[TOC]
Like every terminal out there, hterm supports a number of standard (and perhaps not so standard) control/escape sequences. This doc outlines hterm's position on everything -- things that are supported, things that will never be supported, etc...
It's not meant to be a comprehensive guide to a terminal. For that, please see the References section.
Parsing of these sequences are contained entirely in hterm_vt.js, and the character maps are defined in hterm_vt_character_map.js.
For TBD entries, it means we haven't put in the work to implement the feature yet, but we generally wouldn't be adverse to adding it. Or we haven't quite figured out how best to do so. Or we just haven't thought about it at all to say no :).
Similarly for entries marked as passed thru -- we might do something with them in the future, but currently we just print it.
However, for entries marked "won't support", it means we don't consider them relevant and will probably never be implemented.
If you come across missing features or have other requests, feel free to file a bug at https://goo.gl/vb94JY.
We aim to be compliant with:
- ECMA-35 (Character Code Structure and Extension Techniques): covers some fundamentals related to character sets, the notions of C0, C1, G0, etc... (but not their contents), and how escape sequences work (but not what they mean).
- ECMA-43 (8-bit Coded Character Set Structure and Rules): Builds on top of ECMA-35 by defining the character sets (e.g. 0x40 == @).
- ECMA-48 (Control Functions for Coded Character Sets): Builds on top of ECMA-35 by defining many of the common escape sequences. Supersedes the ANSI codes, and is equivalent to ISO/IEC 6429.
Going beyond those basics, we use these sites for guidance:
- XTerm: Canonical terminal emulator in the X world.
- VT100.net: Spec sheets for VT100 and similar terminals.
These are the basic characters in the 0x00 - 0x1F range.
While DEL (0x7F) isn't actually part of C0, we list it here for convenience.
| Seq | Dec | Hex | Name | C | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ^@ | 00 | 00 | NUL | \0 | Null | Ignored |
| ^A | 01 | 01 | SOH | Start of Heading | Passed thru | |
| ^B | 02 | 02 | STX | Start of Text | Passed thru | |
| ^C | 03 | 03 | ETX | End of Text | Passed thru | |
| ^D | 04 | 04 | EOT | End of Transmission | Passed thru | |
| ^E | 05 | 05 | ENQ | Enquiry | Ignored | |
| ^F | 06 | 06 | ACK | Acknowledge | Passed thru | |
| ^G | 07 | 07 | BEL | \a | Bell | Supported |
| ^H | 08 | 08 | BS | \b | Backspace | Supported |
| ^I | 09 | 09 | HT | \t | Character Tabulation (Horizontal Tabulation) | Supported |
| ^J | 10 | 0A | LF | \n | Line Feed | Supported |
| ^K | 11 | 0B | VT | \v | Line Tabulation (Vertical Tabulation) | Converted to LF (\n) |
| ^L | 12 | 0C | FF | \f | Form Feed | Converted to LF (\n) |
| ^M | 13 | 0D | CR | \r | Carriage Return | Supported |
| ^N | 14 | 0E | SO/LS1 | Shift Out / Locking Shift One | Point GL to G1 | |
| ^O | 15 | 0F | SI/LS0 | Shift In / Locking Shift Zero | Point GL to G0 | |
| ^P | 16 | 10 | DLE | Data Link Escape | Passed thru | |
| ^Q | 17 | 11 | DC1 | Device Control One (XON) | Ignored (TBD) | |
| ^R | 18 | 12 | DC2 | Device Control Two | Passed thru | |
| ^S | 19 | 13 | DC3 | Device Control Three (XOFF) | Ignored (TBD) | |
| ^T | 20 | 14 | DC4 | Device Control Four | Passed thru | |
| ^U | 21 | 15 | NAK | Negative Acknowledge | Passed thru | |
| ^V | 22 | 16 | SYN | Synchronous Idle | Passed thru | |
| ^W | 23 | 17 | ETB | End of Transmission Block | Passed thru | |
| ^X | 24 | 18 | CAN | Cancel | Supported (1) | |
| ^Y | 25 | 19 | EM | End of medium | Passed thru | |
| ^Z | 26 | 1A | SUB | Substitute | Converted to CAN | |
| ^[ | 27 | 1B | ESC | \e | Escape | Supported (2) |
| ^\ | 28 | 1C | FS/IS4 | File Separator / Information Separator Four | Passed thru | |
| ^] | 29 | 1D | GS/IS3 | Group Separator / Information Separator Three | Passed thru | |
| ^^ | 30 | 1E | RS/IS2 | Record Separator / Information Separator Two | Passed thru | |
| ^_ | 31 | 1F | US/IS1 | Unit Separator / Information Separator One | Passed thru | |
| ^? | 127 | 7F | DEL | Delete | Supported |
{#C0-footer}
- Used to cancel escape sequences, and to change GL back to G0.
