PR(1) (Essential Utilities) PR(1)
NAME
pr - print files
SYNOPSIS
pr [[-column] [-wwidth] [-a]] [-eck] [-ick] [-drtfp] [+page]
[-nck] [-ooffset] [-llength] [-sseparator] [-hheader] [file
...]
pr [[-m] [-wwidth]] [-eck] [-ick] [-drtfp] [+page] [-nck]
[-ooffset] [-llength] [-sseparator] [-hheader] file1 file2
...
DESCRIPTION
pr is used to format and print the contents of a file. If
file is -, or if no files are specified, pr assumes standard
input. pr prints the named files on standard output.
By default, the listing is separated into pages, each headed
by the page number, the date and time that the file was last
modified, and the name of the file. Page length is 66 lines
which includes 10 lines of header and trailer output. The
header is composed of 2 blank lines, 1 line of text ( can be
altered with -h), and 2 blank lines; the trailer is 5 blank
lines. For single column output, line width may not be set
and is unlimited. For multicolumn output, line width may be
set and the default is 72 columns. Diagnostic reports
(failed options) are reported at the end of standard output
associated with a terminal, rather than interspersed in the
output. Pages are separated by series of line feeds rather
than form feed characters.
By default, columns are of equal width, separated by at
least one space; lines which do not fit are truncated. If
the -s option is used, lines are not truncated and columns
are separated by the separator character.
Either -column or -m should be used to produce multi-column
output. -a should only be used with -column and not -m.
Command line options are
Page 1 May 1989
PR(1) (Essential Utilities) PR(1)
+page Begin printing with page numbered page (default is
1).
-column Print column columns of output (default is 1).
Output appears as if -e and -i are turned on for
multi-column output. May not use with -m.
-a Print multi-column output across the page one line
per column. columns must be greater than one. If
a line is too long to fit in a column, it is
truncated.
-m Merge and print all files simultaneously, one per
column. The maximum number of files that may be
specified is eight. If a line is too long to fit
in a column, it is truncated. May not use with
-column.
-d Double-space the output. Blank lines that result
from double-spacing are dropped when they occur at
the top of a page.
-eck Expand input tabs to character positions k+1,
2*k+1, 3*k+1, etc. If k is 0 or is omitted,
default tab settings at every eighth position are
assumed. Tab characters in the input are expanded
into the appropriate number of spaces. If c (any
non-digit character) is given, it is treated as
the input tab character (default for c is the tab
character).
-ick In output, replace white space wherever possible
by inserting tabs to character positions k+1,
2*k+1, 3*k+1, etc. If k is 0 or is omitted,
default tab settings at every eighth position are
assumed. If c (any non-digit character) is given,
it is treated as the output tab character (default
for c is the tab character).
-nck Provide k-digit line numbering (default for k is
Page 2 May 1989
PR(1) (Essential Utilities) PR(1)
5). The number occupies the first k+1 character
positions of each column of single column output
or each line of -m output. If c (any non-digit
character) is given, it is appended to the line
number to separate it from whatever follows
(default for c is a tab).
-wwidth Set the width of a line to width character
positions (default is 72). This is effective only
for multi-column output (-column and -m). There
is no line limit for single column output.
-ooffset Offset each line by offset character positions
(default is 0). The number of character positions
per line is the sum of the width and offset.
-llength Set the length of a page to length lines (default
is 66). -l0 is reset to -l66. When the value of
length is 10 or less, -t appears to be in effect
since headers and trailers are suppressed. By
default, output contains 5 lines of header and 5
lines of trailer leaving 56 lines for user-
supplied text. When -llength is used and length
exceeds 10, then length-10 lines are left per page
for user supplied text. When length is 10 or
less, header and trailer output is omitted to make
room for user supplied text.
-h header Use header as the text line of the header to be
printed instead of the file name. -h is ignored
when -t is specified or -llength is specified and
the value of length is 10 or less. (-h is the
only pr option requiring space between the option
and argument.)
-p Pause before beginning each page if the output is
directed to a terminal (pr will ring the bell at
the terminal and wait for a carriage return).
-f Use single form-feed character for new pages
Page 3 May 1989
PR(1) (Essential Utilities) PR(1)
(default is to use a sequence of line-feeds).
Pause before beginning the first page if the
standard output is associated with a terminal.
-r Print no diagnostic reports on files that will not
open.
-t Print neither the five-line identifying header nor
the five-line trailer normally supplied for each
page. Quit printing after the last line of each
file without spacing to the end of the page. Use
of -t overrides the -h option.
-sseparator
Separate columns by the single character separator
instead of by the appropriate number of spaces
(default for separator is a tab). Prevents
truncation of lines on multicolumn output unless
-w is specified.
EXAMPLES
Print file1 and file2 as a double-spaced, three-column
listing headed by ``file list'':
pr -3dh "file list" file1 file2
Copy file1 to file2, expanding tabs to columns 10, 19, 28,
37, ... :
pr -e9 -t <file1 >file2
Print file1 and file2 simultaneously in a two-column listing
with no header or trailer where both columns have line
numbers:
pr -t -n file1 | pr -t -m -n file2 -
FILES
/dev/tty* If standard output is directed to one of the
special files /dev/tty*, then other output
Page 4 May 1989
PR(1) (Essential Utilities) PR(1)
directed to this terminal is delayed until
standard output is completed. This prevents
error messages from being interspersed
throughout the output.
SEE ALSO
cat(1), pg(1).
Page 5 May 1989