Summary of _less_ comands
===============================================================================

For _less_ v487, obtained through `less --help`.

Commands marked with `[N]` may be preceded by a number, _N_.
Notes in parentheses indicate the behavior if _N_ is given.

A key preceded by a caret indicates the `Ctrl` key; thus `^K` is `Ctrl-K`.

- Display this help: `h  H`
- Exit: `q  :q  Q  :Q  ZZ`



Moving
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Forward  one line (or _N_ lines): `[N]` `e  ^E  j  ^N  CR`
- Backward one line (or _N_ lines): `[N]` `y  ^Y  k  ^K  ^P`
- Forward  one window (or _N_ lines): `[N]` `f  ^F  ^V  SPACE`
- Backward one window (or _N_ lines): `[N]` `b  ^B  ESC-v`
- Forward  one window (and set window to _N_): `[N]` `z`
- Backward one window (and set window to _N_): `[N]` `w`
- Forward  one window, but don't stop at end-of-file: `[N]` `ESC-SPACE`
- Forward  one half-window (and set half-window to _N_): `[N]` `d  ^D`
- Backward one half-window (and set half-window to _N_): `[N]` `u  ^U`
- Left  one half screen width (or _N_ positions): `[N]` `ESC-)  RightArrow`
- Right one half screen width (or _N_ positions): `[N]` `ESC-(  LeftArrow`
- Right to last column displayed: `ESC-}  ^RightArrow`
- Left to first column: `ESC-{  ^LeftArrow`
- Forward forever; like `tail -f`: `F`
- Like F but stop when search pattern is found: `ESC-F`
- Repaint screen: `r  ^R  ^L`
- Repaint screen, discarding buffered input: `R`

Default "window" is the screen height.
Default "half-window" is half of the screen height.



Searching
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Search forward for (_N_-th) matching line: `[N]` `/pattern`
- Search backward for (_N_-th) matching line: `[N]` `?pattern`
- Repeat previous search (for _N_-th occurrence): `[N]` `n`
- Repeat previous search in reverse direction: `[N]` `N`
- Repeat previous search, spanning files: `[N]` `ESC-n`
- Repeat previous search, reverse dir. & spanning files: `[N]` `ESC-N`
- Undo (toggle) search highlighting: `ESC-u`
- Display only matching lines: `[N]` `&pattern`

A search pattern may be preceded by one or more of:
- Search for NON-matching lines: `^N` or `!`
- Search multiple files (pass thru END OF FILE): `^E` or `*`
- Start search at FIRST file (for `/`) or last file (for `?`): `^F` or `@`
- Highlight matches, but don't move (KEEP position): `^K`
- Don't use REGULAR EXPRESSIONS: `^R`



Jumping
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Go to first line in file (or line _N_): `[N]` `g  <  ESC-<`
- Go to last line in file (or line _N_): `[N]` `G  >  ESC->`
- Go to beginning of file (or _N_ percent into file): `[N]` `p  %`
- Go to the (_N_-th) next tag: `[N]` `t`
- Go to the (_N_-th) previous tag: `[N]` `T`
- Find close bracket _} ) ]_: `[N]` `{  (  [`
- Find open bracket _{ ( [_: `[N]` `}  )  ]`
- Find close bracket _<c2>_: `[N]` `ESC-^F <c1> <c2>`
- Find open bracket _<c1>_: `[N]` `ESC-^B <c1> <c2>`

Each "find close bracket" command goes forward to the close bracket matching
the (_N_-th) open bracket in the top line.
Each "find open bracket" command goes backward to the open bracket matching
the (_N_-th) close bracket in the bottom line.

- Mark the current position with _<letter>_: `[N]` `m<letter>`
- Go to a previously marked position: `[N]` `'<letter>`
- Go to the previous position: `[N]` `''`
- Same as `'`: `[N]` `^X^X`

A mark is any upper-case or lower-case letter.
Certain marks are predefined:

- `^` means beginning of the file
- `$` means end of the file



Changing files
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Examine a new file: `[N]` `:e [file]`
- Same as `:e`: `[N]` `^X^V`
- Examine the (_N_-th) next file from the command line: `[N]` `:n`
- Examine the (_N_-th) previous file from the command line: `[N]` `:p`
- Examine the first (or _N_-th) file from the command line: `[N]` `:x`
- Delete the current file from the command line list: `[N]` `:d`
- Print current file name: `[N]` `=  ^G  :f`



Miscellaneous commands
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Toggle a command line option [see _Options_ below]: `[N]` `-<flag>`
- Toggle a command line option, by name: `[N]` `--<name>`
- Display the setting of a command line option: `[N]` `_<flag>`
- Display the setting of an option, by name: `[N]` `__<name>`
- Execute the less cmd each time a new file is examined: `[N]` `+cmd`
- Execute the shell command with _$SHELL_: `[N]` `!command`
- Pipe file between current pos and mark X to shell command: `[N]` `|Xcommand`
- Save input to a file: `s file`
- Edit the current file with _$VISUAL_ or _$EDITOR_: `[N]` `v`
- Print version number of _less_: `[N]` `V`



Options
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Most options may be changed either on the command line, or from within _less_
by using the `-` or `--` command. Options may be given in one of two forms:
either a single character preceded by a `-`, or a name preceded by `--`.

