@opindex -B
@opindex --binary
@cindex binary and text I/O in cat
-On MS-DOS and MS-Windows only, causes @code{cat} read and write the
+On MS-DOS and MS-Windows only, read and write the
files in binary mode. By default, @code{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 @code{cat} is frequently used as file copying program. Some
+because @code{cat} is frequently used as a file-copying program. Some
options (see below) cause @code{cat} read and write files in text mode
because then the original file contents aren't important (e.g., when
lines are numbered by @code{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
-@key{CR-LF} pair of characters which won't be processed as an empty line
+the CR-LF pair of characters which won't be processed as an empty line
by @samp{-b} unless the file is read in text mode.
@item -b
@itemx --show-tabs
@opindex -T
@opindex --show-tabs
-Display @key{TAB} characters as @samp{^I}.
+Display TAB characters as @samp{^I}.
@item -u
@opindex -u
@itemx --show-nonprinting
@opindex -v
@opindex --show-nonprinting
-Display control characters except for @key{LFD} and @key{TAB} using
+Display control characters except for LFD and TAB using
@samp{^} notation and precede characters that have the high bit set with
@samp{M-}. On MS-DOS and MS-Windows, this option causes @code{cat} to
-read files and standard input in DOS binary mode, so the @key{CR}
+read files and standard input in DOS binary mode, so the CR
characters at the end of each line are also visible.
@end table
@opindex -s
@opindex --number-separator
Separate the line number from the text line in the output with
-@var{string} (default is @key{TAB}).
+@var{string} (default is the TAB character).
@item -v @var{number}
@itemx --starting-line-number=@var{number}
@opindex --expand-tabs
@cindex input tabs
Expand @var{tab}s to spaces on input. Optional argument @var{in-tabchar} is
-the input tab character (default is @key{TAB}). Second optional
+the input tab character (default is the TAB character). Second optional
argument @var{in-tabwidth} is the input tab character's width (default
is 8).
@opindex --output-tabs
@cindex output tabs
Replace spaces with @var{tab}s on output. Optional argument @var{out-tabchar}
-is the output tab character (default is @key{TAB}). Second optional
+is the output tab character (default is the TAB character). Second optional
argument @var{out-tabwidth} is the output tab character's width (default
is 8).
@samp{--page} option and @samp{-N} option).
Optional argument @var{number-separator} is the character appended to
the line number to separate it from the text followed. The default
-separator is a @key{TAB}. In a strict sense a @key{TAB} is always
+separator is the TAB character. In a strict sense a TAB is always
printed with single column output only. The @var{TAB}-width varies
with the @var{TAB}-position, e.g. with the left @var{margin} specified
by @samp{-o} option. With multicolumn output priority is given to
@opindex -s
@opindex --separator
Separate columns by a single character @var{char}. Default for @var{char}
-is the @key{TAB} character without @samp{-w} and @samp{no character} with
+is the TAB character without @samp{-w} and @samp{no character} with
@samp{-w}. Without @samp{-s} default separator @samp{space} is set.
@samp{-s[char]} turns off line truncation of all three column options
(@samp{-COLUMN}|@samp{-a -COLUMN}|@samp{-m}) except @samp{-w} is set.
@itemx --sep-string[=@var{string}]
@opindex -S
@opindex --sep-string
-Separate columns by any string @var{string}. The @samp{-S} option doesn't
-react upon the @samp{-W/-w} option (unlike @samp{-s} option does). It
-does not affect line truncation or column alignment. A separator is
-defined, nothing else. Without @samp{-S}: default separator @key{TAB}
-is used with @samp{-J} and @samp{space} otherwise (same as @samp{-S" "}).
-With @samp{-S} only: no separator is used, same as @samp{-S""}. Quotes
-should be used with blanks and some shell active characters. Some of the
-@code{pr} options don't allow the option letter to be separated from its
-argument. @samp{-S/-s} is one of them. Don't use @samp{-S "STRING"}.
-That's @var{posix} compliant.
+Use @var{string} to separate output columns. The @samp{-S} option doesn't
+affect the @samp{-W/-w} option, unlike the @samp{-s} option which does. It
+does not affect line truncation or column alignment.
+Without @samp{-S}, and with @samp{-J}, @code{pr} uses the default output
+separator, TAB.
+Without @samp{-S} or @samp{-J}, @code{pr} uses a @samp{space}
+(same as @samp{-S" "}).
+Using @samp{-S} with no @var{string} is equivalent to @samp{-S""}.
+Note that for some of @code{pr}'s options the single-letter option
+character must be followed immediately by any corresponding argument;
+there may not be any intervening white space.
+@samp{-S/-s} is one of them. Don't use @samp{-S "STRING"}.
+@sc{posix} requires this.
@item -t
@itemx --omit-header
out the bottom of pages (with blank lines or a form feed). No page
structure is produced, but form feeds set in the input files are retained.
The predefined pagination is not changed. @samp{-t} or @samp{-T} may be
-useful together with other options; e.g.: @samp{-t -e4}, expand @key{TAB}
+useful together with other options; e.g.: @samp{-t -e4}, expand TAB characters
in the input file to 4 spaces but don't make any other changes. Use of
@samp{-t} overrides @samp{-h}.
With no options, @code{comm} produces three column output. Column one
contains lines unique to @var{file1}, column two contains lines unique
to @var{file2}, and column three contains lines common to both files.
-Columns are separated by @key{TAB}.
+Columns are separated by a single TAB character.
@c FIXME: when there's an option to supply an alternative separator
@c string, append `by default' to the above sentence.
@opindex -f
@opindex --fields
Print only the fields listed in @var{field-list}. Fields are
-separated by a @key{TAB} by default.
+separated by a TAB character by default.
@item -d @var{input_delim_byte}
@itemx --delimiter=@var{input_delim_byte}
@opindex -d
@opindex --delimiter
For @samp{-f}, fields are separated in the input by the first character
-in @var{input_delim_byte} (default is @key{TAB}).
+in @var{input_delim_byte} (default is TAB).
@item -n
@opindex -n
@cindex merging files
@code{paste} writes to standard output lines consisting of sequentially
-corresponding lines of each given file, separated by @key{TAB}.
+corresponding lines of each given file, separated by a TAB character.
Standard input is used for a file name of @samp{-} or if no input files
are given.
@opindex -d
@opindex --delimiters
Consecutively use the characters in @var{delim-list} instead of
-@key{TAB} to separate merged lines. When @var{delim-list} is
+TAB to separate merged lines. When @var{delim-list} is
exhausted, start again at its beginning.
@end table
projects / thirdparty / coreutils.git / commitdiff
