---
name: "editrc"
section: "5el"
platform: "linux"
package: "libedit-dev"
version: "2.11-20080614-5"
release: "Debian 7 (Wheezy)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/editrc/5el"
---

# editrc(5el)

configuration file for editline library

## NAME

**editrc** – configuration file for editline library

## SYNOPSIS

**editrc**

## DESCRIPTION

The **editrc** file defines various settings to be used by the [editline(3)](/editline/3.md) library.

The format of each line is:

```
[prog:]command [arg [...]]
```

*command* is one of the [editline(3)](/editline/3.md) builtin commands. Refer to BUILTIN COMMANDS for more information.

*prog* is the program name string that a program defines when it calls [el\_init(3)](/el_init/3.md) to set up [editline(3)](/editline/3.md), which is usually *argv\[0\]*. *command* will be executed for any program which matches *prog*.

*prog* may also be a [regex(3)](/regex/3.md) style regular expression, in which case *command* will be executed for any program that matches the regular expression.

If *prog* is absent, *command* is executed for all programs.

## BUILTIN COMMANDS

The **editline** library has some builtin commands, which affect the way that the line editing and history functions operate. These are based on similar named builtins present in the [tcsh(1)](/tcsh/1.md) shell.

The following builtin commands are available:

- **bind**

  \[**-a**\] \[**-e**\] \[**-k**\] \[**-l**\] \[**-r**\] \[**-s**\] \[**-v**\] \[*key* \[*command*\]\] Without options, list all bound keys, and the editor command to which each is bound. If *key* is supplied, show the bindings for *key*. If *key* *command* is supplied, bind *command* to *key*. Options include:

  - **-e**

    Bind all keys to the standard GNU Emacs-like bindings.

  - **-v**

    Bind all keys to the standard [vi(1)](/vi/1.md)-like bindings.

  - **-a**

    List or change key bindings in the [vi(1)](/vi/1.md) mode alternate (command mode) key map.

  - **-k**

    *key* is interpreted as a symbolic arrow key name, which may be one of ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘left’ or ‘right’.

  - **-l**

    List all editor commands and a short description of each.

  - **-r**

    Remove a key's binding.

  - **-s**

    *command* is taken as a literal string and treated as terminal input when *key* is typed. Bound keys in *command* are themselves reinterpreted, and this continues for ten levels of interpretation.

    *command* may be one of the commands documented in EDITOR COMMANDS below, or another key.

    *key* and *command* can contain control characters of the form ‘^*character*’( e.g. ‘^A’), and the following backslashed escape sequences:

    - **\\a**

      Bell

    - **\\b**

      Backspace

    - **\\e**

      Escape

    - **\\f**

      Formfeed

    - **\\n**

      Newline

    - **\\r**

      Carriage return

    - **\\t**

      Horizontal tab

    - **\\v**

      Vertical tab

    - **\\***nnn*

      The ASCII character corresponding to the octal number *nnn*.

      ‘\\’ nullifies the special meaning of the following character, if it has any, notably ‘\\’ and ‘^’.

- **echotc**

  \[**-sv**\] *arg* *...* Exercise terminal capabilities given in *arg* *...*. If *arg* is ‘baud’, ‘cols’, ‘lines’, ‘rows’, ‘meta or’ ‘tabs’, the value of that capability is printed, with “yes” or “no” indicating that the terminal does or does not have that capability.

  **-s** returns an empty string for non-existent capabilities, rather than causing an error. **-v** causes messages to be verbose.

- **edit** \[on \| off\]

  Enable or disable the **editline** functionality in a program.

- **history** *list* \| *size* n \| *unique* n

  The  *list* command lists all entries in the history. The *size* command sets the history size to n entries. The *unique* command controls if history should keep duplicate entries. If n is non zero, only keep unique history entries. If n is zero, then keep all entries (the default).

- **telltc**

  List the values of all the terminal capabilities (see [termcap(5)](/termcap/5.md)).

- **settc** *cap* *val*

  Set the terminal capability *cap* to *val*, as defined in [termcap(5)](/termcap/5.md). No sanity checking is done.

- **setty**

  \[**-a**\] \[**-d**\] \[**-q**\] \[**-x**\] \[*+mode*\] \[*-mode*\] \[*mode*\] \[*char=c*\] Control which tty modes that **editrc** won't allow the user to change. **-d**, **-q** or **-x** tells **setty** to act on the ‘edit’, ‘quote’ or ‘execute’ set of tty modes respectively; defaulting to **-x**.

  Without other arguments, **setty** lists the modes in the chosen set which are fixed on( ‘+mode’) or off( ‘-mode’). **-a** lists all tty modes in the chosen set regardless of the setting. With *+mode*, *-mode* or *mode*, fixes *mode* on or off or removes control of *mode* in the chosen set.

  **Setty** can also be used to set tty characters to particular values using *char=value*. If *value* is empty then the character is set to \_POSIX\_VDISABLE.

## EDITOR COMMANDS

The following editor commands are available for use in key bindings:

- **vi-paste-next**

  Vi paste previous deletion to the right of the cursor.

- **vi-paste-prev**

  Vi paste previous deletion to the left of the cursor.

- **vi-prev-space-word**

  Vi move to the previous space delimited word.

- **vi-prev-word**

  Vi move to the previous word.

- **vi-next-space-word**

  Vi move to the next space delimited word.

- **vi-next-word**

  Vi move to the next word.

- **vi-change-case**

  Vi change case of character under the cursor and advance one character.

- **vi-change-meta**

  Vi change prefix command.

- **vi-insert-at-bol**

  Vi enter insert mode at the beginning of line.

