View Source c (stdlib v6.1.2)

Command line interface module.

This module enables users to enter the short form of some commonly used commands.

Note

These functions are intended for interactive use in the Erlang shell only. The module prefix can be omitted.

See Also

filename, compile, erlang, yecc, xref

Summary

Functions

Stack backtrace for a process. Equivalent to erlang:process_display(Pid, backtrace).

Works like c(Module, []).

Compiles and then purges and loads the code for a module. Module can be either a module name or a source file path, with or without .erl extension.

Compiles and then purges and loads the code for module Module, which must be an atom.

Changes working directory to Dir, which can be a relative name, and then prints the name of the new working directory.

Search PathList and load .erlang resource file if found.

Flushes any messages sent to the shell.

Print the documentation for Module

Print the documentation for all Module:Functions (regardless of arity).

Print the documentation for Module:Function/Arity.

Print the callback documentation for Module

Print the callback documentation for all Module:Callbacks (regardless of arity).

Print the callback documentation for Module:Callback/Arity.

Displays help information: all valid shell internal commands, and commands in this module.

Print the type documentation for Module

Print the type documentation for Type in Module regardless of arity.

Print the type documentation for Type/Arity in Module.

i()

Equivalent to ni/0.

Displays information about a process, Equivalent to process_info(pid(X, Y, Z)), but location transparent.

Purges and loads, or reloads, a module by calling code:purge(Module) followed by code:load_file(Module).

lc(Files) -> ok

Reloads all currently loaded modules that have changed on disk (see mm/0). Returns the list of results from calling l(M) for each such M.

Lists files in the current directory.

Lists files in directory Dir or, if Dir is a file, only lists it.

m()

Displays information about the loaded modules, including the files from which they have been loaded.

Displays information about Module.

Memory allocation information. Equivalent to erlang:memory/0.

Memory allocation information. Equivalent to erlang:memory/1.

Lists all modified modules. Shorthand for code:modified_modules/0.

Equivalent to nc/2.

Compiles and then loads the code for a file on all nodes. Options defaults to []. Compilation is equivalent to

i/0 displays system information, listing information about all processes. ni/0 does the same, but for all nodes in the network.

Loads Module on all nodes.

Equivalent to regs/0.

Converts X, Y, Z to pid <X.Y.Z>. This function is only to be used when debugging.

Prints the name of the working directory.

q()

This function is shorthand for init:stop(), that is, it causes the node to stop in a controlled fashion.

regs/0 displays information about all registered processes. nregs/0 does the same, but for all nodes in the network.

Prints the node uptime (as specified by erlang:statistics(wall_clock)) in human-readable form.

xm(ModSpec) -> term()

y(File) -> YeccRet

y(File, Options) -> YeccRet

Types

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cmd_line_arg()

View Source (not exported)
-type cmd_line_arg() :: atom() | string().
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h_return()

View Source (not exported)
-type h_return() :: ok | {error, missing | {unknown_format, unicode:chardata()}}.
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hcb_return()

View Source (not exported)
-type hcb_return() :: h_return() | {error, callback_missing}.
Link to this type

hf_return()

View Source (not exported)
-type hf_return() :: h_return() | {error, function_missing}.
Link to this type

ht_return()

View Source (not exported)
-type ht_return() :: h_return() | {error, type_missing}.

Functions

-spec bt(Pid) -> ok | undefined when Pid :: pid().

Stack backtrace for a process. Equivalent to erlang:process_display(Pid, backtrace).

-spec c(Module) -> {ok, ModuleName} | error when Module :: file:name(), ModuleName :: module().

Works like c(Module, []).

-spec c(Module, Options) -> {ok, ModuleName} | error
           when
               Module :: file:name(),
               Options :: [compile:option()] | compile:option(),
               ModuleName :: module().

Compiles and then purges and loads the code for a module. Module can be either a module name or a source file path, with or without .erl extension.

