ZSH Cheatsheet.md

ZSH Cheatsheet

Parameter expansion

files=(*.txt)          # store a glob in a variable
print -l $files
print -l $files(:h)    # this is the syntax we saw before
print -l ${files:h}
print -l ${files(:h)}  # don't mix the two, or you'll get an error
print -l ${files:u}    # the :u modifier makes the text uppercase

:s modifier

variable="path/aaabcd"
echo ${variable:s/bc/BC/}     # path/aaaBCd
echo ${variable:s_bc_BC_}     # path/aaaBCd
echo ${variable:s/\//./}      # path.aaabcd (escaping the slash \/)
echo ${variable:s_/_._}       # path.aaabcd (slightly more readable)
echo ${variable:s/a/A/}       # pAth/aaabcd (only first A is replaced)
echo ${variable:gs/a/A/}      # pAth/AAAbcd (all A is replaced)

Split the file name at each underscore

echo ${(s._.)file}

Join expansion flag, opposite of the split flag

array=(a b c d)
echo ${(j.-.)array}   # a-b-c-d

Short if

if [[ ... ]] command
if [[ ... ]] { command ... }

Short for

for i ( word ... ) command
for i ( word ... ) { command ... }
for i in word ... ; command

Short while/until

while [[ ... ]] { command ... }
until [[ ... ]] { command ... }

Use output of command, when using pipe is not possible

<( command )

Similar to <( ), but creates temporary file (instead of FD or FIFO), when program needs to seek in output.

=( command )

Expressions

Expression	Example	Description
!!	sudo !!	Last command (sudo !!)
!*	vim !*	Last command’s parameters (vim !*)
!^		Last command’s first parameter
!$		Last command’s last parameter
!?ls <tab>	sudo !?mv <tab>	Command and params of last ls command
!?ls?:* <tab>		Params of last ls command
*(m0)	rm *(m0)	Last modified today
*(m-4)		Last modified <4 days ago

Change default shell

chsh -s `which zsh`

Process Substitution

Expression	Example	Description
<(COMMAND)	grep "needle" <(curl "https://haystack.io")	Replace argument with named pipe/FIFO (read-only) with command output
=(COMMAND)	vim =(curl "https://haystack.io")	Replace argument with file (writable) containing command output

vi-mode

This plugin increase vi-like zsh functionality.

Use ESC or CTRL-[ to enter Normal mode.

History

• ctrl-p : Previous command in history
• ctrl-n : Next command in history
• / : Search backward in history
• n : Repeat the last /

Mode indicators

Normal mode is indicated with red <<< mark at the right prompt, when it wasn't defined by theme.

Vim edition

• v : Edit current command line in Vim

Movement

• $ : To the end of the line
• ^ : To the first non-blank character of the line
• 0 : To the first character of the line
• w : [count] words forward
• W : [count] WORDS forward
• e : Forward to the end of word [count] inclusive
• E : Forward to the end of WORD [count] inclusive
• b : [count] words backward
• B : [count] WORDS backward
• t{char} : Till before [count]'th occurrence of {char} to the right
• T{char} : Till before [count]'th occurrence of {char} to the left
• f{char} : To [count]'th occurrence of {char} to the right
• F{char} : To [count]'th occurrence of {char} to the left
• ; : Repeat latest f, t, F or T [count] times
• , : Repeat latest f, t, F or T in opposite direction

Insertion

• i : Insert text before the cursor
• I : Insert text before the first character in the line
• a : Append text after the cursor
• A : Append text at the end of the line
• o : Insert new command line below the current one
• O : Insert new command line above the current one

Delete and Insert

• ctrl-h : While in Insert mode: delete character before the cursor
• ctrl-w : While in Insert mode: delete word before the cursor
• d{motion} : Delete text that {motion} moves over
• dd : Delete line
• D : Delete characters under the cursor until the end of the line
• c{motion} : Delete {motion} text and start insert
• cc : Delete line and start insert
• C : Delete to the end of the line and start insert
• r{char} : Replace the character under the cursor with {char}
• R : Enter replace mode: Each character replaces existing one
• x : Delete [count] characters under and after the cursor
• X : Delete [count] characters before the cursor

Print Command

Command	Description
print -l *.txt	A plain old glob.
print -l **/*.txt	A plain old glob.
print -l **/*<1-10>.txt	Show text files that end in a number from 1 to 10
print -l **/[a]*.txt	Show text files that start with the letter a
`print -l **/(ab	bc)*.txt`
print -l **/[^cC]*.txt	Show text files that don't start with a lower or uppercase c
print -l **/*(/)	Show only directories
print -l **/*(.)	Show only regular files
print -l **/*(L0)	Show empty files.
print -l **/*(Lk+3)	Show files greater than 3 KB
print -l **/*(mh-1)	Show files modified in the last hour
print -l *.txt(:t:r)	Return the file name without the extension
print -l *.txt(:e)	Return the extension

Print Examples

# A plain old glob
print -l *.txt
print -l **/*.txt

# Show text files that end in a number from 1 to 10
print -l **/*<1-10>.txt

# Show text files that start with the letter a
print -l **/[a]*.txt

# Show text files that start with either ab or bc
print -l **/(ab|bc)*.txt

# Show text files that don't start with a lower or uppercase c
print -l **/[^cC]*.txt

# Show only directories
print -l **/*(/)

# Show only regular files
print -l **/*(.)

# Show empty files
print -l **/*(L0)

# Show files greater than 3 KB
print -l **/*(Lk+3)

# Show files modified in the last hour
print -l **/*(mh-1)

# Sort files from most to least recently modified and show the last 3
print -l **/*(om[1,3])

# `.` show files, `Lm-2` smaller than 2MB, `mh-1` modified in last hour,
# `om` sort by modification date, `[1,3]` only first 3 files
print -l **/*(.Lm-2mh-1om[1,3])

# Show every directory that contain directory `.git`
print -l **/*(e:'[[ -d $REPLY/.git ]]':)

# Return the file name (t stands for tail)
print -l *.txt(:t)

# Return the file name without the extension (r stands for remove_extension)
print -l *.txt(:t:r)

# Return the extension
print -l *.txt(:e)

# Return the parent folder of the file (h stands for head)
print -l *.txt(:h)

# Return the parent folder of the parent
print -l *.txt(:h:h)

# Return the parent folder of the first file
print -l *.txt([1]:h)

Also see

Zsh is mostly compatible with Bash, so most everything in Bash’s cheatsheet also applies.