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Cisco IOS XR Getting Started Guide
OL-10957-02
Chapter6 CLI Tips, Techniques, and Shortcuts
CLI Tips and Shortcuts
Entering Abbreviated Commands
You can abbreviate commands and keywords to the number of characters that allow a unique
abbreviation. For example, the configure command can be abbreviated as config because the abbreviated
form of the command is unique. The router accepts and executes the abbreviated command.
Using the Question Mark (?) to Display On-Screen Command Help
Use the question mark (?) to learn what commands are available and the correct syntax for a command.
Table 6 -1 summarizes the options for on-screen help.
Tip The space (or lack of a space) before the question mark (?) is significant. If you include a space before
the question mark, the system displays all available options for a command or CLI mode. If you do not
include a space, the system displays a list of commands that begin with a particular character string.
Table6-1 On-Screen Help Commands
The following example shows how to add an entry to access list 99. The added entry denies access to all
hosts on subnet 172.0.0.0 and ignores bits for IPv4 addresses that start within the range of 0 to 255. The
following steps provide an example of on-screen command help:
Command Description
partial-command?Enter a question mark (?) at the end of a partial command to list the commands that begin with those
characters.
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router# co?
configure copy
Note Do not include a space between the command and question mark .
?Lists all commands available for a particular command mode.
command ?Include a space before the question mark (?) to list the keywords and arguments that belong to a
command.
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router# configure ?
exclusive Configure exclusively from this terminal
terminal Configure from the terminal
<cr>
Note For most commands, the <cr> symbol indicates that you can execute the command with the
syntax already entered. For the preceding example, press Return to enter global configuration
mode.
command keyword ?Enter a question mark (?) after the keyword to list the next available syntax option for the command.
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router# show aaa ?
taskgroup Show all the local taskgroups configured in the system
userdb Show all local users with the usergroups each belong to
usergroup Show all the local usergroups configured in the system
Note Include a space between the keyword and question mark.