__freadable - Linux

Overview

__freadable is a powerful Linux utility that enhances the readability of text files by applying various transformations and formatting options. It’s ideal for working with complex or difficult-to-read text data.

Syntax

__freadable [OPTIONS] FILE [OUTPUT]

Options/Flags

  • -d, –decode: Decodes HTML or URL-encoded characters.
  • -e, –expand-tabs: Expands tabs into spaces.
  • -i, –indent: Indents lines with two spaces.
  • -l, –line-breaks: Ensures that lines contain proper line breaks.
  • -m, –markdown: Converts plain text to Markdown format.
  • -n, –number-lines: Numbers the lines of the text.
  • -o, –output : Specifies the output file path.
  • -s, –strip: Strips leading and trailing whitespace.
  • -t, –tabs: Converts spaces into tabs.
  • -w, –width: Sets the maximum line width. Default: 80 characters.
  • -h, –help: Displays help information.
  • -v, –version: Displays the version information.

Examples

Convert plain text to Markdown format

__freadable -m my_text.txt my_markdown.md

Number lines and strip whitespace

__freadable -n -s my_complex_text.txt

Expand tabs and limit line width

__freadable -e -w 60 my_code.txt

Common Issues

File doesn’t exist

Ensure that the specified file path is correct.

Output file not created

Verify that the output file has write permissions.

Integration

__freadable can be combined with other Linux tools for advanced tasks:

  • Pipe the output of grep to __freadable to filter and format search results.
  • Use __freadable to prepare text data for parsing by other scripts or programs.

Related Commands

  • less
  • more
  • sed
  • awk