xargs man page on NeXTSTEP

Man page or keyword search:  
man Server   1419 pages
apropos Keyword Search (all sections)
Output format
NeXTSTEP logo
[printable version]


XARGS(1)							      XARGS(1)

NAME
       xargs - construct argument list(s) and execute command

SYNOPSIS
       xargs  [	 -lnumber  ] [ -ireplstr ] [ -nnumber ] [ -t ] [ -p ] [ -x ] [
       -ssize ] [ -eeofstr ] [ command [initial-arguments] ]

DESCRIPTION
       xargs combines the fixed initial-arguments  with	 arguments  read  from
       standard	 input,	 to  execute  the specified command one or more times.
       The number of arguments read  for  each	command	 invocation,  and  the
       manner  in  which  they	are  combined  are  determined	by the options
       specified.

       command, which may be a shell file, is searched for using one's	$PATH.
       If command is omitted, /bin/echo is used.

       Arguments  read	in  from  standard  input are defined to be contiguous
       strings of characters delimited by white space.	Empty lines are always
       discarded.   Blanks  and tabs may be embedded as part of an argument if
       they are escaped or quoted.  Characters enclosed in quotes  (single  or
       double)	are  taken  literally,	and the delimiting quotes are removed.
       Outside of quoted strings, a backslash (\) will escape the character it
       precedes.

       Each arguments-list is constructed starting with the initial-arguments,
       followed	 by  some  number  of  arguments  read	from  standard	 input
       (Exception:  see	 -i  option).	Options	 -i,  -l, and -n determine how
       arguments are selected for each command invocation.  When none of these
       options are coded, the initial-arguments are followed by arguments read
       continuously from standard input until an internal buffer is full,  and
       then  command is executed with the accumulated arguments.  This process
       is repeated until there are none left.  When there are option conflicts
       (e.g., -l vs.  -n), the last option takes precedence.

       xargs  will  terminate  if  it  receives	 a return code of -1, or if it
       cannot execute command.	When command is	 a  shell  script,  it	should
       explicitly  exit	 (see  sh(1))  with  an	 appropriate  value  to	 avoid
       accidentally returning with -1.

OPTIONS
       -lnumber	 command  is  executed	for  each  nonempty  number  lines  of
		 arguments  from  standard  input.   The  last	invocation  of
		 command will be with fewer lines of arguments if  fewer  than
		 number	 remain.   A  line is considered to end with the first
		 new-line unless the last character of the line is a blank  or
		 a  tab; a trailing blank/tab signals continuation through the
		 next non-empty line.  If number is  omitted,  1  is  assumed.
		 Option -x is forced.

       -ireplstr Insert	 mode: command is executed for each line from standard
		 input, taking the entire line as a single arg,	 inserting  it
		 in  initial-arguments	for  each  occurrence  of  replstr.  A
		 maximum of 5 arguments in initial-arguments may each  contain
		 one  or  more	instances  of replstr.	Blanks and tabs at the
		 beginning  of	each  line  are	 thrown	  away.	   Constructed
		 arguments may not grow larger than 255 characters, and option
		 -x is	also  forced.	{}  is	assumed	 for  replstr  if  not
		 specified.

       -nnumber	 Execute  command  using  as  many standard input arguments as
		 possible, up to number arguments  maximum.   Fewer  arguments
		 will  be  used	 if  their  total  size	 is  greater than size
		 characters, and for the last invocation if  there  are	 fewer
		 than number arguments remaining.  If option -x is also coded,
		 each number arguments must fit in the size  limitation,  else
		 xargs terminates execution.

       -t	 Trace	mode:  The  command and each constructed argument list
		 are  echoed  to  file	descriptor  2  just  prior  to	 their
		 execution.

       -p	 Prompt	 mode:	The  user  is asked whether to execute command
		 each invocation. Trace mode (-t) is turned on	to  print  the
		 command  instance  to be executed, followed by a ?... prompt.
		 A reply of y (optionally followed by anything)	 will  execute
		 the command; anything else, including just a carriage return,
		 skips that particular invocation of command.

       -x	 Causes xargs to terminate  if	any  argument  list  would  be
		 greater  than size characters; -x is forced by the options -i
		 and -l.  When neither of the options -i, -l, or -n are coded,
		 the  total  length  of	 all arguments must be within the size
		 limit.

       -ssize	 The maximum total size of each argument list is set  to  size
		 characters;  size  must  be  a	 positive integer less than or
		 equal to 470. If -s  is  not  coded,  470  is	taken  as  the
		 default.  Note that the character count for size includes one
		 extra character for each argument and the count of characters
		 in the command name.

       -eeofstr	 eofstr	 is taken as the logical end-of-file string.  Underbar
		 (_) is assumed for the logical EOF string if -e is not coded.
		 The  value  -e with no eofstr coded turns off the logical EOF
		 string capability (underbar is taken literally).  xargs reads
		 standard  input  until	 either end-of-file or the logical EOF
		 string is encountered.

EXAMPLES
       The following will move all files from directory $1  to	directory  $2,
       and echo each move command just before doing it:

		 ls $1 | xargs -i -t mv $1/{} $2/{}

       The  following  will  combine  the output of the parenthesized commands
       onto one line, which is then echoed to the end of file log:

		 (logname; date; echo $0 $∗) | xargs >>log

       The user is asked which files  in  the  current	directory  are	to  be
       archived	 and  archives them into arch (1.) one at a time, or (2.) many
       at a time.

		 1.  ls | xargs -p -l ar r arch
		 2.  ls | xargs -p -l | xargs ar r arch

       The following will execute diff(1) with successive pairs	 of  arguments
       originally typed as shell arguments:

		 echo $∗ | xargs -n2 diff

SEE ALSO
       sh(1)

				  6 June 1986			      XARGS(1)
[top]

List of man pages available for NeXTSTEP

Copyright (c) for man pages and the logo by the respective OS vendor.

For those who want to learn more, the polarhome community provides shell access and support.

[legal] [privacy] [GNU] [policy] [cookies] [netiquette] [sponsors] [FAQ]
Tweet
Polarhome, production since 1999.
Member of Polarhome portal.
Based on Fawad Halim's script.
....................................................................
Vote for polarhome
Free Shell Accounts :: the biggest list on the net