Re: Pressing esc twice then left arrow deletes last character

[Chet Ramey]

James Rowell wrote:

> Bash Version: 3.2
> Patch Level: 33
> Release Status: release
> 
> Description:
>         There are several ways to get this bug to appear, but they all
>       involve being in vi-command-mode (set -o vi) after entering
>       some text to the command line, then pressing
>       escape twice, then using a left or right arrow key to move
>       around at which point characters are deleted from the
>       point of the cursor to the end of the line. 
> 
> Repeat-By:

This isn't really a bug.  It's caused by the extra ESC, which results in
an unexpected keybinding being activated.  I'm going to assume that, like
mine, your left arrow key expands to ^[[D (ESC, left bracket, D).

>         - At the prompt type 0123456789
>       - hit escape twice

The first ESC takes to to vi command mode, and its keymap.  The second
introduces a multiple-key sequence, since `ESC' is bound to indirect
into a secondary keymap in vi-command mode's keymap.

>       - press the left-arrow

The first escape is taken as the second character in the multi-key
sequence (ESC-ESC), which is unbound.  The `[' is next, and it's
unbound.  Then comes the `D', which is bound to its standard vi meaning:
delete from point to the end of the line.

>       - the '9' will be deleted

and this is why.

>       - press escape again

and do it again.

>       - press left-arrow again
>       - the '8' will be deleted
>       - etc...

Chet

-- 
``The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.'' - Chaucer

Chet Ramey, ITS, CWRU    chet@case.edu    http://cnswww.cns.cwru.edu/~chet/