cat - concatenate and print files
cat [-suv [-et]]
[-B size] [file ...]
Cat reads each file in sequence and writes it on the
standard output. Thus
prints the file and
concatenates the first two files and places the result on the third.
If no file is given, or if the argument `-' is encountered,
cat reads from the standard input.
The cat command accepts the following options:
- -u
- Ensures output to be unbuffered.
- -s
- Causes cat to be silent about files that cannot be opened, read
problems and similar error conditions.
- -v
- With this option given, non-printable characters are detected and printed
as `^n' for control characters and `M-n' for
characters with the high bit set.
- -t
- If -v is present, this option causes tab and formfeed characters to
be handled as control characters.
- -e
- If -v is present, this option causes end-of-line to be marked with
`$'.
The following option is an extension:
- -B size
- Causes input and output to be performed in size byte units.
- LANG,
LC_ALL
- See locale(7).
- LC_CTYPE
- Determines the mapping of bytes to characters and the set of printable
characters for the -v option.
cp(1), pg(1), pr(1), locale(7)
Beware of `cat a b >a' and `cat a b >b', which destroy input
files before reading them.