1 2 SSUUMMMMAARRYY OOFF LLEESSSS CCOOMMMMAANNDDSS 3 4 Commands marked with * may be preceded by a number, _N. 5 Notes in parentheses indicate the behavior if _N is given. 6 7 h H Display this help. 8 q :q Q :Q ZZ Exit. 9 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 11 MMOOVVIINNGG 12 13 e ^E j ^N CR * Forward one line (or _N lines). 14 y ^Y k ^K ^P * Backward one line (or _N lines). 15 f ^F ^V SPACE * Forward one window (or _N lines). 16 b ^B ESC-v * Backward one window (or _N lines). 17 z * Forward one window (and set window to _N). 18 w * Backward one window (and set window to _N). 19 ESC-SPACE * Forward one window, but don't stop at end-of-file. 20 d ^D * Forward one half-window (and set half-window to _N). 21 u ^U * Backward one half-window (and set half-window to _N). 22 ESC-( RightArrow * Left one half screen width (or _N positions). 23 ESC-) LeftArrow * Right one half screen width (or _N positions). 24 F Forward forever; like "tail -f". 25 r ^R ^L Repaint screen. 26 R Repaint screen, discarding buffered input. 27 --------------------------------------------------- 28 Default "window" is the screen height. 29 Default "half-window" is half of the screen height. 30 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31 32 SSEEAARRCCHHIINNGG 33 34 /_p_a_t_t_e_r_n * Search forward for (_N-th) matching line. 35 ?_p_a_t_t_e_r_n * Search backward for (_N-th) matching line. 36 n * Repeat previous search (for _N-th occurrence). 37 N * Repeat previous search in reverse direction. 38 ESC-n * Repeat previous search, spanning files. 39 ESC-N * Repeat previous search, reverse dir. & spanning files. 40 ESC-u Undo (toggle) search highlighting. 41 --------------------------------------------------- 42 Search patterns may be modified by one or more of: 43 ^N or ! Search for NON-matching lines. 44 ^E or * Search multiple files (pass thru END OF FILE). 45 ^F or @ Start search at FIRST file (for /) or last file (for ?). 46 ^K Highlight matches, but don't move (KEEP position). 47 ^R Don't use REGULAR EXPRESSIONS. 48 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49 50 JJUUMMPPIINNGG 51 52 g < ESC-< * Go to first line in file (or line _N). 53 G > ESC-> * Go to last line in file (or line _N). 54 p % * Go to beginning of file (or _N percent into file). 55 t * Go to the (_N-th) next tag. 56 T * Go to the (_N-th) previous tag. 57 { ( [ * Find close bracket } ) ]. 58 } ) ] * Find open bracket { ( [. 59 ESC-^F _<_c_1_> _<_c_2_> * Find close bracket _<_c_2_>. 60 ESC-^B _<_c_1_> _<_c_2_> * Find open bracket _<_c_1_> 61 --------------------------------------------------- 62 Each "find close bracket" command goes forward to the close bracket 63 matching the (_N-th) open bracket in the top line. 64 Each "find open bracket" command goes backward to the open bracket 65 matching the (_N-th) close bracket in the bottom line. 66 67 m_<_l_e_t_t_e_r_> Mark the current position with <letter>. 68 '_<_l_e_t_t_e_r_> Go to a previously marked position. 69 '' Go to the previous position. 70 ^X^X Same as '. 71 --------------------------------------------------- 72 A mark is any upper-case or lower-case letter. 73 Certain marks are predefined: 74 ^ means beginning of the file 75 $ means end of the file 76 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 77 78 CCHHAANNGGIINNGG FFIILLEESS 79 80 :e [_f_i_l_e] Examine a new file. 81 ^X^V Same as :e. 82 :n * Examine the (_N-th) next file from the command line. 83 :p * Examine the (_N-th) previous file from the command line. 84 :x * Examine the first (or _N-th) file from the command line. 85 :d Delete the current file from the command line list. 86 = ^G :f Print current file name. 87 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 88 89 MMIISSCCEELLLLAANNEEOOUUSS CCOOMMMMAANNDDSS 90 91 -_<_f_l_a_g_> Toggle a command line option [see OPTIONS below]. 92 --_<_n_a_m_e_> Toggle a command line option, by name. 93 __<_f_l_a_g_> Display the setting of a command line option. 94 ___<_n_a_m_e_> Display the setting of an option, by name. 95 +_c_m_d Execute the less cmd each time a new file is examined. 96 97 !_c_o_m_m_a_n_d Execute the shell command with $SHELL. 98 |XX_c_o_m_m_a_n_d Pipe file between current pos & mark XX to shell command. 99 v Edit the current file with $VISUAL or $EDITOR. 100 V Print version number of "less". 