Introduction:
This document is created for new beginner who wants to improve their CLI speed. Cisco IOS provides some abbreviation commands and shortcuts to speed user interaction, e.g.: user not need to type the entire command to have recognized by IOS, it only requires minimum amount of character that unambiguously define a commands.
Examples:
In privilege mode there are two commands start with "con"
R1#con?
configure connect connectedapps
So by typing "conf" command the system IOS will recognizes that you want to execute command related to "configure" so it will only take command starts with this character.
R1#conf?
configure
R1#conf ?
confirm Confirm replacement of running-config with a new config
file
memory Configure from NV memory
network Configure from a TFTP network host
overwrite-network Overwrite NV memory from TFTP network host
replace Replace the running-config with a new config file
revert Parameters for reverting the configuration
terminal Configure from the terminal
<cr>
Now if you want to enter into configure terminal and you don’t want to type entire syntax like configure terminal you can just type "conf t" so IOS will recognizes that you want to execute the full "configure terminal" command.
R1#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
R1(config)#
Below is some example of the abbreviation commonly used:
In privilege mode
sh ip int bri .....show ip interface brief
sh proc cpu his ....show process cpu history
sh ip os bri .....show ip ospf brief
In configuration mode
int fa0/0.... interface fastethernet0/0
Addition, In IOS there are special keys and combination will allow you faster to use CLI command. Below are the some of the shortcuts i always use.
a) Left Arrow: Moves cursor to left
b) Right Arrow: Moves cursor to right
c) Ctrl+A: This will move the cursor to start of the line
Example:
Let's see if i want to execute below command in config mode
R1(config)#p route 1.1.1.1 255.255.255.255 10.1.1.1
but by mistake instead of "ip route", i have wrote "p route"
so instead of using left arrow,i can use "Ctrl+A" and directly jump into start of the line and do changes as show below
R1(config)# p route 1.1.1.1 255.255.255.255 10.1.1.1
d) Ctrl+e=This will move the cursor to end of the line
R1(config)#ip route 1.1.1.1 255.255.255.255 10.1.1.1
e) Ctrl+Z=If you execute this in any line of config mode will allow you to exit to privilege mode
example
R1#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
R1(config)#^Z
R1#conf t
*Sep 24 11:15:31.399: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console
R1#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
R1(config)#router os 100
R1(config-router)#^Z
R1#
f) Backspace=To erase the character to the left side of cursor.
g) Up arrow= It will display previous enter command in reverse chronological order.
h) Down arrow= It will display previous enter command in reverse chronological order.
i)Tab=This will complete the command to last similar characters like if you type "sh" and then press "tab" key ,it will give you full command "show"
