fc but nevertheless has some useful features. For example, the !! command reexecutes the previous event, and the shell replaces the !$ token with the last word from the previous command line.
You can reference an event by using its absolute event number, its relative event number, or the text it contains. All references to events, called event designators, begin with an exclamation point (!). One or more characters follow the exclamation point to specify an event.

You can put history events anywhere on a command line. To escape an exclamation point so the shell interprets it literally instead of as the start of a history event, precede it with a backslash (\) or enclose it within single quotation marks.

Event Designators
An event designator specifies a command in the history list. Table 8-8 lists event designators.

!! reexecutes the previous event
You can reexecute the previous event by giving a !! command. In the following example, event 45 reexecutes event 44:

44 $ ls -l text
-rw-rw-r–. 1 max pubs 45 04-30 14:53 text
45 $ !!
ls -l text
-rw-rw-r–. 1 max pubs 45 04-30 14:53 text
The !! command works whether or not your prompt displays an event number. As this example shows, when you use the history mechanism to reexecute an event, the shell displays the command it is reexecuting.

!n event number
A number following an exclamation point refers to an event. If that event is in the history list, the shell executes it. Otherwise, the shell displays an error message. A negative number following an exclamation point references an event relative to the current event. For example, the command !–3 refers to the third preceding event. After you issue a command, the relative event number of a given event changes (event –3 becomes event –4). Both of the following commands reexecute event 44:

51 $ !44
ls -l text
-rw-rw-r–. 1 max pubs 45 04-30 14:53 text
52 $ !-8
ls -l text
-rw-rw-r–. 1 max pubs 45 04-30 14:53 text
!string event text
When a string of text follows an exclamation point, the shell searches for and executes the most recent event that began with that string. If you enclose the string within question marks, the shell executes the most recent event that contained that string. The final question mark is optional if a

RETURN would immediately follow it.
68 $ history 10
59 ls -l text*
60 tail text5
61 cat text1 text5 > letter
62 vim letter
63 cat letter
64 cat memo
65 lpr memo
66 pine zach
67 ls -l
68 history
69 $ !l
ls -l
…
70 $ !lpr
lpr memo
71 $ !?letter?
cat letter
…
________________________________

InformIT is running a holiday promotion offering 40% off most books & eBook & video training packages from its site (Expires December 28, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time). Click here for info on the discount coupon code.