# phpman > man > zshcompctl(1) [ZSHCOMPCTL(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ZSHCOMPCTL/1/markdown) General Commands Manual [ZSHCOMPCTL(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ZSHCOMPCTL/1/markdown) ## 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 func‐ tions; this is described in [_zshcompsys_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/zshcompsys/1/markdown), and the basic shell mechanisms which support it are described in [_zshcompwid_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/zshcompwid/1/markdown). 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 com‐ plete 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 de‐ fault. The behavior when completing the command word itself may also be separately speci‐ fied. 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 compo‐ nent. 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 gen‐ eration. 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 begin‐ ning 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 pro‐ ceeds 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 **COM**‐‐ **PLETE**___**ALIASES** option is set. Commands may not be combined with the **-C**, **-D** or **-T** flags. ### -C -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 special behavior. If no **compctl** **-D** command has been issued, filenames are completed. ### -T processing for **compctl**s 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 com‐ mands 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 nec‐ essary so that this form of **~**-completion is not tried after the directory name is fin‐ ished. ### -L 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 pos‐ sibilities. The options are as follows. ### Simple Flags These produce completion lists made up by the shell itself: ### -f **-/** Just file system paths. ### -c ### -F ### -B ### -m ### -w ### -a ### -R ### -G ### -d -F -B -w -a -R -G tions, builtins, reserved words or aliases. ### -e 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 ### -v ### -N ### -A ### -I ### -O ### -p ### -Z ### -E ### -n ### -b ### -j **kill** builtin. ### -r ### -z ### -u ### Flags with Arguments These have user supplied arguments to determine how the list of completions is to be made up: ### -k Names taken from the elements of **$**_array_ (note that the `**$**' does not appear on the com‐ mand 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 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 comple‐ tions. 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 `**(ei**‐‐ **ther|or)**' to match alternatives.) ### -s The _subststring_ is split into words and these words are than expanded using all shell expansion mechanisms (see [_zshexpn_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/zshexpn/1/markdown)). The resulting words are taken as possible com‐ pletions. The **fignore** special parameter is not applied to the resulting files. Note that **-g** is faster for filenames. ### -K Call the given function to get the completions. Unless the name starts with an under‐ score, 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 exam‐ ple, **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 The possible completions are taken from the last _num_ history lines. Only words match‐ ing _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 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 ap‐ propriate 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 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 ex‐ ample, **compctl** **-j** **-P** **"%"** **kill** inserts a `%' after the kill command and then completes job names. ### -S 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 With directory _file-prefix_: for command, file, directory and globbing completion (op‐ tions **-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 comple‐ tions. ### -q -S moved 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 charac‐ ter; this the same rule used for the **AUTO**___**REMOVE**___**SLASH** option. The option is most useful for list separators (comma, colon, etc.). ### -l ments. 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 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 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 The list provided by _func-or-var_ is displayed instead of the list of completions when‐ ever 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. Oth‐ erwise 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 origi‐ nal 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, new‐ lines are printed literally and if they appear output in columns is suppressed. ### -X 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** op‐ tion). If the same explanation string is given to multiple **-X** options, the string ap‐ pears 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 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 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 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 en‐ countered, 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 al‐ ternatives before and after the **+** to be considered at once. Because of the **-J** op‐ tions, however, all files are listed before all variables. ### -V Like **-J**, but matches within the group will not be sorted in listings nor in menu com‐ pletion. 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 -V be removed. Note that groups with and without this flag are in different name spaces. ### -2 -J -V groups with and without this flag are in different name spaces. ### -M 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 pre‐ vent 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 in‐ clusive. 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 posi‐ tion. 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 _index_th 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 _index_th occurrence of any of the characters in _string_ will not be con‐ sidered 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 cur‐ sor 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 let‐ ter `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 5.8.1 February 12, 2022 [ZSHCOMPCTL(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ZSHCOMPCTL/1/markdown)