- ESC is a multiplexed command; see section below for more details.
These are some extended characters in the 0x80 - 0x9F range.
Since these don't play well with UTF-8 encoding, they're typically accessed via an escape sequence. e.g. ESC+@ (0x1b 0x40) instead of 0x80.
| ESC | Dec | Hex | Name | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| @ | 128 | 80 | PAD | Padding Character | Ignored (TBD) |
| A | 129 | 81 | HOP | High Octet Preset | Ignored (TBD) |
| B | 130 | 82 | BPH | Break Permitted Here | Ignored (TBD) |
| C | 131 | 83 | NBH | No Break Here | Ignored (TBD) |
| D | 132 | 84 | IND | Index | Like newline, but keep column position |
| E | 133 | 85 | NEL | Next Line | Like newline, but doesn't add a line |
| F | 134 | 86 | SSA | Start of Selected Area | Won't support |
| G | 135 | 87 | ESA | End of Selected Area | Ignored (TBD) |
| H | 136 | 88 | HTS | Character Tabulation Set | Sets horizontal tab stop at the column |
| I | 137 | 89 | HTJ | Character Tabulation With Justification | Ignored (TBD) |
| J | 138 | 8A | VTS | Line Tabulation Set | Ignored (TBD) |
| K | 139 | 8B | PLD | Partial Line Forward | Ignored (TBD) |
| L | 140 | 8C | PLU | Partial Line Backward | Ignored (TBD) |
| M | 141 | 8D | RI | Reverse Line Feed | Move up one line keeping column position |
| N | 142 | 8E | SS2 | Single-Shift Two | Ignored |
| O | 143 | 8F | SS3 | Single-Shift Three | Ignored |
| P | 144 | 90 | DCS | Device Control String | Ignored (TBD) (1) |
| Q | 145 | 91 | PU1 | Private Use One | Ignored (TBD) |
| R | 146 | 92 | PU2 | Private Use Two | Ignored (TBD) |
| S | 147 | 93 | STS | Set Transmit State | Ignored (TBD) |
| T | 148 | 94 | CCH | Cancel character | Ignored (TBD) |
| U | 149 | 95 | MW | Message Waiting | Ignored (TBD) |
| V | 150 | 96 | SPA | Start of Guarded Area | Won't support |
| W | 151 | 97 | EPA | End of Guarded Area | Won't support |
| X | 152 | 98 | SOS | Start of String | Won't support |
| Y | 153 | 99 | SGCI | Single Graphic Character Introducer | Ignored (TBD) |
| Z | 154 | 9A | SCI | Single Character Introducer | Sends [?1;2c |
| [ | 155 | 9B | CSI | Control Sequence Introducer | Supported (2) |
| \ | 156 | 9C | ST | String Terminator | Used to terminate escape sequences |
| ] | 157 | 9D | OSC | Operating System Command | Supported (3) |
| ^ | 158 | 9E | PM | Privacy Message | Won't support |
| _ | 159 | 9F | APC | Application Program Command | Won't support |
{#C1-footer}
- DCS is a multiplexed command; see section below for more details.
- CSI is a multiplexed command; see section below for more details.
- OSC is a multiplexed command; see section below for more details.
***note Support for character maps may be disabled at runtime via DOCS.
With the rise of UTF-8 encoding, graphic codesets have fallen out of favor. Although we still support a limited number for legacy systems.
