Zzappers Best of ZSH Tips
zzapper's Tips Home
Updated : 21Jun08
> zsh -fx # start a "clean" version of zsh (without your startup files)
print $ZSH_VERSION
http://zshwiki.org/
http://www.zsh.org/mla/ Searchable Mailing List Archive
http://grml.org/zsh/zsh-lovers.html
http://zsh.sunsite.dk/Doc/Release/zsh_toc.html Everything?
man zsh
man zshall
zsh Zsh overview (this section)
zshmisc Anything not fitting into the other sections
zshexpn Zsh command and parameter expansion
zshparam Zsh parameters
zshoptions Zsh options
zshbuiltins Zsh built-in functions
zshzle Zsh command line editing
zshcompwid Zsh completion widgets
zshcompsys Zsh completion system
zshcompctl Zsh completion control
zshmodules Zsh loadable modules
zshzftpsys Zsh built-in FTP client
zshall Meta-man page containing all of the above
/usr/share/zsh/htmldoc/zsh_toc.html
Global aliases
Searching and filtering my mysql database with my own utility searchdb
>searchdb client1 | grep -i website1 | fmt -50 | putclip
How you can simplify this using 3 zsh Global Aliases
>searchdb client1 G website1 F P
alias -g ND='$(ls -d *(/om[1]))' # newest directory
alias -g NF='$(ls *(.om[1]))' # newest file
Example of use
cp NF ND
!!
!$ (last argument)
!$:h (last argument, strip one level)
!?echo
vi !* (all parameters)
vi !$ (last parameter)
vi !^ (first previous parameter)
vi !:1 (first previous parameter)
vi !-2:2 (second parameter of second but last command)
history # View recent commands
!42 # Re-execute history command 42
# substitute previous command
r oldstr=newstr
!!:s/fred/joe/ # edit previous command replace first fred by joe
!!:s/fred/joe/ # Note : sadly no regexp available with :s///
!!:gs/fred/joe/ # edit previous command replace all fred by joe
mv Licence\ to\ Print\ Money.pdf !#^:gs/ // # rename file removing spaces
^fred^joe # edit previous command replace fred by joe
^str1^str2^:u:p # replace str1 by str2 change case and just display
echo chim
^chim^&-&ney-&-&-cheree # reuse LHS
!42:p
also use control-R
^str1^str2^:G # replace as many as possible
cd !?ls<TAB> #get command and parameters of a previous ls command
cd !?ls?:*<TAB> #get (just) parameters of a previous ls command
Generating a command from an earlier one
How to recall the parameters of a previous command, on line 7 below
recall the parameters of line 5
5> mv somefile1 /home/saket/stuff/books/
6> acroread somefile.pdf
7> mv somefile2 /home/saket/stuff/books/
> mv !?saket
Would bring up the whole line ready for a little editing
or purist
> mv !?saket?:*
Would just bring up the parameters
If you know the history number of the line (say 5) with desired parameters you can try
> !5:s/somefile1/somefile2/
and if you don't know the history number
!?saket?:s/somefile1/somefile2/
# History Substitution Summary
#For CURRENT line that you are editing (the # designates current line)
# Remember Tab will expand the following
!#:0 command
!#^ first parameter
!#:1 first parameter
!#:1-4 first 4 parameters
!#$ last parameter
!#* all parameters
!#$:s/bash/zsh perform substitution on previous parameter
cp longfilename.php backup_!#^
cp {,backup_}verylongfilename.tex # same thing
mv textfile.{txt,bak} # expands to mv textfile.txt textfile.bak
#For Previous Command (for comparison)
!-1 repeat whole command
!! repeat (shortcut)
!:0 command
!^ first parameter
!:1 first parameter
!:1-4 first 4 parameters
!$ last parameter
!* all parameters
!!:s/bash/zsh (or ^bash^zsh)
!^:t just file name of first parameter
!$:h just path of last parameter
!-2$:r just file name without extension of first parameter
For last but one command
!-2 repeat last but one command
!-2^ first parameter last but one command
!-2$ last parameter last but one command
!-2:2 second parameter of second but last command
!-2:s/bash/zsh
etc
For history command 42
!42
!:0 is the previous command name
!^, !:2, !:3, !$ are the arguments
!* is all the arguments
!-2, !-3, are earlier commands
!-2^, !-2:2, !-2$, !-2* are earlier parameters
cd !$:h (remove file name)
cat !!:t (only file name)
# Convert images (foo.gif => foo.jpg):
$ for i in **/*.gif; convert $i $i:r.jpg
print ${param:&} (last substitute)
< readme.txt # < shorthand for more
# Directory substitution (magic)
# if you were in directory
/c/inetpub/dev.somehomes.co.uk/epsystem/eppigeon/
cd dev www
#would put you in parallel directory
/c/inetpub/www.somehomes.co.uk/epsystem/eppigeon/
# filtering the output of a command conventionally
print $(history -n -1|sed 's/.* //')
# ${${(z)foo}[2]} zsh filtering mechanism
print ${${(z)$(history -n -1)}[-1]}
print ${${(z)history[$((HISTCMD-1))]}[-1]}
# ls
ls -ld **/*(/^F) # list any empty directories
print **/*(/^F) | xargs -n1 -t rmdir #delete empty directories
zargs rmdir -- ./**/*(/od) 2> /dev/null # deletes empty directories
ls ^x* # list all but x*
#list all files without an extension ( no dot)
ls *~*.*(.)
