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Add Browse And Search Help Docs as a Unix TIL

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jbranchaud
2026-03-21 12:34:49 -05:00
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@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ working across different projects via [VisualMode](https://www.visualmode.dev/).
For a steady stream of TILs, [sign up for my newsletter](https://visualmode.kit.com/newsletter). For a steady stream of TILs, [sign up for my newsletter](https://visualmode.kit.com/newsletter).
_1762 TILs and counting..._ _1763 TILs and counting..._
See some of the other learning resources I work on: See some of the other learning resources I work on:
@@ -1649,6 +1649,7 @@ If you've learned something here, support my efforts writing daily TILs by
- [All The Environment Variables](unix/all-the-environment-variables.md) - [All The Environment Variables](unix/all-the-environment-variables.md)
- [Apply Successive Filters To Lines In Less](unix/apply-successive-filters-to-lines-in-less.md) - [Apply Successive Filters To Lines In Less](unix/apply-successive-filters-to-lines-in-less.md)
- [Authorize A cURL Request](unix/authorize-a-curl-request.md) - [Authorize A cURL Request](unix/authorize-a-curl-request.md)
- [Browse And Search Help Docs](unix/browse-and-search-help-docs.md)
- [Cat A File With Line Numbers](unix/cat-a-file-with-line-numbers.md) - [Cat A File With Line Numbers](unix/cat-a-file-with-line-numbers.md)
- [Cat Files With Color Using Bat](unix/cat-files-with-color-using-bat.md) - [Cat Files With Color Using Bat](unix/cat-files-with-color-using-bat.md)
- [Change Default Shell For A User](unix/change-default-shell-for-a-user.md) - [Change Default Shell For A User](unix/change-default-shell-for-a-user.md)
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# Browse And Search Help Docs
There are a lot of tools that don't have dedicated `man` pages, but do have
lengthy output when you pass them the `--help` flag.
We can make those details easier to browse and searchable by piping them to
`less`.
```bash
uv run pytest --help | less
```
First, we see the top of the output inside `less` instead of bottom of the
output right above our next terminal prompt.
From `less`, we can use down and up arrows (or `j` and `k`) to navigate through
the details. We can also jump to a specific word or phrase by searching -- type
`/` and then the pattern we're trying to match. `n` and `N` to go to the next or
previous match, respectively.
See `man less` more more details. And if you like these improvements to viewing
tool usage details, you may also be interested in [a better man page viewer](https://www.visualmode.dev/a-better-man-page-viewer).