How to Register a Completion Callback with PHP's readline_completion_function
The article explains PHP's readline_completion_function, showing how to register a custom completion callback that mimics Bash tab‑completion, details the required callable parameter, describes the return values (TRUE on success, FALSE on failure), and provides usage notes for developers.
PHP provides the readline_completion_function function to register a custom completion callback, enabling tab‑completion behavior similar to Bash when users type commands in the interactive shell.
Function Signature
bool readline_completion_function(callable $function)Parameters
$function : The name of an existing callable that accepts the partially entered command line string and returns an array of possible matches.
Return Value
The function returns TRUE on successful registration of the completion callback, or FALSE if the registration fails.
Usage Notes
When the registered callback is invoked, it should analyze the current input, generate a list of candidate completions, and return them as an array. This array is then presented to the user for selection when they press the Tab key.
Typical use cases include providing command‑line autocompletion for custom PHP REPLs, interactive scripts, or any environment that leverages the GNU Readline library.
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