-
- xargs - construct arg list and execute command
-
- xargs [ options ] [ command [ argument ... ] ]
-
- xargs constructs a command line consisting of the command and argument operands specified followed by as many arguments read in sequence
from standard input as will fit in length and number constraints specified by the options and the local system. xargs executes the constructed command and
waits for its completion. This sequence is repeated until an end-of-file condition is detected on standard input or an invocation of a constructed command line
returns an exit status of 255. If command is omitted then the equivalent of /bin/echo is used.
- Arguments in the standard input must be separated by unquoted blank characters, or unescaped blank characters or newline characters. A string of zero or more
non-double-quote and non-newline characters can be quoted by enclosing them in double-quotes. A string of zero or more non-apostrophe and non-newline characters
can be quoted by enclosing them in apostrophes. Any unquoted character can be escaped by preceding it with a backslash. The utility will be executed one or more
times until the end-of-file is reached. The results are unspecified if command attempts to read from its standard input.
-
- -e, --eof[=string]
- Set the end of file string. The first input line matching this string terminates the input list. There is no eof
string if string is omitted. The default eof string is _ if neither --eof nor -E are specified. For backwards compatibility string
must immediately follow the -e option flag; -E follows standard option syntax. The option value may be omitted.
- -i, --insert|replace[=string]
- Replace occurences of string in the command arguments with names read from the standard input.
Implies --exit and --lines=1. For backwards compatibility string must immediately follow the -i option flag; -I follows standard
option syntax. The option value may be omitted. The default value is {}.
- -l, --lines|max-lines[=lines]
- Use at most lines lines from the standard input. Lines with trailing blanks logically continue
onto the next line. For backwards compatibility lines must immediately follow the -l option flag; -L follows standard option syntax. The
option value may be omitted. The default value is 1.
- -n, --args|max-args=args
- Use at most args arguments per command line. Fewer than args will be used if --size is
exceeded.
- -p, --interactive|prompt
- Prompt to determine if each command should execute. A y or Y recsponse executes, otherwise the command
is skipped. Implies --verbose.
- -N|0, --null
- The file name list is NUL terminated; there is no other special treatment of the list.
- -s, --size|max-chars=chars
- Use at most chars characters per command. The default is as large as possible.
- -t, --trace|verbose
- Print the command line on the standard error before executing it.
- -x, --exit
- Exit if --size is exceeded.
- -X, --exact
- If --args=args was specified then terminate before the last command if it would run with less than args
arguments.
- -z, --nonempty|no-run-if-empty
- If no file names are found then do not execute the command. By default the command is executed at least once.
- -E string
- Equivalent to --eof=string.
- -I string
- Equivalent to --insert=string.
- -L number
- Equivalent to --lines=number.
-
- 0
- All invocations of command returned exit status 0.
- 1-125
- A command line meeting the specified requirements could not be assembled, one or more of the invocations of command
returned non-0 exit status, or some other error occurred.
- 126
- command was found but could not be executed.
- 127
- command was not found.
-
- find(1), tw(1)
-
- version
- xargs (AT&T Research) 2005-03-07
- author
- Glenn Fowler <gsf@research.att.com>
- copyright
- Copyright © 1989-2008 AT&T Intellectual Property
- license
- http://www.opensource.org/licenses/cpl1.0.txt