Julia Evans • 12/12/2024

"Rules" that terminal programs follow

This article examines the informal, descriptive rules that govern how terminal programs behave, creating a surprisingly consistent user experience despite a lack of formal standards. It covers conventions like Ctrl-C to quit, using 'q' in TUIs, limiting colors, and handling stdin/stdout with '-', explaining why these patterns exist and common exceptions.

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#keyboard shortcuts #terminal behavior #cli guidelines