nl(1)                                                       nl(1)



NAME
     nl - processes a file through a line numbering filter

SYNOPSIS
     nl [-btype] [-ddelim] [-ftype] [-htype] [-iincr] [-lnum]
     [-nformat] [-p] [-ssep] [-vstart#] [-wwidth] file

ARGUMENTS
     -btype
          Specifies which logical page body lines are to be
          numbered.  Recognized types and their meanings are:

               a    number all lines;

               t    numbers the lines with printable text only;

               n    no line numbering;

               pstring
                    numbers only the lines that contain the
                    regular expression specified in string.
                    Default type for logical page body is t (text
                    lines numbered).

     -ddelim
          Specifies the delimiter characters indicating the start
          of a logical page section may be changed from the
          default characters (\:) to two user-specified
          characters.  If only one character is entered, the
          second character remains the default character (:).  No
          space should appear between the -d and the delimiter
          characters.  To enter a backslash, use two backslashes.

     -ftype
          Specifies which logical footer lines are to be
          numbered.  The default for logical page footer is n (no
          lines numbered).

     file Specifies the file to be read.  If this argument is not
          given, the standard input is read.

     -htype
          Specifies which logical header lines are to be
          numbered.  The default type for logical page header is
          n (no lines numbered).

     -iincr
          Numbers logical page lines with the increment value of
          incr.  The default is 1.






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nl(1)                                                       nl(1)



     -lnum
          Specifies the number of blank lines, num, to be
          considered as one.  For example, -l2 results in only
          the second adjacent blank being numbered (if the
          appropriate -ha, -ba, and/or -fa option is set).  The
          default is 1.

     -nformat
          Specifies the line numbering format.  The recognized
          values are:

               ln   left justified, leading zeroes suppressed;

               rn   right justified, leading zeroes suppressed;

               rz   right justified, leading zeroes kept.

          The default line numbering format is rn (right
          justified).

     -p   Does not restart numbering at logical page delimiters.

     -ssep
          Separates the line number and the corresponding text
          line with sep.  The default character is a tab.

     -vstart#
          Numbers logical page lines with the initial value
          start#.  The default is 1.

     -wwidth
          Specifies width as the number of characters to be used
          for the line number.  The default width is 6.

DESCRIPTION
     nl reads lines from the named file and reproduces the lines
     on the standard output.  Lines are numbered on the left in
     accordance with the command options in effect.

     The nl program views the text it reads in terms of logical
     pages.  Line numbering is reset at the start of each logical
     page.  A logical page consists of a header, a body, and a
     footer section.  Empty sections are valid.  Different line
     numbering options are independently available for header,
     body, and footer (for example, no numbering of header and
     footer lines while numbering blank lines only in the body).

     The start of logical page sections are signaled by input
     lines containing nothing but the following delimiter
     character(s):





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nl(1)                                                       nl(1)



          Line contents   Start of

          \:\:\:          header
          \:\:            body
          \:              footer

     Unless otherwise specified, nl assumes the text being read
     is in a single logical page body.

EXAMPLES
     The command:

        nl -v10 -i10 -d!+ file1

     will number file1 starting at line number ten with an
     increment of ten.  The logical page delimiters are !+.

FILES
     /bin/nl
          Executable file

SEE ALSO
     awk(1), cat(1), pr(1), sed(1)
































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