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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 concatenate files.
The cat command can also be used to create a text file.
Usage
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:
cat file.txt
Concatenate the content of the two files and display the result in terminal:
cat file1.txt file2.txt
Concatenate the content of two files and store it in a new file:
cat file1.txt file2.txt > new_file.txt
Creating a new text file:
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.
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