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31 .\" @(#)sed.1 8.2 (Berkeley) 12/30/93
32 .\" $FreeBSD: src/usr.bin/sed/sed.1,v 1.50 2009/05/25 21:29:06 brian Exp $
33 .\" $DragonFly: src/usr.bin/sed/sed.1,v 1.6 2008/09/06 09:38:33 thomas Exp $
49 .Op Fl f Ar command_file
56 utility reads the specified files, or the standard input if no files
57 are specified, modifying the input as specified by a list of commands.
58 The input is then written to the standard output.
60 A single command may be specified as the first argument to
62 Multiple commands may be specified by using the
67 All commands are applied to the input in the order they are specified
68 regardless of their origin.
70 The following options are available:
71 .Bl -tag -width indent
73 Interpret regular expressions as extended (modern) regular expressions
74 rather than basic regular expressions (BRE's).
77 manual page fully describes both formats.
79 The files listed as parameters for the
81 functions are created (or truncated) before any processing begins,
87 to delay opening each file until a command containing the related
89 function is applied to a line of input.
91 Append the editing commands specified by the
94 to the list of commands.
95 .It Fl f Ar command_file
96 Append the editing commands found in the file
98 to the list of commands.
99 The editing commands should each be listed on a separate line.
100 .It Fl I Ar extension
101 Edit files in-place, saving backups with the specified
105 is given, no backup will be saved.
106 It is not recommended to give a zero-length
108 when in-place editing files, as you risk corruption or partial content
109 in situations where disk space is exhausted, etc.
111 Note that in-place editing with
113 still takes place in a single continuous line address space covering
114 all files, although each file preserves its individuality instead of
115 forming one output stream.
116 The line counter is never reset between files, address ranges can span
117 file boundaries, and the
119 address matches only the last line of the last file.
121 .Sx "Sed Addresses" . )
122 That can lead to unexpected results in many cases of in-place editing,
126 .It Fl i Ar extension
127 Edit files in-place similarly to
129 but treat each file independently from other files.
130 In particular, line numbers in each file start at 1,
133 address matches the last line of the current file,
134 and address ranges are limited to the current file.
136 .Sx "Sed Addresses" . )
137 The net result is as though each file were edited by a separate
141 Make output line buffered.
143 By default, each line of input is echoed to the standard output after
144 all of the commands have been applied to it.
147 option suppresses this behavior.
152 command is as follows:
154 .Dl [address[,address]]function[arguments]
156 Whitespace may be inserted before the first address and the function
157 portions of the command.
161 cyclically copies a line of input, not including its terminating newline
163 .Em "pattern space" ,
164 (unless there is something left after a
167 applies all of the commands with addresses that select that pattern space,
168 copies the pattern space to the standard output, appending a newline, and
169 deletes the pattern space.
171 Some of the functions use a
173 to save all or part of the pattern space for subsequent retrieval.
175 An address is not required, but if specified must have one of the
177 .Bl -bullet -offset indent
181 cumulatively across input files (or in each file independently
184 option is in effect);
188 character that addresses the last line of input (or the last line
189 of the current file if a
191 option was specified);
194 that consists of a regular expression preceded and followed by a
196 The closing delimiter can also optionally be followed by the
198 character, to indicate that the regular expression is to be matched
199 in a case-insensitive way.
202 A command line with no addresses selects every pattern space.
204 A command line with one address selects all of the pattern spaces
205 that match the address.
207 A command line with two addresses selects an inclusive range.
209 range starts with the first pattern space that matches the first
211 The end of the range is the next following pattern space
212 that matches the second address.
213 If the second address is a number
214 less than or equal to the line number first selected, only that
216 The number in the second address may be prefixed with a
218 to specify the number of lines to match after the first pattern.
219 In the case when the second address is a context
222 does not re-match the second address against the
223 pattern space that matched the first address.
225 first line following the selected range,
227 starts looking again for the first address.
229 Editing commands can be applied to non-selected pattern spaces by use
230 of the exclamation character
233 .Sh "Sed Regular Expressions"
234 The regular expressions used in
236 by default, are basic regular expressions (BREs, see
238 for more information), but extended (modern) regular expressions can be used
244 has the following two additions to regular expressions:
248 In a context address, any character other than a backslash
250 or newline character may be used to delimit the regular expression.
251 The opening delimiter needs to be preceded by a backslash
252 unless it is a slash.
253 For example, the context address
257 Also, putting a backslash character before the delimiting character
258 within the regular expression causes the character to be treated literally.
259 For example, in the context address
261 the RE delimiter is an
265 stands for itself, so that the regular expression is
269 The escape sequence \en matches a newline character embedded in the
271 You cannot, however, use a literal newline character in an address or
272 in the substitute command.
275 One special feature of
277 regular expressions is that they can default to the last regular
279 If a regular expression is empty, i.e., just the delimiter characters
280 are specified, the last regular expression encountered is used instead.
281 The last regular expression is defined as the last regular expression
282 used as part of an address or substitute command, and at run-time, not
284 For example, the command
291 In the following list of commands, the maximum number of permissible
292 addresses for each command is indicated by [0addr], [1addr], or [2addr],
293 representing zero, one, or two addresses.
297 consists of one or more lines.
