Using command completion

The MD-CLI supports both command abbreviation and command completion. When typing a command, Tab, Spacebar, or ⏎ invokes auto-completion. If the text entered is enough to match a specific command, auto-completion completes the command. If the text entered is not sufficient to identify a specific command, pressing Tab or Spacebar displays options in alphabetical order matching the text entered.

The environment command-completion command controls what keystrokes can trigger command completion. Each keystroke is independently controlled with its own Boolean value.

Example
(ex)[/environment command-completion]
A:admin@node-2# info detail
    enter true
    space true
    tab true
Note: If Spacebar completion has multiple matches and also matches an keyword, the space is considered a separator and auto-completion is not triggered.

  • configure por+Spacebar displays auto-completion results

  • configure port+Spacebar inserts a space and suppresses auto-completion results

  • configure por+Tab displays auto-completion results

  • configure port+Tab displays auto-completion results

Parent topic: Navigating in the MD-CLI

Variable parameter completion

Variable parameter completion works only with the Tab key. All configured variables from the candidate and running configuration datastores are displayed. Line wrapping may occur for variables with long names. Parameters are displayed in alphabetical or numerical order. The variable parameter name is always displayed as the first line.

Example

In the following example, "interface-name" is the variable parameter name and "int-1" and "system" are configured names.

*[ex:/configure router "Base"]
A:admin@node-2# interface Press Tab 

 <interface-name>
 "int-1"
 "system"

*[ex:/configure router "Base"]
A:admin@node-2# interface

Completion for lists with a default keyword

Some list elements have a default keyword defined, such as the router command, where the default keyword is "Base". When the command completion parameters (⏎, Spacebar, and Tab) are at their default settings (true), and the initial input matches an element in the list and a unique command keyword, the matching keyword is completed instead of the variable.

For example, the router command has a default keyword defined as "Base". If router "bf" is created using the command configure router "bf" (with quotation marks), and there is an existing bfd command context, the variable completion is as follows.

Example: Display for router+Spacebar+Tab

*[ex:/configure]
A:admin@node-2# router Press Tab

 <router-name>
 "Base"
 "bf"
 "management"

 aggregates             allow-icmp-redirect    allow-icmp6-redirect
 apply-groups           apply-groups-exclude   autonomous-system
 bfd                    bgp                    bier
 
---snip---

Example: Display for router bf+Tab

*[ex:/configure]
A:admin@node-2# router bfPress Tab

 "bf"

 bfd

Example: Entering router bf+ ⏎

Entering router bf+ ⏎ completes to router bfd and enters the router "Base" bfd context:

*[ex:/configure]
A:admin@node-2# router bfd Press Enter

*[ex:/configure router "Base" bfd]
A:admin@node-2#

Example: Entering router bf+Spacebar

Similarly, router bf+Spacebar completes to router bfd and enters the router "Base" bfd context when ⏎ is pressed:

*[ex:/configure]
A:admin@node-2# router bfd Press Space Press Enter

*[ex:/configure router "Base" bfd]
A:admin@node-2#

Example: Using quotation marks to specify a variable

To enter the context for router "bf", use quotation marks to specify the variable:

[ex:/configure]
A:admin@node-2# router "bf"

*[ex:/configure router "bf"]
A:admin@node-2#

Example: Command completion for enter set to false

If the command completion for enter is set to false, router bf+ ⏎ allows the match to router "bf". Similarly, when the command completion for space is false, router bf+Spacebar also matches to router "bf" instead of the bfd context

*(ex)[/environment command-completion]
A:admin@node-2# info detail
    enter true
    space true
    tab true

*(ex)[/environment command-completion]
A:admin@node-2# enter false

*(ex)[/environment command-completion]
A:admin@node-2# space false

*(ex)[/environment command-completion]
A:admin@node-2#

*(ex)[/]
A:admin@node-2# configure

*(ex)[/configure]
A:admin@node-2# router bf Press Enter 

*(ex)[/configure router "bf"]
A:admin@node-2# back

*(ex)[/configure]
A:admin@node-2# router bf  Press Space Press Enter

*(ex)[/configure router "bf"]
A:admin@node-2#

Completion for keyword-based leaf-lists

For keyword-based leaf-lists, command completion displays all possible values, not only those that are configured. When deleting values in a leaf-list, only the values that are currently configured are displayed.

Example

In the following example, when defining the forwarding traffic classes, all keyword values are listed. When deleting the forwarding traffic classes, only the configured classes are displayed.

*[ex:/configure policy-options policy-statement "ss" entry 3 from]
A:admin@node-2# family ?

 family <value>
 family [<value>...]  - 1..20 system-ordered values separated by spaces
                         enclosed by brackets

 <value>  - <keyword>
 <keyword>  - (ipv4|vpn-ipv4|ipv6|mcast-ipv4|vpn-ipv6|l2-vpn|mvpn-ipv4|mdt-
               safi|ms-pw|flow-ipv4|route-target|mcast-vpn-ipv4|mvpn-ipv6|
               flow-ipv6|evpn|mcast-ipv6|label-ipv4|label-ipv6|bgp-ls|mcast-
               vpn-ipv6|sr-policy-ipv4|sr-policy-ipv6)

    Address family as the match condition
   
*[ex:/configure policy-options policy-statement "ss" entry 3 from]
A:admin@node-2# family [ipv4 mcast-ipv4 mcast-vpn-ipv4 label-ipv4]

*[ex:/configure policy-options policy-statement "ss" entry 3 from]
A:admin@node-2# info
    family [ipv4 mcast-ipv4 mcast-vpn-ipv4 label-ipv4]

*[ex:/configure policy-options policy-statement "ss" entry 3 from]
A:admin@node-2# delete family Press Tab

 <family>
 ipv4
 mcast-ipv4
 mcast-vpn-ipv4
 label-ipv4
 *

Completion for Boolean elements

The explicit use of the keyword true for a Boolean element is optional. If neither true or false is entered, the keyword true is assumed.

Example
(ex)[/environment]
A:admin@node-2# more ?

 more <boolean>
 <boolean>  - ([true]|false)
 Default    - true

    Prompt to continue or stop when output text fills page

When Tab is used for command completion with Boolean elements, the values of false and true are displayed, along with the names of possible elements that can follow.

Example

In the following example of the environment more command, the commands command-completion, console, message-severity-level, and so on, can be defined following the more command.

(ex)[/environment]
A:admin@node-2# more Press Tab

 <more>
 false
 true

 command-completion      console                 message-severity-level
 progress-indicator      prompt                  time-display
 time-format

 delete