If Module is a string, it is assumed to be a source file path, and the compiler will attempt to compile the source file with the options Options. If compilation fails, the old object file (if any) is deleted.

If Module is an atom, a source file with that exact name or with .erl extension will be looked for. If found, the source file is compiled with the options Options. If compilation fails, the old object file (if any) is deleted.

If Module is an atom and is not the path of a source file, then the code path is searched to locate the object file for the module and extract its original compiler options and source path. If the source file is not found in the original location, filelib:find_source/1 is used to search for it relative to the directory of the object file.

The source file is compiled with the the original options appended to the given Options, the output replacing the old object file if and only if compilation succeeds.

Notice that purging the code means that any processes lingering in old code for the module are killed without warning. For more information, see the code module.

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c(Module, Options, Filter)

View Source (since OTP 20.0)
-spec c(Module, Options, Filter) -> {ok, ModuleName} | error
           when
               Module :: atom(),
               Options :: [compile:option()],
               Filter :: fun((compile:option()) -> boolean()),
               ModuleName :: module().

Compiles and then purges and loads the code for module Module, which must be an atom.

The code path is searched to locate the object file for module Module and extract its original compiler options and source path. If the source file is not found in the original location, filelib:find_source/1 is used to search for it relative to the directory of the object file.

The source file is compiled with the the original options appended to the given Options, the output replacing the old object file if and only if compilation succeeds. The function Filter specifies which elements to remove from the original compiler options before the new options are added. The Filter fun should return true for options to keep, and false for options to remove.

Notice that purging the code means that any processes lingering in old code for the module are killed without warning. For more information, see the code module.

-spec cd(Dir) -> ok when Dir :: file:name().

Changes working directory to Dir, which can be a relative name, and then prints the name of the new working directory.

Example:

2> cd("../erlang").
/home/ron/erlang
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erlangrc(PathList)

View Source (since OTP 21.0)
-spec erlangrc(PathList) -> {ok, file:filename()} | {error, term()}
                  when PathList :: [Dir :: file:name()].

Search PathList and load .erlang resource file if found.

-spec flush() -> ok.

Flushes any messages sent to the shell.

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h(Module)

View Source (since OTP 23.0)
-spec h(module()) -> h_return().

Print the documentation for Module

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h(Module, Function)

View Source (since OTP 23.0)
-spec h(module(), function()) -> hf_return().

Print the documentation for all Module:Functions (regardless of arity).

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h(Module, Function, Arity)

View Source (since OTP 23.0)
-spec h(module(), function(), arity()) -> hf_return().

Print the documentation for Module:Function/Arity.

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hcb(Module)

View Source (since OTP 23.0)
-spec hcb(module()) -> h_return().

Print the callback documentation for Module

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hcb(Module, Callback)

View Source (since OTP 23.0)
-spec hcb(module(), Callback :: atom()) -> hcb_return().

Print the callback documentation for all Module:Callbacks (regardless of arity).

Link to this function

hcb(Module, Callback, Arity)

View Source (since OTP 23.0)
-spec hcb(module(), Callback :: atom(), arity()) -> hcb_return().

Print the callback documentation for Module:Callback/Arity.

-spec help() -> ok.

Displays help information: all valid shell internal commands, and commands in this module.

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ht(Module)

View Source (since OTP 23.0)
-spec ht(module()) -> h_return().

Print the type documentation for Module

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ht(Module, Type)

View Source (since OTP 23.0)
-spec ht(module(), Type :: atom()) -> ht_return().

Print the type documentation for Type in Module regardless of arity.

Link to this function

ht(Module, Type, Arity)

View Source (since OTP 23.0)
-spec ht(module(), Type :: atom(), arity()) -> ht_return().

Print the type documentation for Type/Arity in Module.

-spec i() -> ok.

Equivalent to ni/0.

-spec i(X, Y, Z) -> [{atom(), term()}]
           when X :: non_neg_integer(), Y :: non_neg_integer(), Z :: non_neg_integer().