298 To embed a newline in the text, precede it with a backslash.
299 Other backslashes in text are deleted and the following character
306 functions take an optional file parameter, which should be separated
307 from the function letter by white space.
308 Each file given as an argument to
310 is created (or its contents truncated) before any input processing begins.
322 functions all accept additional arguments.
323 The following synopses indicate which arguments have to be separated from
324 the function letters by white space characters.
326 Two of the functions take a function-list.
329 functions separated by newlines, as follows:
330 .Bd -literal -offset indent
340 can be preceded by white space and can be followed by white space.
341 The function can be preceded by white space.
344 must be preceded by a newline or optional white space.
346 .Bl -tag -width "XXXXXX" -compact
347 .It [2addr] function-list
348 Execute function-list only when the pattern space is selected.
354 to standard output immediately before each attempt to read a line of input,
355 whether by executing the
357 function or by beginning a new cycle.
362 function with the specified label.
363 If the label is not specified, branch to the end of the script.
367 Delete the pattern space.
368 With 0 or 1 address or at the end of a 2-address range,
370 is written to the standard output.
373 Delete the pattern space and start the next cycle.
376 Delete the initial segment of the pattern space through the first
377 newline character and start the next cycle.
380 Replace the contents of the pattern space with the contents of the
384 Append a newline character followed by the contents of the hold space
385 to the pattern space.
388 Replace the contents of the hold space with the contents of the
392 Append a newline character followed by the contents of the pattern space
399 to the standard output.
403 Write the pattern space to the standard output in a visually unambiguous
405 This form is as follows:
407 .Bl -tag -width "carriage-returnXX" -offset indent -compact
422 Nonprintable characters are written as three-digit octal numbers (with a
423 preceding backslash) for each byte in the character (most significant byte
425 Long lines are folded, with the point of folding indicated by displaying
426 a backslash followed by a newline.
427 The end of each line is marked with a
431 Write the pattern space to the standard output if the default output has
432 not been suppressed, and replace the pattern space with the next line of
436 Append the next line of input to the pattern space, using an embedded
437 newline character to separate the appended material from the original
439 Note that the current line number changes.
442 Write the pattern space to standard output.
445 Write the pattern space, up to the first newline character to the
449 Branch to the end of the script and quit without starting a new cycle.
454 to the standard output immediately before the next attempt to read a
458 cannot be read for any reason, it is silently ignored and no error
461 .It [2addr]s/regular expression/replacement/flags
462 Substitute the replacement string for the first instance of the regular
463 expression in the pattern space.
464 Any character other than backslash or newline can be used instead of
465 a slash to delimit the RE and the replacement.
466 Within the RE and the replacement, the RE delimiter itself can be used as
467 a literal character if it is preceded by a backslash.
471 appearing in the replacement is replaced by the string matching the RE.
472 The special meaning of
474 in this context can be suppressed by preceding it by a backslash.
479 is a digit, is replaced by the text matched
480 by the corresponding backreference expression (see
483 A line can be split by substituting a newline character into it.
484 To specify a newline character in the replacement string, precede it with
489 in the substitute function is zero or more of the following:
490 .Bl -tag -width "XXXXXX" -offset indent
492 Make the substitution only for the
494 occurrence of the regular expression in the pattern space.
496 Make the substitution for all non-overlapping matches of the
497 regular expression, not just the first one.
499 Write the pattern space to standard output if a replacement was made.
500 If the replacement string is identical to that which it replaces, it
501 is still considered to have been a replacement.
503 Append the pattern space to
505 if a replacement was made.
506 If the replacement string is identical to that which it replaces, it
507 is still considered to have been a replacement.
509 Match the regular expression in a case-insensitive way.
515 function bearing the label if any substitutions have been made since the
516 most recent reading of an input line or execution of a
519 If no label is specified, branch to the end of the script.
522 Append the pattern space to the
526 Swap the contents of the pattern and hold spaces.
528 .It [2addr]y/string1/string2/
529 Replace all occurrences of characters in
531 in the pattern space with the corresponding characters from
533 Any character other than a backslash or newline can be used instead of
534 a slash to delimit the strings.
539 a backslash followed by any character other than a newline is that literal
540 character, and a backslash followed by an ``n'' is replaced by a newline
544 .It [2addr]!function-list
545 Apply the function or function-list only to the lines that are
547 selected by the address(es).
550 This function does nothing; it bears a label to which the
557 Write the line number to the standard output followed by a newline
561 Empty lines are ignored.
566 and the remainder of the line are ignored (treated as a comment), with
567 the single exception that if the first two characters in the file are
569 the default output is suppressed.
570 This is the same as specifying the
572 option on the command line.
576 .Ev COLUMNS , LANG , LC_ALL , LC_CTYPE
579 environment variables affect the execution of
594 utility is expected to be a superset of the
602 options, the prefixing
604 in the second member of an address range,
607 flag to the address regular expression and substitution command are
610 extensions and may not be available on other operating systems.
619 .An "Diomidis D. Spinellis" Aq dds@FreeBSD.org
621 Multibyte characters containing a byte with value 0x5C
624 may be incorrectly treated as line continuation characters in arguments to the
630 Multibyte characters cannot be used as delimiters with the