AICollection Help

xargs

xargs is a command-line utility used to build and execute command lines from standard input. It is commonly used to pass a large number of arguments to a command that does not accept them directly.

Basic Syntax

xargs [options] [command [initial-arguments]]

Commonly Used Options

  • -0: Input items are terminated by a null character instead of whitespace.

  • -a file: Read items from file instead of standard input.

  • -d delim: Input items are terminated by the specified character.

  • -E eof-str: Set the end-of-file string to eof-str.

  • -I replace-str: Replace occurrences of replace-str in the initial arguments with input items.

  • -L max-lines: Use at most max-lines non-blank input lines per command line.

  • -n max-args: Use at most max-args arguments per command line.

  • -P max-procs: Run up to max-procs processes at a time.

  • -p: Prompt the user before running each command line.

  • -r: Do not run the command if the input is empty.

  • -s max-chars: Use at most max-chars characters per command line.

  • -t: Print the command line on standard error before executing it.

Examples

Basic Usage

Pass a list of files to the rm command:

ls *.txt | xargs rm

Using -n Option

Run the command with at most 2 arguments at a time:

echo "file1 file2 file3 file4" | xargs -n 2 echo

Using -I Option

Replace occurrences of {} with the input items:

echo "file1 file2" | xargs -I {} mv {} /destination/

Using -P Option (1)

Run up to 4 processes at a time:

cat urls.txt | xargs -P 4 -n 1 wget

Using -0 Option

Handle input items separated by null characters (useful with find -print0):

find . -name "*.txt" -print0 | xargs -0 rm

Using -a Option

Read items from a file:

xargs -a filelist.txt rm

Using -d Option

Specify a custom delimiter:

echo "item1,item2,item3" | xargs -d ',' echo

Using -L Option

Use at most 1 non-blank input line per command line:

echo -e "line1\nline2\nline3" | xargs -L 1 echo

Using -p Option (2)

Prompt the user before running each command line:

echo "file1 file2" | xargs -p rm

Using -t Option

Print the command line before executing it:

echo "file1 file2" | xargs -t rm

Conclusion

xargs is a versatile tool for building and executing command lines from standard input. Understanding its options allows for efficient and powerful command-line operations.

Last modified: 14 December 2024
findsort