ZSHCOMPCTL(1) User Commands ZSHCOMPCTL(1)

NAME

zshcompctl - zsh programmable completion

DESCRIPTION

This version of zsh has two ways of performing completion of words on
the command line. New users of the shell may prefer to use the newer
and more powerful system based on shell functions; this is described
in zshcompsys(1), and the basic shell mechanisms which support it are
described in zshcompwid(1). This manual entry describes the older
compctl command.

compctl [ -CDT ] options [ command ... ]
compctl [ -CDT ] options [ -x pattern options - ... -- ]
[ + options [ -x ... -- ] ... [+] ] [ command ... ]
compctl -M match-specs ...
compctl -L [ -CDTM ] [ command ... ]
compctl + command ...

Control the editor's completion behavior according to the supplied
set of options. Various editing commands, notably
expand-or-complete-word, usually bound to tab, will attempt to
complete a word typed by the user, while others, notably
delete-char-or-list, usually bound to ^D in EMACS editing mode, list
the possibilities; compctl controls what those possibilities are.
They may for example be filenames (the most common case, and hence
the default), shell variables, or words from a user-specified list.

COMMAND FLAGS

Completion of the arguments of a command may be different for each
command or may use the default. The behavior when completing the
command word itself may also be separately specified. These
correspond to the following flags and arguments, all of which (except
for -L) may be combined with any combination of the options described
subsequently in the section `Option Flags':

command ...
controls completion for the named commands, which must be
listed last on the command line. If completion is attempted
for a command with a pathname containing slashes and no
completion definition is found, the search is retried with the
last pathname component. If the command starts with a =,
completion is tried with the pathname of the command.

Any of the command strings may be patterns of the form
normally used for filename generation. These should be quoted
to protect them from immediate expansion; for example the
command string 'foo*' arranges for completion of the words of
any command beginning with foo. When completion is attempted,
all pattern completions are tried in the reverse order of
their definition until one matches. By default, completion
then proceeds as normal, i.e. the shell will try to generate
more matches for the specific command on the command line;
this can be overridden by including -tn in the flags for the
pattern completion.

Note that aliases are expanded before the command name is
determined unless the COMPLETE_ALIASES option is set.
Commands may not be combined with the -C, -D or -T flags.

-C controls completion when the command word itself is being
completed. If no compctl -C command has been issued, the
names of any executable command (whether in the path or
specific to the shell, such as aliases or functions) are
completed.

-D controls default completion behavior for the arguments of
commands not assigned any special behavior. If no compctl -D
command has been issued, filenames are completed.

-T supplies completion flags to be used before any other
processing is done, even before processing for compctls
defined for specific commands. This is especially useful when
combined with extended completion (the -x flag, see the
section `Extended Completion' below). Using this flag you can
define default behavior which will apply to all commands
without exception, or you can alter the standard behavior for
all commands. For example, if your access to the user
database is too slow and/or it contains too many users (so
that completion after `~' is too slow to be usable), you can
use

compctl -T -x 's[~] C[0,[^/]#]' -k friends -S/ -tn

to complete the strings in the array friends after a `~'. The
C[...] argument is necessary so that this form of ~-completion
is not tried after the directory name is finished.

-L lists the existing completion behavior in a manner suitable
for putting into a start-up script; the existing behavior is
not changed. Any combination of the above forms, or the -M
flag (which must follow the -L flag), may be specified,
otherwise all defined completions are listed. Any other flags
supplied are ignored.

no argument
If no argument is given, compctl lists all defined completions
in an abbreviated form; with a list of options, all
completions with those flags set (not counting extended
completion) are listed.

If the + flag is alone and followed immediately by the command list,
the completion behavior for all the commands in the list is reset to
the default. In other words, completion will subsequently use the
options specified by the -D flag.

The form with -M as the first and only option defines global matching
specifications (see zshcompwid). The match specifications given will
be used for every completion attempt (only when using compctl, not
with the new completion system) and are tried in the order in which
they are defined until one generates at least one match. E.g.:

compctl -M '' 'm:{a-zA-Z}={A-Za-z}'

This will first try completion without any global match
specifications (the empty string) and, if that generates no matches,
will try case insensitive completion.

OPTION FLAGS

[ -fcFBdeaRGovNAIOPZEnbjrzu/12 ]
[ -k array ] [ -g globstring ] [ -s subststring ]
[ -K function ]
[ -Q ] [ -P prefix ] [ -S suffix ]
[ -W file-prefix ] [ -H num pattern ]
[ -q ] [ -X explanation ] [ -Y explanation ]
[ -y func-or-var ] [ -l cmd ] [ -h cmd ] [ -U ]
[ -t continue ] [ -J name ] [ -V name ]
[ -M match-spec ]

The remaining options specify the type of command arguments to look
for during completion. Any combination of these flags may be
specified; the result is a sorted list of all the possibilities. The
options are as follows.

