Python API

libtmux.Pane.send_keys

Python

Module: libtmux
Declared in: Pane
Package: libtmux
Source: src/libtmux/pane.py
Other languages: Ruby Lua TypeScript Rust Go Java .NET C++Swift

$ tmux send-keys to the pane.

A leading space character is added to cmd to avoid polluting the user's history.

When cmd is omitted (None), the wrapper emits a flag-only invocation — useful with reset=True or repeat=N to invoke tmux's deliberate count == 0 branch in cmd-send-keys.c that runs the flag effect without sending any keys. In flag-only mode, enter is forced False (no keys → no Enter).

Parameters

cmd ( str | None ) – Text or input into pane. None for flag-only invocation (requires reset, repeat, or copy_mode_cmd to be set). Now optional. None triggers tmux's flag-only path. Versionchanged: 0.57
enter ( bool | None ) – Send enter after sending the input, default True.
suppress_history ( bool | None ) – Prepend a space to command to suppress shell history, default False. Default changed from True to False. Versionchanged: 0.14
literal ( bool | None ) – Send keys literally, default False.
reset ( bool | None ) – Reset terminal state before sending keys (-R flag). added 0.56
copy_mode_cmd ( str | None ) – Send a command to copy mode instead of keys (-X flag). When set, *cmd* is ignored. added 0.56
repeat ( int | None ) – Repeat count for the key (-N flag). added 0.56
expand_formats ( bool | None ) – Expand tmux format strings in keys (-F flag). added 0.56
hex_keys ( bool | None ) – Send keys as hex values (-H flag). added 0.56
target_client ( str | None ) – Specify a target client (-c flag). Requires tmux 3.4+. added 0.56
key_name ( bool | None ) – Handle keys as key names (-K flag). Requires tmux 3.4+. added 0.56

Raises

ValueError – If cmd is None and no flag-only path is selected (reset, repeat, or copy_mode_cmd).

Discussed in Pane interaction

In other ports Send keystrokes to a pane

Ruby LibTmux::Pane#send_keys
Lua libtmux.Pane:send_keys
TypeScript pane.Pane.sendKeys
Rust pane.Pane.send_keys
Go tmux.Pane.SendKeys
Java no direct equivalent; Pane.paste writes a buffer instead
.NET LibTmux.Pane.SendKeysAsync
C++ libtmux::Pane::send_text
Swift Server.sendKeys(_:to:literally:)

Examples

Python TypeScript

>>> pane = window.split(shell='sh')
>>> pane.capture_pane()
['$']

>>> pane.send_keys('echo "Hello world"', enter=True)

>>> pane.capture_pane()
['$ echo "Hello world"', 'Hello world', '$']

>>> print('\n'.join(pane.capture_pane()))  # doctest: +NORMALIZE_WHITESPACE
$ echo "Hello world"
Hello world
$

Flag-only invocation — reset terminal state without sending any keys:

>>> pane.send_keys(reset=True)

await pane.sendKeys("echo hello");
await pane.sendKeys("C-c", { literal: false });

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