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PRINTF(1)                                           User Commands                                           PRINTF(1)



NAME
       printf - format and print data

SYNOPSIS
       printf FORMAT [ARGUMENT]...
       printf OPTION

DESCRIPTION
       Print ARGUMENT(s) according to FORMAT, or execute according to OPTION:

       --help display this help and exit

       --version
              output version information and exit

       FORMAT controls the output as in C printf.  Interpreted sequences are:

       \"     double quote

       \\     backslash

       \a     alert (BEL)

       \b     backspace

       \c     produce no further output

       \e     escape

       \f     form feed

       \n     new line

       \r     carriage return

       \t     horizontal tab

       \v     vertical tab

       \NNN   byte with octal value NNN (1 to 3 digits)

       \xHH   byte with hexadecimal value HH (1 to 2 digits)

       \uHHHH Unicode (ISO/IEC 10646) character with hex value HHHH (4 digits)

       \UHHHHHHHH
              Unicode character with hex value HHHHHHHH (8 digits)

       %%     a single %

       %b     ARGUMENT  as  a  string  with  '\' escapes interpreted, except that octal escapes are of the form \0 or
              \0NNN

       and all C format specifications ending with one of diouxXfeEgGcs, with  ARGUMENTs  converted  to  proper  type
       first.  Variable widths are handled.

       This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.  There is NO WARRANTY, to the  extent  per‐
       mitted by law.

SEE ALSO
       printf(3)

       The  full  documentation  for  printf  is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the info and printf programs are
       properly installed at your site, the command

              info coreutils 'printf invocation'

       should give you access to the complete manual.



GNU coreutils 8.22                                  November 2016                                           PRINTF(1)