 between the start of the current line and the current point. This
617 is a non-incremental search. By default, this command is unbound.
619 @item yank-nth-arg (M-C-y)
620 Insert the first argument to the previous command (usually
621 the second word on the previous line). With an argument @var{n},
622 insert the @var{n}th word from the previous command (the words
623 in the previous command begin with word 0). A negative argument
624 inserts the @var{n}th word from the end of the previous command.
626 @item yank-last-arg (M-., M-_)
627 Insert last argument to the previous command (the last word on the
628 previous line). With an
629 argument, behave exactly like @code{yank-nth-arg}.
633 @node Commands For Text
634 @subsection Commands For Changing Text
637 @item delete-char (C-d)
638 Delete the character under the cursor. If the cursor is at the
639 beginning of the line, there are no characters in the line, and
640 the last character typed was not C-d, then return EOF.
642 @item backward-delete-char (Rubout)
643 Delete the character behind the cursor. A numeric arg says to kill
644 the characters instead of deleting them.
646 @item quoted-insert (C-q, C-v)
647 Add the next character that you type to the line verbatim. This is
648 how to insert key sequences like @key{C-q}, for example.
650 @item tab-insert (M-TAB)
651 Insert a tab character.
653 @item self-insert (a, b, A, 1, !, ...)
656 @item transpose-chars (C-t)
657 Drag the character before the cursor forward over
658 the character at the cursor, moving the
659 cursor forward as well. If the insertion point
660 is at the end of the line, then this
661 transposes the last two characters of the line.
662 Negative argumentss don't work.
664 @item transpose-words (M-t)
665 Drag the word behind the cursor past the word in front of the cursor
666 moving the cursor over that word as well.
668 @item upcase-word (M-u)
669 Uppercase the current (or following) word. With a negative argument,
670 do the previous word, but do not move the cursor.
672 @item downcase-word (M-l)
673 Lowercase the current (or following) word. With a negative argument,
674 do the previous word, but do not move the cursor.
676 @item capitalize-word (M-c)
677 Capitalize the current (or following) word. With a negative argument,
678 do the previous word, but do not move the cursor.
682 @node Commands For Killing
683 @subsection Killing And Yanking
687 @item kill-line (C-k)
688 Kill the text from the current cursor position to the end of the line.
690 @item backward-kill-line (C-x Rubout)
691 Kill backward to the beginning of the line.
693 @item unix-line-discard (C-u)
694 Kill backward from the cursor to the beginning of the current line.
695 Save the killed text on the kill-ring.
697 @item kill-whole-line ()
698 Kill all characters on the current line, no matter where the
699 cursor is. By default, this is unbound.
701 @item kill-word (M-d)
702 Kill from the cursor to the end of the current word, or if between
703 words, to the end of the next word. Word boundaries are the same
704 as @code{forward-word}.
706 @item backward-kill-word (M-DEL)
707 Kill the word behind the cursor. Word boundaries are the same
708 as @code{backward-word}.
710 @item unix-word-rubout (C-w)
711 Kill the word behind the cursor, using white space as a word
712 boundary. The killed text is saved on the kill-ring.
714 @item delete-horizontal-space ()
715 Delete all spaces and tabs around point. By default, this is unbound.
718 Yank the top of the kill ring into the buffer at the current
722 Rotate the kill-ring, and yank the new top. You can only do this if
723 the prior command is yank or yank-pop.
726 @node Numeric Arguments
727 @subsection Specifying Numeric Arguments
730 @item digit-argument (M-0, M-1, ... M--)
731 Add this digit to the argument already accumulating, or start a new
732 argument. M-- starts a negative argument.
734 @item universal-argument ()
735 Each time this is executed, the argument count is multiplied by four.
736 The argument count is initially one, so executing this function the
737 first time makes the argument count four. By default, this is not
741 @node Commands For Completion
742 @subsection Letting Readline Type For You
746 Attempt to do completion on the text before the cursor. This is
747 application-specific. Generally, if you are typing a filename
748 argument, you can do filename completion; if you are typing a command,
749 you can do command completion, if you are typing in a symbol to GDB, you
750 can do symbol name completion, if you are typing in a variable to Bash,
751 you can do variable name completion, and so on.
