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---
layout: page
category-page: basic
category-title: Basic commands
tags: More and less
author: Marzio Lunghi
title: more and Less
previous-page: pages/cmd/basic/open.html
next-page: pages/cmd/basic/clear.html
---
Both commands show the content of one or more files and its possible to do a research with
particular flags, but the “less” one allows us to go also backwards while reading the text
of a file.<br>
More is quite old, less is more recent and powerful.<br>
General syntax for both is:<br>
<pre>
less [flags] path/name-file.*
more [flags] path/name-file.*
</pre>
The command <code>less</code> provides some useful commands to navigate and modify the file content.
Commands does not include flags, which are included under Options.<br><br>
<h3>Commands</h3>
Such commands must be used once the file has been displayed.
They are not flags. For a single operation there can be multiple commands.
<ul>
<li><code>ENTER RETURN e ^E j ^N CR </code>:
Scroll forward N lines, 1 by default, if N is not specified.</li>
<li><code> y ^Y k ^K ^P </code>:
Scroll backward N lines , 1 by default , if N is not specified.</li>
<li><code> f ^F ^V SPACE </code>:
Scroll forward N lines, a window by default, if N is not specified.</li>
<li><code> b ^B ESC-v </code>
Scroll backward N lines, one window by default, if N is not specified.</li>
<li><code> ESC-SPACE </code>
Scroll forward one window like SPACE , but don't stop at end-of-file.</li>
<li><code>d ^D </code>
Scroll forward N lines, by default N correspond to half of the screen size.</li>
<li><code> u ^U </code>
Scroll Backward N lines, by default N correspond to half of the screen size.</li>
<li><code> ESC-) RightArrow </code>
Scroll horizontally right N characters, by default half of the screen size, if N is not specified.</li>
<li><code> ESC-( LeftArrow </code>
Scroll horizontally left N characters, by default half of the screen size, if N is not specified. </li>
</ul><br>
<h3>Jumping</h3>
Such commands must be used once the file has been displayed.
They are not. For a single operation there can be multiple commands. </p>
<ul>
<li><code> g < ESC-&lt; </code>:
Go to line N, by default 1, if N is not specified.</li>
<li><code> G > ESC-&gt; </code>:
Go to line N, by default the last one , if N is not specified.</li>
<li><code> t </code>:
Go to the (N-th) next tag. </li>
<li><code> T </code>
Go to the (N-th) previous tag.</li>
</ul><br>
<h3>Flags</h3>
Options may be given in one of two forms: either a single
character preceded by a "-", or a name preceded by "--" .
<ul>
<li><code> ? OR --help </code>
Display help guide with the description of commands and more , it is sufficient to enter less -? .</li>
<li><code> -c OR --clear-screen </code>
Repaint by clearing rather than scrolling.</li>
<li><code> -e -E OR --quit-at-eof --QUIT-AT-EOF </code>
Quit the file, when you scroll to the end of the file.</li>
<li><code> -~ OR --tilde </code>
Do not display tildes after end of file. </li>
</ul>