1 2 SSUUMMMMAARRYY OOFF 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 A key preceded by a caret indicates the Ctrl key; thus ^K is ctrl-K. 7 8 h H Display this help. 9 q :q Q :Q ZZ Exit. 10 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 12 MMOOVVIINNGG 13 14 e ^E j ^N CR * Forward one line (or _N lines). 15 y ^Y k ^K ^P * Backward one line (or _N lines). 16 f ^F ^V SPACE * Forward one window (or _N lines). 17 b ^B ESC-v * Backward one window (or _N lines). 18 z * Forward one window (and set window to _N). 19 w * Backward one window (and set window to _N). 20 ESC-SPACE * Forward one window, but don't stop at end-of-file. 21 d ^D * Forward one half-window (and set half-window to _N). 22 u ^U * Backward one half-window (and set half-window to _N). 23 ESC-) RightArrow * Left one half screen width (or _N positions). 24 ESC-( LeftArrow * Right one half screen width (or _N positions). 25 F Forward forever; like "tail -f". 26 r ^R ^L Repaint screen. 27 R Repaint screen, discarding buffered input. 28 --------------------------------------------------- 29 Default "window" is the screen height. 30 Default "half-window" is half of the screen height. 31 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32 33 SSEEAARRCCHHIINNGG 34 35 /_p_a_t_t_e_r_n * Search forward for (_N-th) matching line. 36 ?_p_a_t_t_e_r_n * Search backward for (_N-th) matching line. 37 n * Repeat previous search (for _N-th occurrence). 38 N * Repeat previous search in reverse direction. 39 ESC-n * Repeat previous search, spanning files. 40 ESC-N * Repeat previous search, reverse dir. & spanning files. 41 ESC-u Undo (toggle) search highlighting. 42 &_p_a_t_t_e_r_n * Display only matching lines 43 --------------------------------------------------- 44 A search pattern may be preceded by one or more of: 45 ^N or ! Search for NON-matching lines. 46 ^E or * Search multiple files (pass thru END OF FILE). 47 ^F or @ Start search at FIRST file (for /) or last file (for ?). 48 ^K Highlight matches, but don't move (KEEP position). 49 ^R Don't use REGULAR EXPRESSIONS. 50 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51 52 JJUUMMPPIINNGG 53 54 g < ESC-< * Go to first line in file (or line _N). 55 G > ESC-> * Go to last line in file (or line _N). 56 p % * Go to beginning of file (or _N percent into file). 57 t * Go to the (_N-th) next tag. 58 T * Go to the (_N-th) previous tag. 59 { ( [ * Find close bracket } ) ]. 60 } ) ] * Find open bracket { ( [. 61 ESC-^F _<_c_1_> _<_c_2_> * Find close bracket _<_c_2_>. 62 ESC-^B _<_c_1_> _<_c_2_> * Find open bracket _<_c_1_> 63 --------------------------------------------------- 64 Each "find close bracket" command goes forward to the close bracket 65 matching the (_N-th) open bracket in the top line. 66 Each "find open bracket" command goes backward to the open bracket 67 matching the (_N-th) close bracket in the bottom line. 68 69 m_<_l_e_t_t_e_r_> Mark the current position with <letter>. 70 '_<_l_e_t_t_e_r_> Go to a previously marked position. 71 '' Go to the previous position. 72 ^X^X Same as '. 73 --------------------------------------------------- 74 A mark is any upper-case or lower-case letter. 75 Certain marks are predefined: 76 ^ means beginning of the file 77 $ means end of the file 78 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 79 80 CCHHAANNGGIINNGG FFIILLEESS 81 82 :e [_f_i_l_e] Examine a new file. 83 ^X^V Same as :e. 84 :n * Examine the (_N-th) next file from the command line. 85 :p * Examine the (_N-th) previous file from the command line. 86 :x * Examine the first (or _N-th) file from the command line. 87 :d Delete the current file from the command line list. 88 = ^G :f Print current file name. 89 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 90 91 MMIISSCCEELLLLAANNEEOOUUSS CCOOMMMMAANNDDSS 92 93 -_<_f_l_a_g_> Toggle a command line option [see OPTIONS below]. 94 --_<_n_a_m_e_> Toggle a command line option, by name. 95 __<_f_l_a_g_> Display the setting of a command line option. 96 ___<_n_a_m_e_> Display the setting of an option, by name. 97 +_c_m_d Execute the less cmd each time a new file is examined. 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 preceded by --. 109 110 -? ........ --help 111 Display help (from command line). 112 -a ........ --search-skip-screen 113 Search skips current screen. 114 -A ........ --SEARCH-SKIP-SCREEN 115 Search starts just after target line. 116 -b [_N] .... --buffers=[_N] 117 Number of buffers. 118 -B ........ --auto-buffers 119 Don't automatically allocate buffers for pipes. 120 -c ........ --clear-screen 121 Repaint by clearing rather than scrolling. 122 -d ........ --dumb 123 Dumb terminal. 124 -D [_x_n_._n] . --color=_x_n_._n 125 Set screen colors. (MS-DOS only) 126 -e -E .... --quit-at-eof --QUIT-AT-EOF 127 Quit at end of file. 128 -f ........ --force 129 Force open non-regular files. 130 -F ........ --quit-if-one-screen 131 Quit if entire file fits on first screen. 132 -g ........ --hilite-search 133 Highlight only last match for searches. 134 -G ........ --HILITE-SEARCH 135 Don't highlight any matches for searches. 136 -h [_N] .... --max-back-scroll=[_N] 137 Backward scroll limit. 138 -i ........ --ignore-case 139 Ignore case in searches that do not contain uppercase. 140 -I ........ --IGNORE-CASE 141 Ignore case in all searches. 142 -j [_N] .... --jump-target=[_N] 143 Screen position of target lines. 144 -J ........ --status-column 145 Display a status column at left edge of screen. 146 -k [_f_i_l_e] . --lesskey-file=[_f_i_l_e] 147 Use a lesskey file. 148 -K --quit-on-intr 149 Exit less in response to ctrl-C. 150 -m -M .... --long-prompt --LONG-PROMPT 151 Set prompt style. 152 -n -N .... --line-numbers --LINE-NUMBERS 153 Don't use line numbers. 154 -o [_f_i_l_e] . --log-file=[_f_i_l_e] 155 Copy to log file (standard input only). 156 -O [_f_i_l_e] . --LOG-FILE=[_f_i_l_e] 157 Copy to log file (unconditionally overwrite). 158 -p [_p_a_t_t_e_r_n] --pattern=[_p_a_t_t_e_r_n] 159 Start at pattern (from command line). 160 -P [_p_r_o_m_p_t] --prompt=[_p_r_o_m_p_t] 161 Define new prompt. 162 -q -Q .... --quiet --QUIET --silent --SILENT 163 Quiet the terminal bell. 164 -r -R .... --raw-control-chars --RAW-CONTROL-CHARS 165 Output "raw" control characters. 166 -s ........ --squeeze-blank-lines 167 Squeeze multiple blank lines. 168 -S ........ --chop-long-lines 169 Chop (truncate) long lines rather than wrapping. 170 -t [_t_a_g] .. --tag=[_t_a_g] 171 Find a tag. 172 -T [_t_a_g_s_f_i_l_e] --tag-file=[_t_a_g_s_f_i_l_e] 173 Use an alternate tags file. 174 -u -U .... --underline-special --UNDERLINE-SPECIAL 175 Change handling of backspaces. 176 -V ........ --version 177 Display the version number of "less". 178 -w ........ --hilite-unread 179 Highlight first new line after forward-screen. 180 -W ........ --HILITE-UNREAD 181 Highlight first new line after any forward movement. 182 -x [_N[,...]] --tabs=[_N[,...]] 183 Set tab stops. 184 -X ........ --no-init 185 Don't use termcap init/deinit strings. 186 -y [_N] .... --max-forw-scroll=[_N] 187 Forward scroll limit. 188 -z [_N] .... --window=[_N] 189 Set size of window. 190 -" [_c[_c]] . --quotes=[_c[_c]] 191 Set shell quote characters. 192 -~ ........ --tilde 193 Don't display tildes after end of file. 194 -# [_N] .... --shift=[_N] 195 Horizontal scroll amount (0 = one half screen width) 196 ........ --no-keypad 197 Don't send termcap keypad init/deinit strings. 198 ........ --follow-name 199 The F command changes files if the input file is renamed. 200 201 202 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 203 204 LLIINNEE EEDDIITTIINNGG 205 206 These keys can be used to edit text being entered 207 on the "command line" at the bottom of the screen. 208 209 RightArrow ESC-l Move cursor right one character. 210 LeftArrow ESC-h Move cursor left one character. 211 ctrl-RightArrow ESC-RightArrow ESC-w Move cursor right one word. 212 ctrl-LeftArrow ESC-LeftArrow ESC-b Move cursor left one word. 213 HOME ESC-0 Move cursor to start of line. 214 END ESC-$ Move cursor to end of line. 215 BACKSPACE Delete char to left of cursor. 216 DELETE ESC-x Delete char under cursor. 217 ctrl-BACKSPACE ESC-BACKSPACE Delete word to left of cursor. 218 ctrl-DELETE ESC-DELETE ESC-X Delete word under cursor. 219 ctrl-U ESC (MS-DOS only) Delete entire line. 220 UpArrow ESC-k Retrieve previous command line. 221 DownArrow ESC-j Retrieve next command line. 222 TAB Complete filename & cycle. 223 SHIFT-TAB ESC-TAB Complete filename & reverse cycle. 224 ctrl-L Complete filename, list all. 225 226