NAME
	  cat -	Concatenates or	displays files

     SYNOPSIS
	  cat [-benrstuv] file ...  | -


	  The cat command reads	each specified file in sequence	and
	  writes it to standard	output.

     FLAGS
	  -b  Omits line numbers from blank lines when -n is speci-
	      fied.

	  -e  Same as the -v flag with a $ (dollar sign) character
	      displayed	at the end of each line.

	  -n  Displays output lines preceded by	line numbers, numbered
	      sequentially from	1.

	  -r  Replaces multiple	consecutive empty lines	with one empty
	      line, so that there is never more	than one empty line
	      between lines containing characters.

	  -s  Does not display a message if cat	cannot find an input
	      file. (Silent option.)

	  -t  Same as the -v flag, with	the tab	character printed as
	      <Ctrl-i> (^I).

	  -u  Does not buffer output.

	  -v  Displays nonprinting characters so that they are visi-
	      ble.


     DESCRIPTION
	  The cat command is frequently	used with > (redirection sym-
	  bol) to concatenate the specified files and write them to
	  the specified	destination.  (See CAUTIONS.)  cat is also
	  used with >> to append a file	to another file.

	  If you do not	specify	a file or if you specify - (dash)
	  instead of file, cat reads from standard input.

     EXAMPLES
	   1.  To display the file notes, enter:

	       cat notes



	       If the file is longer than one screenful, it scrolls by
	       too quickly to read.  To	display	a file one page	at a
	       time, use the more command.

	   2.  To concatenate several files, enter:

	       cat  section1.1	section1.2  section1.3	> section1



	       This creates a file named section1 that is a copy of
	       section1.1 followed by section1.2 and section1.3.

	   3.  To suppress error messages about	files that do not
	       exist, enter:

	       cat -s section2.1 section2.2 section2.3 > section2



	       If section2.1 does not exist, this command concatenates
	       section2.2 and section2.3.  Note	that the message goes
	       to standard error, so it	does not appear	in the output
	       file.  The result is the	same if	you do not use the -s
	       flag, except that cat displays the error	message:

	       cat: cannot open	section2.1



	       You may want to suppress	this message with the -s flag
	       when you	use the	cat command in shell procedures.

	   4.  To append one file to the end of	another, enter:

	       cat section1.4 >> section1



	       The >> in this command specifies	that a copy of sec-
	       tion1.4 be added	to the end of section1.	 If you	want
	       to replace the file, use	a single > symbol.

	   5.  To add text to the end of a file, enter:

	       cat >> notes
	       Get milk	on the way home
	       <Ctrl-d>



	       Get milk	on the way home	is added to the	end of notes.
	       With this syntax, the cat command does not display a
	       prompt; it waits	for you	to enter text.	Press the
	       End-of-File key sequence	(<Ctrl-d> above) to indicate
	       you are finished.

	   6.  To concatenate several files with text entered from the
	       keyboard, enter:

	       cat section3.1 -	section3.3 > section3



	       This concatenates section3.1, text from the keyboard,
	       and section3.3 to create	the file section3.

	   7.  To concatenate several files with output	from another
	       command,	enter:

	       ls  |  cat section4.1 - > section4



	       This copies section4.1, and then	the output of the ls
	       command to the file section4.


     CAUTIONS
	  Do not redirect output to one	of the input files using the >
	  (redirection symbol).	 If you	do this, you lose the original
	  data in the input file because the shell truncates it	before
	  cat can read it.  (See also the sh command.)

     RELATED INFORMATION
	  Commands:  cp(1), dd(1), more(1), pack(1)/pcat(1)/unpack(1),
	  pg(1), pr(1),	sh(1).