The Zsh Pony

============

Author:

Date: 2011-07-29 21:33:37 CEST

============

Table of Contents

=================

1 Preface

2 Grml-zshrc

3 Switching directories for lazy people

4 Share history file amongst all Zsh sessions, ignoring dupes

5 Option Setting in Zsh, AKA setopt*

6 Replace spaces in filenames with a underline

7 Fast Manpage access

8 Completion System

8.1 Enable completion

8.2 Menu Selection

8.3 Use colors in completion

8.4 Pick item but stay in the menu

9 Globbing / Glob Qualifiers

10 Keybindings

10.1 Run `bindkey` to get a listing of currently active keybindings

10.2 Get emacs-like keybindings

10.3 Tip: run "bindkey ctrl-v <keys>" to find out which action is bount to a key

10.4 Some interesting keybindings

10.5 Remove last part from directory name

10.6 Keybindings {up,down}-line-or-search and history-beginning-search-{backward,forward}-end

10.7 Incremental search with history-incremental-pattern-search-backward:

10.8 Zsh Line Editor (AKA zle)

10.9 Edit command line in editor

10.10 Insert a timestamp on the command line (yyyy-mm-dd)

10.11 Insert last typed word

10.12 Complete word from history with menu

11 Loadable modules

11.1 Play tetris

11.2 URL quoting

12 Prompt

12.1 Exit code in prompt, if it's not exit code 0

12.2 Special functions

12.2.1 precmd(): executed before each prompt - e.g. for setting prompt information

12.2.2 preexec(): running before every command - e.g. for setting GNU screen title

12.3 RPOMPT with a smiley (note: the version in grml-zshrc is more sophisticated -> moving smiley)

13 Get VCS information into your prompt - vcs\_info

14 Hashed directories

15 On-the-fly editing of variables

16 History

16.1 fc

16.2 Top 10 commands

16.3 Check your history for most frequently used commands and create aliases/functions for them (AKA top10):

17 Text replacing

18 Suffix aliases

19 Grml-zshrc specific stuff

19.1 List changelog of a Debian package

19.2 In-place mkdir to create directory under cursor or the selected area

19.3 Create a temporary directory and change cwd to it

19.4 Directory specific shell configuration with Zsh

19.5 Smart cd

19.6 grml-zsh-fg

19.7 sudo-command-line

20 Fast directory switching

20.1 check out "dirstack handling" in grml-zshrc for persistent directory stack feature

21 Speed up typing

22 FAQ

23 Important Resources

24 Credits

25 Copyright

1 Preface

----------

The Zsh defaults to a minimalistic configuration which doesn't show the

potential behind this powerful and flexible shell. The Zsh pony project

provides a list of really hot stuff of what's possible with Zsh.

2 Grml-zshrc

-------------

Grab a fully featured Zsh configuration:

% wget -O .zshrc http://git.grml.org/f/grml-etc-core/etc/zsh/zshrc

3 Switching directories for lazy people

----------------------------------------

% setopt autocd && /tmp

4 Share history file amongst all Zsh sessions, ignoring dupes

--------------------------------------------------------------

% setopt append_history share_history histignorealldups

5 Option Setting in Zsh, AKA setopt*

-------------------------------------

% setopt $OPTION

% man zshoptions

6 Replace spaces in filenames with a underline

-----------------------------------------------

% autoload -U zmv

% touch 1\ 2 3\ 4\ 5

% zmv '* *' '$f:gs/ /_'

7 Fast Manpage access

----------------------

% autoload run-help

% echo foo | xargs <esc-h>

and then:

% git commit<esc-h>

or even ('g' being an alias for git and 'co' and git alias for commit):

% g co<esc-h>

8 Completion System

--------------------

8.1 Enable completion

======================

% autoload compinit && compinit

% kill c<tab>

% man z<tab>

% dpkg -L <tab>

8.2 Menu Selection

===================

% zstyle ':completion:*' menu select

Layout is :completion:FUNCTION:COMPLETER:COMMAND-OR-MAGIC-CONTEXT:ARGUMENT:TAG

Tip: Get completion help running 'ctrl-x h'.

