backward_word
Synopsis
/bind <key> backward_word
Description
Move the cursor left to the beginning of the current or previous word in the input line. Within a word, the cursor moves to its first character. At the first character of a word, on a separator, or at the end of the input line, it moves backward through separators and the preceding word. At the start of the input line, it does not move.
Words are separated by characters in word_break, which defaults to space and tab. If that setting is unset, the action also uses space and tab. Only ASCII characters below DEL are recognized as separators; adding a non-ASCII character to word_break does not make it a separator for this action.
If movement reaches the start of the input line, the cursor stops there, even if the first character is a separator. For example, with two spaces followed by hello, invoking this action from the end of hello stops on the first space.
Moving into an earlier displayed section of a long input line can shift the visible input text to the left and redraw it. The built-in action does not modify or send the text. It takes no arguments or options; extra text supplied with the binding is ignored.
The default binding is ^[b: Escape followed by lowercase b. A terminal that sends Escape followed by b for Alt-B can invoke the same binding. Scripts can change this assignment.
Example
/bind ^[b backward_word
With the default word separators and one two in the input line, invoking the action at the end of the line moves onto the t in two. Invoking it again moves onto the o in one.
See bind for key sequence syntax and forward_word to move forward by a word.
Source references
source/keys.c: action registration and the default Escape-b binding.source/input.c:input_backward_word,WHITESPACE,input_move_cursor, andredraw_inputimplement word boundaries, movement, and horizontal scrolling.include/config.handsource/vars.c:word_breakdefault and setting registration.