Basically, instead of seeing things like "w" or "#", you'll see "┬" or "£". These were used to get basic graphics (like border lines), or to support other 7-bit character sets (like German characters ß and ü).
The terminal has 4 graphic codeset slots (named G0, G1, G2, and G3), and 2 pointers (GL and GR) to those slots. The active display then uses those pointers to determine what is shown. Both the slots and pointers can be updated at any time.
The GR pointer, while tracked, does not actually get processed. When running in a UTF8 environment, it's easy to corrupt codeunits in a codepoint leading to bad output.
We don't currently differentiate between 94-character sets and 96-character sets. Although all of the maps we support are within the 94-char range.
As for the character sets that you can actually load, we support some hard character sets, but not all of them. We do not support soft character sets.
Here's the list of national replacement character sets (NRCS) we support:
| ID | Description |
|---|---|
| 0 | Graphics |
| 4 | Dutch |
| 5 | Finnish |
| 6 | Norwegian/Danish |
| 7 | Swedish |
| = | Swiss |
| A | British |
| B | United States (ASCII) |
| C | Finnish (same as "5" above) |
| E | Norwegian/Danish (same as "6" above) |
| H | Swedish (same as "7" above) |
| K | German |
| Q | French Canadian |
| R | French |
| Y | Italian |
| Z | Spanish |
ECMA-35 supports changing the encoding system of terminal. Since hterm is natively UTF-8, we use this to control support for character maps (see SCS for more details).
This escape sequence has a one or two byte form. If the first byte is /,
then it is a one way transition. i.e. Any further attempts to change the
encoding will simply be ignored. This is useful for putting the terminal into
UTF-8 mode permanently and not worrying about binary data switching character
maps to graphics mode.
To invoke these, use ESC+%+DOCS. e.g. ESC+%/G (0x1b 0x25 0x2f 0x47).
Any sequence not documented below is simply ignored. The only two byte sequence
supported currently is where the first byte is /.
| DOCS | Description | Character Maps (SCS) |
|---|---|---|
| @ | Switch to ECMA-35 encoding (default) | Supported |
| G | Switch to UTF-8 encoding | Supported |
| /G | Permanently switch to UTF-8 encoding Level 1 | Treated as /I |
| /H | Permanently switch to UTF-8 encoding Level 2 | Treated as /I |
| /I | Permanently switch to UTF-8 encoding Level 3 | Supported |
These are other escape sequences we support. This is similar to the C1 Control Codes space, but there is only a two byte sequence. e.g. ESC+# (0x1b 0x23).
Some of these may have subcommands, so it might end up being a three byte
sequence where the 3rd byte is further interpreted. We refer to that as arg1
in the Action column below.
| ESC | Name | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| ␠ | SP | Ignored (TBD) | |
| ! | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| " | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| # | DEC | Semi-supported | |
| $ | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| % | DOCS | Designate Other Coding System | Supported |
| & | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| ' | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| ( | SCS | Set G0 character set (VT100) | Set G0 to NRCS arg1 |
| ) | SCS | Set G1 character set (VT220) | Set G1 to NRCS arg1 |
| * | SCS | Set G2 character set (VT220) | Set G2 to NRCS arg1 |
| + | SCS | Set G3 character set (VT220) | Set G3 to NRCS arg1 |
| , | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| - | SCS | Set G1 character set (VT300) | Set G1 to NRCS arg1 |
| . | SCS | Set G2 character set (VT300) | Set G2 to NRCS arg1 |
| / | SCS | Set G3 character set (VT300) | Set G3 to NRCS arg1 |
| 0 | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 1 | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 2 | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 3 | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 4 | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 5 | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 6 | DECBI | Back Index | Ignored (TBD) |
| 7 | DECSC | Save Cursor | Supported |
| 8 | DECRC | Restore Cursor | Supported |
| 9 | DECFI | Forward Index | Ignored (TBD) |
| : | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| ; | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| < | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| = | DECKPAM | Keypad Application Mode | Supported |
| > | DECKPNM | Keypad Numeric Mode | Supported |
| ? | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| @ | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| A | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| B | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| C | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| D | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| E | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| F | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| G | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| H | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| I | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| J | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| K | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| L | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| M | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| N | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| O | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| P | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| Q | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| R | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| S | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| T | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| U | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| V | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| W | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| X | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| Y | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| Z | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| [ | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| \ | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| ] | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| ^ | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| _ | See C1 Control Codes | ||
| ` | DMI | Disable Manual Input | Ignored (TBD) |
| a | INT | Interrupt | Ignored (TBD) |
| b | EMI | Enable Manual Input | Ignored (TBD) |
| c | RIS | Reset to Initial State | Resets terminal state |
| d | CMD | Coding Method Delimiter | Ignored (TBD) |
| e | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| f | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| g | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| h | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| i | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| j | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| k | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| l | Memory lock/unlock | Won't support | |
| m | Memory lock/unlock | Won't support | |
| n | LS2 | Locking Shift Two | Point GL to G2 |
| o | LS3 | Locking Shift Three | Point GL to G3 |
| p | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| q | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| r | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| s | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| t | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| u | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| v | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| w | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| x | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| y | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| z | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| { | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| | | LS3R | Locking Shift Three Right | Ignored (Point GR to G3) |
| } | LS2R | Locking Shift Two Right | Ignored (Point GR to G2) |
| ~ | LS1R | Locking Shift One Right | Ignored (Point GR to G1) |
A few random escape sequences. They are initiated with ESC+]+#.
| DSC | Name | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | DECDHL | Double-Width, Double-Height Line (Top Half) | Ignored |
| 4 | DECDHL | Double-Width, Double-Height Line (Bottom Half) | Ignored |
| 5 | DECSWL | Single-Width, Single-Height Line | Ignored |
| 6 | DECDWL | Double-Width, Single-Height Line | Ignored |
| 8 | DECALN | Screen Alignment Pattern | Fill terminal with E's |
Device Control String is not currently supported which means none of its subcommands work either (like ReGIS or Sixel).
This is a grab bag of various escape sequences. They are initiated with
ESC+]. Arguments to the sequences are typically delimited by ;, and
terminated with BEL. e.g. ESC+] 0 ; title BEL (0x1b 0x5d 0x30 0x3b ... 0x07).
For example:
| OSC | Description | Status | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Set window title | Only window title | ESC ] 0 ; [title] \a |
| 2 | Set window title | Converted to 0 | |
| 4 | Set/read color palette | Supported | ESC ] 4 ; index1;rgb1;...;indexN;rgbN \a |
| 9 | iTerm2 Growl notifications | Supported | ESC ] 9 ; [message] \a |
| 10 | Set foreground color | Supported | ESC ] 10 ; [X11 color spec] \a |
| 11 | Set background color | Supported | ESC ] 11 ; [X11 color spec] \a |
| 50 | Set the cursor shape | Supported | ESC ] 50 ; CursorShape=[0|1|2] \a |
| 52 | Clipboard operations | Only "c" supported | ESC ] 52 ; c ; [base64 data] \a |
| 777 | rxvt-unicode (urxvt) modules | Only "notify" supported | ESC ] 777 ; notify ; [title] ; [body] \a |
These are various color and cursor related escape sequences. Also referred to
as ANSI escape sequences. They are initiated with ESC+[. Arguments to the
sequences are typically delimited by ; and precede the command. e.g. ESC+[
arg1 ; arg2 ; argN m.
