{
  "id": "terminal-csi/ed",
  "family": "terminal-csi",
  "slug": "ed",
  "title": "CSI ED — Erase in Display",
  "summary": "ED (final 'J') erases part or all of the screen depending on Ps: 0 (or omitted) erase from cursor to end of screen, 1 erase from start of screen to cursor, 2 erase the entire screen, 3 (xterm) erase the scrollback buffer. The cursor position is not changed; erased cells take the current background color.",
  "kind": "control-sequence",
  "aliases": [
    "ED",
    "erase display",
    "clear screen",
    "CSI J",
    "ESC [ 2 J",
    "ESC [ 3 J"
  ],
  "status": "standard",
  "verification": "verified",
  "tier": "B",
  "source_url": "https://invisible-island.net/xterm/ctlseqs/ctlseqs.html",
  "source_version": "xterm ctlseqs, patch #410, 2026/04/19",
  "retrieved_date": "2026-05-29",
  "attribution": [
    {
      "claim_ref": "#summary",
      "source_url": "https://invisible-island.net/xterm/ctlseqs/ctlseqs.html",
      "source_version": "xterm patch #410, 2026/04/19",
      "note": "xterm ctlseqs: CSI Ps J = Erase in Display (ED): Ps = 0 below, 1 above, 2 all, 3 saved lines (xterm)."
    },
    {
      "claim_ref": "ext.params",
      "source_url": "https://ecma-international.org/publications-and-standards/standards/ecma-48/",
      "source_version": "ECMA-48 5th ed. 1991 (ISO/IEC 6429), clause 8.3.39 (ED)",
      "note": "ECMA-48 defines ED (final 'J') with Ps 0 (cursor to end), 1 (start to cursor), 2 (all). Ps = 3 (scrollback) is an xterm extension."
    }
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "terminal-csi/el",
    "terminal-csi/cup",
    "terminal-csi/il"
  ],
  "ext_type": "terminal-escape@1",
  "ext": {
    "csi_or_osc": "CSI",
    "command_number": "ED",
    "frame": {
      "introducer_7bit": "\u001b[",
      "introducer_7bit_readable": "ESC [ (0x1B 0x5B)",
      "introducer_8bit": "›",
      "introducer_8bit_readable": "0x9B (single-byte CSI, 8-bit C1)",
      "note": "CSI + single Ps + final byte 'J' (0x4A). Ps selects the erase extent; default 0."
    },
    "terminator": "none",
    "terminator_detail": {
      "note": "No string terminator; the CSI sequence ends at its final byte. Parameters Ps are decimal, ';' (0x3B) separated."
    },
    "params": [
      {
        "id": "0",
        "anchor": "#0",
        "name": "ED 0 — cursor to end of screen",
        "meaning": "CSI 0 J (or CSI J) erases from the cursor (inclusive) to the end of the screen.",
        "required": true,
        "byte_sequence_ST": "\u001b[0J",
        "byte_sequence_ST_readable": "ESC [ 0 J   ==  \\x1b[0J   (also \\x1b[J)",
        "subparams": []
      },
      {
        "id": "1",
        "anchor": "#1",
        "name": "ED 1 — start of screen to cursor",
        "meaning": "CSI 1 J erases from the start of the screen to the cursor (inclusive).",
        "required": false,
        "byte_sequence_ST": "\u001b[1J",
        "byte_sequence_ST_readable": "ESC [ 1 J   ==  \\x1b[1J",
        "subparams": []
      },
      {
        "id": "2",
        "anchor": "#2",
        "name": "ED 2 — entire screen",
        "meaning": "CSI 2 J erases the whole visible screen. The cursor does NOT move (use CSI H to also home it).",
        "required": false,
        "byte_sequence_ST": "\u001b[2J",
        "byte_sequence_ST_readable": "ESC [ 2 J   ==  \\x1b[2J   (clear screen)",
        "subparams": []
      },
      {
        "id": "3",
        "anchor": "#3",
        "name": "ED 3 — scrollback (xterm)",
        "meaning": "CSI 3 J erases the scrollback / saved-lines buffer (xterm extension; widely supported).",
        "required": false,
        "byte_sequence_ST": "\u001b[3J",
        "byte_sequence_ST_readable": "ESC [ 3 J   ==  \\x1b[3J   (clear scrollback)",
        "subparams": []
      }
    ],
    "gotchas": [
      "CSI 2 J clears the screen but does NOT move the cursor; the common 'clear' is \\x1b[2J\\x1b[H (erase + home) or \\x1b[H\\x1b[2J.",
      "Ps = 3 (erase scrollback) is an xterm extension, not in ECMA-48; most modern terminals support it but a few do not.",
      "Erased cells are filled with the CURRENT background color (SGR background), so set background before erasing if you want a colored clear.",
      "ED affects the whole display; to clear only the current line use EL (CSI K).",
      "On the alternate screen buffer (DECSET 1049/47), CSI 2 J clears the alt buffer, not your scrollback."
    ],
    "v1_smoke_test": {
      "asserts": "ED 0/1/2/3 render as byte-exact single-parameter CSI 'J' sequences; default-to-0 behavior recorded.",
      "behavioral_conformance": "deferred to v2."
    }
  },
  "updated": "2026-05-29T00:00:00Z"
}