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(bashref.info)Programmable Completion Builtins
Programmable Completion Builtins
================================
Two builtin commands are available to manipulate the programmable
completion facilities.
`compgen'
`compgen [OPTION] [WORD]'
Generate possible completion matches for WORD according to the
OPTIONs, which may be any option accepted by the `complete'
builtin with the exception of `-p' and `-r', and write the matches
to the standard output. When using the `-F' or `-C' options, the
various shell variables set by the programmable completion
facilities, while available, will not have useful values.
The matches will be generated in the same way as if the
programmable completion code had generated them directly from a
completion specification with the same flags. If WORD is
specified, only those completions matching WORD will be displayed.
The return value is true unless an invalid option is supplied, or
no matches were generated.
`complete'
`complete [-abcdefgjkvu] [-o COMP-OPTION] [-A ACTION] [-G GLOBPAT] [-W WORDLIST]
[-P PREFIX] [-S SUFFIX] [-X FILTERPAT] [-F FUNCTION]
[-C COMMAND] NAME [NAME ...]'
`complete -pr [NAME ...]'
Specify how arguments to each NAME should be completed. If the
`-p' option is supplied, or if no options are supplied, existing
completion specifications are printed in a way that allows them to
be reused as input. The `-r' option removes a completion
specification for each NAME, or, if no NAMEs are supplied, all
completion specifications.
The process of applying these completion specifications when word
completion is attempted is described above (Note: Programmable
Completion).
Other options, if specified, have the following meanings. The
arguments to the `-G', `-W', and `-X' options (and, if necessary,
the `-P' and `-S' options) should be quoted to protect them from
expansion before the `complete' builtin is invoked.
`-o COMP-OPTION'
The COMP-OPTION controls several aspects of the compspec's
behavior beyond the simple generation of completions.
COMP-OPTION may be one of:
`default'
Use readline's default completion if the compspec
generates no matches.
`dirnames'
Perform directory name completion if the compspec
generates no matches.
`filenames'
Tell Readline that the compspec generates filenames, so
it can perform any filename\-specific processing (like
adding a slash to directory names or suppressing
trailing spaces). This option is intended to be used
with shell functions specified with `-F'.
`-A ACTION'
The ACTION may be one of the following to generate a list of
possible completions:
`alias'
Alias names. May also be specified as `-a'.
`arrayvar'
Array variable names.
`binding'
Readline key binding names (Note: Bindable Readline
Commands).
`builtin'
Names of shell builtin commands. May also be specified
as `-b'.
`command'
Command names. May also be specified as `-c'.
`directory'
Directory names. May also be specified as `-d'.
`disabled'
Names of disabled shell builtins.
`enabled'
Names of enabled shell builtins.
`export'
Names of exported shell variables. May also be
specified as `-e'.
`file'
File names. May also be specified as `-f'.
`function'
Names of shell functions.
`group'
Group names. May also be specified as `-g'.
`helptopic'
Help topics as accepted by the `help' builtin (Note:
Bash Builtins).
`hostname'
Hostnames, as taken from the file specified by the
`HOSTFILE' shell variable (Note: Bash Variables).
`job'
Job names, if job control is active. May also be
specified as `-j'.
`keyword'
Shell reserved words. May also be specified as `-k'.
`running'
Names of running jobs, if job control is active.
`setopt'
Valid arguments for the `-o' option to the `set' builtin
(Note: The Set Builtin).
`shopt'
Shell option names as accepted by the `shopt' builtin
(Note: Bash Builtins).
`signal'
Signal names.
`stopped'
Names of stopped jobs, if job control is active.
`user'
User names. May also be specified as `-u'.
`variable'
Names of all shell variables. May also be specified as
`-v'.
`-G GLOBPAT'
The filename expansion pattern GLOBPAT is expanded to generate
the possible completions.
`-W WORDLIST'
The WORDLIST is split using the characters in the `IFS'
special variable as delimiters, and each resultant word is
expanded. The possible completions are the members of the
resultant list which match the word being completed.
`-C COMMAND'
COMMAND is executed in a subshell environment, and its output
is used as the possible completions.
`-F FUNCTION'
The shell function FUNCTION is executed in the current shell
environment. When it finishes, the possible completions are
retrieved from the value of the `COMPREPLY' array variable.
`-X FILTERPAT'
FILTERPAT is a pattern as used for filename expansion. It is
applied to the list of possible completions generated by the
preceding options and arguments, and each completion matching
FILTERPAT is removed from the list. A leading `!' in
FILTERPAT negates the pattern; in this case, any completion
not matching FILTERPAT is removed.
`-P PREFIX'
PREFIX is added at the beginning of each possible completion
after all other options have been applied.
`-S SUFFIX'
SUFFIX is appended to each possible completion after all
other options have been applied.
The return value is true unless an invalid option is supplied, an
option other than `-p' or `-r' is supplied without a NAME
argument, an attempt is made to remove a completion specification
for a NAME for which no specification exists, or an error occurs
adding a completion specification.
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