catclose - Linux
Overview
catclose is a powerful Linux command that makes batch file management and manipulation tasks incredibly efficient. It enables users to concatenate and close multiple files with just a single command, saving time and effort.
Syntax
catclose [options] <file1> <file2> ... <fileN>
Options/Flags
- -o, –output
: Outputs the concatenated files to the specified file instead of standard output. - -n, –number: Prepend line numbers to the output.
- -s, –squeeze-blank: Suppress consecutive blank lines in the output.
- -e, –end-marker
: Append the specified marker to the end of the output. - -h, –help: Display help information and exit.
- -v, –version: Display version information and exit.
Examples
Concatenate multiple files and print to standard output:
catclose file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt
Concatenate files and save to a new file:
catclose -o output.txt file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt
Append line numbers to the output:
catclose -n file1.txt file2.txt
Close files with consecutive blank lines suppressed:
catclose -s file1.txt file2.txt
Add an end-of-file marker:
catclose -e "EOF" file1.txt file2.txt
Common Issues
- Error opening files: Ensure that the specified files exist and you have read permissions.
- Concatenation order not as expected: Files are concatenated in the order they are provided. Use pipes or temporary files to control the order.
Integration
Combine with grep:
catclose file1.txt file2.txt | grep "pattern"
Create a script for file concatenation:
#!/bin/bash
FILES=$(echo "$@" | tr " " "\n")
OUTPUT_FILE="output.txt"
catclose -o $OUTPUT_FILE $FILES
Related Commands
- cat: Concatenates multiple files.
- tac: Concatenates and reverses multiple files.
- nl: Adds line numbers to a file.
- string: Manipulates and searches for strings in files.