(ed.info.gz) Commands

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 6 Commands
 **********
 
 All `ed' commands are single characters, though some require additonal
 parameters. If a command's parameters extend over several lines, then
 each line except for the last must be terminated with a backslash (`\').
 
    In general, at most one command is allowed per line. However, most
 commands accept a print suffix, which is any of `p' (print), `l'
 (list), or `n' (enumerate), to print the last line affected by the
 command.
 
    An interrupt (typically <Control-C>) has the effect of aborting the
 current command and returning the editor to command mode.
 
    `ed' recognizes the following commands. The commands are shown
 together with the default address or address range supplied if none is
 specified (in parenthesis).
 
 `(.)a'
      Appends text to the buffer after the addressed line, which may be
      the address `0' (zero). Text is entered in input mode. The current
      address is set to last line entered.
 
 `(.,.)c'
      Changes lines in the buffer. The addressed lines are deleted from
      the buffer, and text is appended in their place. Text is entered
      in input mode. The current address is set to last line entered.
 
 `(.,.)d'
      Deletes the addressed lines from the buffer. If there is a line
      after the deleted range, then the current address is set to this
      line.  Otherwise the current address is set to the line before the
      deleted range.
 
 `e FILE'
      Edits FILE, and sets the default filename. If FILE is not
      specified, then the default filename is used. Any lines in the
      buffer are deleted before the new file is read. The current
      address is set to the last line read.
 
 `e !COMMAND'
      Edits the standard output of `!COMMAND', (see the `!' command
      below). The default filename is unchanged. Any lines in the buffer
      are deleted before the output of COMMAND is read. The current
      address is set to the last line read.
 
 `E FILE'
      Edits FILE unconditionally. This is similar to the `e' command,
      except that unwritten changes are discarded without warning.  The
      current address is set to the last line read.
 
 `f FILE'
      Sets the default filename to FILE. If FILE is not specified, then
      the default unescaped filename is printed.
 
 `(1,$)g /RE/COMMAND-LIST'
      Global command. Applies COMMAND-LIST to each of the addressed
      lines matching a regular expression RE. The current address is set
      to the line currently matched before COMMAND-LIST is executed. At
      the end of the `g' command, the current address is set to the last
      line affected by COMMAND-LIST.
 
      At least the first command of COMMAND-LIST must appear on the same
      line as the `g' command. All lines of a multi-line COMMAND-LIST
      except the last line must be terminated with a backslash (`\').
      Any commands are allowed, except for `g', `G', `v', and `V'. By
      default, a newline alone in COMMAND-LIST is equivalent to a `p'
      command. If `ed' is invoked with the command-line option `-G',
      then a newline in COMMAND-LIST is equivalent to a `.+1p' command.
 
 `(1,$)G /RE/'
      Interactive global command. Interactively edits the addressed lines
      matching a regular expression RE. For each matching line, the line
      is printed, the current address is set, and the user is prompted to
      enter a COMMAND-LIST. At the end of the `G' command, the current
      address is set to the last line affected by (the last)
      COMMAND-LIST.
 
      The format of COMMAND-LIST is the same as that of the `g' command.
      A newline alone acts as a null command list. A single `&' repeats
      the last non-null command list.
 
 `H'
      Toggles the printing of error explanations. By default,
      explanations are not printed. It is recommended that ed scripts
      begin with this command to aid in debugging.
 
 `h'
      Prints an explanation of the last error.
 
 `(.)i'
      Inserts text in the buffer before the current line. The address `0'
      (zero) is valid for this command; it is equivalent to address `1'.
      Text is entered in input mode. The current address is set to the
      last line entered.
 
 `(.,.+1)j'
      Joins the addressed lines. The addressed lines are deleted from the
      buffer and replaced by a single line containing their joined text.
      The current address is set to the resultant line.
 
 `(.)kx'
      Marks a line with a lower case letter `x'. The line can then be
      addressed as `'x' (i.e., a single quote followed by `x') in
      subsequent commands. The mark is not cleared until the line is
      deleted or otherwise modified.
 
 `(.,.)l'
      Prints the addressed lines unambiguously. The end of each line is
      marked with a `$', and every `$' character within the text is
      printed with a preceding backslash. The current address is set to
      the last line printed.
 
 `(.,.)m(.)'
      Moves lines in the buffer. The addressed lines are moved to after
      the right-hand destination address, which may be the address `0'
      (zero). The current address is set to the last line moved.
 
 `(.,.)n'
      Prints the addressed lines, preceding each line by its line number
      and a <tab>. The current address is set to the last line printed.
 
 `(.,.)p'
      Prints the addressed lines. The current address is set to the last
      line printed.
 
 `P'
      Toggles the command prompt on and off. Unless a prompt is
      specified with command-line option `-p', the command prompt is by
      default turned off.
 
 `q'
      Quits `ed'.
 
