3.1 Aborting commands and processes

Key Sequence: Ctrl+G

Aborts the current command. Ctrl+G (or Esc in KDE/Gnome editor emulation) can either be used to abandon a command which has been partially typed in, or to abort the command which is currently running.

Note that, unlike most of the keys described in this manual, this cannot be changed via editor:bind-key. Instead, use editor:set-interrupt-keys if you wish to change this.

Key Sequence: Meta+Ctrl+C

Chooses a process that is useful to break, and breaks it.

Note that you cannot use Escape in place of Meta. As there are many different types of keyboard, if it is not possible to assert which is the Meta key on your keyboard, it may be marked with a special character, such as a diamond, or it may be one of the function keys — try F11.

Meta+Ctrl+C applies to both GTK+ and Motif. If your keyboard has the Break key, then you can also use this alternate break gesture. The key sequence can be configured using capi:set-interactive-break-gestures.

The process to break is chosen as follows:

If the break gesture is sent to any CAPI interface that is waiting for events, it does "Interface break", as described below.
Otherwise it checks for a busy processes that is essential for LispWorks to work correctly, or that interacts with the user (normally that means that some CAPI interface uses it), or that is flagged as wanting interrupts (currently that means a REPL). If it finds such a busy process, it breaks it.
Otherwise, if the LispWorks IDE is running, activate or start the Process Browser. Note that the Process Browser tool, documented in the LispWorks IDE User Guide can be used to break any other process.
Otherwise, if there is a busy process break it.
Otherwise, just break the current process.
"Interface break" depends on the interface. For an interface that has another process, notably the Listener with its REPL, it breaks that other process. For most interfaces, in the LispWorks IDE it starts the Process Browser, otherwise just it breaks the interface's process.