history , a built-in command, manipulates the history list.
Supported subcommands are:
history, with no additional arguments, is equivalent to history info.
You could, of course, just use it as is, but at least parts of it are "intended for use in commands that implement new forms of history substitution" (as stated in the official documentation). There actually are such commands, implemented by the standard unknown (they are rather csh-like).
if {$name eq "!!"} {
set newcmd [history event]
} elseif {[regexp {^!(.+)$} $name -> event]} {
set newcmd [history event $event]
} elseif {[regexp {^\^([^^]*)\^([^^]*)\^?$} $name -> old new]} {
set newcmd [history event -1]
catch {regsub -all -- $old $newcmd $new newcmd}
}
if {[info exists newcmd]} {
tclLog $newcmd
history change $newcmd 0
uplevel 1 [list ::catch $newcmd ::tcl::UnknownResult ::tcl::UnknownOptions]
dict incr ::tcl::UnknownOptions -level
return -options $::tcl::UnknownOptions $::tcl::UnknownResult
}