(coreutils.info)cat invocation

3.1 `cat': Concatenate and write files
======================================

`cat' copies each FILE (`-' means standard input), or standard input if
none are given, to standard output.  Synopsis:

     cat [OPTION] [FILE]...

   The program accepts the following options.  Also see Note: Common
options.

`-A'
`--show-all'
     Equivalent to `-vET'.

`-B'
`--binary'
     On MS-DOS and MS-Windows only, read and write the files in binary
     mode.  By default, `cat' on MS-DOS/MS-Windows uses binary mode
     only when standard output is redirected to a file or a pipe; this
     option overrides that.  Binary file I/O is used so that the files
     retain their format (Unix text as opposed to DOS text and binary),
     because `cat' is frequently used as a file-copying program.  Some
     options (see below) cause `cat' to read and write files in text
     mode because in those cases the original file contents aren't
     important (e.g., when lines are numbered by `cat', or when line
     endings should be marked).  This is so these options work as
     DOS/Windows users would expect; for example, DOS-style text files
     have their lines end with the CR-LF pair of characters, which
     won't be processed as an empty line by `-b' unless the file is
     read in text mode.

`-b'
`--number-nonblank'
     Number all nonblank output lines, starting with 1.  On MS-DOS and
     MS-Windows, this option causes `cat' to read and write files in
     text mode.

`-e'
     Equivalent to `-vE'.

`-E'
`--show-ends'
     Display a `$' after the end of each line.  On MS-DOS and
     MS-Windows, this option causes `cat' to read and write files in
     text mode.

`-n'
`--number'
     Number all output lines, starting with 1.  On MS-DOS and
     MS-Windows, this option causes `cat' to read and write files in
     text mode.

`-s'
`--squeeze-blank'
     Replace multiple adjacent blank lines with a single blank line.  On
     MS-DOS and MS-Windows, this option causes `cat' to read and write
     files in text mode.

`-t'
     Equivalent to `-vT'.

`-T'
`--show-tabs'
     Display TAB characters as `^I'.

`-u'
     Ignored; for Unix compatibility.

`-v'
`--show-nonprinting'
     Display control characters except for LFD and TAB using `^'
     notation and precede characters that have the high bit set with
     `M-'.  On MS-DOS and MS-Windows, this option causes `cat' to read
     files and standard input in DOS binary mode, so the CR characters
     at the end of each line are also visible.


   An exit status of zero indicates success, and a nonzero value
indicates failure.