--- title: Bash cat --- ## Bash command: cat The bash command `cat` is one of the most frequently used commands in Unix operating systems. It is used to read a file sequentially and print it to the standard output. The command's name is derived from its function to con**cat**enate files. The cat command can also be used to create a text file. ### Usage ```bash cat [options] [file_names] ``` Most used options: * `-b`, number non-blank output lines * `-n`, number all output lines * `-s`, squeeze multiple adjacent blank lines * `-v`, display nonprinting characters, except for tabs and the end of line character ### Example Print in terminal the content of file.txt: ```bash cat file.txt ``` Concatenate the content of the two files and display the result in terminal: ```bash cat file1.txt file2.txt ``` Concatenate the content of two files and store it in a new file: ```bash cat file1.txt file2.txt > new_file.txt ``` Creating a new text file: ```bash cat > yourfile.txt ``` After pressing Enter, the cursor will be placed on the next line. You can start entering your desired text directly into your file. Press Ctrl+D or Ctrl+C to exit the file. Using wildcard to display contents of all text files: ```bash cat *.txt ``` **Tip**: Using `cat` on a directory will cause error, so make sure it's a readable file. #### More Information: * Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_(Unix) * Man Page: https://ss64.com/bash/cat.html