Simple Flags

These produce completion lists made up by the shell itself:

-f Filenames and file system paths.

-/ Just file system paths.

-c Command names, including aliases, shell functions, builtins
and reserved words.

-F Function names.

-B Names of builtin commands.

-m Names of external commands.

-w Reserved words.

-a Alias names.

-R Names of regular (non-global) aliases.

-G Names of global aliases.

-d This can be combined with -F, -B, -w, -a, -R and -G to get
names of disabled functions, builtins, reserved words or
aliases.

-e This option (to show enabled commands) is in effect by
default, but may be combined with -d; -de in combination with
-F, -B, -w, -a, -R and -G will complete names of functions,
builtins, reserved words or aliases whether or not they are
disabled.

-o Names of shell options (see zshoptions(1)).

-v Names of any variable defined in the shell.

-N Names of scalar (non-array) parameters.

-A Array names.

-I Names of integer variables.

-O Names of read-only variables.

-p Names of parameters used by the shell (including special
parameters).

-Z Names of shell special parameters.

-E Names of environment variables.

-n Named directories.

-b Key binding names.

-j Job names: the first word of the job leader's command line.
This is useful with the kill builtin.

-r Names of running jobs.

-z Names of suspended jobs.

-u User names.

Flags with Arguments

These have user supplied arguments to determine how the list of
completions is to be made up:

-k array
Names taken from the elements of $array (note that the `$'
does not appear on the command line). Alternatively, the
argument array itself may be a set of space- or
comma-separated values in parentheses, in which any delimiter
may be escaped with a backslash; in this case the argument
should be quoted. For example,

compctl -k "(cputime filesize datasize stacksize
coredumpsize resident descriptors)" limit

-g globstring
The globstring is expanded using filename globbing; it should
be quoted to protect it from immediate expansion. The
resulting filenames are taken as the possible completions.
Use `*(/)' instead of `*/' for directories. The fignore
special parameter is not applied to the resulting files. More
than one pattern may be given separated by blanks. (Note that
brace expansion is not part of globbing. Use the syntax
`(either|or)' to match alternatives.)

-s subststring
The subststring is split into words and these words are than
expanded using all shell expansion mechanisms (see
zshexpn(1)). The resulting words are taken as possible
completions. The fignore special parameter is not applied to
the resulting files. Note that -g is faster for filenames.

-K function
Call the given function to get the completions. Unless the
name starts with an underscore, the function is passed two
arguments: the prefix and the suffix of the word on which
completion is to be attempted, in other words those characters
before the cursor position, and those from the cursor position
onwards. The whole command line can be accessed with the -c
and -l flags of the read builtin. The function should set the
variable reply to an array containing the completions (one
completion per element); note that reply should not be made
local to the function. From such a function the command line
can be accessed with the -c and -l flags to the read builtin.
For example,

function whoson { reply=(`users`); }
compctl -K whoson talk

completes only logged-on users after `talk'. Note that
`whoson' must return an array, so `reply=`users`' would be
incorrect.

-H num pattern
The possible completions are taken from the last num history
lines. Only words matching pattern are taken. If num is zero
or negative the whole history is searched and if pattern is
the empty string all words are taken (as with `*'). A typical
use is

compctl -D -f + -H 0 ''

which forces completion to look back in the history list for a
word if no filename matches.

Control Flags

These do not directly specify types of name to be completed, but
manipulate the options that do:

-Q This instructs the shell not to quote any metacharacters in
the possible completions. Normally the results of a
completion are inserted into the command line with any
metacharacters quoted so that they are interpreted as normal
characters. This is appropriate for filenames and ordinary
strings. However, for special effects, such as inserting a
backquoted expression from a completion array (-k) so that the
expression will not be evaluated until the complete line is
executed, this option must be used.

-P prefix
The prefix is inserted just before the completed string; any
initial part already typed will be completed and the whole
prefix ignored for completion purposes. For example,

compctl -j -P "%" kill

inserts a `%' after the kill command and then completes job
names.

-S suffix
When a completion is found the suffix is inserted after the
completed string. In the case of menu completion the suffix
is inserted immediately, but it is still possible to cycle
through the list of completions by repeatedly hitting the same
key.

-W file-prefix
With directory file-prefix: for command, file, directory and
globbing completion (options -c, -f, -/, -g), the file prefix
is implicitly added in front of the completion. For example,

compctl -/ -W ~/Mail maildirs

completes any subdirectories to any depth beneath the
directory ~/Mail, although that prefix does not appear on the
command line. The file-prefix may also be of the form
accepted by the -k flag, i.e. the name of an array or a
literal list in parenthesis. In this case all the directories
in the list will be searched for possible completions.

