[comp.unix.questions] ULTRIX 3.0 - /usr/new/csh question

rhysling@tramp.Colorado.EDU (Michael Rhysling) (02/01/89)

In the unsupported software that DEC includes with ULTRIX is a csh
which is a "modified version of the command completion, filename
recognition csh with new command line edit capability."  The manual
then goes on to describe all the features of the command line editing
but says nothing about "command completion" or "filename recognition."

Does anyone have any idea what they're talking about?


Michael Rhysling
rhysling@tramp.colorado.edu

paul@prcrs.UUCP (Paul Hite) (02/02/89)

In article <6295@boulder.Colorado.EDU>, rhysling@tramp.Colorado.EDU (Michael Rhysling) writes:
> 
> In the unsupported software that DEC includes with ULTRIX is a csh
> which is a "modified version of the command completion, filename
> recognition csh with new command line edit capability."  
> Does anyone have any idea what they're talking about?

To see this stuff in action, get an empty directory and do a "mkdir testcsh" 
and a  "touch testcsh/name1 testcsh/name2.extrastuff" to get some test files.

Now type "ls t" and press Escape (do not hit return).  You will see:
prompt> ls testcsh
with the cursor right after the h.  So the escape caused csh to look for
files that match "t*".  Since there was only the one directory, it
automatically matched it and completed the file name.  The "estcsh" was
added to the command line by typing Escape.  You could backspace at this
point if you want.  But instead, type "/n" and press escape again.  This
time see:
prompt> ls testcsh/name
with the cursor after the e.  Also you will hear a beep.  The only files in
testcsh/ that start with an n also have "name" as their first 4 chars.  So
csh completed that.  The beep tells you that more than one file exists with
the prefix "name".  To see your choices type ^D.  You will see:
prompt> ls testcsh/name
name1        name2.extrastuff

prompt> ls testcsh/name

With the cursor after the e.  At this point you can type 1 or "2Escape" to
finish the name.

Escape and ^D are the only two characters treated specially.  Once you
get used to this feature, you won't want to lose it.  This also works on
commands.  Type "whESCAPE" and you see all commands starting with wh.
^D as the first char on a line will log you out, but a blank ^D will show
you all commands.

Hope this helps.

Paul Hite   PRC Realty Systems  McLean,Va   uunet!prcrs!paul    (703) 556-2243
                      DOS is a four letter word!

robert@jive.sybase.com (Robert Garvey) (02/04/89)

In article <1304@prcrs.UUCP> paul@prcrs.UUCP (Paul Hite) writes:
>In article <6295@boulder.Colorado.EDU>, rhysling@tramp.Colorado.EDU (Michael Rhysling) writes:
>> 
>> In the unsupported software that DEC includes with ULTRIX is a csh
>> which is a "modified version of the command completion, filename
>> recognition csh with new command line edit capability."  
:       [most of description deleted]
>Escape and ^D are the only two characters treated specially.  Once you
>get used to this feature, you won't want to lose it.  This also works on
>commands.

With csh on Suns, just set filec and ESC and ^D work as described above
for filename completion.  I heartily agree with Paul.  Though initially
unimpressed,  I now find it a very valuable feature after getting
accustomed to hitting ESC.  The ^D is like an ls in the middle of
typing some command.  It's sorely missed in other versions of csh.

What's the command line edit capability of the ULTRIX csh?

--
Robert Garvey                                       Sybase, Inc
robert%sybase.com@sun.com                           6475 Christie Ave
{pyramid,pacbell,sun,lll-tis,capmkt}!sybase!robert  Emeryville, CA 94608

guy@auspex.UUCP (Guy Harris) (02/05/89)

>With csh on Suns, just set filec and ESC and ^D work as described above
>for filename completion.

Or, at least, Suns with SunOS 3.2 or later - or any other system with a
C shell based on the 4.3BSD C shell (it's not a Sun invention).

>What's the command line edit capability of the ULTRIX csh?

My pure guess is that the C shell in question might be "tcsh", which is
something that's been kicking around USENET for a while, apparently. 

paul@prcrs.UUCP (Paul Hite) (02/06/89)

In article <2885@sybase.sybase.com>, robert@jive.sybase.com (Robert Garvey) writes:
> What's the command line edit capability of the ULTRIX csh?

They mean the ^D and ESC stuff that we've been discussing.  I first became
aware of these features on HP-UX.  When I moved to Ultrix, I found newcsh
which also had them and began using it.  I never looked for the Ultrix
documentation.  Well, I just found it (in /usr/new/doc/newcsh.1).

I already discussed using ^D and ESC for commands and filenames in my
previous article.  I just discovered that this also works for history
and variables.  So "!maESC" might expand to !mail and "echo $autoESC" might
expand to echo $autologout.  Again ^D will show any choices you have.
(This variable and history stuff does *not* work on HP-UX.)

The new csh has a few other features not present in csh, but they're not
command editing stuff.

Paul Hite   PRC Realty Systems  McLean,Va   uunet!prcrs!paul    (703) 556-2243
                      DOS is a four letter word!