- **vi-replace-char**

  Vi replace character under the cursor with the next character typed.

- **vi-replace-mode**

  Vi enter replace mode.

- **vi-substitute-char**

  Vi replace character under the cursor and enter insert mode.

- **vi-substitute-line**

  Vi substitute entire line.

- **vi-change-to-eol**

  Vi change to end of line.

- **vi-insert**

  Vi enter insert mode.

- **vi-add**

  Vi enter insert mode after the cursor.

- **vi-add-at-eol**

  Vi enter insert mode at end of line.

- **vi-delete-meta**

  Vi delete prefix command.

- **vi-end-word**

  Vi move to the end of the current space delimited word.

- **vi-to-end-word**

  Vi move to the end of the current word.

- **vi-undo**

  Vi undo last change.

- **vi-command-mode**

  Vi enter command mode (use alternative key bindings).

- **vi-zero**

  Vi move to the beginning of line.

- **vi-delete-prev-char**

  Vi move to previous character (backspace).

- **vi-list-or-eof**

  Vi list choices for completion or indicate end of file if empty line.

- **vi-kill-line-prev**

  Vi cut from beginning of line to cursor.

- **vi-search-prev**

  Vi search history previous.

- **vi-search-next**

  Vi search history next.

- **vi-repeat-search-next**

  Vi repeat current search in the same search direction.

- **vi-repeat-search-prev**

  Vi repeat current search in the opposite search direction.

- **vi-next-char**

  Vi move to the character specified next.

- **vi-prev-char**

  Vi move to the character specified previous.

- **vi-to-next-char**

  Vi move up to the character specified next.

- **vi-to-prev-char**

  Vi move up to the character specified previous.

- **vi-repeat-next-char**

  Vi repeat current character search in the same search direction.

- **vi-repeat-prev-char**

  Vi repeat current character search in the opposite search direction.

- **em-delete-or-list**

  Delete character under cursor or list completions if at end of line.

- **em-delete-next-word**

  Cut from cursor to end of current word.

- **em-yank**

  Paste cut buffer at cursor position.

- **em-kill-line**

  Cut the entire line and save in cut buffer.

- **em-kill-region**

  Cut area between mark and cursor and save in cut buffer.

- **em-copy-region**

  Copy area between mark and cursor to cut buffer.

- **em-gosmacs-transpose**

  Exchange the two characters before the cursor.

- **em-next-word**

  Move next to end of current word.

- **em-upper-case**

  Uppercase the characters from cursor to end of current word.

- **em-capitol-case**

  Capitalize the characters from cursor to end of current word.

- **em-lower-case**

  Lowercase the characters from cursor to end of current word.

- **em-set-mark**

  Set the mark at cursor.

- **em-exchange-mark**

  Exchange the cursor and mark.

- **em-universal-argument**

  Universal argument (argument times 4).

- **em-meta-next**

  Add 8th bit to next character typed.

- **em-toggle-overwrite**

  Switch from insert to overwrite mode or vice versa.

- **em-copy-prev-word**

  Copy current word to cursor.

- **em-inc-search-next**

  Emacs incremental next search.

- **em-inc-search-prev**

  Emacs incremental reverse search.

- **ed-end-of-file**

  Indicate end of file.

- **ed-insert**

  Add character to the line.

- **ed-delete-prev-word**

  Delete from beginning of current word to cursor.

- **ed-delete-next-char**

  Delete character under cursor.

- **ed-kill-line**

  Cut to the end of line.

- **ed-move-to-end**

  Move cursor to the end of line.

- **ed-move-to-beg**

  Move cursor to the beginning of line.

- **ed-transpose-chars**

  Exchange the character to the left of the cursor with the one under it.

- **ed-next-char**

  Move to the right one character.

- **ed-prev-word**

  Move to the beginning of the current word.

- **ed-prev-char**

  Move to the left one character.

- **ed-quoted-insert**

  Add the next character typed verbatim.

- **ed-digit**

  Adds to argument or enters a digit.

- **ed-argument-digit**

  Digit that starts argument.

- **ed-unassigned**

  Indicates unbound character.

- **ed-tty-sigint**

  Tty interrupt character.

- **ed-tty-dsusp**

  Tty delayed suspend character.

- **ed-tty-flush-output**

  Tty flush output characters.

- **ed-tty-sigquit**

  Tty quit character.

- **ed-tty-sigtstp**

  Tty suspend character.

- **ed-tty-stop-output**

  Tty disallow output characters.

- **ed-tty-start-output**

  Tty allow output characters.

- **ed-newline**

  Execute command.

- **ed-delete-prev-char**

  Delete the character to the left of the cursor.

- **ed-clear-screen**

  Clear screen leaving current line at the top.

- **ed-redisplay**

  Redisplay everything.

- **ed-start-over**

  Erase current line and start from scratch.

- **ed-sequence-lead-in**

  First character in a bound sequence.

- **ed-prev-history**

  Move to the previous history line.

- **ed-next-history**

  Move to the next history line.

- **ed-search-prev-history**

  Search previous in history for a line matching the current.

- **ed-search-next-history**

  Search next in history for a line matching the current.

- **ed-prev-line**

  Move up one line.

- **ed-next-line**

  Move down one line.

- **ed-command**

  Editline extended command.

## SEE ALSO

[editline(3)](/editline/3.md), [regex(3)](/regex/3.md), [termcap(5)](/termcap/5.md)

## AUTHORS

The **editline** library was written by Christos Zoulas, and this manual was written by Luke Mewburn, with some sections inspired by [tcsh(1)](/tcsh/1.md).