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31 .\" @(#)sed.1 8.2 (Berkeley) 12/30/93
32 .\" $FreeBSD: head/usr.bin/sed/sed.1 267773 2014-06-23 08:23:05Z bapt $
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.
152 Make output unbuffered.
157 command is as follows:
159 .Dl [address[,address]]function[arguments]
161 Whitespace may be inserted before the first address and the function
162 portions of the command.
166 cyclically copies a line of input, not including its terminating newline
168 .Em "pattern space" ,
169 (unless there is something left after a
172 applies all of the commands with addresses that select that pattern space,
173 copies the pattern space to the standard output, appending a newline, and
174 deletes the pattern space.
176 Some of the functions use a
178 to save all or part of the pattern space for subsequent retrieval.
180 An address is not required, but if specified must have one of the
182 .Bl -bullet -offset indent
186 cumulatively across input files (or in each file independently
189 option is in effect);
193 character that addresses the last line of input (or the last line
194 of the current file if a
196 option was specified);
199 that consists of a regular expression preceded and followed by a
200 delimiter. The closing delimiter can also optionally be followed by the
202 character, to indicate that the regular expression is to be matched
203 in a case-insensitive way.
206 A command line with no addresses selects every pattern space.
208 A command line with one address selects all of the pattern spaces
209 that match the address.
211 A command line with two addresses selects an inclusive range.
213 range starts with the first pattern space that matches the first
215 The end of the range is the next following pattern space
216 that matches the second address.
217 If the second address is a number
218 less than or equal to the line number first selected, only that
220 The number in the second address may be prefixed with a
222 to specify the number of lines to match after the first pattern.
223 In the case when the second address is a context
226 does not re-match the second address against the
227 pattern space that matched the first address.
229 first line following the selected range,
231 starts looking again for the first address.
233 Editing commands can be applied to non-selected pattern spaces by use
234 of the exclamation character
237 .Sh "Sed Regular Expressions"
238 The regular expressions used in
240 by default, are basic regular expressions (BREs, see
242 for more information), but extended (modern) regular expressions can be used
248 has the following two additions to regular expressions:
252 In a context address, any character other than a backslash
254 or newline character may be used to delimit the regular expression.
255 The opening delimiter needs to be preceded by a backslash
256 unless it is a slash.
257 For example, the context address
261 Also, putting a backslash character before the delimiting character
262 within the regular expression causes the character to be treated literally.
263 For example, in the context address
265 the RE delimiter is an
269 stands for itself, so that the regular expression is
273 The escape sequence \en matches a newline character embedded in the
275 You cannot, however, use a literal newline character in an address or
276 in the substitute command.
279 One special feature of
281 regular expressions is that they can default to the last regular
283 If a regular expression is empty, i.e., just the delimiter characters
284 are specified, the last regular expression encountered is used instead.
285 The last regular expression is defined as the last regular expression
286 used as part of an address or substitute command, and at run-time, not
288 For example, the command
295 In the following list of commands, the maximum number of permissible
296 addresses for each command is indicated by [0addr], [1addr], or [2addr],
297 representing zero, one, or two addresses.
301 consists of one or more lines.
302 To embed a newline in the text, precede it with a backslash.
303 Other backslashes in text are deleted and the following character
310 functions take an optional file parameter, which should be separated
311 from the function letter by white space.
312 Each file given as an argument to
314 is created (or its contents truncated) before any input processing begins.
326 functions all accept additional arguments.
327 The following synopses indicate which arguments have to be separated from
328 the function letters by white space characters.
330 Two of the functions take a function-list.
333 functions separated by newlines, as follows:
334 .Bd -literal -offset indent
344 can be preceded by white space and can be followed by white space.
345 The function can be preceded by white space.
348 must be preceded by a newline, and may also be preceded by white space.
350 .Bl -tag -width "XXXXXX" -compact
351 .It [2addr] function-list
352 Execute function-list only when the pattern space is selected.
358 to standard output immediately before each attempt to read a line of input,
359 whether by executing the
361 function or by beginning a new cycle.
366 function with the specified label.
