Next: Word Designators, Up: History Interaction [Contents][Index]

#### 33.1.1 Event Designators

An event designator is a reference to a command line entry in the history list. Unless the reference is absolute, events are relative to the current position in the history list.

`!`

  Start a history substitution, except when followed by a space, tab, the end of the line, or ‘`=`’.

`!n`

  Refer to command line n.

`!-n`

  Refer to the command n lines back.

`!!`

  Refer to the previous command. This is a synonym for ‘`!-1`’.

`!string`

  Refer to the most recent command preceding the current position in the history list starting with string.

`!?string[?]`

  Refer to the most recent command preceding the current position in the history list containing string. The trailing ‘`?`’ may be omitted if the string is followed immediately by a newline.

`^string1^string2^`

  Quick Substitution. Repeat the last command, replacing string1 with string2. Equivalent to `!!:s/string1/string2/`.

`!#`

  The entire command line typed so far.