CAT(1)                      386BSD Reference Manual                     CAT(1)

NAME
     cat - concatenate and print files

SYNOPSIS
     cat [-benstuv] [-] [file ...]

DESCRIPTION
     The cat utility reads files sequentially, writing them to the standard
     output.  The file operands are processed in command line order.  A single
     dash represents standard input.

     The options are as follows:

     -b      Implies the -n option but doesn't number blank lines.

     -e      Implies the -v option, and displays a dollar sign (`$') at the
             end of each line as well.

     -n      Number the output lines, starting at 1.

     -s      Squeeze multiple adjacent empty lines, causing the output to be
             single spaced.

     -t      Implies the -v option, and displays tab characters as (`^I') as
             well.

     -u      The -u option guarantees that the output is unbuffered.

     -v      Displays non-printing characters so they are visible.  Control
             characters print line `^X' for control-X; the delete character
             (octal 0177) prints as `^?' Non-ascii characters (with the high
             bit set) are printed as `M-' (for meta) followed by the character
             for the low 7 bits.

     The cat utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.

BUGS
     Because of the shell language mechanism used to perform output
     redirection, the command ``cat file1 file 2 > file1'' will cause the
     original data in file1 to be destroyed!

SEE ALSO
     head(1),  more(1),  pr(1),  tail(1)

     Rob Pike, "UNIX Style, or cat -v Considered Harmful", USENIX Summer
     Conference Proceedings, 1983.

HISTORY
     A cat command appeared in Version 6 AT&T UNIX.

3rd Berkeley Distribution        June 27, 1991                               1