less.hlp revision 191930
1 2 SSUUMMMMAARRYY OOFF LLEESSSS CCOOMMMMAANNDDSS 3 4 Commands marked with * may be preceded by a number, _N. 5 Notes in parentheses indicate the behavior if _N is given. 6 7 h H Display this help. 8 q :q Q :Q ZZ Exit. 9 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 11 MMOOVVIINNGG 12 13 e ^E j ^N CR * Forward one line (or _N lines). 14 y ^Y k ^K ^P * Backward one line (or _N lines). 15 f ^F ^V SPACE * Forward one window (or _N lines). 16 b ^B ESC-v * Backward one window (or _N lines). 17 z * Forward one window (and set window to _N). 18 w * Backward one window (and set window to _N). 19 ESC-SPACE * Forward one window, but don't stop at end-of-file. 20 d ^D * Forward one half-window (and set half-window to _N). 21 u ^U * Backward one half-window (and set half-window to _N). 22 ESC-) RightArrow * Left one half screen width (or _N positions). 23 ESC-( LeftArrow * Right one half screen width (or _N positions). 24 F Forward forever; like "tail -f". 25 r ^R ^L Repaint screen. 26 R Repaint screen, discarding buffered input. 27 --------------------------------------------------- 28 Default "window" is the screen height. 29 Default "half-window" is half of the screen height. 30 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31 32 SSEEAARRCCHHIINNGG 33 34 /_p_a_t_t_e_r_n * Search forward for (_N-th) matching line. 35 ?_p_a_t_t_e_r_n * Search backward for (_N-th) matching line. 36 n * Repeat previous search (for _N-th occurrence). 37 N * Repeat previous search in reverse direction. 38 ESC-n * Repeat previous search, spanning files. 39 ESC-N * Repeat previous search, reverse dir. & spanning files. 40 ESC-u Undo (toggle) search highlighting. 41 &_p_a_t_t_e_r_n * Display only matching lines 42 --------------------------------------------------- 43 Search patterns may be modified by one or more of: 44 ^N or ! Search for NON-matching lines. 45 ^E or * Search multiple files (pass thru END OF FILE). 46 ^F or @ Start search at FIRST file (for /) or last file (for ?). 47 ^K Highlight matches, but don't move (KEEP position). 48 ^R Don't use REGULAR EXPRESSIONS. 49 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50 51 JJUUMMPPIINNGG 52 53 g < ESC-< * Go to first line in file (or line _N). 54 G > ESC-> * Go to last line in file (or line _N). 55 p % * Go to beginning of file (or _N percent into file). 56 t * Go to the (_N-th) next tag. 57 T * Go to the (_N-th) previous tag. 58 { ( [ * Find close bracket } ) ]. 59 } ) ] * Find open bracket { ( [. 60 ESC-^F _<_c_1_> _<_c_2_> * Find close bracket _<_c_2_>. 61 ESC-^B _<_c_1_> _<_c_2_> * Find open bracket _<_c_1_> 62 --------------------------------------------------- 63 Each "find close bracket" command goes forward to the close bracket 64 matching the (_N-th) open bracket in the top line. 65 Each "find open bracket" command goes backward to the open bracket 66 matching the (_N-th) close bracket in the bottom line. 67 68 m_<_l_e_t_t_e_r_> Mark the current position with <letter>. 69 '_<_l_e_t_t_e_r_> Go to a previously marked position. 70 '' Go to the previous position. 71 ^X^X Same as '. 72 --------------------------------------------------- 73 A mark is any upper-case or lower-case letter. 74 Certain marks are predefined: 75 ^ means beginning of the file 76 $ means end of the file 77 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 78 79 CCHHAANNGGIINNGG FFIILLEESS 80 81 :e [_f_i_l_e] Examine a new file. 82 ^X^V Same as :e. 83 :n * Examine the (_N-th) next file from the command line. 84 :p * Examine the (_N-th) previous file from the command line. 85 :x * Examine the first (or _N-th) file from the command line. 86 :d Delete the current file from the command line list. 87 = ^G :f Print current file name. 88 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 89 90 MMIISSCCEELLLLAANNEEOOUUSS CCOOMMMMAANNDDSS 91 92 -_<_f_l_a_g_> Toggle a command line option [see OPTIONS below]. 93 --_<_n_a_m_e_> Toggle a command line option, by name. 94 __<_f_l_a_g_> Display the setting of a command line option. 95 ___<_n_a_m_e_> Display the setting of an option, by name. 96 +_c_m_d Execute the less cmd each time a new file is examined. 97 98 !_c_o_m_m_a_n_d Execute the shell command with $SHELL. 99 |XX_c_o_m_m_a_n_d Pipe file between current pos & mark XX to shell command. 100 v Edit the current file with $VISUAL or $EDITOR. 101 V Print version number of "less". 