Displays information about a process, Equivalent to process_info(pid(X, Y, Z)), but location transparent.

-spec l(Module) -> code:load_ret() when Module :: module().

Purges and loads, or reloads, a module by calling code:purge(Module) followed by code:load_file(Module).

Notice that purging the code means that any processes lingering in old code for the module are killed without warning. For more information, see code/3.

-spec lc(Files) -> ok | error when Files :: [File :: cmd_line_arg()].

lc(Files) -> ok

Compiles a list of files by calling compile:file(File, [report_errors, report_warnings]) for each File in Files.

For information about File, see file:filename/0.

-spec lm() -> [code:load_ret()].

Reloads all currently loaded modules that have changed on disk (see mm/0). Returns the list of results from calling l(M) for each such M.

-spec ls() -> ok.

Lists files in the current directory.

-spec ls(Dir) -> ok when Dir :: file:name().

Lists files in directory Dir or, if Dir is a file, only lists it.

-spec m() -> ok.

Displays information about the loaded modules, including the files from which they have been loaded.

-spec m(Module) -> ok when Module :: module().

Displays information about Module.

-spec memory() -> [{Type, Size}] when Type :: atom(), Size :: non_neg_integer().

Memory allocation information. Equivalent to erlang:memory/0.

-spec memory(Type) -> Size when Type :: atom(), Size :: non_neg_integer();
            (Types) -> [{Type, Size}] when Types :: [Type], Type :: atom(), Size :: non_neg_integer().

Memory allocation information. Equivalent to erlang:memory/1.

-spec mm() -> [module()].

Lists all modified modules. Shorthand for code:modified_modules/0.

-spec nc(File) -> {ok, Module} | error when File :: file:name(), Module :: module().

Equivalent to nc/2.

-spec nc(File, Options) -> {ok, Module} | error
            when
                File :: file:name(),
                Options :: [Option] | Option,
                Option :: compile:option(),
                Module :: module().

Compiles and then loads the code for a file on all nodes. Options defaults to []. Compilation is equivalent to:

compile:file(File, Options ++ [report_errors, report_warnings])
-spec ni() -> ok.

i/0 displays system information, listing information about all processes. ni/0 does the same, but for all nodes in the network.

-spec nl(Module) -> abcast | error when Module :: module().

Loads Module on all nodes.

-spec nregs() -> ok.

Equivalent to regs/0.

-spec pid(X, Y, Z) -> pid() when X :: non_neg_integer(), Y :: non_neg_integer(), Z :: non_neg_integer().

Converts X, Y, Z to pid <X.Y.Z>. This function is only to be used when debugging.

-spec pwd() -> ok.

Prints the name of the working directory.

-spec q() -> no_return().

This function is shorthand for init:stop(), that is, it causes the node to stop in a controlled fashion.

-spec regs() -> ok.

regs/0 displays information about all registered processes. nregs/0 does the same, but for all nodes in the network.

Link to this function

uptime()

View Source (since OTP 18.0)
-spec uptime() -> ok.

Prints the node uptime (as specified by erlang:statistics(wall_clock)) in human-readable form.

-spec xm(module() | file:filename()) -> XRefMRet :: term().

xm(ModSpec) -> term()

Finds undefined functions, unused functions, and calls to deprecated functions in a module by calling xref:m/1.

-spec y(file:name()) -> YeccFileRet :: term().

y(File) -> YeccRet

Generates an LALR-1 parser. Equivalent to:

yecc:file(File)

For information about File = name(), see filename. For information about YeccRet, see yecc:file/2.

-spec y(file:name(), [yecc:option()]) -> YeccFileRet :: yecc:yecc_ret().

y(File, Options) -> YeccRet

Generates an LALR-1 parser. Equivalent to:

yecc:file(File, Options)

For information about File = name(), see filename. For information about Options and YeccRet, see yecc:file/2.