AIPS HELP file for READLINE in 31DEC24

As of Thu Oct 10 8:51:43 2024

HELP SECTION

READLINE
Type:  GNU readline is a user-input interface for AIPS under UNIX.

Use:   The GNU readline library is now used to handle user input under
       the following UNIX and UNIX-like operating systems:

       AIX (3.2)
       HP/UX
       IRIX
       Linux
       OSF/1 (a.k.a. Digital UNIX)
       Solaris (2.x)
       SunOS (4.1.x)

       The GNU readline library gives the user the ability to use the
       cursor-arrow keys, as well as various "control" and "escape"
       key-sequences, to recall previously-entered commands, edit the
       current command-line (without having to back-space and re-type
       the entire line), search the command history for
       previously-executed commands, define customized key-bindings for
       executing commands and macros, etc.  The full information may be
       obtained with the command 'man readline' from the system
       command-line (not inside AIPS).  There is also "tab completion"
       based on the list of AIPS help files and on context.  At any
       point, when typing a symbol, you may hit the TAB key.  The symbol
       name will be completed if it is unique or the screen will flash
       (or the bell sound) if it is not.  A second hit on the TAB key
       will produce a list of possible completions.  Since a task name
       cannot be the first symbol on a line, tasks are included in the
       possible completions only after some other symbol appears on the
       line.

       The default key-bindings should be very familiar to users of
       Emacs and/or the bash shell; many of them should also be
       recognizable to users of the Korn and tcsh shells.  Hard-core vi
       users can put AIPS into "vi-mode" and use vi-like key-bindings
       instead.  (The basic Emacs-like key-bindings will be outlined
       below; it will be assumed that those who are using the
       non-default vi-like key-bindings already know what they are
       doing.)

       Also, the user's command-line history is automatically saved
       between sessions, unique to both the user and the "AIPS number"
       of the session, and then recovered at the next AIPS startup.

       Use of the GNU readline library for input can be disabled on a
       per-session basis by starting AIPS with the "norl" option.  This
       can prevent problems under some operating systems (most notably
       HP/UX) with putting AIPS into the background, when running with
       input "fed" from a script, or when debugging AIPS itself.

Key-bindings:
       Key-sequences/bindings using the CONTROL key will be prefixed
       below with "C-".
       Those using the ESCAPE key (or "META" key--often available as the
       ALT key on PC keyboards and as the "diamond" key on Sun
       keyboards) will be prefixed with "M-".

       The basic cursor-movement key-bindings are:

       C-b      backward-character                  [also: left-arrow]
       C-f      forward-character                   [also: right-arrow]
       C-p      previous-command (in history list)  [also: up-arrow]
       C-n      next-command (in history list)      [also: down-arrow]
       M-b      backward-word
       M-f      forward-word
       C-a      beginning-of-line
       C-e      end-of-line
       C-r      incremental-search (backward through history list)
       M-<      beginning-of-history (first command in history list)
       M->      end-of-history (last command in history list)

       The basic editing key-bindings are:

       C-d      delete-character (under cursor)
       M-d      delete-word (to right of cursor)
       M-DEL    delete-word (to left of cursor)
       C-t      transpose-characters (left with under cursor)

       (DELETE and BACKSPACE work as expected.)

EXPLAIN SECTION