1 .\" Copyright (c) 1992, 1993
2 .\" The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
4 .\" This code is derived from software contributed to Berkeley by
5 .\" the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
7 .\" Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
8 .\" modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
10 .\" 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
11 .\" notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
12 .\" 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
13 .\" notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
14 .\" documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
15 .\" 4. Neither the name of the University nor the names of its contributors
16 .\" may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
17 .\" without specific prior written permission.
19 .\" THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE REGENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND
20 .\" ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
21 .\" IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
22 .\" ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
23 .\" FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
24 .\" DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
25 .\" OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
26 .\" HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
27 .\" LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
28 .\" OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
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.
151 command is as follows:
153 .Dl [address[,address]]function[arguments]
155 Whitespace may be inserted before the first address and the function
156 portions of the command.
160 cyclically copies a line of input, not including its terminating newline
162 .Em "pattern space" ,
163 (unless there is something left after a
166 applies all of the commands with addresses that select that pattern space,
167 copies the pattern space to the standard output, appending a newline, and
168 deletes the pattern space.
170 Some of the functions use a
172 to save all or part of the pattern space for subsequent retrieval.
174 An address is not required, but if specified must have one of the
176 .Bl -bullet -offset indent
180 cumulatively across input files (or in each file independently
183 option is in effect);
187 character that addresses the last line of input (or the last line
188 of the current file if a
190 option was specified);
193 that consists of a regular expression preceded and followed by a
194 delimiter. The closing delimiter can also optionally be followed by the
196 character, to indicate that the regular expression is to be matched
197 in a case-insensitive way.
200 A command line with no addresses selects every pattern space.
202 A command line with one address selects all of the pattern spaces
203 that match the address.
205 A command line with two addresses selects an inclusive range.
207 range starts with the first pattern space that matches the first
209 The end of the range is the next following pattern space
210 that matches the second address.
211 If the second address is a number
212 less than or equal to the line number first selected, only that
214 The number in the second address may be prefixed with a
216 to specify the number of lines to match after the first pattern.
217 In the case when the second address is a context
220 does not re-match the second address against the
221 pattern space that matched the first address.
223 first line following the selected range,
225 starts looking again for the first address.
227 Editing commands can be applied to non-selected pattern spaces by use
228 of the exclamation character
231 .Sh "Sed Regular Expressions"
232 The regular expressions used in
234 by default, are basic regular expressions (BREs, see
236 for more information), but extended (modern) regular expressions can be used
242 has the following two additions to regular expressions:
246 In a context address, any character other than a backslash
248 or newline character may be used to delimit the regular expression.
249 The opening delimiter needs to be preceded by a backslash
250 unless it is a slash.
251 For example, the context address
255 Also, putting a backslash character before the delimiting character
256 within the regular expression causes the character to be treated literally.
257 For example, in the context address
259 the RE delimiter is an
263 stands for itself, so that the regular expression is
267 The escape sequence \en matches a newline character embedded in the
269 You cannot, however, use a literal newline character in an address or
270 in the substitute command.
273 One special feature of
275 regular expressions is that they can default to the last regular
277 If a regular expression is empty, i.e., just the delimiter characters
278 are specified, the last regular expression encountered is used instead.
279 The last regular expression is defined as the last regular expression
280 used as part of an address or substitute command, and at run-time, not
282 For example, the command
289 In the following list of commands, the maximum number of permissible
290 addresses for each command is indicated by [0addr], [1addr], or [2addr],
291 representing zero, one, or two addresses.
295 consists of one or more lines.
296 To embed a newline in the text, precede it with a backslash.
297 Other backslashes in text are deleted and the following character
304 functions take an optional file parameter, which should be separated
305 from the function letter by white space.
306 Each file given as an argument to
308 is created (or its contents truncated) before any input processing begins.
320 functions all accept additional arguments.
321 The following synopses indicate which arguments have to be separated from
322 the function letters by white space characters.
324 Two of the functions take a function-list.
327 functions separated by newlines, as follows:
328 .Bd -literal -offset indent
338 can be preceded by white space and can be followed by white space.
339 The function can be preceded by white space.
342 must be preceded by a newline or optional white space.
344 .Bl -tag -width "XXXXXX" -compact
345 .It [2addr] function-list
346 Execute function-list only when the pattern space is selected.
352 to standard output immediately before each attempt to read a line of input,
353 whether by executing the
355 function or by beginning a new cycle.