| CSI | Name | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| @ | ICH | Insert Blank Characters | Add space |
| A | CUU | Cursor Up | Move cursor up arg1 rows |
| B | CUD | Cursor Down | Move cursor down arg1 rows |
| C | CUF | Cursor Forward | Move cursor forward arg1 columns |
| D | CUB | Cursor Backward | Move cursor back arg1 columns |
| E | CNL | Cursor Next Line | Move cursor down arg1 rows and to first column |
| F | CPL | Cursor Preceding Line | Move cursor up arg1 rows and to first column |
| G | CHA | Cursor Character Absolute | Move cursor to arg1 column |
| H | CUP | Cursor Position | Move cursor to arg1 row and arg2 column |
| I | CHT | Cursor Forward Tabulation | Move cursor forward arg1 tabs |
| J | ED | Erase in Display | !arg1 or arg1 == 0: Clear cursor to end of displayarg1 == 1: Clear start of display to cursorarg1 == 2: Clear display |
| ?J | DECSED | Selective Erase in Display | Same as ED above |
| K | EL | Erase in Line | !arg1 or arg1 == 0: Clear cursor to end of linearg1 == 1: Clear start of line to cursorarg1 == 2: Clear line |
| ?K | DECSEL | Selective Erase in Line | Same as EL above |
| L | IL | Insert Lines | Insert arg1 lines |
| M | DL | Delete Lines | Delete arg1 lines |
| N | EF | Erase in Field | Ignored (TBD) |
| O | EA | Erase in Area | Ignored (TBD) |
| P | DCH | Delete Characters | Delete arg1 characters before cursor |
| Q | SEE | Select Editing Extent | Ignored (TBD) |
| R | CPR | Active Position Report | Ignored (TBD) |
| S | SU | Scroll Up | Scroll up arg1 lines |
| T | SD | Scroll Down | Scroll down arg1 lines |
| >T | Won't support | ||
| U | NP | Next Page | Ignored (TBD) |
| V | PP | Previous Page | Ignored (TBD) |
| W | CTC | Cursor Tabulation Control | Ignored (TBD) |
| X | ECH | Erase Characters | Delete arg1 characters after cursor |
| Y | CVT | Cursor Line Tabulation | Ignored (TBD) |
| Z | CBT | Cursor Backward Tabulation | Move cursor back arg1 tabs |
| [ | SRS | Start Reversed String | Ignored (TBD) |
| \ | PTX | Parallel Texts | Ignored (TBD) |
| ] | SDS | Start Directed String | Ignored (TBD) |
| ^ | SIMD | Select Implicit Movement Direction | Ignored (TBD) |
| _ | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| ` | HPA | Character Position Absolute | Same as CHA above |
| a | HPR | Character Position Relative | Move cursor forward arg1 columns |
| b | REP | Repeat | Ignored (TBD) |
| c | DA/DA1 | Send Primary Device Attributes | Currently reports "VT100 with Advanced Video Option" |
| >c | DA2 | Send Secondary Device Attributes | Currently reports "VT100" |
| d | VPA | Line Position Absolute | Move cursor to arg1 row |
| e | VPR | Line Position Forward | Ignored (TBD) |
| f | HVP | Horizontal and Vertical Position | Same as CUP above |
| g | TBC | Tab Clear | !arg1 or arg1 == 0: Clear tab stop at cursorarg1 == 3: Clear all tab stops |
| h | SM | Set Mode | Supported (1) |
| ?h | DECSET | DEC Set Mode | Supported (2) |
| i | MC | Media Copy | Won't support |
| ?i | DECMC | DEC Media Copy | Won't support |
| j | HPB | Character Position Backward | Ignored (TBD) |
| k | VPB | Line Position Backward | Ignored (TBD) |
| l | RM | Reset Mode | Supported (1) |
| ?l | DECRST | DEC Mode Reset | Supported (2) |
| m | SGR | Select Graphic Rendition | Supported (3) |
| >m | xterm specific keyboard modes | Won't support | |
| n | DSR | Device Status Reports | Supported |
| ?n | DECDSR | DEC Device Status Reports | Supported |
| >n | xterm specific modifiers | Won't support | |
| o | DAQ | Define Area Qualification | Ignored (TBD) |
| p | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| >p | xterm specific cursor display control | Ignored (TBD) | |
| !p | DECSTR | Soft Terminal Reset | Supported |
| $p | DECRQM | Request Mode - Host To Terminal | Ignored (TBD) |
| ?$p | DECRQM | Request Mode - Host To Terminal | Ignored (TBD) |
| "p | DECSCL | Select Conformance Level | Ignored (TBD) |
| q | DECLL | Load LEDs | Ignored (TBD) |
| ␠q | DECSCUSR | Set Cursor Style | Supported |
| "q | DECSCA | Select Character Protection Attribute | Won't support |
| r | DECSTBM | Set Top and Bottom Margins | Supported |
| ?r | Won't support | ||
| $r | Won't support | ||
| s | Save cursor (ANSI.SYS) | Supported | |
| ?s | Won't support | ||
| t | Won't support | ||
| $t | DECRARA | Reverse Attributes in Rectangular Area | Won't support |
| >t | Won't support | ||
| ␠t | DECSWBV | Set Warning Bell Volume | Won't support |
| u | Restore cursor (ANSI.SYS) | Supported | |
| ␠u | DECSMBV | Set Margin Bell Volume | Won't support |
| v | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| $v | DECCRA | Copy Rectangular Area | Won't support |
| w | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 'w | DECEFR | Won't support | |
| x | DECREQTPARM | Ignored (TBD) | |
| *x | DECSACE | Select Attribute Change Extent | Won't support |
| $x | DECFRA | Fill Rectangular Area | Won't support |
| y | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| z | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 'z | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| $z | DECERA | Erase Rectangular Area | Won't support |
| '{ | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| '| | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| '} | DECIC | Insert Column | Won't support |
| '~ | DECDC | Delete Column | Won't support |
{#CSI-footer}
- SM/RM are multiplexed commands; see section below for more details.
