CAT(1) BSD Reference Manual CAT(1)
c
\bca
\bat
\bt - concatenate and print files
S
\bSY
\bYN
\bNO
\bOP
\bPS
\bSI
\bIS
\bS
c
\bca
\bat
\bt [-
\b-b
\bbe
\ben
\bns
\bst
\btu
\buv
\bv] [-
\b-] [_
\bf_
\bi_
\bl_
\be _
\b._
\b._
\b.]
D
\bDE
\bES
\bSC
\bCR
\bRI
\bIP
\bPT
\bTI
\bIO
\bON
\bN
The c
\bca
\bat
\bt utility reads files sequentially, writing them to the standard
output. The _
\bf_
\bi_
\bl_
\be operands are processed in command line order. A single
dash represents the standard input.
The options are as follows:
-
\b-b
\bb Implies the -
\b-n
\bn option but doesn't number blank lines.
-
\b-e
\be Implies the -
\b-v
\bv option, and displays a dollar sign (`$') at the
end of each line as well.
-
\b-n
\bn Number the output lines, starting at 1.
-
\b-s
\bs Squeeze multiple adjacent empty lines, causing the output to be
-
\b-t
\bt Implies the -
\b-v
\bv option, and displays tab characters as `^I' as
-
\b-u
\bu The -
\b-u
\bu option guarantees that the output is unbuffered.
-
\b-v
\bv Displays non-printing characters so they are visible. Control
characters print as `^X' for control-X; the delete character (oc-
tal 0177) prints as `^?' Non-ascii characters (with the high bit
set) are printed as `M-' (for meta) followed by the character for
The c
\bca
\bat
\bt utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.
Because of the shell language mechanism used to perform output redirec-
tion, the command ``cat file1 file 2 > file1'' will cause the original
data in file1 to be destroyed!
S
\bSE
\bEE
\bE A
\bAL
\bLS
\bSO
\bO
head(1), more(1), pr(1), tail(1), vis(1)
Rob Pike, "UNIX Style, or cat -v Considered Harmful", _
\bU_
\bS_
\bE_
\bN_
\bI_
\bX _
\bS_
\bu_
\bm_
\bm_
\be_
\br
_
\bC_
\bo_
\bn_
\bf_
\be_
\br_
\be_
\bn_
\bc_
\be _
\bP_
\br_
\bo_
\bc_
\be_
\be_
\bd_
\bi_
\bn_
\bg_
\bs, 1983.
H
\bHI
\bIS
\bST
\bTO
\bOR
\bRY
\bY
A c
\bca
\bat
\bt command appeared in Version 6 AT&T UNIX.
3rd Berkeley Distribution May 2, 1995 1
projects / unix-history / blob