-q If used with a suffix as specified by the -S option, this
causes the suffix to be removed if the next character typed is
a blank or does not insert anything or if the suffix consists
of only one character and the next character typed is the same
character; this the same rule used for the AUTO_REMOVE_SLASH
option. The option is most useful for list separators (comma,
colon, etc.).

-l cmd This option restricts the range of command line words that are
considered to be arguments. If combined with one of the
extended completion patterns `p[...]', `r[...]', or `R[...]'
(see the section `Extended Completion' below) the range is
restricted to the range of arguments specified in the
brackets. Completion is then performed as if these had been
given as arguments to the cmd supplied with the option. If the
cmd string is empty the first word in the range is instead
taken as the command name, and command name completion
performed on the first word in the range. For example,

compctl -x 'r[-exec,;]' -l '' -- find

completes arguments between `-exec' and the following `;' (or
the end of the command line if there is no such string) as if
they were a separate command line.

-h cmd Normally zsh completes quoted strings as a whole. With this
option, completion can be done separately on different parts
of such strings. It works like the -l option but makes the
completion code work on the parts of the current word that are
separated by spaces. These parts are completed as if they were
arguments to the given cmd. If cmd is the empty string, the
first part is completed as a command name, as with -l.

-U Use the whole list of possible completions, whether or not
they actually match the word on the command line. The word
typed so far will be deleted. This is most useful with a
function (given by the -K option) which can examine the word
components passed to it (or via the read builtin's -c and -l
flags) and use its own criteria to decide what matches. If
there is no completion, the original word is retained. Since
the produced possible completions seldom have interesting
common prefixes and suffixes, menu completion is started
immediately if AUTO_MENU is set and this flag is used.

-y func-or-var
The list provided by func-or-var is displayed instead of the
list of completions whenever a listing is required; the actual
completions to be inserted are not affected. It can be
provided in two ways. Firstly, if func-or-var begins with a $
it defines a variable, or if it begins with a left parenthesis
a literal array, which contains the list. A variable may have
been set by a call to a function using the -K option.
Otherwise it contains the name of a function which will be
executed to create the list. The function will be passed as
an argument list all matching completions, including prefixes
and suffixes expanded in full, and should set the array reply
to the result. In both cases, the display list will only be
retrieved after a complete list of matches has been created.

Note that the returned list does not have to correspond, even
in length, to the original set of matches, and may be passed
as a scalar instead of an array. No special formatting of
characters is performed on the output in this case; in
particular, newlines are printed literally and if they appear
output in columns is suppressed.

-X explanation
Print explanation when trying completion on the current set of
options. A `%n' in this string is replaced by the number of
matches that were added for this explanation string. The
explanation only appears if completion was tried and there was
no unique match, or when listing completions. Explanation
strings will be listed together with the matches of the group
specified together with the -X option (using the -J or -V
option). If the same explanation string is given to multiple
-X options, the string appears only once (for each group) and
the number of matches shown for the `%n' is the total number
of all matches for each of these uses. In any case, the
explanation string will only be shown if there was at least
one match added for the explanation string.

The sequences %B, %b, %S, %s, %U, and %u specify output
attributes (bold, standout, and underline), %F, %f, %K, %k
specify foreground and background colours, and %{...%} can be
used to include literal escape sequences as in prompts.

-Y explanation
Identical to -X, except that the explanation first undergoes
expansion following the usual rules for strings in double
quotes. The expansion will be carried out after any functions
are called for the -K or -y options, allowing them to set
variables.

-t continue
The continue-string contains a character that specifies which
set of completion flags should be used next. It is useful:

(i) With -T, or when trying a list of pattern completions,
when compctl would usually continue with ordinary processing
after finding matches; this can be suppressed with `-tn'.

(ii) With a list of alternatives separated by +, when compctl
would normally stop when one of the alternatives generates
matches. It can be forced to consider the next set of
completions by adding `-t+' to the flags of the alternative
before the `+'.

(iii) In an extended completion list (see below), when compctl
would normally continue until a set of conditions succeeded,
then use only the immediately following flags. With `-t-',
compctl will continue trying extended completions after the
next `-'; with `-tx' it will attempt completion with the
default flags, in other words those before the `-x'.

-J name
This gives the name of the group the matches should be placed
in. Groups are listed and sorted separately; likewise, menu
completion will offer the matches in the groups in the order
in which the groups were defined. If no group name is
explicitly given, the matches are stored in a group named
default. The first time a group name is encountered, a group
with that name is created. After that all matches with the
same group name are stored in that group.

This can be useful with non-exclusive alternative completions.
For example, in

compctl -f -J files -t+ + -v -J variables foo

both files and variables are possible completions, as the -t+
forces both sets of alternatives before and after the + to be
considered at once. Because of the -J options, however, all
files are listed before all variables.

