pr(1) (Essential Utilities) pr(1)
NAME
pr - print files
SYNOPSIS
pr [[-columns] [-wwidth] [-a]] [-eck] [-ick] [-drtfp] [+page] [-nck]
[-ooffset] [-llength] [-sseparator] [-hheader] [-F] [file ...]
pr [[-m] [-wwidth]] [-eck] [-ick] [-drtfp] [+page] [-nck] [-ooffset]
[-llength] [-sseparator] [-hheader] [-F] [file1 file2 ...]
DESCRIPTION
The pr command formats and prints the contents of a file. If file is
-, or if no files are specified, pr assumes standard input. pr
prints the named files on standard output.
By default, the listing is separated into pages, each headed by the
page number, the date and time that the file was last modified, and
the name of the file. Page length is 66 lines which includes 10
lines of header and trailer output. The header is composed of 2
blank lines, 1 line of text ( can be altered with -h), and 2 blank
lines; the trailer is 5 blank lines. For single column output, line
width may not be set and is unlimited. For multicolumn output, line
width may be set and the default is 72 columns. Diagnostic reports
(failed options) are reported at the end of standard output
associated with a terminal, rather than interspersed in the output.
Pages are separated by series of line feeds rather than form feed
characters.
By default, columns are of equal width, separated by at least one
space; lines which do not fit are truncated. If the -s option is
used, lines are not truncated and columns are separated by the
separator character.
Either -columns or -m should be used to produce multi-column output.
-a should only be used with -columns and not -m.
Command line options are
+page Begin printing with page numbered page (default is 1).
-columns Print columns columns of output (default is 1). Output
appears as if -e and -i are on for multi-column output.
May not use with -m.
-a Print multi-column output across the page one line per
column. columns must be greater than one. If a line is
too long to fit in a column, it is truncated.
-m Merge and print all files simultaneously, one per column.
The maximum number of files that may be specified is eight.
If a line is too long to fit in a column, it is truncated.
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pr(1) (Essential Utilities) pr(1)
May not use with -column.
-d Double-space the output. Blank lines that result from
double-spacing are dropped when they occur at the top of a
page.
-eck Expand input tabs to character positions k+1, 2*k+1, 3*k+1,
etc. If k is 0 or is omitted, default tab settings at
every eighth position are assumed. Tab characters in the
input are expanded into the appropriate number of spaces.
If c (any non-digit character) is given, it is treated as
the input tab character (default for c is the tab
character).
-ick In output, replace white space wherever possible by
inserting tabs to character positions k+1, 2*k+1, 3*k+1,
etc. If k is 0 or is omitted, default tab settings at
every eighth position are assumed. If c (any non-digit
character) is given, it is treated as the output tab
character (default for c is the tab character).
-nck Provide k-digit line numbering (default for k is 5). The
number occupies the first k+1 character positions of each
column of single column output or each line of -m output.
If c (any non-digit character) is given, it is appended to
the line number to separate it from whatever follows
(default for c is a tab).
-wwidth Set the width of a line to width character positions
(default is 72). This is effective only for multi-column
output (-column and -m). There is no line limit for single
column output.
-ooffset Offset each line by offset character positions (default is
0). The number of character positions per line is the sum
of the width and offset.
-llength Set the length of a page to length lines (default is 66).
A length of 0 specifies the default length. By default,
output contains 5 lines of header and 5 lines of trailer
leaving 56 lines for user-supplied text. When -llength is
used and length exceeds 10, then length-10 lines are left
per page for user supplied text. When length is 10 or
less, header and trailer output is omitted to make room for
user supplied text; see the -t option.
-h header Use header as the text line of the header to be printed
instead of the file name. -h is ignored when -t is
specified or -llength is specified and the value of length
is 10 or less. (-h is the only pr option requiring space
between the option and argument.)
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pr(1) (Essential Utilities) pr(1)
-p Pause before beginning each page if the output device is a
terminal. pr rings the terminal bell and waits for a
carriage return.
-f Use a single form-feed character for new pages (default is
to use a sequence of line feeds). Pause before beginning
the first page if the standard output is associated with a
terminal.
-r Print no diagnostic reports on files that cannot be opened.
-t Print neither the five-line identifying header nor the
five-line trailer normally supplied for each page. Quit
printing after the last line of each file without spacing
to the end of the page. Use of -t overrides the -h option.
-sseparator
Separate columns by the single character separator instead
of by the appropriate number of spaces (default for
separator is a tab). Prevents truncation of lines on
multicolumn output unless -w is specified.
-F Fold the lines of the input file. When used in multi-
column mode (with the -a or -m options) lines will be
folded to fit the current column's width, otherwise they
will be folded to fit the current line width (80 columns).
EXAMPLES
Print file1 and file2 as a double-spaced, three-column listing headed
by ``file list'':
pr -3dh "file list" file1 file2
Copy file1 to file2, expanding tabs to columns 10, 19, 28, 37, ... :
pr -e9 -t < file1 > file2
Print file1 and file2 simultaneously in a two-column listing with no
header or trailer where both columns have line numbers:
pr -t -n file1 | pr -t -m -n file2 -
FILES
/dev/tty* If standard output is directed to one of the special
files /dev/tty*, then other output directed to this
terminal is delayed until standard output is completed.
This prevents error messages from being interspersed
throughout the output.
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pr(1) (Essential Utilities) pr(1)
SEE ALSO
cat(1), fold(1), more(1), pg(1), page(1).
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