101 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 102 103 OOPPTTIIOONNSS 104 105 Most options may be changed either on the command line, 106 or from within less by using the - or -- command. 107 Options may be given in one of two forms: either a single 108 character preceded by a -, or a name preceeded by --. 109 110 -? ........ --help 111 Display help (from command line). 112 -a ........ --search-skip-screen 113 Forward search skips current screen. 114 -b [_N] .... --buffers=[_N] 115 Number of buffers. 116 -B ........ --auto-buffers 117 Don't automatically allocate buffers for pipes. 118 -c -C .... --clear-screen --CLEAR-SCREEN 119 Repaint by scrolling/clearing. 120 -d ........ --dumb 121 Dumb terminal. 122 -D [_x_n_._n] . --color=_x_n_._n 123 Set screen colors. (MS-DOS only) 124 -e -E .... --quit-at-eof --QUIT-AT-EOF 125 Quit at end of file. 126 -f ........ --force 127 Force open non-regular files. 128 -F ........ --quit-if-one-screen 129 Quit if entire file fits on first screen. 130 -g ........ --hilite-search 131 Highlight only last match for searches. 132 -G ........ --HILITE-SEARCH 133 Don't highlight any matches for searches. 134 -h [_N] .... --max-back-scroll=[_N] 135 Backward scroll limit. 136 -i ........ --ignore-case 137 Ignore case in searches that do not contain uppercase. 138 -I ........ --IGNORE-CASE 139 Ignore case in all searches. 140 -j [_N] .... --jump-target=[_N] 141 Screen position of target lines. 142 -J ........ --status-column 143 Display a status column at left edge of screen. 144 -k [_f_i_l_e] . --lesskey-file=[_f_i_l_e] 145 Use a lesskey file. 146 -m -M .... --long-prompt --LONG-PROMPT 147 Set prompt style. 148 -n -N .... --line-numbers --LINE-NUMBERS 149 Use line numbers. 150 -o [_f_i_l_e] . --log-file=[_f_i_l_e] 151 Copy to log file (standard input only). 152 -O [_f_i_l_e] . --LOG-FILE=[_f_i_l_e] 153 Copy to log file (unconditionally overwrite). 154 -p [_p_a_t_t_e_r_n] --pattern=[_p_a_t_t_e_r_n] 155 Start at pattern (from command line). 156 -P [_p_r_o_m_p_t] --prompt=[_p_r_o_m_p_t] 157 Define new prompt. 158 -q -Q .... --quiet --QUIET --silent --SILENT 159 Quiet the terminal bell. 160 -r -R .... --raw-control-chars --RAW-CONTROL-CHARS 161 Output "raw" control characters. 162 -s ........ --squeeze-blank-lines 163 Squeeze multiple blank lines. 164 -S ........ --chop-long-lines 165 Chop long lines. 166 -t [_t_a_g] .. --tag=[_t_a_g] 167 Find a tag. 168 -T [_t_a_g_s_f_i_l_e] --tag-file=[_t_a_g_s_f_i_l_e] 169 Use an alternate tags file. 170 -u -U .... --underline-special --UNDERLINE-SPECIAL 171 Change handling of backspaces. 172 -V ........ --version 173 Display the version number of "less". 174 -w ........ --hilite-unread 175 Highlight first new line after forward-screen. 176 -W ........ --HILITE-UNREAD 177 Highlight first new line after any forward movement. 178 -x [_N[,...]] --tabs=[_N[,...]] 179 Set tab stops. 180 -X ........ --no-init 181 Don't use termcap init/deinit strings. 182 --no-keypad 183 Don't use termcap keypad init/deinit strings. 184 -y [_N] .... --max-forw-scroll=[_N] 185 Forward scroll limit. 186 -z [_N] .... --window=[_N] 187 Set size of window. 188 -" [_c[_c]] . --quotes=[_c[_c]] 189 Set shell quote characters. 190 -~ ........ --tilde 191 Don't display tildes after end of file. 192 -# [_N] .... --shift=[_N] 193 Horizontal scroll amount (0 = one half screen width) 194 195 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 196 197 LLIINNEE EEDDIITTIINNGG 198 199 These keys can be used to edit text being entered 200 on the "command line" at the bottom of the screen. 201 202 RightArrow ESC-l Move cursor right one character. 203 LeftArrow ESC-h Move cursor left one character. 204 CNTL-RightArrow ESC-RightArrow ESC-w Move cursor right one word. 205 CNTL-LeftArrow ESC-LeftArrow ESC-b Move cursor left one word. 206 HOME ESC-0 Move cursor to start of line. 207 END ESC-$ Move cursor to end of line. 208 BACKSPACE Delete char to left of cursor. 209 DELETE ESC-x Delete char under cursor. 210 CNTL-BACKSPACE ESC-BACKSPACE Delete word to left of cursor. 211 CNTL-DELETE ESC-DELETE ESC-X Delete word under cursor. 212 CNTL-U ESC (MS-DOS only) Delete entire line. 213 UpArrow ESC-k Retrieve previous command line. 214 DownArrow ESC-j Retrieve next command line. 215 TAB Complete filename & cycle. 216 SHIFT-TAB ESC-TAB Complete filename & reverse cycle. 217 CNTL-L Complete filename, list all. 218 219