`cat': Concatenate and write files
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`cat' copies each FILE (`-' means standard input), or standard input
if none are given, to standard output. Synopsis:
cat [OPTION] [FILE]...
The program accepts the following options. Also see Note:Common
options.
`-A'
`--show-all'
Equivalent to `-vET'.
`-B'
`--binary'
On MS-DOS and MS-Windows only, read and write the files in binary
mode. By default, `cat' on MS-DOS/MS-Windows uses binary mode
only when standard output is redirected to a file or a pipe; this
option overrides that. Binary file I/O is used so that the files
retain their format (Unix text as opposed to DOS text and binary),
because `cat' is frequently used as a file-copying program. Some
options (see below) cause `cat' read and write files in text mode
because then the original file contents aren't important (e.g.,
when lines are numbered by `cat', or when line endings should be
marked). This is so these options work as DOS/Windows users would
expect; for example, DOS-style text files have their lines end with
the CR-LF pair of characters which won't be processed as an empty
line by `-b' unless the file is read in text mode.
`-b'
`--number-nonblank'
Number all nonblank output lines, starting with 1. On MS-DOS and
MS-Windows, this option causes `cat' to read and write files in
text mode.
`-e'
Equivalent to `-vE'.
`-E'
`--show-ends'
Display a `$' after the end of each line. On MS-DOS and
MS-Windows, this option causes `cat' to read and write files in
text mode.
`-n'
`--number'
Number all output lines, starting with 1. On MS-DOS and
MS-Windows, this option causes `cat' to read and write files in
text mode.
`-r'
`--reversible'
Display control characters without being ambiguous by inserting a
`\' before all occurrences of `^', `M', `\' and `$' in the input,
as well as any occurrences of literal `^' and `\' after the `M-'
notation. This also implies `-v'.
`-s'
`--squeeze-blank'
Replace multiple adjacent blank lines with a single blank line. On
MS-DOS and MS-Windows, this option causes `cat' to read and write
files in text mode.
`-t'
Equivalent to `-vT'.
`-T'
`--show-tabs'
Display TAB characters as `^I'.
`-u'
Ignored; for Unix compatibility.
`-v'
`--show-nonprinting'
Display control characters except for LFD and TAB using `^'
notation and precede characters that have the high bit set with
`M-'. On MS-DOS and MS-Windows, this option causes `cat' to read
files and standard input in DOS binary mode, so the CR characters
at the end of each line are also visible.