bash-zsh-compat-widgets

This project enables you to use the same function as both:

• Zsh ZLE widget
• Bash readline "widget"

Bindfunc

Bash uses bind -x ... to bind "widgets".

Zsh uses zle -N ... and then keybind ... to bind widgets.

bindfunc is a wrapper around these commands that binds widgets in both bash and zsh.

Use it like this:

source bindfunc.sh
bindfunc KEY_SEQUENCE SHELL_FUNCTION

When you need binding for a specific keymap (e.g. vi mode) use -m/-M option with zsh or bash keymap:

source bindfunc.sh
bindfunc -M vi-command KEY_SEQUENCE SHELL_FUNCTION

If you need to be able to revert the binding later do it like this:

source bindfunc.sh
bindfunc --revert KEY_SEQUENCE SHELL_FUNCTION
# using --revert options sets _bindfunc_revert variable to a command
#         that can be evaluated to revert the bindfunc call
revert_bind=$_bindfunc_revert

# do whatever

eval $revert_bind

I know what you are thinking. Using eval is ugly and dangerous but just as in the case of eval $(ssh-agent) using eval is the best solution here.

You can find more examples at the bottom of this page.

Compatibility wrapper

Part of this project is a very simple compatibility layer that makes it possible to use simple zsh zle widgets in bash and all bash "widgets" in zsh.

Use it like this:

mywidget_compat() {
    __bindfunc_compat_wrapper mywidget_zsh
}

Example

Full example showing how to use this project:

source bindfunc.sh

mywidget_bash() {
    READLINE_LINE="# This was written by a bash readline \"widget\""
}

mywidget_zsh() {
    BUFFER="# This was written by a zsh zle widget"
}

mywidget_compat() {
    __bindfunc_compat_wrapper mywidget_bash
}

mywidget_compat2() {
    __bindfunc_compat_wrapper mywidget_zsh
}

bindfunc '\C-o' "mywidget_compat"  
bindfunc '\C-p' "mywidget_compat2"  

Just run source example.sh in your terminal and press Control-O or Control-P to see it in practice.

There is a second example_revert.sh that shows how you can revert the bindings.

1. activate the bindings by running source example_revert.sh
2. press Control-R or Control-P to use them
3. revert the bindings with eval $revert_ctrl_r and eval $revert_ctrl_p

There is yet another example example_keymaps.sh that shows how to bind to a specific keymap.

Dependencies

bash 4.3+

Pretty much only OS that ships with bash older than this is macOS with bash 3.2.57

zsh supports widgets since forever