Editing Less (Unix) (section)

{{Short description|Terminal pager}}
{{lowercase title}}
{{Infobox software
| name = less
| logo = 
| screenshot = Less.PNG
| caption = <code>less</code> output in an [[xterm|x-terminal]]
| developer = Mark Nudelman
| released = {{Start date and age|1984}}<ref>{{cite web
 | url          = https://groups.google.com/d/msg/net.sources/GikfOBWCl0s/agdI4hW2ix8J
 | title        = less, a paginator
 | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20230207045624/https://groups.google.com/g/net.sources/c/GikfOBWCl0s/m/agdI4hW2ix8J
 | archive-date = February 7, 2023
}}</ref>
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|P348|P548=Q2804309}}                                    | latest release date    = {{Start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}|df=yes}}
| repo = {{URL|https://github.com/gwsw/less}}
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]]
| operating system = [[Cross-platform]]
| genre = [[System utility]]
| license = [[Multi-licensing|Dual-licensed]] under [[GNU Project|GNU]] [[GNU General Public License#Version 3|GPLv3]] and a custom [[BSD licenses#2-clause|BSD-style]] license
| website = {{URL|https://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/}}
}}
'''<code>less</code>''' is a [[terminal pager]] [[Computer program|program]] on [[Unix]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], and [[Unix-like]] systems used to view (but not change) the contents of a [[text file]] one screen at a time. It is similar to {{mono|[[more (command)|more]]}}, but has the extended capability of allowing both forward and backward navigation through the file. Unlike most Unix text editors/viewers, {{mono|less}} does not need to read the entire file before starting, allowing for immediate viewing regardless of file size.