Macros

Emacs mode

When using emacs editing mode, the default binds for recording/running/printing a macro are:

• "C-X(" start-kbd-macro
• "C-X)" end-kbd-macro
• "C-XE" call-last-kbd-macro

Note that neither start-kbd-macro nor call-last-kbd-macro accept an argument key for selecting which macro identifier will store/run the macro. If you want such functionality, you should bind one of the Vim-style macro commands described in the next section instead.

Below is an example of recording and running a macro in Emacs mode:

• List the contents of a target directory.
• Start recording a macro with Ctrl-X-(
• Type ! cd
• Use \M-. to insert the last word from the last command entered, and press Enter.

Vim mode

Two additional macro commands have been implemented in this library, so as to enable Vim-style macro recording and invocation. The binds are as follows:

Command mode

• "q" macro-toggle-record
• "@" macro-run
  Insert mode
• "M-q" macro-toggle-record
• "M-@" macro-run

Both commands will read a key from the keyboard, which will be used as the letter ID in which to store the macro (before recording), or invoke it. A call will thus look like qa for recording the macro stored in a, and @a to run this macro.

Below is the same example in Vim-mode:

• Type a command with a flag accepting a list of files.
• Get in command mode.
• Type qw to start recording a macro that will stored in w.
• Go to beginning of line with 0, then go to the start of the flag
• Select it with vE, and change it with c and typing the new flag.
• Type q to end the macro recording.
• Change the flag name again.
• Type @w to invoke the macro, setting the flag to --path once again.