pr(1)

pr -- print files

Synopsis

pr [columns [-w width] [-a]] [-e[c][k]] [-i[c][k]] [-dFfprt] [+page] [-n[c][k]] [-o offset] [-l length] [-s[separator]] [-h header] [file . . .]

pr [-m [-w width]] [-e[c][k]] [-i[c][k]] [-dFfprt] [+page] [-n[c][k]] [-o offset] [-l length] [-s[separator]] [-h header] [file . . .]

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. The named files are printed on standard output. pr processes supplementary code set characters in files, and recognizes supplementary code set characters in the character or string arguments given to the -e, -h, -i, -n, and -s options (see below) according to the locale specified in the LC_CTYPE environment variable (see LANG on environ(5)). Multibyte characters will not be split when lines are truncated or folded.

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 (unless -s is specified, in which case it is 512 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, 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.

Options

+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.
-d: Double-space the output. Blank lines that result from double-spacing are dropped when they occur at the top of a page.
-e[c][k]: Expand input tabs to character positions k+1, 2k+1, 3k+1, and so on. If k is 0 or is omitted, default tab settings at every eighth column position are assumed. Tab characters in the input are expanded into the appropriate number of spaces. If c is given, it is treated as the input tab character (default for c is the tab character). c must be a non-digit character.
-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. (See ``Notices'' below.)
-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. When used for single-column output, (for example, when making a file printable on regular-sized paper) -F must be used with the -wwidth option (for example, -F -w72). (See ``Notices'' below.)
-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 -l length is specified and the value of length is 10 or less.
-i[c][k]: In output, replace two or more adjacent space characters wherever possible by inserting tabs to character positions k+1, 2k+1, 3k+1, and so on. If k is 0 or is omitted, default tab settings at every eighth column position are assumed. If c is given, it is treated as the output tab character (default for c is the tab character). c must be a non-digit character.
-l length: 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 -l length 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.
-m: Merge and print all files simultaneously, one per column. The maximum number of files that may be specified is nine. If a line is too long to fit in a column, it is truncated. May not use with -column.
-n[c][k]: 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 is given, it is appended to the line number to separate it from whatever follows (default for c is a tab). c must be a non-digit character.
-o offset: 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.
-p: Pause before beginning each page if the output device is a terminal. pr rings the terminal bell and waits for a carriage return.
-r: Print no diagnostic reports on files that cannot be opened.
-s[separator]: Separate columns by the single character separator instead of by the appropriate number of spaces (default for separator is a tab).
-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.
-w width: Set the width of a line to width character positions (default is 72 if -s is not specified, 512 if -s is specified). This is effective only for multi-column output (-column and -m) and for single-column output when the -F option is used.

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.
/usr/lib/locale/locale/LC_MESSAGES/uxcore: language-specific message file (see LANG on environ(5).)

References

cat(1), fold(1), fprintf(3S), more(1), pg(1)

Notices

The pr command automatically converts ^Ls (form feeds) into multiple newlines. It also will interpret control characters that printf (see fprintf(3S)) interprets.

Set the POSIX2 environment variable to get POSIX.2 behavior that is inconsistent with existing System V behavior. When POSIX2 is set, -F behaves the same as -f; no folding option is available in this case.

The following environment variables affect the execution of pr: LANG, LC_ALL, LC_CTYPE, LC_MESSAGES, LC_TIME, TZ (see environ(5)).

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 -