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XTerm Control Sequences documents the relevant escape sequence:

XTerm Control Sequences documents the relevant escape sequence:

That part with the cursor position report doesn't seem as if it would work in (for example) a readline binding, so I suggested a script.

That part with the cursor position report doesn't seem as if it would work in (for example) a readline binding, so I suggested a script. You could make a binding that used the save/restore cursor capabilities if there were not the problem of being on the first line.

If you wanted to "clear above", that is not as straightforward as typing "clear". The escape \033[1J erases from the upper-left to the current cursor position. You could make a script which does this, to clear only the lines above your current cursor:

• use the cursor position report to find the row/column on which the cursor currently is, and
• if the cursor is not on the first line, (saving that position), move the cursor up one line and then (with the hpa sequence) move right a large number,
• issue the "clear above", and
• return to the original position using cup (cursor addressing).

That part with the cursor position report doesn't seem as if it would work in (for example) a readline binding, so I suggested a script.