753 See the Bash manual page for a complete list of available completion
757 @item possible-completions (M-?)
758 List the possible completions of the text before the cursor.
760 @item insert-completions ()
761 Insert all completions of the text before point that would have
762 been generated by @code{possible-completions}. By default, this
763 is not bound to a key.
767 @node Keyboard Macros
768 @subsection Keyboard Macros
771 @item start-kbd-macro (C-x ()
772 Begin saving the characters typed into the current keyboard macro.
774 @item end-kbd-macro (C-x ))
775 Stop saving the characters typed into the current keyboard macro
776 and save the definition.
778 @item call-last-kbd-macro (C-x e)
779 Re-execute the last keyboard macro defined, by making the characters
780 in the macro appear as if typed at the keyboard.
784 @node Miscellaneous Commands
785 @subsection Some Miscellaneous Commands
788 @item re-read-init-file (C-x C-r)
789 Read in the contents of your init file, and incorporate
790 any bindings or variable assignments found there.
793 Abort the current editing command and
794 ring the terminal's bell (subject to the setting of
797 @item do-uppercase-version (M-a, M-b, ...)
798 Run the command that is bound to the corresoponding uppercase
801 @item prefix-meta (ESC)
802 Make the next character that you type be metafied. This is for people
803 without a meta key. Typing @samp{ESC f} is equivalent to typing
806 @item undo (C-_, C-x C-u)
807 Incremental undo, separately remembered for each line.
809 @item revert-line (M-r)
810 Undo all changes made to this line. This is like typing the @code{undo}
811 command enough times to get back to the beginning.
813 @item tilde-expand (M-~)
814 Perform tilde expansion on the current word.
816 @item dump-functions ()
817 Print all of the functions and their key bindings to the
818 readline output stream. If a numeric argument is supplied,
819 the output is formatted in such a way that it can be made part
820 of an @var{inputrc} file.
823 @item display-shell-version (C-x C-v)
824 Display version information about the current instance of Bash.
826 @item shell-expand-line (M-C-e)
827 Expand the line the way the shell does when it reads it. This
828 performs alias and history expansion as well as all of the shell
831 @item history-expand-line (M-^)
832 Perform history expansion on the current line.
834 @item insert-last-argument (M-., M-_)
835 A synonym for @code{yank-last-arg}.
837 @item operate-and-get-next (C-o)
838 Accept the current line for execution and fetch the next line
839 relative to the current line from the history for editing. Any
842 @item emacs-editing-mode (C-e)
843 When in @code{vi} editing mode, this causes a switch back to
844 emacs editing mode, as if the command @code{set -o emacs} had
851 @node Readline vi Mode
852 @section Readline vi Mode
854 While the Readline library does not have a full set of @code{vi}
855 editing functions, it does contain enough to allow simple editing
856 of the line. The Readline @code{vi} mode behaves as specified in
857 the Posix 1003.2 standard.
860 In order to switch interactively between @code{Emacs} and @code{Vi}
861 editing modes, use the @code{set -o emacs} and @code{set -o vi}
862 commands (@pxref{The Set Builtin}).
864 @ifclear BashFeatures
865 In order to switch interactively between @code{Emacs} and @code{Vi}
866 editing modes, use the command M-C-j (toggle-editing-mode).
868 The Readline default is @code{emacs} mode.
870 When you enter a line in @code{vi} mode, you are already placed in
871 `insertion' mode, as if you had typed an @samp{i}. Pressing @key{ESC}
872 switches you into `command' mode, where you can edit the text of the
873 line with the standard @code{vi} movement keys, move to previous
874 history lines with @samp{k}, and following lines with @samp{j}, and