How to use the command 'most' (with examples)
Most is a command-line pager program similar to ’less’, with additional features such as mouse support and regular expression searching. It is used to open one or several files for interactive reading, allowing scrolling and search.
Use case 1: Open a file
Code:
most path/to/file
Motivation: Opening a file in ‘most’ allows you to view the contents of the file and interact with it through scrolling, searching, and other features provided by ‘most’.
Explanation:
most- command to open the file in the ‘most’ pager.path/to/file- the path to the file that you want to open.
Example output: The file content is displayed in the ‘most’ pager, allowing you to scroll through the file and search for specific content.
Use case 2: Open several files
Code:
most path/to/file1 path/to/file2
Motivation: Opening several files in ‘most’ allows you to view and compare their contents simultaneously, making it easier to analyze and understand the information.
Explanation:
most- command to open the files in the ‘most’ pager.path/to/file1- the path to the first file you want to open.path/to/file2- the path to the second file you want to open.
Example output: Both files are opened in separate windows within the ‘most’ pager, allowing you to switch between them and navigate their contents independently.
Use case 3: Open a file at the first occurrence of “string”
Code:
most path/to/file +/string
Motivation: Opening a file at the first occurrence of a specific string allows you to quickly jump to the relevant part of the file, saving time and effort when searching for specific information.
Explanation:
most- command to open the file in the ‘most’ pager.path/to/file- the path to the file you want to open.+/string- the search pattern to look for in the file. ‘most’ will open the file at the first occurrence of the specified string.
Example output: The file is opened at the first occurrence of the specified string, highlighting the matching text and allowing you to navigate and explore the file content from that point onward.
Use case 4: Move through opened files
Code:
:O n
Motivation: Moving through opened files allows you to navigate between multiple files opened in ‘most’, making it easier to review and compare their contents.
Explanation:
:O- command in ‘most’ to move to the next opened file.n- optional argument to specify the number of files to skip. By default, it moves to the next file, but if ’n’ is provided, it skips ’n’ files.
Example output: If you have multiple files opened in ‘most’, executing this command will switch to the next opened file, displaying its content in the pager.
Use case 5: Jump to the 100th line
Code:
100j
Motivation: Jumping to a specific line number within a file in ‘most’ allows you to quickly locate a particular section of the file without scrolling through the entire content.
Explanation:
100j- command in ‘most’ to jump to line number 100 in the currently opened file.
Example output: Executing this command will move the viewport to line number 100 of the currently opened file, displaying the content from that line onward.
Use case 6: Edit current file
Code:
e
Motivation: The ability to edit the currently opened file in ‘most’ allows you to make changes directly within the pager without having to switch to another text editor.
Explanation:
e- command in ‘most’ to enter edit mode for the currently opened file.
Example output: When executing this command, the pager switches to edit mode, allowing you to modify the content of the currently opened file. The changes take effect immediately within the pager.
Use case 7: Split the current window in half
Code:
<CTRL-x> o
Motivation: Splitting the current window in ‘most’ allows you to view different parts of the same file side by side, making it easier to compare and analyze the content.
Explanation:
<CTRL-x> o- keyboard shortcut in ‘most’ to split the current window in half, creating two side-by-side windows.
Example output: When executing this keyboard shortcut, the current window is split into two halves, displaying the same file content side by side. You can independently navigate and scroll each window.
Use case 8: Exit
Code:
Q
Motivation: Exiting ‘most’ allows you to close the pager and return to the command-line interface, freeing up system resources and terminating the interactive file reading session.
Explanation:
Q- command in ‘most’ to exit and close the pager.
Example output: Executing this command will close the ‘most’ pager, returning you to the command-line interface without any further output displayed. The files that were opened in ‘most’ will no longer be accessible through it.