- DECSET/DECRST are multiplexed commands; see section below for more details.
- SGR is a multiplexed command; see section below for more details.
Ignoring the use of the generic word "mode", the Set Mode and Reset Mode commands are used to control different operating modes. Historically these made sense with a wide range of hardware devices that used different binary protocols, but nowadays we can ignore most as dead code. That is why hterm doesn't support most of these.
For SM, the specified mode is enabled. For RM, it's disabled (reset).
| Mode | Name | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GATM | Guarded Area Transfer Mode | Won't support |
| 2 | KAM | Keyboard Action Mode | Won't support |
| 3 | CRM | Control Representation Mode | Ignored |
| 4 | IRM | Insertion Replacement Mode | Supported |
| 5 | SRTM | Status Report Transfer Mode | Ignored |
| 6 | ERM | ERasure mode | Ignored |
| 7 | VEM | Line Editing Mode | Ignored |
| 8 | BDSM | Bi-Directional Support Mode | Ignored |
| 9 | DCSM | Device Component Select Mode | Ignored |
| 10 | HEM | Character Editing Mode | Ignored |
| 11 | PUM | Positioning Unit Mode | Ignored |
| 12 | SRM | Send/Receive Mode | Won't support |
| 13 | FEAM | Format Effector Action Mode | Ignored |
| 14 | FETM | Format Effector Transfer Mode | Ignored |
| 15 | MATM | Multiple Area Transfer Mode | Ignored |
| 16 | TTM | Transfer Termination Mode | Ignored |
| 17 | SATM | Selected Area Transfer Mode | Ignored |
| 18 | TSM | Tabulation Stop Mode | Ignored |
| 19 | Reserved | Ignored | |
| 20 | LNM | Automatic Newline | Supported |
| 21 | GRCM | Graphic Rendition Combination Mode | Ignored |
| 22 | ZDM | Zero Default Mode | Ignored |
Similar to the SM & RM commands, these are extensions that DEC added to their VT's. Then other people started adding their own. There are many, and we support some of them.