-V name
Like -J, but matches within the group will not be sorted in
listings nor in menu completion. These unsorted groups are in
a different name space from the sorted ones, so groups defined
as -J files and -V files are distinct.

-1 If given together with the -V option, makes only consecutive
duplicates in the group be removed. Note that groups with and
without this flag are in different name spaces.

-2 If given together with the -J or -V option, makes all
duplicates be kept. Again, groups with and without this flag
are in different name spaces.

-M match-spec
This defines additional matching control specifications that
should be used only when testing words for the list of flags
this flag appears in. The format of the match-spec string is
described in zshcompwid.

ALTERNATIVE COMPLETION

compctl [ -CDT ] options + options [ + ... ] [ + ] command ...

The form with `+' specifies alternative options. Completion is tried
with the options before the first `+'. If this produces no matches
completion is tried with the flags after the `+' and so on. If there
are no flags after the last `+' and a match has not been found up to
that point, default completion is tried. If the list of flags
contains a -t with a + character, the next list of flags is used even
if the current list produced matches.

Additional options are available that restrict completion to some
part of the command line; this is referred to as `extended
completion'.

EXTENDED COMPLETION

compctl [ -CDT ] options -x pattern options - ... --
[ command ... ]
compctl [ -CDT ] options [ -x pattern options - ... -- ]
[ + options [ -x ... -- ] ... [+] ] [ command ... ]

The form with `-x' specifies extended completion for the commands
given; as shown, it may be combined with alternative completion using
`+'. Each pattern is examined in turn; when a match is found, the
corresponding options, as described in the section `Option Flags'
above, are used to generate possible completions. If no pattern
matches, the options given before the -x are used.

Note that each pattern should be supplied as a single argument and
should be quoted to prevent expansion of metacharacters by the shell.

A pattern is built of sub-patterns separated by commas; it matches if
at least one of these sub-patterns matches (they are `or'ed). These
sub-patterns are in turn composed of other sub-patterns separated by
white spaces which match if all of the sub-patterns match (they are
`and'ed). An element of the sub-patterns is of the form
`c[...][...]', where the pairs of brackets may be repeated as often
as necessary, and matches if any of the sets of brackets match (an
`or'). The example below makes this clearer.

The elements may be any of the following:

s[string]...
Matches if the current word on the command line starts with
one of the strings given in brackets. The string is not
removed and is not part of the completion.

S[string]...
Like s[string] except that the string is part of the
completion.

p[from,to]...
Matches if the number of the current word is between one of
the from and to pairs inclusive. The comma and to are
optional; to defaults to the same value as from. The numbers
may be negative: -n refers to the n'th last word on the line.

c[offset,string]...
Matches if the string matches the word offset by offset from
the current word position. Usually offset will be negative.

C[offset,pattern]...
Like c but using pattern matching instead.

w[index,string]...
Matches if the word in position index is equal to the
corresponding string. Note that the word count is made after
any alias expansion.

W[index,pattern]...
Like w but using pattern matching instead.

n[index,string]...
Matches if the current word contains string. Anything up to
and including the indexth occurrence of this string will not
be considered part of the completion, but the rest will.
index may be negative to count from the end: in most cases,
index will be 1 or -1. For example,

compctl -s '`users`' -x 'n[1,@]' -k hosts -- talk

will usually complete usernames, but if you insert an @ after
the name, names from the array hosts (assumed to contain
hostnames, though you must make the array yourself) will be
completed. Other commands such as rcp can be handled
similarly.

N[index,string]...
Like n except that the string will be taken as a character
class. Anything up to and including the indexth occurrence of
any of the characters in string will not be considered part of
the completion.

m[min,max]...
Matches if the total number of words lies between min and max
inclusive.

r[str1,str2]...
Matches if the cursor is after a word with prefix str1. If
there is also a word with prefix str2 on the command line
after the one matched by str1 it matches only if the cursor is
before this word. If the comma and str2 are omitted, it
matches if the cursor is after a word with prefix str1.

R[str1,str2]...
Like r but using pattern matching instead.

q[str]...
Matches the word currently being completed is in single quotes
and the str begins with the letter `s', or if completion is
done in double quotes and str starts with the letter `d', or
if completion is done in backticks and str starts with a `b'.

EXAMPLE

compctl -u -x 's[+] c[-1,-f],s[-f+]' \
-g '~/Mail/*(:t)' - 's[-f],c[-1,-f]' -f -- mail

This is to be interpreted as follows:

If the current command is mail, then


if ((the current word begins with + and the previous word is -f)
or (the current word begins with -f+)), then complete the
non-directory part (the `:t' glob modifier) of files in the directory
~/Mail; else

if the current word begins with -f or the previous word was -f, then
complete any file; else

complete user names.


zsh 5.9 May 14, 2022 ZSHCOMPCTL(1)