CAT(1,C) AIX Commands Reference CAT(1,C)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
cat
PURPOSE
Concatenates or displays files.
SYNTAX
+------------+ +------------+
cat ---| +----+ |---| |---|
+---| -b |---+ +--- file ---+
^ | -e | | ^ |
| | -n | | +--------+
| | -q | |
| | -s | |
| | -t | |
| | -u | |
| | -v | |
| +----+ |
+--------+
DESCRIPTION
The cat command reads each file in sequence and writes it to standard output.
If you do not specify file or specify - (minus) instead of file, the cat
command reads from standard input.
Warning: Do not redirect output to one of the input files using the ">"
redirection symbol. If you do this, you will lose the original data in the
input file because the shell truncates the file before the cat command can read
it (see "sh, Rsh").
FLAGS
-b Displays output lines preceded by line numbers omitting blank lines.
-e A "$" character is displayed at the end of each line.
-n Displays output lines preceded by line numbers, numbered sequentially
from 1.
-q Quiet option. Does not display a message if cat cannot find an input
file.
-s Squeeze option. Removes multiple adjacent empty lines so that output
is displayed single-spaced.
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CAT(1,C) AIX Commands Reference CAT(1,C)
-t Tab characters print as ^ I.
-u Does not buffer output.
-v Displays non-printing characters so that they are visible.
EXAMPLES
1. To display a file at the work station:
cat notes
This displays the file "notes". If the file is more than about 23 lines
long, some of it will scroll off the screen. To display a file one page at
a time, use the pg command. (See "pg" for details.)
2. To concatenate several files:
cat section1.1 section1.2 section1.3 >section1
This command creates a file named "section1" that contains the file
"section1.1" followed by files "section1.2" and "section1.3".
3. To suppress error messages about files that do not exist:
cat -q section2.1 section2.2 section2.3 >section2
If "section2.1" does not exist, this command concatenates "section2.2" and
"section2.3" but does not issue an error message about the non-existence of
the file. If you do not use the -q flag, the command concatenates the
files, but displays this error message:
cat: cannot open section2.1
You may want to use the -q flag to suppress this message when you use the
cat command in shell procedures.
4. To append one file to the end of another:
cat section1.4 >>section1
This command uses the redirection symbol >> to append a copy of
"section1.4" to the end of "section1". For more on redirections, see
"Redirection of Input and Output."
5. To add text to the end of a file:
cat >>notes
Get milk on the way home
Ctrl-D
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CAT(1,C) AIX Commands Reference CAT(1,C)
"Get milk on the way home" is added to the end of the file "notes". The
cat command does not prompt; it waits for you to enter text. Press Ctrl-D
to indicate you are finished.
6. To concatenate several files with text entered from the keyboard:
cat section3.1 - section3.3 >section3
This command concatenates "section3.1", text from the keyboard, and
"section3.3".
7. To concatenate several files with output from another command:
li | cat section4.1 - >section4
This command copies "section4.1" and then the output of the li command to
the file "section4".
RELATED INFORMATION
See the following commands: "cp, copy," "pr," and "sh, Rsh."
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