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31 .\" @(#)sed.1 8.2 (Berkeley) 12/30/93
48 .Op Fl f Ar command_file
55 utility reads the specified files, or the standard input if no files
56 are specified, modifying the input as specified by a list of commands.
57 The input is then written to the standard output.
59 A single command may be specified as the first argument to
61 Multiple commands may be specified by using the
66 All commands are applied to the input in the order they are specified
67 regardless of their origin.
69 The following options are available:
70 .Bl -tag -width indent
72 Interpret regular expressions as extended (modern) regular expressions
73 rather than basic regular expressions (BRE's).
76 manual page fully describes both formats.
78 The files listed as parameters for the
80 functions are created (or truncated) before any processing begins,
86 to delay opening each file until a command containing the related
88 function is applied to a line of input.
90 Append the editing commands specified by the
93 to the list of commands.
94 .It Fl f Ar command_file
95 Append the editing commands found in the file
97 to the list of commands.
98 The editing commands should each be listed on a separate line.
100 Edit files in-place, saving backups with the specified
104 is given, no backup will be saved.
105 It is not recommended to give a zero-length
107 when in-place editing files, as you risk corruption or partial content
108 in situations where disk space is exhausted, etc.
110 Note that in-place editing with
112 still takes place in a single continuous line address space covering
113 all files, although each file preserves its individuality instead of
114 forming one output stream.
115 The line counter is never reset between files, address ranges can span
116 file boundaries, and the
118 address matches only the last line of the last file.
120 .Sx "Sed Addresses" . )
121 That can lead to unexpected results in many cases of in-place editing,
125 .It Fl i Ar extension
126 Edit files in-place similarly to
128 but treat each file independently from other files.
129 In particular, line numbers in each file start at 1,
132 address matches the last line of the current file,
133 and address ranges are limited to the current file.
135 .Sx "Sed Addresses" . )
136 The net result is as though each file were edited by a separate
140 Make output line buffered.
142 By default, each line of input is echoed to the standard output after
143 all of the commands have been applied to it.
146 option suppresses this behavior.
150 for compatibility with GNU sed.
155 command is as follows:
157 .Dl [address[,address]]function[arguments]
159 Whitespace may be inserted before the first address and the function
160 portions of the command.
164 cyclically copies a line of input, not including its terminating newline
166 .Em "pattern space" ,
167 (unless there is something left after a
170 applies all of the commands with addresses that select that pattern space,
171 copies the pattern space to the standard output, appending a newline, and
172 deletes the pattern space.
174 Some of the functions use a
176 to save all or part of the pattern space for subsequent retrieval.
178 An address is not required, but if specified must have one of the
180 .Bl -bullet -offset indent
184 cumulatively across input files (or in each file independently
187 option is in effect);
191 character that addresses the last line of input (or the last line
192 of the current file if a
194 option was specified);
197 that consists of a regular expression preceded and followed by a
198 delimiter. The closing delimiter can also optionally be followed by the
200 character, to indicate that the regular expression is to be matched
201 in a case-insensitive way.
204 A command line with no addresses selects every pattern space.
206 A command line with one address selects all of the pattern spaces
207 that match the address.
209 A command line with two addresses selects an inclusive range.
211 range starts with the first pattern space that matches the first
213 The end of the range is the next following pattern space
214 that matches the second address.
215 If the second address is a number
216 less than or equal to the line number first selected, only that
218 The number in the second address may be prefixed with a
220 to specify the number of lines to match after the first pattern.
221 In the case when the second address is a context
224 does not re-match the second address against the
225 pattern space that matched the first address.
227 first line following the selected range,
229 starts looking again for the first address.
231 Editing commands can be applied to non-selected pattern spaces by use
232 of the exclamation character
235 .Sh "Sed Regular Expressions"
236 The regular expressions used in
238 by default, are basic regular expressions (BREs, see
240 for more information), but extended (modern) regular expressions can be used
246 has the following two additions to regular expressions:
250 In a context address, any character other than a backslash
252 or newline character may be used to delimit the regular expression.
253 The opening delimiter needs to be preceded by a backslash
254 unless it is a slash.
255 For example, the context address
259 Also, putting a backslash character before the delimiting character
260 within the regular expression causes the character to be treated literally.
261 For example, in the context address
263 the RE delimiter is an
267 stands for itself, so that the regular expression is
271 The escape sequence \en matches a newline character embedded in the
273 You cannot, however, use a literal newline character in an address or
274 in the substitute command.
277 One special feature of
279 regular expressions is that they can default to the last regular
281 If a regular expression is empty, i.e., just the delimiter characters
282 are specified, the last regular expression encountered is used instead.
283 The last regular expression is defined as the last regular expression
284 used as part of an address or substitute command, and at run-time, not
286 For example, the command
293 In the following list of commands, the maximum number of permissible
294 addresses for each command is indicated by [0addr], [1addr], or [2addr],
295 representing zero, one, or two addresses.
299 consists of one or more lines.
300 To embed a newline in the text, precede it with a backslash.
301 Other backslashes in text are deleted and the following character
308 functions take an optional file parameter, which should be separated
309 from the function letter by white space.
