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(readline.info.gz) Completion Variables

Info Catalog (readline.info.gz) Completion Functions (readline.info.gz) Custom Completers (readline.info.gz) A Short Completion Example
 
 2.6.3 Completion Variables
 --------------------------
 
  -- Variable: rl_compentry_func_t * rl_completion_entry_function
      A pointer to the generator function for `rl_completion_matches()'.
      `NULL' means to use `rl_filename_completion_function()', the
      default filename completer.
 
  -- Variable: rl_completion_func_t * rl_attempted_completion_function
      A pointer to an alternative function to create matches.  The
      function is called with TEXT, START, and END.  START and END are
      indices in `rl_line_buffer' defining the boundaries of TEXT, which
      is a character string.  If this function exists and returns
      `NULL', or if this variable is set to `NULL', then `rl_complete()'
      will call the value of `rl_completion_entry_function' to generate
      matches, otherwise the array of strings returned will be used.  If
      this function sets the `rl_attempted_completion_over' variable to
      a non-zero value, Readline will not perform its default completion
      even if this function returns no matches.
 
  -- Variable: rl_quote_func_t * rl_filename_quoting_function
      A pointer to a function that will quote a filename in an
      application-specific fashion.  This is called if filename
      completion is being attempted and one of the characters in
      `rl_filename_quote_characters' appears in a completed filename.
      The function is called with TEXT, MATCH_TYPE, and QUOTE_POINTER.
      The TEXT is the filename to be quoted.  The MATCH_TYPE is either
      `SINGLE_MATCH', if there is only one completion match, or
      `MULT_MATCH'.  Some functions use this to decide whether or not to
      insert a closing quote character.  The QUOTE_POINTER is a pointer
      to any opening quote character the user typed.  Some functions
      choose to reset this character.
 
  -- Variable: rl_dequote_func_t * rl_filename_dequoting_function
      A pointer to a function that will remove application-specific
      quoting characters from a filename before completion is attempted,
      so those characters do not interfere with matching the text
      against names in the filesystem.  It is called with TEXT, the text
      of the word to be dequoted, and QUOTE_CHAR, which is the quoting
      character that delimits the filename (usually `'' or `"').  If
      QUOTE_CHAR is zero, the filename was not in an embedded string.
 
  -- Variable: rl_linebuf_func_t * rl_char_is_quoted_p
      A pointer to a function to call that determines whether or not a
      specific character in the line buffer is quoted, according to
      whatever quoting mechanism the program calling Readline uses.  The
      function is called with two arguments: TEXT, the text of the line,
      and INDEX, the index of the character in the line.  It is used to
      decide whether a character found in
      `rl_completer_word_break_characters' should be used to break words
      for the completer.
 
  -- Variable: rl_compignore_func_t * rl_ignore_some_completions_function
      This function, if defined, is called by the completer when real
      filename completion is done, after all the matching names have
      been generated.  It is passed a `NULL' terminated array of matches.
      The first element (`matches[0]') is the maximal substring common
      to all matches. This function can re-arrange the list of matches
      as required, but each element deleted from the array must be freed.
 
  -- Variable: rl_icppfunc_t * rl_directory_completion_hook
      This function, if defined, is allowed to modify the directory
      portion of filenames Readline completes.  It is called with the
      address of a string (the current directory name) as an argument,
      and may modify that string.  If the string is replaced with a new
      string, the old value should be freed.  Any modified directory
      name should have a trailing slash.  The modified value will be
      displayed as part of the completion, replacing the directory
      portion of the pathname the user typed.  It returns an integer
      that should be non-zero if the function modifies its directory
      argument.  It could be used to expand symbolic links or shell
      variables in pathnames.  At the least, even if no other expansion
      is performed, this function should remove any quote characters
      from the directory name, because its result will be passed
      directly to `opendir()'.
 
  -- Variable: rl_compdisp_func_t * rl_completion_display_matches_hook
      If non-zero, then this is the address of a function to call when
      completing a word would normally display the list of possible
      matches.  This function is called in lieu of Readline displaying
      the list.  It takes three arguments: (`char **'MATCHES, `int'
      NUM_MATCHES, `int' MAX_LENGTH) where MATCHES is the array of
      matching strings, NUM_MATCHES is the number of strings in that
      array, and MAX_LENGTH is the length of the longest string in that
      array.  Readline provides a convenience function,
      `rl_display_match_list', that takes care of doing the display to
      Readline's output stream.  That function may be called from this
      hook.
 
  -- Variable: const char * rl_basic_word_break_characters
      The basic list of characters that signal a break between words for
      the completer routine.  The default value of this variable is the
      characters which break words for completion in Bash: `"
      \t\n\"\\'`@$><=;|&{("'.
 
  -- Variable: const char * rl_basic_quote_characters
      A list of quote characters which can cause a word break.
 
  -- Variable: const char * rl_completer_word_break_characters
      The list of characters that signal a break between words for
      `rl_complete_internal()'.  The default list is the value of
      `rl_basic_word_break_characters'.
 
