Add README

This commit is contained in:
Jakob Schöttl 2019-01-10 19:38:52 +01:00 committed by Simon Michael
parent 78d08455c0
commit 872484729e

View File

@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
Shell completion for CLI
========================
This code generates shell completion scripts for hledger's command line
interface.
Shell completion is usually triggered by pressing the tab key once or twice
after typing the command `hledger `.
(The exact behavior may differ in shells other than Bash.)
Currently, only Bash is supported but Zsh or Fish can be added.
[Demonstration video](https://asciinema.org/a/PdV2PzIU9oDQg1K5FjAX9n3vL)
The completions can handle hledger's CLI:
- commands and generic options
- command-specific options
- account names (but not yet for files named by --file)
- filenames for options that take a filename as argument
Installation
------------
First, generate the completion script for Bash:
```
# change into this folder:
cd shell-completion/
make
```
Hint: GNU make, GNU m4, and GNU parallel must be installed to call `make`.
The first two usually are.
Then, the generated completion script must be installed. TBD.
For now, you can use this two commands:
```
cp hledger-completion.bash ~/.hledger-completion.bash
echo 'source ~/.hledger-completion.bash' >> ~/.bashrc
```
After that, you have to start a new Bash, e.g. by typing `bash` on the current
shell.
Now, try it by typing `hledger` (with a space after the command) and press the
tab key twice. Then you can type a part of one of the suggestions and press tab
again to complete it.
Background
----------
The Bash completion script is generated (GNU make) by parsing output of hledger,
hledger -h, and hledger <cmd> -h. The script also uses hledger accounts for
account name completion. I propose that the Makefile is not run at every built
but rather manually when the CLI changes.