ls (x*~x3|x5) # list files x* except x3 and x5
ls **/fred*~*junk*/* # list all files fred* unless in a junk directory
gp 'host' **/(*.cfm~(ctpigeonbot|env).cfm)
grep -i 'host' **/(*.cfm~(ctpigeonbot|env).cfm)~*((#s)|/)junk*/*(.)
egrep -i "^ *mail\(" **/*.php
gp "^ *mail\(" **/*.php~*junk*/* #find all calls to mail, ignoring junk directories
ls *.h~(fred|foo).h # same thing
ls (x*~x[3-5]) # list files x* except x3 to x5
ls *[^2].php~*template* # list files with 2nd filter
ls (xx|yy) # list xx or yy
ls *.(jpg|gif) # list graphic files
ls fred{joe,sid}.pl
ls fred{09..13}.pl
ls fred<76->.pl # list all files fred76.pl to fred9999*.pl etc
ls {_,}fred.php # list files _fred.php fred.php
ls (_|)fred.php # same effect by globbing
ls *.{jpg,gif}(.N) # don't break if one or other image type absent
setopt no_case_glob # set ignore case for ls etc
# globbing modifiers
# :r removes the suffix from the result,
# :t takes away the directory part
# . means must be regular files not directories etc
# *(om[1]) picks most recently modified file
# (.N) no warning message if any file absent
ls (#i)*.pmm # case insensitive globbing (note exact syntax)
ls *(om[1]) # print the most recent file
cp *(om[1])<TAB> # will complete file name
ls *(.om[1]) # print the most recent file (not directory)
ls -l *(Om[1]) # oldest file
ls *(om[1,5]) # print the 5 most recent files
ls -lt **/*.tex(D.om[1,5]) # list 5 most recent files in hierarchy
# list 5 most recent files in each sub-directory
dirs=( '' **/*(DM/) ) eval 'ls ${^dirs}*(ND.om[1,5])'
ls {^dev*,}/index.php(.N) # ignore directories beginning dev*
ls **/index.php~dev*(/*)## # ignore subdirectories dev* multi-level
vi *(.om[1]^D) # vi newest file ^D means switch off GLOB_DOTS
ls -tld **/*(m-2) # list files modified in last 2 days in hierarchy
ls -l *(m4) # list files modified exactly 4 days ago
ls -ltd *(mw3) # list files 3 weeks old
ls -1ld *([1,10])# list just 10 files one per line , no directories
ls *(m-1) # files modified today
ls *(m0) # files modified today
vi *(m0) # re-edit all files changed today!
rm *.{aux,dvi,log,toc}(.N) # rm latex temp files N means no error msg if any file type absent
rm ./*(Om[1,-11])# removes all files but the ten newest ones (delete all but last 10 files in a directory)
ls *(n:t) # order by name strip directory
ls **/*(On:t) # recursive reverse order by name, strip directory
ls PHP*/**/*.php # recursive but only for subdirectories PHP*
ls *.c(:r) # strip suffix
ls **/*(.) # only files no directories
ls -ld *(/) # list only directories
#oddities
[[ FOO = (#i)foo ]] # case insensitive matching
fred=$((6**2 + 6)) # can do maths
: > /apache/access.log # truncate a log file
# arrays
X=(x1 x2) # create an array
print -C 1 $X # print each array element on it's own line
ls $X
print ${#path} # length of "path" array
print ${#path[1]} # length of first element in path array
print ${$( date )[2,4]} # Print words two to four of output of ’date’:
array=(~/.zshenv ~/.zshrc ~/.zlogout)
filelst[$(($#filelst+1))]=$x # append (push) to an array
filelst+=($x) # append (push) to an array (better)
files=(${(f)"$(egrepcmd1l)"} ) # push a sentence to an array (where egrepcmd1l is a global alias
% print ${array:t}
.zshenv .zshrc .zlogout
# variable substitution
somevar="bu&^*ck" # variable with mucky characters
print ${somevar//[^[:alnum:]]/_} # replace all non-alphanumerics with _
echo ${file##*/} # echo just the file name
echo ${texfilepath%/*.*} # echo just the path
echo ${file%.*} # strip file extension
echo $file:r # strip file extension
echo ${0##*[!0-9]} # strip all but trailing digit from filename $0
echo ${(M)0%%<->} # strip all but trailing digit from filename
