NAME

ls − list contents of directory

SYNOPSIS

ls [ options ] name ... 

DESCRIPTION

Ls(UCB) is similar to ls(1) but has three possible listing formats. The format chosen depends on whether the output is going to a teletype, and may also be controlled by option flags. The default format for a teletype is to list the contents of directories in multi-column format, with the entries sorted down the columns. (See also the −x option below.)  If the standard output is not a teletype, the default format is to list one entry per line.  This is the way ls(1) always works. Finally, there is a stream output format in which files are listed across the page, separated by ‘,’ characters. The −m flag enables this format. 

Note: Files which are not the contents of a directory being interpreted are always sorted across the page rather than down the page in columns.  This is because the individual file names may be arbitrarily long. 

New options are:

−m force stream output format

−1 force one entry per line output format, e.g. to a teletype

−c force multi-column output, e.g. to a file or a pipe

−q force printing of non-graphic characters in file names as the character ‘?’; this normally happens only if the output device is a teletype

−x force columnar printing to be sorted across rather than down the page; this is the default if the last character of the name the program is invoked with is not an ‘l’ or an ‘s’. 

SEE ALSO

ls(1), l(UCB)

FILES

/etc/passwd to get user ID’s for ls −l. 

BUGS

Newline and tab are considered printing characters in file names. 

Output device is assumed to be 80 columns wide.  Columns are basically 15 characters wide, 20 characters wide if −i or −s is specified, 25 characters wide if both −i and −s are specified.  In any case where −l or −n is specified, we assume only one entry will fit per line. 

The option setting based on whether the output is a teletype is undesirable as:

ls −s | lpr

is much different than

ls −s

On the other hand, not doing this setting would make old shell scripts which used ls almost certain losers, and then one could no longer do, e.g.:

ls −s | sort −nr

but would have to do

ls −s −1 | sort −nr

Column widths choices are poor for terminals which can tab. 

7th Edition  —  2/24/79