Synopsis:
history [<number>]
! [<history number|history match>]
Description:
Command history is a useful little feature that allows you to
quickly recall commands previously executed. The conventions
followed are similar to those of the GNU bash or Cornell's tcsh Unix
command shells. There are two versions of this command, one which
just lists out the command history, and another which actually
recalls a specific command for use on the input line.
The HISTORY command is the simple version. All it does is spit out
a list of commands you've previously entered (the exact number is
determined by your HISTORY setting). You can limit the number of
items to list, or just list all of them. Each item is assigned a
unique index number, which can be referred to by !. This list can
be saved for later use, if you have HISTORY_FILE set to something.
The more complex version is the ! command. Based on the input you
give it, it searches through your command history list and finds the
first item that matches your query and puts it on the input line for
immediate use. You can search based on a partial string (such as a
command name, so search for the last use of it), or an index number.
Examples:
To list the 50 most recent items in your command history:
/history 50
To find the most recent use of the MSG command:
/!/msg
To use item 37 in your command history:
/!37
See Also:
bind (4) forward_history , backward_history , shove_to_history ; set (4)
history , history_file