8.3 Use colors in completion

=============================

zstyle ':completion:*:default' list-colors ${(s.:.)LS_COLORS}

8.4 Pick item but stay in the menu

===================================

% bindkey -M menuselect "+" accept-and-menu-complete

% ls <tab> +

9 Globbing / Glob Qualifiers

-----------------------------

Makes find(1) useless for many jobs.

% setopt extendedglob

% rm ../debianpackage(.) # remove files only

% ls -d *(/) # list directories only

% ls /etc/*(@) # list symlinks only

% ls -l *.(png|jpg|gif) # list pictures only

% ls *(*) # list executables only

% ls /etc/**/zsh # which directories contain 'zsh'?

% ls **/*(-@) # list dangling symlinks ('**' recurses down directory trees)

% ls foo*~*bar* # match everything that starts with foo but doesn't contain bar

The e glob qualifier - e.g. to match all files of which file

says that they are JPEGs:

% ls *(e:'file $REPLY | grep -q JPEG':)

- (#s) or (#e) for what ^ and $ are in regexps (beginning of line/end of line)

- (#b) or (#m) to enable backreferences

- (#i) to match case insensitive

- (#a) to match approximately (certain errors are ignored, e.g. "(#a1)foo*" matches the string "ofobar")

Tip: run e.g. `ls *(<tab>` to get help regarding globbing.

10 Keybindings

---------------

10.1 Run `bindkey` to get a listing of currently active keybindings

====================================================================

Notes:

1) \^ := ctrl

2) \^[ := esc

10.2 Get emacs-like keybindings

================================

Zsh defaults to vi keybindings ('bindkey -v') if $VISUAL or $EDITOR contain string 'vi'.

Run 'bindkey -e' to get emacs-like keybindings then.

10.3 Tip: run "bindkey ctrl-v <keys>" to find out which action is bount to a key

=================================================================================

10.4 Some interesting keybindings

==================================

Keybinding Meaning

------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------

ctrl-d complete + EOF

ctrl-l clear screen

ctrl-w delete last word

ctrl-\_ undo

tab complete and take first result

esc-. insert last parameter of last typed command (similar to typing !$)

ctrl-a begin of line

ctrl-e end of line

alt-' quote-line ('')

alt-? which-command

ctrl-k kill line

ctrl-u kill while line (kill-ring)

ctrl-w copy last word (kill-ring)

ctrl-y yank (insert kill-ring)

esc-q push line

10.5 Remove last part from directory name

==========================================

% slash-backward-kill-word() {

local WORDCHARS="${WORDCHARS:s@/@}"

zle backward-kill-word

}

% zle -N slash-backward-kill-word

% bindkey '\e^?' slash-backward-kill-word

% cd /usr/share/doc/mutt/examples/<alt+backspace>

Note: configured by default in grml-zshrc, so ready for usage out-of-the-box.

10.6 Keybindings {up,down}-line-or-search and history-beginning-search-{backward,forward}-end

==============================================================================================

% echo 123

% echo 234

% ls

and then:

% echo <cursor-up|down>

vs.

% echo 2<page-up|down>

10.7 Incremental search with history-incremental-pattern-search-backward:

==========================================================================

% <ctrl-r>scp*r

10.8 Zsh Line Editor (AKA zle)

===============================

1) It's what readline is for bash (move, delete, copy words/lines/...)

