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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 $
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.
151 command is as follows:
153 .Dl [address[,address]]function[arguments]
155 Whitespace may be inserted before the first address and the function
156 portions of the command.
160 cyclically copies a line of input, not including its terminating newline
162 .Em "pattern space" ,
163 (unless there is something left after a
166 applies all of the commands with addresses that select that pattern space,
167 copies the pattern space to the standard output, appending a newline, and
168 deletes the pattern space.
170 Some of the functions use a
172 to save all or part of the pattern space for subsequent retrieval.
174 An address is not required, but if specified must have one of the
176 .Bl -bullet -offset indent
180 cumulatively across input files (or in each file independently
183 option is in effect);
187 character that addresses the last line of input (or the last line
188 of the current file if a
190 option was specified);
193 that consists of a regular expression preceded and followed by a
195 The closing delimiter can also optionally be followed by the
197 character, to indicate that the regular expression is to be matched
198 in a case-insensitive way.
201 A command line with no addresses selects every pattern space.
203 A command line with one address selects all of the pattern spaces
204 that match the address.
206 A command line with two addresses selects an inclusive range.
208 range starts with the first pattern space that matches the first
210 The end of the range is the next following pattern space
211 that matches the second address.
212 If the second address is a number
213 less than or equal to the line number first selected, only that
215 The number in the second address may be prefixed with a
217 to specify the number of lines to match after the first pattern.
218 In the case when the second address is a context
221 does not re-match the second address against the
222 pattern space that matched the first address.
224 first line following the selected range,
226 starts looking again for the first address.
228 Editing commands can be applied to non-selected pattern spaces by use
229 of the exclamation character
232 .Sh SED REGULAR EXPRESSIONS
233 The regular expressions used in
235 by default, are basic regular expressions (BREs, see
237 for more information), but extended (modern) regular expressions can be used
243 has the following two additions to regular expressions:
247 In a context address, any character other than a backslash
249 or newline character may be used to delimit the regular expression.
250 The opening delimiter needs to be preceded by a backslash
251 unless it is a slash.
252 For example, the context address
256 Also, putting a backslash character before the delimiting character
257 within the regular expression causes the character to be treated literally.
258 For example, in the context address
260 the RE delimiter is an
264 stands for itself, so that the regular expression is
268 The escape sequence \en matches a newline character embedded in the
270 You cannot, however, use a literal newline character in an address or
271 in the substitute command.
274 One special feature of
276 regular expressions is that they can default to the last regular
278 If a regular expression is empty, i.e., just the delimiter characters
279 are specified, the last regular expression encountered is used instead.
280 The last regular expression is defined as the last regular expression
281 used as part of an address or substitute command, and at run-time, not
283 For example, the command
290 In the following list of commands, the maximum number of permissible
291 addresses for each command is indicated by [0addr], [1addr], or [2addr],
292 representing zero, one, or two addresses.
296 consists of one or more lines.
297 To embed a newline in the text, precede it with a backslash.
298 Other backslashes in text are deleted and the following character
305 functions take an optional file parameter, which should be separated
306 from the function letter by white space.
307 Each file given as an argument to
309 is created (or its contents truncated) before any input processing begins.
321 functions all accept additional arguments.
322 The following synopses indicate which arguments have to be separated from
323 the function letters by white space characters.
325 Two of the functions take a function-list.
328 functions separated by newlines, as follows:
329 .Bd -literal -offset indent
339 can be preceded by white space and can be followed by white space.
340 The function can be preceded by white space.
343 must be preceded by a newline or optional white space.
345 .Bl -tag -width "XXXXXX" -compact
346 .It [2addr] function-list
347 Execute function-list only when the pattern space is selected.
353 to standard output immediately before each attempt to read a line of input,
354 whether by executing the
356 function or by beginning a new cycle.
361 function with the specified label.
362 If the label is not specified, branch to the end of the script.
366 Delete the pattern space.
367 With 0 or 1 address or at the end of a 2-address range,
369 is written to the standard output.
372 Delete the pattern space and start the next cycle.
375 Delete the initial segment of the pattern space through the first
376 newline character and start the next cycle.
