# fish(1) ## Quick Info Fish initialization file `~/.config/fish/config.fish` Switch between different key bindings: - `fish_default_key_bindings` to use default key bindings - `fish_vi_key_bindings` to use vi key bindings ## Variables Available scopes - `local` variable local to a block - `global` variable global to shell instance - `universal` variable universal to all shell instances + preserved across shell restart ### Set/Unset Variables ```text set [] -l local scope -g global scope -U universal scope -e erase variable -S show verbose info -x export to ENV -u unexport from ENV ``` ### Special Variables [ref](https://fishshell.com/docs/current/language.html#special-variables) ```sh $status # exit code of last command $pipestatus # list of exit codes of pipe chain $CMD_DURATION # runtime of last command in ms ``` ### Lists In `fish` all variables are lists (start with index `1`, but lists can't contain lists. ```sh set foo a b c d echo $foo[1] # a echo $foo[-1] # d echo $foo[2..3] # b c echo $foo[1 3] # a c ``` `$` can be seen as dereference operator. ```sh set foo a; set a 1337 echo $$foo # outputs 1337 ``` Cartesian product. ```sh echo file.{h,cc} # file.h file.cc echo {a,b}{1,2} # a1 b1 a2 b2 ``` #### `*PATH` [ref](https://fishshell.com/docs/current/language.html#path-variables) Lists ending with `PATH` are automatically split at `:` when used and joined with `:` when quoted or exported to the environment. ```sh set -x BLA_PATH a:b:c:d echo $BLA_PATH # a b c d echo "$BLA_PATH" # a:b:c:d (quoted) env | grep BLA_PATH # BLA_PATH=a:b:c:d (env) set FOO_PATH x y z echo $FOO_PATH # x y z echo "$FOO_PATH" # x:y:z ``` ## Command Handling ```sh # sub-commands are not run in quotes echo "ls output: "(ls) ``` ### I/O redirection ```sh # 'noclobber', fail if 'log' already exists echo foo >? log ``` ### Process substitution Redirect output of multiple processes. Same as `<(..)` in bash. ```sh diff (sort a | psub) (sort b | psub) ``` ## Control Flow ### `if` / `else` ```sh if grep foo bar # do sth else if grep foobar bar # do sth else else # do sth else end ``` ### `switch` ```sh switch (echo foo) case 'foo*' # do start with foo case bar dudel # do bar and dudel case '*' # do else end ``` ### `while` Loop ```sh while true echo foo end ``` ### `for` Loop ```sh for f in (ls) echo $f end ``` ## Functions Function arguments are passed via `$argv` list. ```sh function fn_foo echo $argv end ``` ### Autoloading When running a command fish attempts to autoload a function. The shell looks for `.fish` in the locations defined by `$fish_function_path` and loads the function lazily if found. This is the preferred way over monolithically defining all functions in a startup script. ### Helper ```sh functions # list al functions functions foo # describe function 'foo' functions -e foo # erase function 'foo' funced foo # edit function 'foo' # '-e vim' to edit in vim ``` ### Argument parsing and completion `argparse` puts options into variables of name `_flag_NAME`. References: - [Argument Handling](https://fishshell.com/docs/current/language.html#argument-handling) - [`argparse`](https://fishshell.com/docs/current/cmds/argparse.html) - [Writing your own completions](https://fishshell.com/docs/current/completions.html) - [`complete`](https://fishshell.com/docs/current/cmds/complete.html) ```sh function moose --d "my moose fn" # h/help : short / long option (boolean) # color : only long option (boolean) # u/user= : option with required argument, only last specified is taken # f/file+= : option with required argument, can be specified multiple times # argparse h/help color= u/user= f/file=+ -- $argv or return if set -ql _flag_help echo "usage ..." return 0 end set -ql _flag_file and echo "file=$_flag_file | cnt:" (count $_flag_file) set -ql _flag_color and echo "color=$_flag_color" set -ql _flag_user and echo "user=$_flag_user" end # Delete all previous defined completions for 'moose'. complete -c moose -e # Don't complete files for command. complete -c moose --no-files # Help completion. # -n specifies a conditions. The completion is only active if the command # returns 0. complete -c moose -s h -l help -n "not __fish_contains_opt -s h help" \ --description "Print usage help and exit" # File completion. # -F force complete files (overwrite --no-files). # -r requires argument. complete -c moose -s f -l file -F -r \ --description "Specify file (can be passed multiple times)" # Color completion. # -a options for completion. # -x short for -r and --no-files (-f) complete -c moose -x -l color -a "red blue" \ --description "Specify a color." # User completion. # -a options for completion. Call a function to generate arguments. complete -c moose -x -s u -l user -a "(__fish_complete_users)" \ --description "Specify a user" ``` ## Prompt The prompt is defined by the output of the `fish_prompt` function. ```sh function fish_prompt set -l cmd_ret echo "> "(pwd) $cmd_ret" " end ``` > Use `set_color` to manipulate terminal colors and `set_color -c` to print the > current colors. ## Useful Builtins List all builtins with `builtins -n`. ```sh # history history search # search history for history merge # merge histories from fish sessions # list count $var # count elements in list contains /bin $PATH # return 0 (true) 1 (false) contains -i /bin $PATH # additionally print index on stdout # string string split SEP STRING # math math -b hex 4096 # output dec as hex math 0x1000 # output hex as dec math "log2(1024)" # call functions math -s0 7/3 # integer division (by default float) # status status -f # abs path of current file ``` ## Keymaps ```text Shift-Tab .............. tab-completion with search Alt-Up / Alt-Down ...... search history with token under the cursor Alt-l .................. list content of dir under cursor Alt-p .................. append '2>&1 | less;' to current cmdline Alt-Left / Alt - Right . prevd / nextd, walk dir history ``` ## Debug ```text status print-stack-trace .. prints function stacktrace (can be used in scripts) breakpoint ................ halt script execution and gives shell (C-d | exit to continue) ```