You can setup a custom key configuration that overrides the default key configuration. This is done by setting the stdlib application parameter shell_keymap before Erlang is started. If you want to have the same keymap in all Erlang shells you can do so by putting a config file in your user's home directory and then set ERL_FLAGS to load it at startup. For example:

$ cat $HOME/.erlang_keymap.config
[{stdlib,
  [{shell_keymap,
    #{ normal => #{ "\^[A" => clear } }
  }]
}].
$ ERL_FLAGS="-config $HOME/.erlang_keymap" erl

The current keymap configuration can be fetched through edlin:keymap(). If a custom keymap or keymap file is specified, then it will be merged with the default keymap.

The keymap is a map of maps where the keys in the parent map corresponds to different editing modes in the shell. The valid modes currently supported are normal and search.

The keys in the child maps are the escape sequences that are sent from the terminal when a key is pressed and each value is a valid action as seen below.

The default atom is used to specify that an action should happen when a key is pressed that does not have any mapping. Typically used to exit a mode.

See tty - A Command-Line Interface for more information about the default keymap.

The commands below are the built-in action requests for switching input modes on the normal shell or navigating, or manipulating the line feed. The line feed supports multiple lines.

auto_blink

Automatically close the closest matching opening parenthesis.

backward_char

Move backward one character.

backward_delete_char

Delete the character behind the cursor.

backward_delete_word

Delete the word behind the cursor.

backward_kill_line

Delete all characters from the cursor to the beginning of the line and save them in the kill buffer.

backward_kill_word

Delete the word behind the cursor and save it in the kill buffer.

backward_line

Move backward one line.

backward_word

Move backward one word.

beginning_of_expression

Move to the beginning of the expression.

beginning_of_line

Move to the beginning of the line.

clear

Clear the screen.

clear_line

Clear the current expression.

end_of_expression

Move to the end of the expression.

end_of_line

Move to the end of the line.

forward_char

Move forward one character.

forward_delete_char

Delete the character under the cursor.

forward_line

Move forward one line.

forward_word

Move forward one word.

history_down

Move to the next item in the history.

history_up

Move to the previous item in the history.

kill_line

Delete all characters from the cursor to the end of the line and save them in the kill buffer.

kill_word

Delete the word under the cursor and save it in the kill buffer.

new_line_finish

Add a newline at the end of the line and try to evaluate the current expression.

newline

Add a newline at the cursor position.

open_editor

Open the current line in an editor e.g. EDITOR="code -w" opens a buffer in vs code. Note that you need to pass a flag to the editor so that it signals the shell when you close the buffer.

redraw_line

Redraw the current line.

search_cancel

Cancel the current search.

search_found

Accept the current search result and submit it.

search_quit

Accept the current search result, but edit it before submitting.

search

Enter search mode, search the history.

search_down

Skip to the next line in the history that matches the current search expression.

search_up

Skip to the previous line in the history that matches the current search expression.

tab_expand_full

Output all possible tab completions.

tab_expand_quit

Go back to normal mode.

tab_expand

Autocomplete the current word, or show 5 lines of possible completions.

transpose_char

Swap the character behind the cursor with the one in front of it.

transpose_word

Swap the word behind the cursor with the one in front of it.

yank

Insert the contents of the kill buffer at the cursor position.