102 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 103 104 OOPPTTIIOONNSS 105 106 Most options may be changed either on the command line, 107 or from within less by using the - or -- command. 108 Options may be given in one of two forms: either a single 109 character preceded by a -, or a name preceeded by --. 110 111 -? ........ --help 112 Display help (from command line). 113 -a ........ --search-skip-screen 114 Forward search skips current screen. 115 -b [_N] .... --buffers=[_N] 116 Number of buffers. 117 -B ........ --auto-buffers 118 Don't automatically allocate buffers for pipes. 119 -c ........ --clear-screen 120 Repaint by clearing rather than scrolling. 121 -d ........ --dumb 122 Dumb terminal. 123 -D [_x_n_._n] . --color=_x_n_._n 124 Set screen colors. (MS-DOS only) 125 -e -E .... --quit-at-eof --QUIT-AT-EOF 126 Quit at end of file. 127 -f ........ --force 128 Force open non-regular files. 129 -F ........ --quit-if-one-screen 130 Quit if entire file fits on first screen. 131 -g ........ --hilite-search 132 Highlight only last match for searches. 133 -G ........ --HILITE-SEARCH 134 Don't highlight any matches for searches. 135 -h [_N] .... --max-back-scroll=[_N] 136 Backward scroll limit. 137 -i ........ --ignore-case 138 Ignore case in searches that do not contain uppercase. 139 -I ........ --IGNORE-CASE 140 Ignore case in all searches. 141 -j [_N] .... --jump-target=[_N] 142 Screen position of target lines. 143 -J ........ --status-column 144 Display a status column at left edge of screen. 145 -k [_f_i_l_e] . --lesskey-file=[_f_i_l_e] 146 Use a lesskey file. 147 -L ........ --no-lessopen 148 Ignore the LESSOPEN environment variable. 149 -m -M .... --long-prompt --LONG-PROMPT 150 Set prompt style. 151 -n -N .... --line-numbers --LINE-NUMBERS 152 Don't use line numbers. 153 -o [_f_i_l_e] . --log-file=[_f_i_l_e] 154 Copy to log file (standard input only). 155 -O [_f_i_l_e] . --LOG-FILE=[_f_i_l_e] 156 Copy to log file (unconditionally overwrite). 157 -p [_p_a_t_t_e_r_n] --pattern=[_p_a_t_t_e_r_n] 158 Start at pattern (from command line). 159 -P [_p_r_o_m_p_t] --prompt=[_p_r_o_m_p_t] 160 Define new prompt. 161 -q -Q .... --quiet --QUIET --silent --SILENT 162 Quiet the terminal bell. 163 -r -R .... --raw-control-chars --RAW-CONTROL-CHARS 164 Output "raw" control characters. 165 -s ........ --squeeze-blank-lines 166 Squeeze multiple blank lines. 167 -S ........ --chop-long-lines 168 Chop long lines. 169 -t [_t_a_g] .. --tag=[_t_a_g] 170 Find a tag. 171 -T [_t_a_g_s_f_i_l_e] --tag-file=[_t_a_g_s_f_i_l_e] 172 Use an alternate tags file. 173 -u -U .... --underline-special --UNDERLINE-SPECIAL 174 Change handling of backspaces. 175 -V ........ --version 176 Display the version number of "less". 177 -w ........ --hilite-unread 178 Highlight first new line after forward-screen. 179 -W ........ --HILITE-UNREAD 180 Highlight first new line after any forward movement. 181 -x [_N[,...]] --tabs=[_N[,...]] 182 Set tab stops. 183 -X ........ --no-init 184 Don't use termcap init/deinit strings. 185 --no-keypad 186 Don't use termcap keypad init/deinit strings. 187 -y [_N] .... --max-forw-scroll=[_N] 188 Forward scroll limit. 189 -z [_N] .... --window=[_N] 190 Set size of window. 191 -" [_c[_c]] . --quotes=[_c[_c]] 192 Set shell quote characters. 193 -~ ........ --tilde 194 Don't display tildes after end of file. 195 -# [_N] .... --shift=[_N] 196 Horizontal scroll amount (0 = one half screen width) 197 198 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 199 200 LLIINNEE EEDDIITTIINNGG 201 202 These keys can be used to edit text being entered 203 on the "command line" at the bottom of the screen. 204 205 RightArrow ESC-l Move cursor right one character. 206 LeftArrow ESC-h Move cursor left one character. 207 CNTL-RightArrow ESC-RightArrow ESC-w Move cursor right one word. 208 CNTL-LeftArrow ESC-LeftArrow ESC-b Move cursor left one word. 209 HOME ESC-0 Move cursor to start of line. 210 END ESC-$ Move cursor to end of line. 211 BACKSPACE Delete char to left of cursor. 212 DELETE ESC-x Delete char under cursor. 213 CNTL-BACKSPACE ESC-BACKSPACE Delete word to left of cursor. 214 CNTL-DELETE ESC-DELETE ESC-X Delete word under cursor. 215 CNTL-U ESC (MS-DOS only) Delete entire line. 216 UpArrow ESC-k Retrieve previous command line. 217 DownArrow ESC-j Retrieve next command line. 218 TAB Complete filename & cycle. 219 SHIFT-TAB ESC-TAB Complete filename & reverse cycle. 220 CNTL-L Complete filename, list all. 221 222 223