310 Each file given as an argument to
312 is created (or its contents truncated) before any input processing begins.
324 functions all accept additional arguments.
325 The following synopses indicate which arguments have to be separated from
326 the function letters by white space characters.
328 Two of the functions take a function-list.
331 functions separated by newlines, as follows:
332 .Bd -literal -offset indent
342 can be preceded by white space and can be followed by white space.
343 The function can be preceded by white space.
346 must be preceded by a newline, and may also be preceded by white space.
348 .Bl -tag -width "XXXXXX" -compact
349 .It [2addr] function-list
350 Execute function-list only when the pattern space is selected.
356 to standard output immediately before each attempt to read a line of input,
357 whether by executing the
359 function or by beginning a new cycle.
364 function with the specified label.
365 If the label is not specified, branch to the end of the script.
369 Delete the pattern space.
370 With 0 or 1 address or at the end of a 2-address range,
372 is written to the standard output.
375 Delete the pattern space and start the next cycle.
378 Delete the initial segment of the pattern space through the first
379 newline character and start the next cycle.
382 Replace the contents of the pattern space with the contents of the
386 Append a newline character followed by the contents of the hold space
387 to the pattern space.
390 Replace the contents of the hold space with the contents of the
394 Append a newline character followed by the contents of the pattern space
401 to the standard output.
405 Write the pattern space to the standard output in a visually unambiguous
407 This form is as follows:
409 .Bl -tag -width "carriage-returnXX" -offset indent -compact
424 Nonprintable characters are written as three-digit octal numbers (with a
425 preceding backslash) for each byte in the character (most significant byte
427 Long lines are folded, with the point of folding indicated by displaying
428 a backslash followed by a newline.
429 The end of each line is marked with a
433 Write the pattern space to the standard output if the default output has
434 not been suppressed, and replace the pattern space with the next line of
438 Append the next line of input to the pattern space, using an embedded
439 newline character to separate the appended material from the original
441 Note that the current line number changes.
444 Write the pattern space to standard output.
447 Write the pattern space, up to the first newline character to the
451 Branch to the end of the script and quit without starting a new cycle.
456 to the standard output immediately before the next attempt to read a
460 cannot be read for any reason, it is silently ignored and no error
463 .It [2addr]s/regular expression/replacement/flags
464 Substitute the replacement string for the first instance of the regular
465 expression in the pattern space.
466 Any character other than backslash or newline can be used instead of
467 a slash to delimit the RE and the replacement.
468 Within the RE and the replacement, the RE delimiter itself can be used as
469 a literal character if it is preceded by a backslash.
473 appearing in the replacement is replaced by the string matching the RE.
474 The special meaning of
476 in this context can be suppressed by preceding it by a backslash.
481 is a digit, is replaced by the text matched
482 by the corresponding backreference expression (see
485 A line can be split by substituting a newline character into it.
486 To specify a newline character in the replacement string, precede it with
491 in the substitute function is zero or more of the following:
492 .Bl -tag -width "XXXXXX" -offset indent
494 Make the substitution only for the
496 occurrence of the regular expression in the pattern space.
498 Make the substitution for all non-overlapping matches of the
499 regular expression, not just the first one.
501 Write the pattern space to standard output if a replacement was made.
502 If the replacement string is identical to that which it replaces, it
503 is still considered to have been a replacement.
505 Append the pattern space to
507 if a replacement was made.
508 If the replacement string is identical to that which it replaces, it
509 is still considered to have been a replacement.
511 Match the regular expression in a case-insensitive way.
517 function bearing the label if any substitutions have been made since the
518 most recent reading of an input line or execution of a
521 If no label is specified, branch to the end of the script.
524 Append the pattern space to the
528 Swap the contents of the pattern and hold spaces.
530 .It [2addr]y/string1/string2/
531 Replace all occurrences of characters in
533 in the pattern space with the corresponding characters from
535 Any character other than a backslash or newline can be used instead of
536 a slash to delimit the strings.
541 a backslash followed by any character other than a newline is that literal
542 character, and a backslash followed by an ``n'' is replaced by a newline
546 .It [2addr]!function-list
547 Apply the function or function-list only to the lines that are
549 selected by the address(es).
552 This function does nothing; it bears a label to which the
559 Write the line number to the standard output followed by a newline
563 Empty lines are ignored.
568 and the remainder of the line are ignored (treated as a comment), with
569 the single exception that if the first two characters in the file are
571 the default output is suppressed.
572 This is the same as specifying the
574 option on the command line.
578 .Ev COLUMNS , LANG , LC_ALL , LC_CTYPE
581 environment variables affect the execution of
596 utility is expected to be a superset of the
604 options, the prefixing
606 in the second member of an address range,
609 flag to the address regular expression and substitution command are
612 extensions and may not be available on other operating systems.
621 .An "Diomidis D. Spinellis" Aq dds@FreeBSD.org
623 Multibyte characters containing a byte with value 0x5C
626 may be incorrectly treated as line continuation characters in arguments to the
632 Multibyte characters cannot be used as delimiters with the