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echo-original(1)

echo arguments

From the original Amiga UNIX 2.1 manual. Some things it mentions may not be in this release.

With the coreutil package (with the extra set), see echo(1) instead.

Also by this name: echo(1F), Commands for forms and menus (FMLI) · echo(1B), BSD versions of commands

NAME

echo - echo arguments

SYNOPSIS

echo [ arg ] ...
echo [ -n ] [ arg ]

DESCRIPTION

echo writes its arguments separated by blanks and terminated by a new-line on the standard output.

The /usr/bin/sh version understands the following C-like escape conventions; beware of conflicts with the shell's use of \:

\b   backspace
\c   print line without new-line
\f   form-feed
\n   new-line
\r   carriage return
\t   tab
\v   vertical tab
\\   backslash
\0n  where n is the 8-bit character whose ASCII code is
     the  1-,  2-  or 3-digit octal number representing
     that character.

The following option is available to /usr/bin/sh users only if /usr/ucb precedes /usr/bin in the user's PATH. It is available to /usr/csh users, regardless of PATH:

-n   Do not add the newline to the output.

echo is useful for producing diagnostics in command files, for sending known data into a pipe, and for displaying the contents of environment variables.

SEE ALSO

sh(1).

NOTES

The -n option is a transition aid for BSD applications, and may not be supported in future releases.

When representing an 8-bit character by using the escape convention \0n, the n must always be preceded by the digit zero (0).

For example, typing: echo 'WARNING:\07' will print the phrase WARNING: and sound the ``bell'' on your terminal. The use of single (or double) quotes (or two backslashes) is required to protect the ``\'' that precedes the ``07''.

Following the \0, up to three digits are used in  construct-
ing  the octal output character.  If, following the \0n, you
want to echo additional digits that  are  not  part  of  the
octal  representation, you must use the full 3-digit n.  For
example, if you want to echo ``ESC  7''  you  must  use  the
three  digits ``033'' rather than just the two digits ``33''
after the \0.
   2 digits   Incorrect:   echo "\0337"  | od -xc
              produces:    df0a                  (hex)
                           337                   (ascii)

   3 digits   Correct:     echo "\00337" | od -xc
              produces:    lb37 0a00            (hex)
                           033 7                (ascii)

For the octal equivalents of each character, see ascii(5), in the System Administrator's Reference Manual.