> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://preview.bazel.build/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Command-Line Completion

You can enable command-line completion (also known as tab-completion) in Bash
and Zsh. This lets you tab-complete command names, flags names and flag values,
and target names.

<h2 id="bash">
  Bash
</h2>

Bazel comes with a Bash completion script.

If you installed Bazel:

* From the APT repository, then you're done -- the Bash completion script is
  already installed in `/etc/bash_completion.d`.

* From Homebrew, then you're done -- the Bash completion script is
  already installed in `$(brew --prefix)/etc/bash_completion.d`.

* From the installer downloaded from GitHub, then:
  1. Locate the absolute path of the completion file. The installer copied it
     to the `bin` directory.

     Example: if you ran the installer with `--user`, this will be
     `$HOME/.bazel/bin`. If you ran the installer as root, this will be
     `/usr/local/lib/bazel/bin`.
  2. Do one of the following:
     * Either copy this file to your completion directory (if you have
       one).

       Example: on Ubuntu this is the `/etc/bash_completion.d` directory.
     * Or source the completion file from Bash's RC file.

       Add a line similar to the one below to your `~/.bashrc` (on Ubuntu)
       or `~/.bash_profile` (on macOS), using the path to your completion
       file's absolute path:

       ```
       source /path/to/bazel-complete.bash
       ```

* Via [bootstrapping](/install/compile-source), then:
  1. Emit the completion script into a file:

     ```
     bazel help completion bash > bazel-complete.bash
     ```
  2. Do one of the following:
     * Copy this file to your completion directory, if you have
       one.

       Example: on Ubuntu this is the `/etc/bash_completion.d` directory
     * Copy it somewhere on your local disk, such as to `$HOME`, and
       source the completion file from Bash's RC file.

       Add a line similar to the one below to your `~/.bashrc` (on Ubuntu)
       or `~/.bash_profile` (on macOS), using the path to your completion
       file's absolute path:

       ```
       source /path/to/bazel-complete.bash
       ```

<h2 id="zsh">
  Zsh
</h2>

Bazel comes with a Zsh completion script.

If you installed Bazel:

* From the APT repository, then you're done -- the Zsh completion script is
  already installed in `/usr/share/zsh/vendor-completions`.

  > If you have a heavily customized `.zshrc` and the autocomplete
  > does not function, try one of the following solutions:
  >
  > Add the following to your `.zshrc`:
  >
  > ```
  >  zstyle :compinstall filename '/home/tradical/.zshrc'
  >
  >  autoload -Uz compinit
  >  compinit
  > ```
  >
  > or
  >
  > Follow the instructions
  > [here](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/58331977/bazel-tab-auto-complete-in-zsh-not-working)
  >
  > If you are using `oh-my-zsh`, you may want to install and enable
  > the `zsh-autocomplete` plugin. If you'd prefer not to, use one of the
  > solutions described above.

* From Homebrew, then you're done -- the Zsh completion script is
  already installed in `$(brew --prefix)/share/zsh/site-functions`.

* From the installer downloaded from GitHub, then:
  1. Locate the absolute path of the completion file. The installer copied it
     to the `bin` directory.

     Example: if you ran the installer with `--user`, this will be
     `$HOME/.bazel/bin`. If you ran the installer as root, this will be
     `/usr/local/lib/bazel/bin`.

  2. Add this script to a directory on your `$fpath`:

     ```
     fpath[1,0]=~/.zsh/completion/
     mkdir -p ~/.zsh/completion/
     cp /path/from/above/step/_bazel ~/.zsh/completion
     ```

     You may have to call `rm -f ~/.zcompdump; compinit`
     the first time to make it work.

  3. Optionally, add the following to your .zshrc.

     ```
     # This way the completion script does not have to parse Bazel's options
     # repeatedly.  The directory in cache-path must be created manually.
     zstyle ':completion:*' use-cache on
     zstyle ':completion:*' cache-path ~/.zsh/cache
     ```