With Bash + iTerm2, how to name tabs?

Question

I am pretty new to MFC,C++ programming, Please help me in this issue. In an edit box (created with CRichEditCtrl) there are several lines. I need to highlight one line(with red color) for some duration (example: highlight line 1 for 1 second and after that revert back the line color).

How can I do that? Thanks in advance

Solution 1

Since you're using iterm2 on a mac, another option is you can just hit CmdI, type something, and hit ESC.

The terminal solution is a bit quicker than this, but just wanted to let you know.

Solution 2

I've found the following function, placed in my ~/.bashrc to be helpful:

function title {
    echo -ne "\033]0;"$*"\007"
}

Then I can call it from my bash prompt as follows:

> title I want a pony!

And my tab gets titled accordingly.

Solution 3

run this command to set the title of your tab or window:

export PROMPT_COMMAND='echo -ne "\033]0;YOUR NAME HERE\007"'

i've added the following to my ~/.bash_profile to always list the current directory relative to my home dir:

export PROMPT_COMMAND='echo -ne "\033]0;${PWD/#$HOME/~}\007"'

useful when you have 100 minimized terminals in your dock

hat tip to mac world

Solution 4

I used solutions similar to the above for quite a while, but I use enough tabs that I also want them color-coded for easy visual reference. So I whipped up tabset, a utility to set the tab title, badge, and color based on the kind of work I am doing in each tab.

It requires node, but that is now a commonly installed platform. To install:

npm install -g iterm2-tab-set

Solution 5

Add this function to your ~/.bash_profile file and it should work.

function title ()
{
    TITLE=$*;
    export PROMPT_COMMAND='echo -ne "\033]0;$TITLE\007"'
}

View more solutions

Comments

[HikeMike]

possible duplicate of Change iTerm2 window and tab titles in zsh

[qazwsx]

Not entirely duplicate. So how to add the currently running app as a part of tab title? I.e. which tab is running emacs, mysql, etc.?

[qazwsx]

I.e. all my tabs have same host and user. So using those won't differentiate my tabs.

[HikeMike]

You mean you want Show current job name from iTerm's preferences? Note that the linked topic isn't about username or host.

[HikeMike]

It does if you replace \e by \033. Also, you never indicated in your question what shell you are using.

[qazwsx]

After issuing $ echo -ne "\033]1;this is the title\a" my tab title reads user@host:~ just like before. I've unchecked everything under Preferences -> Appearance -> Window and Tab Titles.

[HikeMike]

Is this the issue? superuser.com/questions/343747/…

[qazwsx]

Possibly, I have non-empty output for $ echo $PROMPT_COMMAND.

[VuVirt]

You can do it using EM_SETCHARFORMAT message: msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/…

[Admin]

This answer worked for me in iTerm2 3.4.15

[qazwsx]

I tried this, but it still doesn't work. I put this definition into bash_aliases, and have it loaded in .profile (if [ -f ${HOME}/.bash_aliases ]; then . ${HOME}/.bash_aliases fi) But then title dog didn't turn tab title into "dog"

[luis]

+1 - I added mine to /etc/profile just cause that's where my aliases are... don't forget to source the file after you're done. Note: this also works in terminal.

[Stewie]

This works for a second until I issue a return on the tab that I have renamed.

[Max Cantor]

@Stewie In Preferences -> Profiles -> Terminal, uncheck "Allow terminal to report window title".

[Stewie]

It is unchecked. It still renames the title.

[dan zen]

@Stewie, please check "Allow terminal to report window title", so the title will not be renamed by shell

[Steve Bennett]

@mawaldne, why does this work? It seems really bizarre - you start editing the theme name, then abandon?

[MidnightLightning]

@SteveBennett it's not the "theme" (actually the term is "profile") itself; the CMD+I command is "Edit Current Session..." (under the View menu), so it's just changing that tab's instance of the profile. Hitting Escape just closes the window, which is needed since that window doesn't have a "save" button on it.

[Ohonovksiy]

What if you have multiple panes open? Do you have to rename each one to fully name the tab itself?

[SoEzPz]

Very helpful. I wanted a pony; and I got one!

[Dan]

"Yuk with all those aliases." Enters answer no one can possible remember or type by hand.

[Michael]

Note that as-is, this will clobber iTerm shell integration.

[C Johnson]

I put mine in .bash_profile, restarted and it worked like a charm.

[Taylor D. Edmiston]

This doesn't seem to work to save the name on the profile in iTerm 2 3.0.12. What worked for me was iTerm > Preferences > Appearance > Window & Tab Titles > Show profile name.