| Mode | Name | Source | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DECCKM | DEC | Application Cursor Keys | Supported |
| 2 | DECANM | DEC | Designate USASCII for character sets G0-G3, and set VT100 mode | Ignored (TBD) |
| 3 | DECCOLM | DEC | 132 Column Mode | Supported |
| 4 | DECSCLM | DEC | Smooth (Slow) Scroll | Won't support |
| 5 | DECSCNM | DEC | Reverse Video | Supported |
| 6 | DECOM | DEC | Origin Mode | Supported |
| 7 | DECAWM | DEC | Wraparound Mode | Supported |
| 8 | DECARM | DEC | Auto-repeat Keys | Won't support |
| 9 | Send Mouse X & Y on button press | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 10 | rxvt | Show toolbar | Won't support | |
| 12 | att610 | Start blinking cursor | Supported | |
| 18 | DECPFF | DEC | Print form feed | Ignored (TBD) |
| 19 | DECPEX | DEC | Set print extent to full screen | Won't support |
| 25 | DECTCEM | DEC | Show Cursor | Supported |
| 30 | rxvt | Show scrollbar | Supported | |
| 35 | rxvt | Enable font-shifting functions | Won't support | |
| 38 | DECTEK | DEC | Enter Tektronix Mode | Won't support |
| 40 | Allow 80 - 132 (DECCOLM) Mode | Supported | ||
| 41 | curses | more(1) fix | Ignored (TBD) | |
| 42 | DECNRCM | DEC | Enable Nation Replacement Character sets | Ignored (TBD) |
| 44 | Turn On Margin Bell | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 45 | Reverse-wraparound Mode | Supported | ||
| 46 | Start Logging | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 47 | Use Alternate Screen Buffer | Supported | ||
| 66 | DECNKM | DEC | Application keypad | Ignored (TBD) |
| 67 | DECBKM | DEC | Backarrow key sends backspace | Supported |
| 1000 | MOUSE_REPORT_CLICK | Send Mouse X & Y on button press and release | Supported | |
| 1001 | Use Hilite Mouse Tracking | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 1002 | MOUSE_REPORT_DRAG | Use Cell Motion Mouse Tracking | Supported | |
| 1003 | Use All Motion Mouse Tracking | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 1004 | Send FocusIn/FocusOut events | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 1005 | Enable Extended Mouse Mode | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 1010 | rxvt | Scroll to bottom on tty output | Supported | |
| 1011 | rxvt | Scroll to bottom on key press | Supported | |
| 1034 | Interpret "meta" key, sets eighth bit | Won't support | ||
| 1035 | Enable special modifiers for Alt and NumLock keys | Won't support | ||
| 1036 | Send ESC when Meta modifies a key | Supported | ||
| 1037 | Send DEL from the editing-keypad Delete key | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 1039 | Send ESC when Alt modifies a key | Supported | ||
| 1040 | Keep selection even if not highlighted | Won't support | ||
| 1041 | Use the CLIPBOARD selection | Won't support | ||
| 1042 | Enable Urgency window manager hint when Control-G is received | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 1043 | Enable raising of the window when Control-G is received | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 1047 | Use Alternate Screen Buffer | Supported | ||
| 1048 | Save cursor as in DECSC | Supported | ||
| 1049 | Combine 1047 and 1048 modes and clear | Supported | ||
| 1050 | Set terminfo/termcap function-key mode | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 1051 | Set Sun function-key mode | Won't support | ||
| 1052 | Set HP function-key mode | Won't support | ||
| 1053 | Set SCO function-key mode | Won't support | ||
| 1060 | Set legacy keyboard emulation (X11R6) | Won't support | ||
| 1061 | Set VT220 keyboard emulation | Ignored (TBD) | ||
| 2004 | Set bracketed paste mode | Supported |
These are various color and cursor related escape sequences. Also referred to as ANSI escape sequences. They are initiated with ESC+[ and finish with the m command. Accepts an arbitrary number of args delimited by ; and in any order.
