cat: Linux Commands HowTo
cat: Display the contents of a file
Display the contents of a file (concatenate)
Syntax
cat [Options] [File]...
Concatenate FILE(s), or standard input, to standard output.
-A, --show-all equivalent to -vET
-b, --number-nonblank number nonblank output lines
-e equivalent to -vE
-E, --show-ends display $ at end of each line
-n, --number number all output lines
-s, --squeeze-blank never more than one single blank line
-t equivalent to -vT
-T, --show-tabs display TAB characters as ^I
-u (ignored)
-v, --show-nonprinting use ^ and M- notation, except for LFD and TAB
--help display this help and exit
--version output version information and exit
With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.
Examples:
Display a file
$ cat myfile.txt
Concatenate two files:
$ cat file1.txt file2.txt union.txt
If you need to combine two files but also eliminate duplicates, this can be done with sort unique:
$ sort -u file1.txt file2.txt unique_union.txt
Put the contents of a file into a variable
$ my_variable=`cat $myfile.txt`
"To be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing
its best, night and day, to make you like everybody else - means to fight the
hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting"
- E.
E. Cummings
Related:
cp - Copy one or more files to another location
mv - Move or rename files or directories
tac - Concatenate and write files in reverse
Stupid Cat tricks - by Mike Chirico
Equivalent Windows command: TYPE - Display the contents of a text file
Comments
Write the first comment
Leave a trace
Post being viewed right now
