OSF

NAME

more, page − Displays a file one screenful at a time

SYNOPSIS

more [-cdflpsuvzw] [-number] [+line_number | +g | +G | +/pattern] [file ...]

page [-cdflpsuvzw] [-number] [+line_number | +g | +G | +/pattern] [file ...]

The more command invokes a filter that allows examination of continuous text, one screenful at a time, on a soft-copy terminal.  The page command is equivalent to more, but erases the screen before displaying each screenful. 

FLAGS

-cStarts each screenful at the top of the screen and erases existing output on each line before displaying a new line.  This avoids scrolling the screen, making it easier to read while more is writing.  It is also faster than scrolling on many terminals.  This flag is ignored if the terminal does not have the ability to clear to the end of a line. 

-dPrompts you to continue, quit, or obtain help after each screenful of text. 

-fCounts logical lines rather than screen lines; that is, long lines are not folded.  This flag is recommended if nroff output is piped through ul, or if more reads any text that contains escape sequences.  Escape sequences contain characters that would ordinarily occupy screen positions, but which do not print when they are sent to the terminal as part of an escape sequences.  Thus more may think that lines are longer than they actually are, and fold lines erroneously. 

-lDoes not treat <Ctrl-l> specially.  If this flag is not specified, more pauses after any line that contains <Ctrl-l>, as if at the end of a screenful.  Also, if a file begins with a <Ctrl-l>, the screen is cleared before the file is printed. 

-pSets no scroll mode, causing more to clear the screen before displaying each screenful.  This is equivalent to invoking the program as page. 

-sSqueezes multiple empty lines from the output, producing only one empty line.  Especially helpful when viewing nroff output, this flag maximizes the amount of useful information present on the screen. 

-uSuppresses processing of underlined text for terminal display.  Normally, more handles underlining in a manner appropriate to the particular terminal: if the terminal can perform underlining or has a highlight mode, more outputs appropriate escape sequences to enable underlining or highlight mode for underlined information in the source file. 

-wKeeps the current file open, even when it is at end-of-file.  This gives you an opportunity to page or scroll backward through the file.  Normally, when more reads an end-of-file, it goes on to display the next file specified on the command line, or exits if there is no next file.  When more is used to read from a file that is growing, or from a pipe, the -w flag allows you to “poll” periodically in order to display any new text that has been appended to the file or pipe. 

-vDoes not display nonprinting characters graphically.  Without this flag, all non-ASCII and control characters (except <Tab>, <Backspace>, and <Return>) are displayed visibly in the form ^X for <Ctrl-x>, or M-x for non-ASCII character x. 

-zSame as if the -v flag is not given, but in addition, <Backspace> is displayed as ^H, <Return> as ^M, and <Tab> as ^I. 

+line_number
Starts up at line_number. 

+gStarts up at the last screenful in the file.  Instead of exiting (or going on to the next file) after showing the last line of the file, more displays the -More--(EOF) prompt, as if the -w flag were in effect.  This gives you an opportunity to scroll or page backward through the file. 

+/pattern
Starts up at the line containing the regular expression pattern. 

-numberSets the number of lines in the display window to number.  The default is two lines less than the number of lines displayed by the terminal; on a screen that displays 24 lines, the default is 22. 

DESCRIPTION

The more command normally pauses after each screenful, printing --More-- at the bottom of the screen.  You can then enter a carriage-return to display one more line, or press <Space> to display another screenful.  Other possibilities are described under SUBCOMMANDS. 

If the program is invoked as page, then the screen is cleared before each screenful is printed (but only if a full screenful is being printed), and k minus 1 rather than k minus 2 lines are printed in each screenful, where k is the number of lines the terminal can display. 

The more command looks in the terminfo database to determine terminal characteristics, and to determine the default window size.  On a terminal capable of displaying 24 lines, the default window size is 22 lines. 

The more command looks in the MORE environment variable to preset any desired flags; for example, assume that you prefer to view files using the -c and -w flags.  The csh command setenv MORE cw, or the ksh or sh command sequence MORE=’cw’ ; export MORE would cause all invocations of more, including invocations by programs such as man and mesg, to use this mode.  Normally, you place the command sequence that sets up the MORE environment variable in the .kshrc, .cshrc, or .profile file. 

If more is reading from a file, rather than a pipe, then a percentage is displayed along with the -More-- prompt.  This gives the fraction of the file (in characters, not lines) that was displayed so far. 

