# Bracketed Paste (?2004)

> Mark pasted text, so that a program can tell it from typing.

- **Sequence:** `CSI ? 2004 h`
- **xterm:** [Bracketed Paste Mode](https://invisible-island.net/xterm/ctlseqs/ctlseqs.html)

With `CSI ? 2004 h` set, the terminal puts `CSI 200 ~` before anything
pasted into it and `CSI 201 ~` after, so a program can tell a paste from
typing: a shell need not run each pasted line as it arrives, and an editor
need not auto-indent pasted code. `CSI ? 2004 l` stops it. It is xterm's
([`dpmodes`](https://github.com/ThomasDickey/xterm-snapshots/blob/xterm-411a/charproc.c#L7955-L7957),
[the paste itself](https://github.com/ThomasDickey/xterm-snapshots/blob/xterm-411a/button.c#L2835-L2837)).

The brackets are only as safe as the paste between them: a pasted
`CSI 201 ~` would end the bracket early. A default xterm removes ESC from
a paste before sending it, along with BS, DEL, ENQ, EOT, NUL and the
characters the terminal driver treats specially, unless its
`allowPasteControls` resource is set
([`removeControls`](https://github.com/ThomasDickey/xterm-snapshots/blob/xterm-411a/button.c#L2582-L2692),
[`DEF_DISALLOWED_PASTE_CONTROLS`](https://github.com/ThomasDickey/xterm-snapshots/blob/xterm-411a/main.h#L142-L144)).

It is off to begin with, DECSTR leaves it alone, and [RIS](https://control-codes.page/esc/ris/index.html.md)
turns it off
([`ReallyReset`](https://github.com/ThomasDickey/xterm-snapshots/blob/xterm-411a/charproc.c#L14523-L14525)).
A paste comes from the window, not from the data a case writes, so the cases
check what DECRQM says. libghostty-vt passes them.

## Validation

### PASTE-1: Off to begin with

Input, one step per line:

```text
\e[?2004$p
```

Expected screen:

```text
|____|
reply \e[?2004;2$y
```

### PASTE-2: Set and reset

Input, one step per line:

```text
\e[?2004h
\e[?2004$p
\e[?2004l
\e[?2004$p
```

Expected screen:

```text
|____|
reply \e[?2004;1$y\e[?2004;2$y
```

### PASTE-3: DECSTR leaves it on

Input, one step per line:

```text
\e[?2004h
\e[!p
\e[?2004$p
```

Expected screen:

```text
|____|
reply \e[?2004;1$y
```

### PASTE-4: RIS turns it off

Input, one step per line:

```text
\e[?2004h
\ec
\e[?2004$p
```

Expected screen:

```text
|____|
reply \e[?2004;2$y
```

---

This is the Markdown version of <https://control-codes.page/modes/paste/>. On that page every validation case runs live in libghostty-vt, the terminal emulation core of Ghostty, compiled to WebAssembly.

The validation cases are written in the notation described in <https://control-codes.page/notation/index.html.md>.