file=${1/\//C:\/} # substitute / with c:/ ANYWHERE in string
file=${1/#\//C:\/} # substitute / with c:/ Beginning of string
file=${1/%\//C:\/} # substitute / with c:/ End of string
# note # & % are using to match beginning and end
# chaining two modifications
# .om[1] gives newsest file
# cyg is a zsh function doing a path conversion
gvim.exe $(echo /c/aax/*(.om[1]))(+cyg) & ### nested
gvim.exe /c/aax/*(.om[1]+cyg) & #### both operations
# variable with variable name
eval "$1=$PWD"
cp file ~1 # where 1 is first entry in pushd stack
#zsh completion
startfilename<tab> # will complete matching files anywhere in $PATH
startfilename<C-D> # will list matching files anywhere in $PATH
vi main*~*temp*<tab> # avoid file with temp in the name
#directory sizes
du -sk *(/)
# Inline aliases, zsh -g aliases can be anywhere in command line
alias -g G='| grep -'
alias -g L='| less'
#this reduces a command like
ls | grep foo | less
#to
ls G foo L
#
alias -g R=' > /c/aaa/tee.txt ' # redirect
alias -g T=' | tee /c/aaa/tee.txt ' # tee
alias -g F=' | fmt -' # format
alias -g W=' | wc -l' # wc
#
# cd by .. or ... or ... or mv file ..../.
alias '..'='cd ..'
alias -g ...='../..'
alias -g ....='../../..'
alias -g .....='../../../..'
#magic equals
vim =some_file # edits file anywhere in $PATH
ls =some_file # lists file anywhere in $PATH
#magic ** (recursion)
vim **/some_file # edits file under under current dir
# modifying more than one file (multios)
# writes ls results to file1 & file2 appends to filec
ls > file1 > file2 >> file3 | wc # multi-io
myscript >&1 >output.txt # log a script output
#Redirection to file as well as send on to pipe:
make install > /tmp/logfile | grep -i error
function g{0..9} { gmark $0 $* } # declaring multiple functions
# zmv "programmable rename"
autoload -U zmv
# Replace spaces in filenames with a underline
zmv '* *' '$f:gs/ /_'
zmv '(* *)' '${1// /}'
zmv -Q "(**/)(* *)(D)" "\$1\${2// /_}"
# Change the suffix from *.sh to *.pl
zmv -W '*.sh' '*.pl'
# lowercase/uppercase all files/directories
$ zmv '(*)' '${(L)1}' # lowercase
$ zmv '(*)' '${(U)1}' # uppercase
#Wonderful zftp (write ftp scripts as though shell)
# init (could be in .zshenv etc)
autoload -U zfinit
zfinit
zfparams www.someweb.co.uk myuserid mypassword
zfopen
zfcd tips
zfls -l zshtips.html
zfput zshtips.html
zfls -l zshtips.html
# replace every occurence of a file
for f in */include/dbcommon.php; do;cp dbcommon.php $f; done
# using vared
vared -p "choose 1-3 : " -c ans
case $ans in
1|a) sdba $key;;
2|f) sdbf $key;;
3|i) sdbi $key;;
*) echo "wrong answer $ans\n" ;;
esac
# the powerful select
PROMPT3="Choose File : "
select f in $(ls **/*.tex |egrep -i "${param}[^/]*.tex")
do
if [[ "$REPLY" = q ]]
then
break
elif [[ -n "$f" ]]; then
gvim $f
fi
done
# editing a variable (You must try this)
vared PATH
bindkey -v # vi mode line editting
bindkey -M viins '^O' copy-prev-shell-word
bindkey '^L' push-line # push current command into a buffer, allows you to do another command then returns to previous command
# Prompt at end of command line
RPROMPT="[%t]" (display the time)
# colo(u)red prompt
fg_light_red=$'%{\e[1;31m%}'
PS3="$fg_light_red Select file : "
# print fred in blue color
print '\e[1;34m fred'
# color module
autoload colors ; colors
print "$bg[cyan]$fg[blue]Welcome to man zsh-lovers" >> $TTY
curl -u userid:password -d status=" updating twitter with from curl " http://twitter.com/statuses/update.xml
Sources newsgroup gmane.comp.shells.zsh.user
Everything here is Simple zsh visit the above newsgroup for the Sick stuff
Upload this page (use yy@" on following line, to invoke upload script)!!
:!zshtipsftp