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xargs(1)							      xargs(1)

Name
       xargs - construct argument list and execute command

Syntax
       xargs [flags] [ command [initial-arguments] ]

Description
       The  command  combines fixed initial-arguments with arguments read from
       standard input to execute a specified command one or more  times.   The
       number  of  arguments  read  when a command is invoked and how they are
       combined is determined by the options specified.

       The specified command, (which can be a  Shell  file)  is	 searched  for
       using   ones'  $PATH  specification.   If  command  is  not  specified,
       /bin/echo is used.

       Arguments read from standard input are defined as contiguous strings of
       characters  delimited  by  one or more blanks, tabs, or newlines; empty
       lines are always discarded.  Blanks and tabs can be embedded as part of
       an  argument if they contain an escape character or if they are quoted.
       Characters enclosed in quotes (single or double) are  taken  literally,
       and the delimiting quotes are removed; a backslash (\) escapes the next
       character.

Options
       Each argument list begins with the initial-arguments, followed by argu‐
       ments  read  from  standard input, with the exception of the -i option.
       See the description of the -i option for more information.

       The options -i, -l, and -n determine how arguments  are	selected  when
       each  command  is invoked.  If none of these options are specified, the
       initial-arguments are followed  by  arguments  read  continuously  from
       standard	 input	until  the internal buffer is full; then, command exe‐
       cutes with the accumulated arguments.  This process  repeats  until  no
       arguments exist.	 When conflicts arise, such as the -l option used with
       the -n, the last option has precedence. The options values are as  fol‐
       lows:

       -lnumber
	     Execute command for each non-empty number lines of arguments from
	     standard input.  When command is invoked for the final  time,  it
	     has  fewer	 lines	of  arguments if fewer than a specified number
	     remain.  A line ends with the first newline unless the last char‐
	     acter  of	the  line is a blank or a tab; a trailing blank or tab
	     signals continuation through the next non-empty line.  If	number
	     is	 is  not  specified, the value 1 is assumed.  The option -x is
	     forced.

       -ireplstr (Insert mode)
	     Execute command for each line from	 standard  input,  taking  the
	     entire  line  as  a  single argument and inserting it in initial-
	     arguments for each occurrence of  replstr.	  A  maximum  of  five
	     arguments	specified in initial-arguments can contain one or more
	     occurrence of replstr.  Blanks and tabs at the beginning of  each
	     line  are	discarded.   A constructed arguments cannot exceed 255
	     characters and the option -x is a forced.	A {|} is  assumed  for
	     replstr if not specified.

       -nnumber
	     Execute  command using as many standard input arguments as possi‐
	     ble, up to the specified number arguments maximum.	  Fewer	 argu‐
	     ments  are	 used if their total size is greater than size charac‐
	     ters, and when the last command is invoked, fewer number of argu‐
	     ments  remain.   If the option -x is also include, each specified
	     number of arguments must fit in  the  size	 limitation,  or  else
	     xargs terminates execution.

       -t (Trace mode)
	     Echo  the	command	 and  each  constructed	 argument list to file
	     descriptor 2 prior to their execution.

       -p (Prompt mode)
	     Asks the user whether or not command should be executed each time
	     command  is  invoked.  Trace  mode (-t) is turned on to print the
	     command instance to be executed, followed by a  ?...  prompt.   A
	     reply  of	y  executes  the  command; any other response does not
	     invoke that particular command.

       -x    Causes the command xargs to terminate  if	an  argument  list  is
	     greater  than  the specified size of characters; the option -x is
	     forced by the options -i and -l.  When the options -i, -l, or  -n
	     are  included,  the  total length of all arguments must be within
	     the specified size limit.

       -ssize
	     The maximum size of each argument list is set to size characters;
	     size  must be a positive integer less than or equal to 470. If -s
	     is not included, 470 is the default.   Note  that	the  character
	     count for size includes one extra character for each argument and
	     the count of characters in the command name.

       -eeofstr
	     The option eofstr is taken as  the	 logical  end-of-file  string.
	     Underscore (_) is assumed for the logical EOF string if -e is not
	     specified.	 The value -e without eofstr specified turns  off  the
	     logical EOF string capability; the underscore is taken literally.
	     The command xargs reads standard input until  either  end-of-file
	     or the logical EOF string is encountered.

       The  command  xargs  terminates if it receives a return code of -1 from
       command or if it cannot execute command.	 When command is a Shell  pro‐
       gram,  it  should  explicitly  exit  with an appropriate value to avoid
       returning with -1.  See for more information.

Examples
       The following example moves all files from directory $1 to directory $2
       and echoes the move command prior to executing it:

       ls $1 | xargs -i -t mv $1/{} $2/{}

       The following example combines the output of the parenthesized commands
       onto one line, which is then echoed to the end of file log:

       (logname; date; echo $0 $∗) | xargs >>log

       In the next example, the user is prompted to specify which files in the
       current	directory  are to be archived.	The first example archives the
       files one at a time; the second example archives groups of files:

	 ls | xargs -p -l ar r arch

	 ls | xargs -p -l | xargs ar r arch

       The following example executes diff(1) with successive pairs  of	 argu‐
       ments originally typed as Shell arguments:

       echo $∗ | xargs -n2 diff

See Also
       sh(1).

								      xargs(1)
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