The pr command flags – HP NonStop G-Series User Manual

Page 97

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to take the output from the pr command and use it as input to the more command. For more
information on pipes, see

Chapter 3 (page 31)

.

Sometimes you may prefer to display a file in a more sophisticated format. You can use a number
of flags in the pr command to specify additional formatting features.

Table 16

explains several

of these flags.

Table 16 The pr Command Flags

Description

Flag

Begins formatting on page number page; otherwise, formatting begins on page 1.
For example, the pr +2 file1 command starts formatting file1 on page 2.

+page

Produces the specified number of columns (the default value is 1).

-column

Formats pages into two columns. Otherwise, pr formats pages with one column.

-2

Formats all specified files at the same time, side by side, one in each column. For
example, the pr -m file1 file2 command displays the contents of file1 in
the left column and that of file2 in the right column.

-m

Formats double-spaced output; otherwise, output is single-spaced. For example, the
pr -d file1

command displays file1 in double-spaced format.

-d

Uses a form-feed character to advance to a new page; otherwise, pr issues a
sequence of line-feed characters. Pauses before beginning the first page if the standard
output device is tty. Press Return to break the pause.

-f

Uses a form-feed character to advance to a new page; otherwise, pr issues a
sequence of line-feed characters. Does not pause before beginning the first page if
the standard output device is tty.

-F

Sets line width to num bytes; otherwise, line width is 72 bytes. For example, the
pr -w40 file1

command sets the line width of file1 to 40 bytes.

-wnum

Offsets (indents) each line by num byte positions. Otherwise, the offset is 0 (zero)
byte positions. For example, the pr -o5 file1 command indents each line of
file1

five spaces.

-onum

Sets page length to num lines; otherwise, page length is 66 lines. For example, the
pr -l 60 file1

command sets the page length of file1 to 60 lines.

-lnum

Uses string, rather than the filename, in the header (title) that is displayed at the
top of every page. If string includes blanks or special characters, it must be enclosed

-h string

in ' ' (single quotes). For example, the pr -h 'My Novel' file1 command
specifies “My Novel” as the title.

Prevents pr from formatting headings and the blank lines at the end of each page.
For example, the pr -t file1 command specifies that file1 be formatted without
headings and without blank lines at the end of each page.

-t

Separates columns with the character char rather than with blank spaces. You must
enclose the character in single quotes. char must be a single character. For example,
the pr -s'*' file1 command specifies that asterisks separate columns.

-schar

You can use more than one flag at a time with the pr command. The following example instructs
pr

to format file1 as follows:

In two columns (-2)

With double spacing (-d)

With the title “My Novel” rather than the name of the file

$ pr -2dh 'My Novel' file1

For detailed information about pr and its flags, refer to the pr(1) reference page either online
or in the Open System Services Shell and Utilities Reference Manual. The pr command can also
be used to format files for printing. See

“Printing Files ” (page 98)

, for more information.

Displaying Files

97

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