[Emile Bergeron]

@Dan not saying this is great, just that there's no need to remember that since it's just creating a script called title in /usr/bin.

[Anand Bhararia]

@EmileBergeron thx, although it seems you (we) are in a minority. The answer was only 1 line, the rest is for lazy people.

[DavidPostill]

Please quote the essential parts of the answer from the reference link(s), as the answer can become invalid if the linked page(s) change.

[Michael]

Note that in v3.1, iterm2_preexec_invoke_cmd has become __bp_precmd_invoke_cmd

[Ashutosh Jindal]

This is awesome! I especially love the auto setting of the tab color. Thank you!

[Sagar Jauhari]

works for zsh also

[Mikhail]

Those thinking it doesn't work it's because your command prompt instantly changes it back. Try title dog && sleep 5 and you'll see that it works. Note the answer from @schpet to address this

[dmulvi]

Wow! This is a great tool!

[qazwsx]

I currently use this method instead of the one described in the accepted answer (<kbd>Cmd</kbd><kbd>I</kbd>, type something, and hit <kbd>ESC</kbd>)

[Mike Fogel]

the escaping on that export command didn't quite work on my bash for some reason (v5.0.7), here's what worked for me: export PROMPT_COMMAND='echo -ne "\033]0;${PWD/$HOME/\~}\007"'

[Fake Name]

but that is now a commonly installed platform Hahaha.ha...ha......, wait, are you serious?

[Jonathan Eunice]

Yes, serious. Developers and DevOps people—these days, the natural target audience of terminal applications—have node.js installed. Or can install it easily. Those who don't/can't are welcome to fall back to bash/zsh/etc.-based approaches.

[Danijel]

Works nicely. I'd love to have only last directory in path listed instead of the full path - full path gets way too long, and therefore gets abbreviated with ..., so not visible when many tabs are in place.

[Danijel]

This shows only current top directory: export PROMPT_COMMAND='echo -ne "\033]0;${PWD##*/}\007"'

[subelsky]

tabset works great, thanks for making it! this is a gamechanger for my workflow since I'm jumping between contexts so much

[JESii]

Unfortunately, title option doesn't seem to work with latest iTerm2. Little or no response to issues. If all you want is the color option, then go for it.

[Jonathan Eunice]

Latest versions of iTerm2, perhaps based on changes in macOS, no longer work as they once did. I occasionally check on the iTerm2 project hoping they've fixed or worked around the breakage, but so far, no joy.

[SFbay007]

I don't see this option in iTerm2

[Konstantin]

Neither of the solutions seem to work with the current version. Entering a new command removes the set name again. None of the settings mentioned in the comments seem to exist in the current version.

[Konstantin]

Oh, well, I was editing the Session Name while what I had to be editing was the Tab Title. Now it works.

[biesior]

My upvote mainly for sample "pony" title :D

[faximan]

For anyone reading this in 2021, I also needed to check iTerm -> Preferences -> Profiles -> General -> Applications in terminal may change the title. (v 3.4.10 )

[Krishna Vedula]

This is the best solution. Simple straight forward and works on any shell. Love it

[wviana]

Ok folks, just figured out why mine was undoing my title change after some time, as @Mikhail mention, if you want to check if is something else setting your title try the echo -ne "\033]0;"Hello World"\007" && sleep 3 If it changes to "Hello World" for 3 seconds than it changes back it may be oh-my-zsh auto_title feature. To disable it add DISABLE_AUTO_TITLE=true in your .zshrc . I fixed to me.

[Admin]

Doesn't seem to be doing anything in modern (2022) iTerm2

[Admin]

iTerm2 3.4.15: I get the transparent text on the right but don't get the same title on the tab itself (at the top).

[Admin]

You lose the tab's title after hitting "return" on the tab because some part of your shell is actively trying to change the tab title for you! If you're using oh-my-zsh, it has this functionality built in. Something is hooked on your shell precmd/preexec so that it's constantly updating it. The proper solution is to disable whatever is trying to rename your tab. With oh-my-zsh, just set the env DISABLE_AUTO_TITLE=true and it'll stop.

[Admin]

Like wviana said, if you're using oh-my-zsh, you'll need to set DISABLE_AUTO_TITLE=true to disable oh-my-zsh's built in tab title changing functionality. But this only applies to omz users. If you have the same problem and aren't using omz you'll need to figure out what's causing it.

[Admin]

This keyboard shortcut has stopped working for me :(