Command Line Editing

[Daniel Navarro]

Hi All,

Can anyone tell me what shell or a script that will allow a user to use the TAB key to auto complet the command line when referencing a file or directory?

For example, If I am looking in the /etc directory for editing a file called "test_file" I would like to type from the command line " vi te" and then hit the tab key to complete the rest of the line "est_file".

In Linux the bash shell allows the user to do this.

TIA,
Daniel N.

[Christopher McCray_1]

Hello,

Have you tried using the escape key twice?

This works for me in sh, ksh and csh (haven't tried the others)

Hope this helps

Chris

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Well, you can install bash. It's available from any of the HP-UX Porting Centre's. However, DO NOT make it root's shell.

[MANOJ SRIVASTAVA]

Hi Daniel

set teh shell to ksh or at teh porpmt give like kash -o vi and then you can use the escape charater to get the file matched to first indentified unique string.

Manoj Srivastava

[Arockia Jegan]

If you have bash shell in hpux you can do that by using TAB key.

Adding to christoper point,

you can use \ (escape key and back slash) to do that.

[Bill Hassell]

Filename completion (the TAB or ESC key feature) as well as command line recall and editing are part of the POSIX standards. HP's standard shell is called the POSIX shell but has the name: sh which is easily confused with the Bourne shell (which is located in /usr/old/bin). ksh (and bash) are also POSIX shells.

To turn on the shell history/filename completion features, you must have the env variable $HISTFILE set to a history file. ksh and bash default to $HOME/.sh_history, but the POSIX shell requires HISTFILE to be explicitly set. Make sure HOSTFILE is set in /etc/profile or .profile:

export HISTFILE-$HOME/.sh_history
oops:
export HISTFILE=$HOME/.sh_history

[Steven Sim Kok Leong]

Hi,

export HISTFILE=$HOME/.sh_history

Just too bad that the keyboard has the key - right adjacent to =.

Hope this helps. Regards.

Steven Sim Kok Leong

[Bill Hassell]

Thanks Steven. Since I never make misteaks when I tipe, it must be a defective keybored. ;-)