2) Basic layout of custom widgets, used like functions:

% foobar() { LBUFFER="foobar $LBUFFER"; } # function

% zle -N foobar # declare function as bindable widget

% bindkey '^x^s' foobar # bind command to a keybinding

3) ctrl-x-z provides help_zle_parse_keybindings in grml-zshrc

10.9 Edit command line in editor

=================================

% autoload edit-command-line && zle -N edit-command-line

% bindkey '\ee' edit-command-line

% $SOME_COMMAND_LINE <esc-e>

10.10 Insert a timestamp on the command line (yyyy-mm-dd)

==========================================================

insert-datestamp() { LBUFFER+=${(%):-'%D{%Y-%m-%d}'}; }

zle -N insert-datestamp

bindkey '^Ed' insert-datestamp

10.11 Insert last typed word

=============================

% insert-last-typed-word() { zle insert-last-word -- 0 -1 };

% zle -N insert-last-typed-word;

% bindkey "\em" insert-last-typed-word

% mv foobar <esc-m>

10.12 Complete word from history with menu

===========================================

% zle -C hist-complete complete-word _generic

% zstyle ':completion:hist-complete:*' completer _history

% bindkey "^X^X" hist-complete

11 Loadable modules

--------------------

11.1 Play tetris

=================

% autoload -U tetris

% tetris

11.2 URL quoting

=================

% autoload -U url-quote-magic

% zle -N self-insert url-quote-magic

Disclaimer: annoying when using e.g. [http://example.org/foo{1,2,3}.tgz]

12 Prompt

----------

% autoload -U promptinit

% promptinit

% prompt fire

% prompt <tab>

12.1 Exit code in prompt, if it's not exit code 0

==================================================

12.2 Special functions

=======================

12.2.1 precmd(): executed before each prompt - e.g. for setting prompt information

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12.2.2 preexec(): running before every command - e.g. for setting GNU screen title

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12.3 RPOMPT with a smiley (note: the version in grml-zshrc is more sophisticated -> moving smiley)

===================================================================================================

precmd () { RPROMPT="%(?..:()%" }

13 Get VCS information into your prompt - vcs\_info

----------------------------------------------------

autoload -Uz vcs_info

precmd() {

psvar=()

vcs_info

[ -n $vcs_info_msg_0_ ] && psvar[1]="$vcs_info_msg_0_"

}

PS1="%m%(1v.%F{green}%1v%f.)%# "

14 Hashed directories

----------------------

% hash -d doc=/usr/share/doc

% cd ~doc

% hash -d deb=/var/cache/apt/archives

% sudo dpkg -i ~deb/foobar*deb

15 On-the-fly editing of variables

-----------------------------------

% vared PATH

16 History

-----------

Supports csh style bang history expansion.

% history # last 16 events

% history -E 0 # all history events including date/time information

% !23 # Re-execute history command 23

% !! # The last command.

% !$ # Last word of the last command.

% !-2 # The last but one command.

% !-2$ # The last word of the command before the last command.

% !#$ # The last word of the current command line.

% !#0 # The first word of the current command line.

% !?foo # The last command that matches the pattern `foo'.

% !?foo?1 # The second word of the last command line that matches `foo'.

...and that's really just the start. History expansion is extremely versatile

and powerful - but also a bit cryptic for the untrained eye. Practice, young

padawan, makes perfect. .o( man zshexpn | less -p '\^HISTO.*ANSION$' )

16.1 fc

========

+ fc -p/fc -a/fc -P deals with the "history stack"

+ "fc -p" clears out the current history and starts with a new one,

until you run fc -P, which will restore the old history again

+ You can use that to "bind" certain histories to specific directories.

16.2 Top 10 commands

=====================

16.3 Check your history for most frequently used commands and create aliases/functions for them (AKA top10):

=============================================================================================================

% print -l -- ${(o)history%% *} | uniq -c | sort -nr | head -n 10

17 Text replacing

------------------

% mkdir -p /tmp/linux-2.6.3{8,9}/demo

% cd /tmp/linux-2.6.38/demo

% cd 38 <tab>

% echo foo

% ^foo^bar

% echo foo_bar

% echo !$:s/foo/baz/

18 Suffix aliases

------------------

% alias -s txt=vim

% foobar.txt

% alias -s pdf=xpdf

% print.pdf

19 Grml-zshrc specific stuff

-----------------------------

19.1 List changelog of a Debian package

========================================

% dchange $DEBIAN_PACKAGE

19.2 In-place mkdir to create directory under cursor or the selected area

==========================================================================

% cp file /tmp/doesnotexist/<ctrl-xM>

19.3 Create a temporary directory and change cwd to it

=======================================================

% cdt

19.4 Directory specific shell configuration with Zsh

=====================================================

See [http://michael-prokop.at/blog/2009/05/30/directory-specific-shell-configuration-with-zsh/]