| SGR | Character Attribute | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Attributes | ||
| 0 | Normal (default) | Supported |
| 1 | Bold | Supported |
| 2 | Faint | Supported |
| 3 | Italic | Supported |
| 4 | Underlined | Supported |
| 5 | Blink | Supported |
| 6 | Rapid blink | Ignored (TBD) |
| 7 | Inverse | Supported |
| 8 | Invisible | Supported |
| 9 | Crossed out | Supported |
| Disable Attributes | ||
| 21 | Double underlined | Ignored (TBD) |
| 22 | Normal (decorations) | Supported |
| 23 | Not italic | Supported |
| 24 | Not underlined | Supported |
| 25 | Steady (not blink) | Supported |
| 26 | Reserved | Ignored (TBD) |
| 27 | Positive (not inverse) | Supported |
| 28 | Visible (not invisible) | Supported |
| 29 | Not crossed out | Supported |
| Foreground Color | ||
| 30 | Set foreground color to Black | Supported |
| 31 | Set foreground color to Red | Supported |
| 32 | Set foreground color to Green | Supported |
| 33 | Set foreground color to Yellow | Supported |
| 34 | Set foreground color to Blue | Supported |
| 35 | Set foreground color to Magenta | Supported |
| 36 | Set foreground color to Cyan | Supported |
| 37 | Set foreground color to White | Supported |
| 38 | Set foreground color to 8-bit/24-bit color | Supported (1) |
| 39 | Set foreground color to default (original) | Supported |
| Background Color | ||
| 40 | Set background color to Black | Supported |
| 41 | Set background color to Red | Supported |
| 42 | Set background color to Green | Supported |
| 43 | Set background color to Yellow | Supported |
| 44 | Set background color to Blue | Supported |
| 45 | Set background color to Magenta | Supported |
| 46 | Set background color to Cyan | Supported |
| 47 | Set background color to White | Supported |
| 48 | Set background color to 8-bit/24-bit color | Supported (1) |
| 49 | Set background color to default (original) | Supported |
| Misc | ||
| 50 | Reserved for canceling SGR 26 | Ignored (TBD) |
| 51 | Framed | Ignored (TBD) |
| 52 | Encircled | Ignored (TBD) |
| 53 | Overlined | Ignored (TBD) |
| 54 | Not framed and not encircled | Ignored (TBD) |
| 55 | Not overlined | Ignored (TBD) |
| 56 | Reserved | Ignored (TBD) |
| 57 | Reserved | Ignored (TBD) |
| 58 | Reserved | Ignored (TBD) |
| 59 | Reserved | Ignored (TBD) |
| 60 | Ideogram underline or right side line | Ignored (TBD) |
| 61 | Ideogram double underline or double right side line | Ignored (TBD) |
| 62 | Ideogram overline or left side line | Ignored (TBD) |
| 63 | Ideogram double overline or double left side line | Ignored (TBD) |
| 64 | Ideogram stress marking | Ignored (TBD) |
| 65 | Cancel SGR 60 through 64 | Ignored (TBD) |
| Bright Foreground Color | ||
| 90 | Set foreground color to bright Black | Supported |
| 91 | Set foreground color to bright Red | Supported |
| 92 | Set foreground color to bright Green | Supported |
| 93 | Set foreground color to bright Yellow | Supported |
| 94 | Set foreground color to bright Blue | Supported |
| 95 | Set foreground color to bright Magenta | Supported |
| 96 | Set foreground color to bright Cyan | Supported |
| 97 | Set foreground color to bright White | Supported |
| Bright Background Color | ||
| 100 | Set background color to bright Black | Supported |
| 101 | Set background color to bright Red | Supported |
| 102 | Set background color to bright Green | Supported |
| 103 | Set background color to bright Yellow | Supported |
| 104 | Set background color to bright Blue | Supported |
| 105 | Set background color to bright Magenta | Supported |
| 106 | Set background color to bright Cyan | Supported |
| 107 | Set background color to bright White | Supported |
{#SGR-footer} For 88- or 256-color support, the following apply:
38 ; 5 ; P-- Set foreground color to P.48 ; 5 ; P-- Set background color to P.
For true color (24-bit) support, the following apply.
38 ; 2 ; R ; G ; B-- Set foreground color to rgb(R, G, B)48 ; 2 ; R ; G ; B-- Set background color to rgb(R, G, B)
Note that most terminals consider "bold" to be "bold and bright". In some documents the bold state is even referred to as bright. We interpret bold as bold-bright here too, but only when the "bold" setting comes before the color selection.
- ECMA-35: Character Code Structure and Extension Techniques
- ECMA-43: 8-bit Coded Character Set Structure and Rules
- ECMA-48: Control Functions for Coded Character Sets
- VT100.net: Everything related to classic VTstandards.
- VT100 User Guide
- VT510 Video Terminal Programmer Information
- XTerm: The defacto standard in the open source world.
- CTRL/C0/C1: Basic control sequences.
- ANSI escape codes: Basic color related sequences (among others).
- terminfo(5) man page: Terminal capability data base.
- infocmp(1) man page: Compare or print out terminfo descriptions.
- UTF-8 and Unicode FAQ: one-stop information resource on how you can use Unicode/UTF-8 on POSIX systems.