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<h3 class="section">3.3 The Input Line</h3>

<p><a name="index-Input-line-61"></a><a name="index-Escaping-an-input-62"></a><a name="index-Immediate-input-63"></a><a name="index-Long-input-64"></a><a name="index-File-name-completion-65"></a>
The bottom line of the screen is usually occupied by the status bar
(see <a href="The-Status-Bar.html#The-Status-Bar">The Status Bar</a>). However, whenever <code>ne</code> prompts you for a
command or file name or asks you to confirm some action, the bottom line
becomes the <dfn>input line</dfn>. You can see this because a <dfn>prompt</dfn> is
displayed at the start of the line, suggesting what kind of input is
required. (Prompts always ends with a colon, so it is easy to
distinguish them from <dfn>error messages</dfn>, which overwrite the status
line from time to time.)

   <p><code>ne</code> uses the input line in two essentially different ways:
<dfn>immediate</dfn> input and <dfn>long</dfn> input. You can easily distinguish
between these two modes because in immediate input mode the cursor is
not on the input line, while for long input mode it is.

   <p>Immediate input is used whenever <code>ne</code> needs you to specify a simple
choice that can be expressed by one character (for example, &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">y</span></samp>&rsquo; or
&lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">n</span></samp>&rsquo;). When you type the character, <code>ne</code> will immediately
accept and use your input. Most immediate inputs display a character
just after the prompt. This character is the default response, which is
used if you just press the &lt;Return&gt; key. Note that immediate input
is not case sensitive. Moreover, if a yes/no choice is requested,
<em>anything</em> other than &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">y</span></samp>&rsquo; will be considered a negative
response.

   <p>Long input is used when a whole string is required. You can enter and
edit your response to long inputs like a line of text in a
document. Most key bindings related to line editing work on the command
line exactly as they do in a document. This is true even of custom key
bindings. Just edit as you are used to. Moreover, the you can paste the
first line of the current clip using the keystroke that is bound to the
<code>Paste</code> command, usually <kbd>&lt;Control&gt;-V</kbd>. If your long input
is longer than the screen width, the input line scrolls to accommodate
your text so you can input very long lines even on small
monitors. (There is a limit of 2048 characters.)

   <p>The default response to a long input is the response you gave to the
previous long input. Your <em>first action</em> when presented with a long
input will either erase the default response or allow you to edit it. If
the first thing you type is a printing character, the default response
will be erased. Anything else (cursor movement for example) will allow
you to edit it further.

   <p>Long input also lets you access your previous long input responses with
the up and down cursor commands (or with wider movement commands, such
as start/end of file, page up/down, etc.). Once you find a previous
input you like, you can edit it further. Long input history is not
document specific, so you can recall any of your inputs regardless of
which document was active when you entered it. Furthermore, <code>ne</code>
saves the most recent long inputs in <samp><span class="file">~/.ne/.history</span></samp> when you end
your <code>ne</code> session and loads them again when you begin another
<code>ne</code> session.

   <p>When asked to input a number, you can choose between decimal, octal and
hexadecimal notation in the standard way: a number starting with
&lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">0</span></samp>&rsquo; is considered in octal, a number starting with &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">0x</span></samp>&rsquo; is
considered in hexadecimal, and in all other cases decimal base is
assumed.

   <p>Whenever a file name is requested, you can type a partial file name and
<dfn>complete</dfn> it with the &lt;Tab&gt; key. <code>ne</code> will scan the
current directory (or the directory that you partially specified) and
search for the files matching your partial suggestion. The longest
prefix common to all such files will be copied on the input line
(<code>ne</code> will beep if no completion exists). It's easier done than
said&mdash;just try. If you press &lt;Tab&gt; again, you will be brought into
the file requester: only the files and directories matching your partial
specification will appear, and as usual you will be able to navigate and
select a file or escape. See <a href="The-Requester.html#The-Requester">The Requester</a>.  Note that <code>ne</code>
considers the <em>last word</em> on the input line the partial file name
to complete, no matter where the cursor is currently (you must use quotes
if the name contains spaces, even if it is the only item on the input line).

   <p>Complete long input with the &lt;Return&gt; key. You can cancel a long
input using &lt;f1&gt;, &lt;Escape&gt;, &lt;Escape&gt;-&lt;Escape&gt; or any key
that is bound to the <code>Escape</code> command. The effect will vary depending
on what your were requested to input, but the execution of the command
requiring the input will stop.

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