  -- Variable: rl_cpvfunc_t * rl_completion_word_break_hook
      If non-zero, this is the address of a function to call when
      Readline is deciding where to separate words for word completion.
      It should return a character string like
      `rl_completer_word_break_characters' to be used to perform the
      current completion.  The function may choose to set
      `rl_completer_word_break_characters' itself.  If the function
      returns `NULL', `rl_completer_word_break_characters' is used.
 
  -- Variable: const char * rl_completer_quote_characters
      A list of characters which can be used to quote a substring of the
      line.  Completion occurs on the entire substring, and within the
      substring `rl_completer_word_break_characters' are treated as any
      other character, unless they also appear within this list.
 
  -- Variable: const char * rl_filename_quote_characters
      A list of characters that cause a filename to be quoted by the
      completer when they appear in a completed filename.  The default
      is the null string.
 
  -- Variable: const char * rl_special_prefixes
      The list of characters that are word break characters, but should
      be left in TEXT when it is passed to the completion function.
      Programs can use this to help determine what kind of completing to
      do.  For instance, Bash sets this variable to "$@" so that it can
      complete shell variables and hostnames.
 
  -- Variable: int rl_completion_query_items
      Up to this many items will be displayed in response to a
      possible-completions call.  After that, readline asks the user if
      she is sure she wants to see them all.  The default value is 100.
      A negative value indicates that Readline should never ask the user.
 
  -- Variable: int rl_completion_append_character
      When a single completion alternative matches at the end of the
      command line, this character is appended to the inserted
      completion text.  The default is a space character (` ').  Setting
      this to the null character (`\0') prevents anything being appended
      automatically.  This can be changed in application-specific
      completion functions to provide the "most sensible word separator
      character" according to an application-specific command line
      syntax specification.
 
  -- Variable: int rl_completion_suppress_append
      If non-zero, RL_COMPLETION_APPEND_CHARACTER is not appended to
      matches at the end of the command line, as described above.  It is
      set to 0 before any application-specific completion function is
      called, and may only be changed within such a function.
 
  -- Variable: int rl_completion_quote_character
      When Readline is completing quoted text, as delimited by one of the
      characters in RL_COMPLETER_QUOTE_CHARACTERS, it sets this variable
      to the quoting character found.  This is set before any
      application-specific completion function is called.
 
  -- Variable: int rl_completion_suppress_quote
      If non-zero, Readline does not append a matching quote character
      when performing completion on a quoted string.  It is set to 0
      before any application-specific completion function is called, and
      may only be changed within such a function.
 
  -- Variable: int rl_completion_found_quote
      When Readline is completing quoted text, it sets this variable to
      a non-zero value if the word being completed contains or is
      delimited by any quoting characters, including backslashes.  This
      is set before any application-specific completion function is
      called.
 
  -- Variable: int rl_completion_mark_symlink_dirs
      If non-zero, a slash will be appended to completed filenames that
      are symbolic links to directory names, subject to the value of the
      user-settable MARK-DIRECTORIES variable.  This variable exists so
      that application-specific completion functions can override the
      user's global preference (set via the MARK-SYMLINKED-DIRECTORIES
      Readline variable) if appropriate.  This variable is set to the
      user's preference before any application-specific completion
      function is called, so unless that function modifies the value,
      the user's preferences are honored.
 
  -- Variable: int rl_ignore_completion_duplicates
      If non-zero, then duplicates in the matches are removed.  The
      default is 1.
 
  -- Variable: int rl_filename_completion_desired
      Non-zero means that the results of the matches are to be treated as
      filenames.  This is _always_ zero when completion is attempted,
      and can only be changed within an application-specific completion
      function.  If it is set to a non-zero value by such a function,
      directory names have a slash appended and Readline attempts to
      quote completed filenames if they contain any characters in
      `rl_filename_quote_characters' and `rl_filename_quoting_desired'
      is set to a non-zero value.
 
  -- Variable: int rl_filename_quoting_desired
      Non-zero means that the results of the matches are to be quoted
      using double quotes (or an application-specific quoting mechanism)
      if the completed filename contains any characters in
      `rl_filename_quote_chars'.  This is _always_ non-zero when
      completion is attempted, and can only be changed within an
      application-specific completion function.  The quoting is effected
      via a call to the function pointed to by
      `rl_filename_quoting_function'.
 
  -- Variable: int rl_attempted_completion_over
      If an application-specific completion function assigned to
      `rl_attempted_completion_function' sets this variable to a non-zero
      value, Readline will not perform its default filename completion
      even if the application's completion function returns no matches.
      It should be set only by an application's completion function.
 
  -- Variable: int rl_completion_type
      Set to a character describing the type of completion Readline is
      currently attempting; see the description of
      `rl_complete_internal()' ( Completion Functions) for the
      list of characters.  This is set to the appropriate value before
      any application-specific completion function is called, allowing
      such functions to present the same interface as `rl_complete()'.
 
  -- Variable: int rl_inhibit_completion
      If this variable is non-zero, completion is inhibited.  The
      completion character will be inserted as any other bound to
      `self-insert'.
 
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