360 function with the specified label.
361 If the label is not specified, branch to the end of the script.
365 Delete the pattern space.
366 With 0 or 1 address or at the end of a 2-address range,
368 is written to the standard output.
371 Delete the pattern space and start the next cycle.
374 Delete the initial segment of the pattern space through the first
375 newline character and start the next cycle.
378 Replace the contents of the pattern space with the contents of the
382 Append a newline character followed by the contents of the hold space
383 to the pattern space.
386 Replace the contents of the hold space with the contents of the
390 Append a newline character followed by the contents of the pattern space
397 to the standard output.
401 Write the pattern space to the standard output in a visually unambiguous
403 This form is as follows:
405 .Bl -tag -width "carriage-returnXX" -offset indent -compact
420 Nonprintable characters are written as three-digit octal numbers (with a
421 preceding backslash) for each byte in the character (most significant byte
423 Long lines are folded, with the point of folding indicated by displaying
424 a backslash followed by a newline.
425 The end of each line is marked with a
429 Write the pattern space to the standard output if the default output has
430 not been suppressed, and replace the pattern space with the next line of
434 Append the next line of input to the pattern space, using an embedded
435 newline character to separate the appended material from the original
437 Note that the current line number changes.
440 Write the pattern space to standard output.
443 Write the pattern space, up to the first newline character to the
447 Branch to the end of the script and quit without starting a new cycle.
452 to the standard output immediately before the next attempt to read a
456 cannot be read for any reason, it is silently ignored and no error
459 .It [2addr]s/regular expression/replacement/flags
460 Substitute the replacement string for the first instance of the regular
461 expression in the pattern space.
462 Any character other than backslash or newline can be used instead of
463 a slash to delimit the RE and the replacement.
464 Within the RE and the replacement, the RE delimiter itself can be used as
465 a literal character if it is preceded by a backslash.
469 appearing in the replacement is replaced by the string matching the RE.
470 The special meaning of
472 in this context can be suppressed by preceding it by a backslash.
477 is a digit, is replaced by the text matched
478 by the corresponding backreference expression (see
481 A line can be split by substituting a newline character into it.
482 To specify a newline character in the replacement string, precede it with
487 in the substitute function is zero or more of the following:
488 .Bl -tag -width "XXXXXX" -offset indent
490 Make the substitution only for the
492 occurrence of the regular expression in the pattern space.
494 Make the substitution for all non-overlapping matches of the
495 regular expression, not just the first one.
497 Write the pattern space to standard output if a replacement was made.
498 If the replacement string is identical to that which it replaces, it
499 is still considered to have been a replacement.
501 Append the pattern space to
503 if a replacement was made.
504 If the replacement string is identical to that which it replaces, it
505 is still considered to have been a replacement.
507 Match the regular expression in a case-insensitive way.
513 function bearing the label if any substitutions have been made since the
514 most recent reading of an input line or execution of a
517 If no label is specified, branch to the end of the script.
520 Append the pattern space to the
524 Swap the contents of the pattern and hold spaces.
526 .It [2addr]y/string1/string2/
527 Replace all occurrences of characters in
529 in the pattern space with the corresponding characters from
531 Any character other than a backslash or newline can be used instead of
532 a slash to delimit the strings.
537 a backslash followed by any character other than a newline is that literal
538 character, and a backslash followed by an ``n'' is replaced by a newline
542 .It [2addr]!function-list
543 Apply the function or function-list only to the lines that are
545 selected by the address(es).
548 This function does nothing; it bears a label to which the
555 Write the line number to the standard output followed by a newline
559 Empty lines are ignored.
564 and the remainder of the line are ignored (treated as a comment), with
565 the single exception that if the first two characters in the file are
567 the default output is suppressed.
568 This is the same as specifying the
570 option on the command line.
574 .Ev COLUMNS , LANG , LC_ALL , LC_CTYPE
577 environment variables affect the execution of
592 utility is expected to be a superset of the
600 options, the prefixing
602 in the second member of an address range,
605 flag to the address regular expression and substitution command are
608 extensions and may not be available on other operating systems.
617 .An "Diomidis D. Spinellis" Aq dds@FreeBSD.org
619 Multibyte characters containing a byte with value 0x5C
622 may be incorrectly treated as line continuation characters in arguments to the
628 Multibyte characters cannot be used as delimiters with the