 `Q'
      Quits `ed' unconditionally. This is similar to the `q' command,
      except that unwritten changes are discarded without warning.
 
 `($)r FILE'
      Reads FILE to after the addressed line. If FILE is not specified,
      then the default filename is used. If there is no default filename
      prior to the command, then the default filename is set to FILE.
      Otherwise, the default filename is unchanged. The current address
      is set to the last line read.
 
 `($)r !COMMAND'
      Reads to after the addressed line the standard output of
      `!command', (see the `!' command below). The default filename is
      unchanged. The current address is set to the last line read.
 
 `(.,.)s /RE/REPLACEMENT/'
 `(.,.)s /RE/REPLACEMENT/g'
 `(.,.)s /RE/REPLACEMENT/N'
      Replaces text in the addressed lines matching a regular expression
      RE with REPLACEMENT. By default, only the first match in each line
      is replaced. If the `g' (global) suffix is given, then every match
      is replaced. The N suffix, where N is a postive number, causes
      only the Nth match to be replaced. It is an error if no
      substitutions are performed on any of the addressed lines. The
      current address is set the last line affected.
 
      RE and REPLACEMENT may be delimited by any character other than
      <space> and <newline> (see the `s' command below). If one or two
      of the last delimiters is omitted, then the last line affected is
      printed as if the print suffix `p' were specified.
 
      An unescaped `&' in REPLACEMENT is replaced by the currently
      matched text. The character sequence `\M' where M is a number in
      the range [1,9], is replaced by the Mth backreference expression
      of the matched text. If REPLACEMENT consists of a single `%', then
      REPLACEMENT from the last substitution is used. Newlines may be
      embedded in REPLACEMENT if they are escaped with a backslash (`\').
 
 `(.,.)s'
      Repeats the last substitution. This form of the `s' command accepts
      a count suffix N, or any combination of the characters `r', `g',
      and `p'. If a count suffix N is given, then only the Nth match is
      replaced. The `r' suffix causes the regular expression of the last
      search to be used instead of the that of the last substitution.
      The `g' suffix toggles the global suffix of the last substitution.
      The `p' suffix toggles the print suffix of the last substitution
      The current address is set to the last line affected.
 
 `(.,.)t(.)'
      Copies (i.e., transfers) the addressed lines to after the
      right-hand destination address, which may be the address `0'
      (zero). The current address is set to the last line copied.
 
 `u'
      Undoes the last command and restores the current address to what
      it was before the command. The global commands `g', `G', `v', and
      `V' are treated as a single command by undo. `u' is its own
      inverse.
 
 `(1,$)v /RE/COMMAND-LIST'
      This is similar to the `g' command except that it applies
      COMMAND-LIST to each of the addressed lines not matching the
      regular expression RE.
 
 `(1,$)V /RE/'
      This is similar to the `G' command except that it interactively
      edits the addressed lines not matching the regular expression RE.
 
 `(1,$)w FILE'
      Writes the addressed lines to FILE. Any previous contents of FILE
      is lost without warning. If there is no default filename, then the
      default filename is set to FILE, otherwise it is unchanged. If no
      filename is specified, then the default filename is used. The
      current address is unchanged.
 
 `(1,$)w !COMMAND'
      Writes the addressed lines to the standard input of `!COMMAND',
      (see the `!' command below). The default filename and current
      address are unchanged.
 
 `(1,$)wq FILE'
      Writes the addressed lines to FILE, and then executes a `q'
      command.
 
 `(1,$)W FILE'
      Appends the addressed lines to the end of FILE. This is similar to
      the `w' command, expect that the previous contents of file is not
      clobbered. The current address is unchanged.
 
 `(.)x'
      Copies (puts) the contents of the cut buffer to after the addressed
      line. The current address is set to the last line copied.
 
 `(.,.)y'
      Copies (yanks) the addressed lines to the cut buffer. The cut
      buffer is overwritten by subsequent `y', `s', `j', `d', or `c'
      commands. The current address is unchanged.
 
 `(.+1)z N'
      Scrolls N lines at a time starting at addressed line. If N is not
      specified, then the current window size is used. The current
      address is set to the last line printed.
 
 `!COMMAND'
      Executes COMMAND via `sh (1)'. If the first character of COMMAND
      is `!', then it is replaced by text of the previous `!COMMAND'.
      `ed' does not process COMMAND for backslash (`\') escapes.
      However, an unescaped `%' is replaced by the default filename.
      When the shell returns from execution, a `!' is printed to the
      standard output. The current line is unchanged.
 
 `(.,.)#'
      Begins a comment; the rest of the line, up to a newline, is
      ignored. If a line address followed by a semicolon is given, then
      the current address is set to that address. Otherwise, the current
      address is unchanged.
 
 `($)='
      Prints the line number of the addressed line.
 
 `(.+1)<newline>'
      An address alone prints the addressed line. A <newline> alone is
      equivalent to `+1p'. the current address is set to the address of
      the printed line.
 
 
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