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bash:commands:cat

BASH - Commands - cat

cat is used to concatenate or write files, text or binary.


Write a file

cat > list.txt

type into the terminal:

aaa
bbb
ccc

Press CTRL+D to stop inputting and save file.

  • This can only be done at the start of a new line; so <ENTER> needs to be done against the last line before being able to do a CTRL-D.

This would have created the file list.txt.


Display a file

cat list.txt

returns:

aaa
bbb
ccc

Concatenate multiple files

Create another file, named list2.txt, containing:

ddd
eee

Do the concatenation

cat list.txt list2.txt

returns:

aaa
bbb
ccc
ddd
eee

Concatenate to a new file

cat list.txt list2.txt > list3.txt

Display this new file

cat list3.txt

returns:

aaa
bbb
ccc
ddd
eee

Append to a file

cat >> list3.txt

enter:

fff
ggg

Press CTRL+D to stop inputting and save file.


Display the appended file

cat list3.txt

returns:

aaa
bbb
ccc
ddd
eee
fff
ggg

Place data between 2 files

cat list.txt - list2.txt > list4.txt

enter:

hhh

Press CTRL+D to stop inputting and save file.


Display the file

cat list4.txt

returns:

aaa
bbb
ccc
hhh
ddd
eee

NOTE: The hhh data is showing in the middle of the data from the 2 input files.


Join split binary files

cat video.001 video.002 video.003 > vid.avi
bash/commands/cat.txt · Last modified: 2021/01/26 16:02 by peter

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