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# printf - Unix, Linux Command

# NAME

printf - format and print data

# SYNOPSIS

printf FORMAT [ARGUMENT]...
printf OPTION

# DESCRIPTION

Print ARGUMENT(s) according to FORMAT.

Tag | Description
--- | ---
--help | display this help and exit
--version
| output version information and exit
FORMAT controls the output as in C printf. Interpreted sequences are:
\" | double quote
\NNN | character with octal value NNN (1 to 3 digits)
\\ | backslash
\a | alert (BEL)
\b | backspace
\c | produce no further output
\f | form feed
\n | new line
\r | carriage return
\t | horizontal tab
\v | vertical tab
\xHH | byte with hexadecimal value HH (1 to 2 digits)
\uHHHH | Unicode (ISO/IEC 10646) character with hex value HHHH (4 digits)
\UHHHHHHHH
| Unicode character with hex value HHHHHHHH (8 digits)
%% | a single %
%b | ARGUMENT as a string with ‘\’ escapes interpreted,
| except that octal escapes are of the form \0 or \0NNN

and all C format specifications ending with one of diouxXfeEgGcs, with ARGUMENTs converted to proper type first. Variable widths are handled.

NOTE: your shell may have its own version of printf, which usually supersedes the version described here. Please refer to your shell’s documentation for details about the options it supports.

# AUTHOR

Written by David MacKenzie.

# REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.

# COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software. You may redistribute copies of it under the terms of the GNU General Public License <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

# SEE ALSO

printf is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and printf programs are properly installed at your site, the command

Tag | Description
--- | ---
| info printf

should give you access to the complete manual.

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