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libtmux.Pane.send_keys

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Module
libtmux
Declared in
Pane
Package
libtmux
Source
src/libtmux/pane.py
Other languages
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send_keys
( 12 parameters ) ( self , cmd : str | None = None , enter : bool | None = True , suppress_history : bool | None = False , literal : bool | None = False , reset : bool | None = None , copy_mode_cmd : str | None = None , repeat : int | None = None , expand_formats : bool | None = None , hex_keys : bool | None = None , target_client : str | None = None , key_name : bool | None = None )
→ None
method [source]
method [source]
send_keys

$ 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).

Examples

>>> 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)
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 languages Send keystrokes to a pane

Examples

>>> 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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