379 Replace the contents of the pattern space with the contents of the
383 Append a newline character followed by the contents of the hold space
384 to the pattern space.
387 Replace the contents of the hold space with the contents of the
391 Append a newline character followed by the contents of the pattern space
398 to the standard output.
402 Write the pattern space to the standard output in a visually unambiguous
404 This form is as follows:
406 .Bl -tag -width "carriage-returnXX" -offset indent -compact
421 Nonprintable characters are written as three-digit octal numbers (with a
422 preceding backslash) for each byte in the character (most significant byte
424 Long lines are folded, with the point of folding indicated by displaying
425 a backslash followed by a newline.
426 The end of each line is marked with a
430 Write the pattern space to the standard output if the default output has
431 not been suppressed, and replace the pattern space with the next line of
435 Append the next line of input to the pattern space, using an embedded
436 newline character to separate the appended material from the original
438 Note that the current line number changes.
441 Write the pattern space to standard output.
444 Write the pattern space, up to the first newline character to the
448 Branch to the end of the script and quit without starting a new cycle.
453 to the standard output immediately before the next attempt to read a
457 cannot be read for any reason, it is silently ignored and no error
460 .It [2addr]s/regular expression/replacement/flags
461 Substitute the replacement string for the first instance of the regular
462 expression in the pattern space.
463 Any character other than backslash or newline can be used instead of
464 a slash to delimit the RE and the replacement.
465 Within the RE and the replacement, the RE delimiter itself can be used as
466 a literal character if it is preceded by a backslash.
470 appearing in the replacement is replaced by the string matching the RE.
471 The special meaning of
473 in this context can be suppressed by preceding it by a backslash.
478 is a digit, is replaced by the text matched
479 by the corresponding backreference expression (see
482 A line can be split by substituting a newline character into it.
483 To specify a newline character in the replacement string, precede it with
488 in the substitute function is zero or more of the following:
489 .Bl -tag -width "XXXXXX" -offset indent
491 Make the substitution only for the
493 occurrence of the regular expression in the pattern space.
495 Make the substitution for all non-overlapping matches of the
496 regular expression, not just the first one.
498 Write the pattern space to standard output if a replacement was made.
499 If the replacement string is identical to that which it replaces, it
500 is still considered to have been a replacement.
502 Append the pattern space to
504 if a replacement was made.
505 If the replacement string is identical to that which it replaces, it
506 is still considered to have been a replacement.
508 Match the regular expression in a case-insensitive way.
514 function bearing the label if any substitutions have been made since the
515 most recent reading of an input line or execution of a
518 If no label is specified, branch to the end of the script.
521 Append the pattern space to the
525 Swap the contents of the pattern and hold spaces.
527 .It [2addr]y/string1/string2/
528 Replace all occurrences of characters in
530 in the pattern space with the corresponding characters from
532 Any character other than a backslash or newline can be used instead of
533 a slash to delimit the strings.
538 a backslash followed by any character other than a newline is that literal
539 character, and a backslash followed by an ``n'' is replaced by a newline
543 .It [2addr]!function-list
544 Apply the function or function-list only to the lines that are
546 selected by the address(es).
549 This function does nothing; it bears a label to which the
556 Write the line number to the standard output followed by a newline
560 Empty lines are ignored.
565 and the remainder of the line are ignored (treated as a comment), with
566 the single exception that if the first two characters in the file are
568 the default output is suppressed.
569 This is the same as specifying the
571 option on the command line.
575 .Ev COLUMNS , LANG , LC_ALL , LC_CTYPE
578 environment variables affect the execution of
593 utility is expected to be a superset of the
601 options, the prefixing
603 in the second member of an address range,
606 flag to the address regular expression and substitution command are
609 extensions and may not be available on other operating systems.
618 .An Diomidis D. Spinellis Aq Mt dds@FreeBSD.org
620 Multibyte characters containing a byte with value 0x5C
623 may be incorrectly treated as line continuation characters in arguments to the
629 Multibyte characters cannot be used as delimiters with the