curs_scroll - Linux

Overview

curs_scroll is a Linux command line utility that scrolls the contents of a text file vertically, typically used to navigate large text files in a console environment. It allows users to efficiently move through the file without the need to manually navigate using arrow keys or search commands.

Syntax

curs_scroll [options] []

Arguments

  • : The name of the text file to scroll through. If not specified, it reads from the standard input.

Options/Flags

-b, –back: Scroll backward instead of forward.
-d, –delay : Specify the delay between scrolling steps in seconds. Default is 0.5 seconds.
-i, –interactive: Enable interactive mode, allowing users to control scrolling speed with keystrokes.
-n, –lines : Specify the number of lines to scroll at a time. Default is 1.
-r, –reverse: Reverse the direction of scrolling.
-t, –title : Set the window title to the specified string.
-w, –width : Specify the width of the display in columns. Default is 80 columns.
-h, –help: Display help information.

Examples

Simple Scrolling Forward

curs_scroll filename.txt

Scrolling Backward

curs_scroll -b filename.txt

Interactive Scrolling Mode

curs_scroll -i filename.txt

Specifying Scroll Speed

curs_scroll -d 1 filename.txt # Scroll every second

Customizing Window Title

curs_scroll -t "Custom Title" filename.txt

Common Issues

  • Cursor movement not working: Make sure to enable interactive mode using -i option.
  • Text rendering issues: Check if the text file contains non-printable characters or special formatting that may disrupt the display.
  • Window size too small: Adjust the window width using -w option to accommodate more lines.

Integration

  • Use pipes to redirect output from other commands into curs_scroll, such as ls | curs_scroll.
  • Combine curs_scroll with less or more for advanced paging capabilities, such as curs_scroll -i | less.
  • Create custom scripts to automate text scrolling tasks, such as presenting log files or monitoring output.

Related Commands

  • less: Command line paginator with search and navigation features.
  • more: Command line paginator used for viewing files one page at a time.
  • tail: Displays the last few lines of a file.
  • head: Displays the first few lines of a file.