---
name: "zoomsh"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "yaz"
version: "5.38.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/zoomsh"
---

# zoomsh(1)

ZOOM shell

## NAME

zoomsh - ZOOM shell

## SYNOPSIS

**zoomsh** \[**-a** *apdufile*\] \[**-e**\] \[**-v** *loglevel*\] \[commands...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**zoomsh** is a ZOOM client with a simple command line interface. The client demonstrates the ZOOM API and is useful for testing targets.

You may pass one or more commands to **zoomsh**. These commands are invoked first.

## OPTIONS

- \-a *apdufile*

  Logs protocol packages into apdufile (APDU log).

- \-e

  Makes zoomsh stop processing commands as soon as an error occur. The exit code of zoomsh is 1 if error occurs; 0 otherwise.

- \-v *loglevel*

  Sets YAZ log level to *loglevel*.

## EXAMPLES

If you start the **yaz-ztest** in one console you can use the ZOOM shell as follows:

```
$ zoomsh
ZOOM>connect localhost:9999
ZOOM>search computer
localhost:9999: 7 hits
ZOOM>show 0 1
1 Default USmarc
001    11224466
003 DLC
005 00000000000000.0
008 910710c19910701nju           00010 eng
010    $a    11224466
040    $a DLC $c DLC
050 00 $a 123-xyz
100 10 $a Jack Collins
245 10 $a How to program a computer
260 1  $a Penguin
263    $a 8710
300    $a p. cm.
ZOOM>quit
```

You can also achieve the same result by passing the commands as arguments on a single command line:

$ zoomsh "connect localhost:9999" "search computer" "show 0 1" quit

## COMMANDS

connect *zurl*

Connects to the target given by *zurl*.

close \[*zurl*\]

Closes connection to target given by *zurl* or all targets if *zurl* was omitted.

show \[*start* \[*count*\]\]

Displays count records starting at offset given by *start*. First records has offset 0 (unlike the Z39.50 protocol).

quit

Quits **zoomsh**.

set *name* \[*value*\]

Sets option *name* to *value*.

get *name*

Prints value of option *name*.

help

Prints list of available commands.

## SEE ALSO

[**yaz**(7)](/yaz/7.md), [**yaz-ztest**(8)](/yaz-ztest/8.md),

Section "Building clients with ZOOM" in the YAZ manual.

**ZOOM home page**\[1\].

## AUTHORS

**Index Data**

## NOTES

- 1\.

  ZOOM home page

  http://zoom.z3950.org/