Unix in a Nutshell, 4th Edition

Name

complete

Synopsis

    complete [options]command ...

Bash only. Specifies the way to complete arguments for each command. This is discussed in the section "Programmable Completion (Bash Only),” earlier in the chapter.

Options

-a

Same as -A alias.

-A type

Use type to specify a list of possible completions. The type may be one of the following.

alias	Alias names.
arrayvar	Array variable names.
binding	Bindings from the readline library.
builtin	Shell built-in command names.
command	Command names.
directory	Directory names.
disabled	Names of disabled shell built-in commands.
enabled	Names of enabled shell built-in commands.
export	Exported variables.
file	Filenames.
function	Names of shell functions.
group	Group names.
helptopic	Help topics as allowed by the help built-in command.
hostname	Hostnames, as found in the file named by $HOSTFILE.
job	Job names.
keyword	Shell reserved keywords.
running	Names of running jobs.
service	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	Usernames.
variable	Shell variable names.

-b

Same as -A builtin.

-c

Same as -A command.

-C command

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

-d

Same as -A directory.

-e

Same as -A export.

-f

Same as -A file.

-F function

Run shell function function in the current ...