Name

complete

Synopsis

complete [options] command ...

Specify the way to complete arguments for each command. See Programmable Completion in Programmable Completion for more discussion.

Options

-A type

Use type to specify a list of possible completions. The type may be one of the following. Options in parentheses are alternative specifications for -A type.

alias (-a)

Alias names.

arrayvar

Array variable names.

binding

Bindings from the readline library.

builtin (-b)

Shell built-in command names.

command (-c)

Command names.

directory (-d)

Directory names.

disabled

Names of disabled shell built-in commands.

enabled

Names of enabled shell built-in commands.

export (-e)

Names of exported shell variables.

file (-f)

Filenames.

function

Names of shell functions.

group (-g)

Group names.

helptopic

Help topics as allowed by the help built-in command.

hostname

Hostnames, as found in the file named by $HOSTFILE.

job (-j)

Job names.

keyword (-k)

Shell reserved keywords.

running

Names of running jobs.

service (-s)

Service names (from /etc/services).

setopt

Valid arguments for set -o.

shopt

Valid option names for the shopt built-in command.

signal

Signal names.

stopped

Names of stopped jobs.

user (-u)

Usernames.

variable (-v)

Shell variable names.

-C command

Run command in a subshell and use its output as the list of completions.

-E

Remaining options and actions apply to completion attempts on a blank line.

-F function

Run shell function function in the current shell. Upon its return, retrieve the list of completions from the COMPREPLY array.

-G pattern ...

Get Linux in a Nutshell, 6th Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.