- Display help (from command line): `-?`, `--help`
- Search skips current screen: `-a`, `--search-skip-screen`
- Search starts just after target line: `-A`, `--SEARCH-SKIP-SCREEN`
- Number of buffers: `-b [N]`, `--buffers=[N]`
- Don't automatically allocate buffers for pipes: `-B`, `--auto-buffers`
- Repaint by clearing rather than scrolling: `-c`, `--clear-screen`
- Dumb terminal: `-d`, `--dumb`
- Set screen colors. (MS-DOS only): `-D [xn.n]`, `--color=xn.n`
- Quit at end of file: `-e  -E`, `--quit-at-eof  --QUIT-AT-EOF`
- Force open non-regular files: `-f`, `--force`
- Quit if entire file fits on first screen: `-F`, `--quit-if-one-screen`
- Highlight only last match for searches: `-g`, `--hilite-search`
- Don't highlight any matches for searches: `-G`, `--HILITE-SEARCH`
- Backward scroll limit: `-h [N]`, `--max-back-scroll=[N]`
- Ignore case in searches that do not contain uppercase: `-i`, `--ignore-case`
- Ignore case in all searches: `-I`, `--IGNORE-CASE`
- Screen position of target lines: `-j [N]`,`--jump-target=[N]`
- Display a status column at left edge of screen: `-J`, `--status-column`
- Use a lesskey file: `-k [file]`,`--lesskey-file=[file]`
- Exit less in response to Ctrl-C: `-K`,`--quit-on-intr`
- Ignore the LESSOPEN environment variable: `-L`, `--no-lessopen`
- Set prompt style: `-m  -M`, `--long-prompt  --LONG-PROMPT`
- Don't use line numbers: `-n  -N`, `--line-numbers  --LINE-NUMBERS`
- Copy to log file (standard input only): `-o [file]`, `--log-file=[file]`
- Copy to log file (unconditionally overwrite): `-O [file]`, `--LOG-FILE=[file]`
- Start at pattern (from command line): `-p [pattern]`, `--pattern=[pattern]`
- Define new prompt: `-P [prompt]`, `--prompt=[prompt]`
- Quiet the terminal bell: `-q  -Q`, `--quiet  --QUIET  --silent --SILENT`
- Output "raw" control characters: `-r  -R`, `--raw-control-chars  --RAW-CONTROL-CHARS`
- Squeeze multiple blank lines: `-s`, `--squeeze-blank-lines`
- Chop (truncate) long lines rather than wrapping: `-S`, `--chop-long-lines`
- Find a tag: `-t [tag]`, `--tag=[tag]`
- Use an alternate tags file: `-T [tagsfile]`, `--tag-file=[tagsfile]`
- Change handling of backspaces: `-u  -U`, `--underline-special  --UNDERLINE-SPECIAL`
- Display the version number of "less": `-V`, `--version`
- Highlight first new line after forward-screen: `-w`, `--hilite-unread`
- Highlight first new line after any forward movement: `-W`, `--HILITE-UNREAD`
- Set tab stops: `-x [N[,...]]`, `--tabs=[N[,...]]`
- Don't use termcap init/deinit strings: `-X`, `--no-init`
- Forward scroll limit: `-y [N]`, `--max-forw-scroll=[N]`
- Set size of window: `-z [N]`, `--window=[N]`
- Set shell quote characters: `-" [c[c]]`, `--quotes=[c[c]]`
- Don't display tildes after end of file: `-~`, `--tilde`
- Horizontal scroll amount (0 = one half screen width): `-# [N]`, `--shift=[N]`
- Don't send termcap keypad init/deinit strings: `--no-keypad`
- The `F` command changes files if the input file is renamed: `--follow-name`
- Subsequent options use backslash as escape char: `--use-backslash`



Line editing
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These keys can be used to edit text being entered on the "command line" at the
bottom of the screen.

-  Move cursor right one character: `RightArrow   ESC-l`
-  Move cursor left one character: `LeftArrow   ESC-h`
-  Move cursor right one word: `Ctrl-RightArrow   ESC-RightArrow   ESC-w `
-  Move cursor left one word: `Ctrl-LeftArrow   ESC-LeftArrow   ESC-b `
-  Move cursor to start of line: `HOME   ESC-0`
-  Move cursor to end of line: `END   ESC-$`
-  Delete char to left of cursor: `BACKSPACE`
-  Delete char under cursor: `DELETE   ESC-x`
-  Delete word to left of cursor: `Ctrl-BACKSPACE   ESC-BACKSPACE`
-  Delete word under cursor: `Ctrl-DELETE  ESC-DELETE   ESC-X`
-  Delete entire line: `Ctrl-U   ESC (MS-DOS only)`
-  Retrieve previous command line: `UpArrow   ESC-k`
-  Retrieve next command line: `DownArrow   ESC-j`
-  Complete filename & cycle: `TAB`
-  Complete filename & reverse cycle: `SHIFT-TAB   ESC-TAB`
-  Complete filename, list all: `Ctrl-L`