Hint: do you remember the fc section? You can combine the directory specific shell configuration with 'fc -p $file'!

19.5 Smart cd

==============

% which cd

cd () {

if [ -f ${1} ]

then

[ ! -e ${1:h} ] && return 1

print "Correcting ${1} to ${1:h}"

builtin cd ${1:h}

else

builtin cd ${1}

fi

}

% cd /etc/fstab

19.6 grml-zsh-fg

=================

% vim # ... <ctrl-z>

% echo foobar

% <ctrl-z>

19.7 sudo-command-line

=======================

% which sudo-command-line

sudo-command-line () {

[ -z $BUFFER ] && zle up-history

if [ $BUFFER != sudo\ * ]

then

BUFFER="sudo $BUFFER"

CURSOR=$(( CURSOR+5 ))

fi

}

% gparted /dev/sda <ctrl-o s>

20 Fast directory switching

----------------------------

% cd -<tab>

20.1 check out "dirstack handling" in grml-zshrc for persistent directory stack feature

========================================================================================

21 Speed up typing

-------------------

Long version Short version

----------------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------------

for i in $(seq 2 9); do echo $i ; done for i in {2..9}; echo $i

ls $(which vim) ls =vim

cat bar baz $PIPECHAR sort sort <b{ar,az}

ls /usr/share/doc/mutt/examples ls /u/s/d/m/e<tab>

gzip -cd foo.gz && less foo less <(gzip -cd foo.gz)

ls >file1; ls >file2; ls >file3 ls >file1 >file2 >file3

- less <file1 <file2

- diff <(sort foo) <(sort bar)

- xpdf =(zcat ~doc/grml-docs/zsh/grml-zsh-refcard.pdf.gz)

22 FAQ

-------

1) Q: How to I get a listing of all my currently in use options?

Answer:

setopt ksh_option_print && setopt

or:

printf '%s=%s\n' "${(@kv)options}"

2) Q: Why do I get "zsh: command not found:" even though I just installed the program?

Answer: execute:

% rehash

or use completion system as provided by grml-zshrc (completion will rehash automatically).

3) Q: What's this strange word splitting thing?

Answer: see [http://zsh.sourceforge.net/FAQ/zshfaq03.html]

% var="foo bar"

% args() { echo $#; }

% args $var

1

% setopt shwordsplit

% args $var

2

23 Important Resources

-----------------------

1) Zsh Homepage: [http://zsh.sourceforge.net/]

2) Zsh Wiki: [http://zshwiki.org]

3) Zsh Manpages: man zshall

4) Zsh Reference Card: [http://www.bash2zsh.com/zsh\_refcard/refcard.pdf]

5) User's Guide to ZSH: [http://zsh.sourceforge.net/Guide/] (old but still interesting)

6) Zsh Talk by caphuso: [http://ft.bewatermyfriend.org/comp/zshtalk.html]

7) English Book: [http://www.bash2zsh.com/]

8) German Book: [http://zshbuch.org/]

9) Grml's Zsh stuff: [http://grml.org/zsh/]

[http://www.bash2zsh.com/zsh\_refcard/refcard.pdf]: http://www.bash2zsh.com/zsh_refcard/refcard.pdf

24 Credits

-----------

Thanks to Frank Terbeck for reviewing and his valuable feedback (which isn't limited to this document :)).

25 Copyright

-------------

(c) 2011 by Michael Prokop <[email protected]>

[1] DEFINITION NOT FOUND: 1