NAME

pr - convert text files for printing

SYNOPSIS

pr [+PAGE] [-COLUMN] [-abcdfFmrtv] [-e[in-tab-char[in-tab-width]]] [-h header] [-i[out-tab-char[out-tab-width]]] [-l page-length] [-n[number-separator[digits]]] [-o left-margin] [-s[column-separator]] [-w page-width] [--help] [--version] [file...]

DESCRIPTION

This manual page documents the GNU version of pr. pr prints on the standard output a paginated and optionally multicolumn copy of the text files given on the command line, or of the standard input if no files are given or when the file name `-' is encountered. Form feeds in the input cause page breaks in the output.

OPTIONS

\+PAGE
Begin printing with page PAGE.
-COLUMN
Produce COLUMN-column output and print columns down. The column width is automatically decreased as COLUMN increases; unless you use the -w option to increase the page width as well, this option might cause some columns to be truncated.
-a
Print columns across rather than down.
-b
Balance columns on the last page.
-c
Print control characters using hat notation (e.g., `^G'); print other unprintable characters in octal backslash notation.
-d
Double space the output.
-e[in-tab-char[in-tab-width]]
Expand tabs to spaces on input. Optional argument in-tab-char is the input tab character, default tab. Optional argument in-tab-width is the input tab character's width, default 8.
-F, -f
Use a formfeed instead of newlines to separate output pages.
-h header
Replace the filename in the header with the string header.
--help
Print a usage message and exit with a status code indicating success.
-i[out-tab-char[out-tab-width]]
Replace spaces with tabs on output. Optional argument out-tab-char is the output tab character, default tab. Optional argument out-tab-width is the output tab character's width, default 8.
-l page-length
Set the page length to page-length lines. The default is 66. If page-length is less than 10, the headers and footers are omitted, as if the -t option had been given.
-m
Print all files in parallel, one in each column.
-n[number-separator[digits]]
Precede each column with a line number; with parallel files, precede each line with a line number. Optional argument number-separator is the character to print after each number, default tab. Optional argument digits is the number of digits per line number, default 5.
-o left-margin
Offset each line with a margin left-margin spaces wide. The total page width is this offset plus the width set with the -w option.
-r
Do not print a warning message when an argument file cannot be opened. Failure to open a file still makes the exit status nonzero, however.
-s[column-separator]
Separate columns by the single character column-separator, default tab, instead of spaces.
-t
Do not print the 5-line header and the 5-line trailer that are normally on each page, and do not fill out the bottoms of pages (with blank lines or formfeeds).
-v
Print unprintable characters in octal backslash notation.
--version
Print version information on standard output then exit.
-w page-width
Set the page width to page-width columns. The default is 72.