367 If the label is not specified, branch to the end of the script.
371 Delete the pattern space.
372 With 0 or 1 address or at the end of a 2-address range,
374 is written to the standard output.
377 Delete the pattern space and start the next cycle.
380 Delete the initial segment of the pattern space through the first
381 newline character and start the next cycle.
384 Replace the contents of the pattern space with the contents of the
388 Append a newline character followed by the contents of the hold space
389 to the pattern space.
392 Replace the contents of the hold space with the contents of the
396 Append a newline character followed by the contents of the pattern space
403 to the standard output.
407 Write the pattern space to the standard output in a visually unambiguous
409 This form is as follows:
411 .Bl -tag -width "carriage-returnXX" -offset indent -compact
426 Nonprintable characters are written as three-digit octal numbers (with a
427 preceding backslash) for each byte in the character (most significant byte
429 Long lines are folded, with the point of folding indicated by displaying
430 a backslash followed by a newline.
431 The end of each line is marked with a
435 Write the pattern space to the standard output if the default output has
436 not been suppressed, and replace the pattern space with the next line of
440 Append the next line of input to the pattern space, using an embedded
441 newline character to separate the appended material from the original
443 Note that the current line number changes.
446 Write the pattern space to standard output.
449 Write the pattern space, up to the first newline character to the
453 Branch to the end of the script and quit without starting a new cycle.
458 to the standard output immediately before the next attempt to read a
462 cannot be read for any reason, it is silently ignored and no error
465 .It [2addr]s/regular expression/replacement/flags
466 Substitute the replacement string for the first instance of the regular
467 expression in the pattern space.
468 Any character other than backslash or newline can be used instead of
469 a slash to delimit the RE and the replacement.
470 Within the RE and the replacement, the RE delimiter itself can be used as
471 a literal character if it is preceded by a backslash.
475 appearing in the replacement is replaced by the string matching the RE.
476 The special meaning of
478 in this context can be suppressed by preceding it by a backslash.
483 is a digit, is replaced by the text matched
484 by the corresponding backreference expression (see
487 A line can be split by substituting a newline character into it.
488 To specify a newline character in the replacement string, precede it with
493 in the substitute function is zero or more of the following:
494 .Bl -tag -width "XXXXXX" -offset indent
496 Make the substitution only for the
498 occurrence of the regular expression in the pattern space.
500 Make the substitution for all non-overlapping matches of the
501 regular expression, not just the first one.
503 Write the pattern space to standard output 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 Append the pattern space to
509 if a replacement was made.
510 If the replacement string is identical to that which it replaces, it
511 is still considered to have been a replacement.
513 Match the regular expression in a case-insensitive way.
519 function bearing the label if any substitutions have been made since the
520 most recent reading of an input line or execution of a
523 If no label is specified, branch to the end of the script.
526 Append the pattern space to the
530 Swap the contents of the pattern and hold spaces.
532 .It [2addr]y/string1/string2/
533 Replace all occurrences of characters in
535 in the pattern space with the corresponding characters from
537 Any character other than a backslash or newline can be used instead of
538 a slash to delimit the strings.
543 a backslash followed by any character other than a newline is that literal
544 character, and a backslash followed by an ``n'' is replaced by a newline
548 .It [2addr]!function-list
549 Apply the function or function-list only to the lines that are
551 selected by the address(es).
554 This function does nothing; it bears a label to which the
561 Write the line number to the standard output followed by a newline
565 Empty lines are ignored.
570 and the remainder of the line are ignored (treated as a comment), with
571 the single exception that if the first two characters in the file are
573 the default output is suppressed.
574 This is the same as specifying the
576 option on the command line.
580 .Ev COLUMNS , LANG , LC_ALL , LC_CTYPE
583 environment variables affect the execution of
598 utility is expected to be a superset of the
606 options, the prefixing
608 in the second member of an address range,
611 flag to the address regular expression and substitution command are
614 extensions and may not be available on other operating systems.
623 .An Diomidis D. Spinellis Aq Mt dds@FreeBSD.org
625 Multibyte characters containing a byte with value 0x5C
628 may be incorrectly treated as line continuation characters in arguments to the
634 Multibyte characters cannot be used as delimiters with the