.. include:: ../header.txt

.. _alias:

:command:`alias`
===========================

.. index:: alias, unalias

:title:`Linux for Programmers and Users`, Sections 6.4.1

.. program:: alias
.. describe:: alias

   An alias is a short cut command to a longer command.
   Users may type the alias name to run the longer command with less typing.
   Without arguments, :command:`alias` prints a list of defined aliases. A
   new alias is defined by assigning a string with the command to a name.
   Alias are often set in the ``~/.bashrc`` file.

SYNOPSIS
    :command:`alias` [-p] [name[=string]]

OPTIONS:

    .. option:: -p

        Display all aliases in a format suitable for input to the shell.

Examples::

    alias c='clear'
    alias lf='/bin/ls --color -CF'
    alias ll='ls -l --color=auto'
    alias ls='ls --color=auto'
    alias r='fc -s'
    alias vi='vim'
    
.. note::

   If a user wishes to run a command without the alias definition, they can
   type a `\\` character in front of the command.  For example, with the above
   alias definitions, the :command:`ls` command displays as if :command:`ls
   --color=auto` were typed.  To see `ls` without the `color` option, type
   :command:`\\ls`.

.. program:: unalias
.. describe:: unalias

   Remove defined aliases

SYNOPSIS
    :command:`unalias` [-a] name [name ...]

OPTIONS:

    .. option:: -a

       Remove all aliases

Auto Completion
================

.. index:: auto completion, TAB key

Another typing short-cut is BASH's auto completion feature. BASH can
complete a filename, command name, username or shell variable that you have
begun to type if enough has been typed to uniquely identify it.  While
typing on the command line, press *TAB* to see if BASH can complete the word
you are typing. If it can not identify a completion, nothing appears on the
command line, but by pressing *TAB* a second time, a list of possible
matches is displayed.