If the standard output is not a terminal, then more processes like cat, except that a header is printed before each file (if there is more than one file). 

SUBCOMMANDS

The more command provides the following subcommands that you can type when more pauses.  These commands are designed to be similar to the commands supported by the vi editor.  (i is an optional integer argument, defaulting to 1.)  Regular expressions (as referred to here) are described under grep. 

i<Return>

ij

i<Ctrl-e>
All three forms display i more lines. 

i<Space>
Displays i more lines, or another screenful if i is not specified. 

i<Ctrl-d>
Scrolls one-half screen forward (displays the next k/2 lines, where k is the number of lines displayed by the <Space> command).  If i is specified, then the scroll size is set to i. 

dSame as <Ctrl-d>. 

i<Ctrl-u>
Scrolls one-half screen backward.  If i is specified, then the scroll size is set to i.  Note that if your line kill character is <Ctrl-u>, then you must use the u command to scroll backward. 

iuSame as <Ctrl-u>. 

ik

i<Ctrl-y>
Both forms scroll back i lines. 

izDisplays i more lines and sets the new window (screenful) size to i. 

igGoes to line i and displays a screenful, making line i the top line on the screen.  If i is not specified, then more displays the last screenful in the file.  Instead of exiting (or going on to the next file) after showing the last line of the file, more displays the -More--(EOF) prompt, as if the -w flag were in effect.  This gives you an opportunity to scroll or page backward through the file. 

isSkips i lines and prints a screenful. 

ifSkips i screenfuls and prints a screenful. 

ibSkips back i screenfuls and prints a screenful. 

i<Ctrl-b>
Same as b. 

q, QExits from more.

=Displays the current line number. 

vStarts up the vi editor at the current line. 

hDisplays a description of all the more subcommands. 

i/expression
Searches for the ith occurrence of the regular expression expression.  If there are less than i occurrences of expression, and the input is a file rather than a pipe, then the position in the file remains unchanged.  Otherwise, a screenful is displayed, starting with the line matching expression.  You can use Erase and Kill characters to edit the regular expression, which must be terminated by pressing <Return> (with no trailing / character).  Erasing back past the first column cancels the search command.  If expression is null, more uses the last regular expression entered. 

i?expression
Same as /, but searches backward in the file. 

inSearches for the ith occurrence of the last regular expression entered. 

iNSearches for the ith occurrence of the last regular expression entered, but reverses the direction of that search. 

’ (single quote)
Returns to the point from which the last search started. If no search was performed in the current file, returns to the beginning of the file.

!command or :!command
Invokes a shell with command.  The % (percent sign) and ! (exclamation point) characters in command are replaced with the current filename and the previous shell command, respectively.  If there is no current filename, % is not expanded.  The sequences \% and \! are replaced by % and !, respectively. 

i:nSkips to the ith next file specified in the command line. 

i:pSkips to the ith previous file given in the command line.  If this command is given during display of a file, more returns to the beginning of the file.  If more is not reading from a file, the bell is rung and nothing else happens. 

:fDisplays the current filename and line number. 

:vDisplays the version number of the more command. 

:q, :QExits from more (same as q or Q). 

.Repeats the previous command. 

<Ctrl-l>
Redraws the screen.

hDisplays help information. 

The commands take effect immediately; it is not necessary to type a carriage-return.  Up to the time when the command character itself is given, you can enter the line Kill character to cancel the numerical argument being formed.  In addition, you can enter the Erase character to redisplay the -More--(xx%) message. 

At any time when output is being sent to the terminal, you can press q.  The more command stops sending output, and displays the usual -More-- prompt.  You can then enter one of the preceding commands in the normal manner.  Some output is lost when this is done, due to the fact that any characters waiting in the terminal’s output queue are flushed when the QUIT signal occurs. 

The terminal is set to noecho mode by this program so that the output can be continuous.  Thus, subcommands you enter do not show on your terminal, except for the / (slash), ? (question mark), and ! (exclamation point) commands. 

EXAMPLES

The following is a sample use of more in previewing nroff output:

nroff -ms doc.n | more -s -f

FILES

/usr/share/lib/terminfo/?/∗
Terminal information database.

/usr/share/lib/more.helpHelp file. 

RELATED INFORMATION

Commands:  cat(1), csh(1), grep(1)/egrep(1)/fgrep(1), ksh(1), man(1), nroff(1), pg(1), script(1), sh(1)

Files:  terminfo(4).