The echo command is one of the most common and widely used built-in commands for Linux bash and C shells, typically used in a scripting language and batch files to display a line of text/string in a standard output or file.
=”https://www.tecmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/echo-command.png” alt=”echo command” />echo command examples
The echo command syntax is: echo
[option(s)] [string(s)]
1. Enter a line of text and display it in the standard output
$ echo Tecmint is a Linux Nerds community
It generates the following text:
Tecmint is a Linux Nerds
2 community. Declare a variable and echo its value. For example, declare a variable of x and assign its value=10.
$ x=10 echo
its
value: $ echo The value of the variable x = $x The value of the variable x = 10
Note: The ‘-e‘ option in Linux acts as an interpretation of escape characters that are diagonal backwards
.
3. Using the ‘b‘ option – backspace with backslash interpreter ‘-e‘ which removes all spaces in between.
$ echo -e “Tecmint \bis \ba \bcommunity \bof \bLinux \bNerds” TecmintisacommunityofLinuxNerds
4. Using the ‘n‘ – New line with backspace interpreter ‘-e‘ treats the new line from where it is used.
$ echo -e “Tecmint \nis \na \ncommunity \nof \nLinux \nNerds” Tecmint is a Linux Nerds
5 community. Using the option ‘t‘ – horizontal tab with backspace interpreter ‘-e‘ to have horizontal tab spaces.
$ echo -e “Tecmint \tis \ta \tcommunity \tof \tLinux \tNerds” Tecmint is a Linux Nerds
6 community. How about using the new Line option ‘\n’ and the horizontal tab ‘\t’ simultaneously? $ echo -e “\n\tTecmint \n\tis \n\ta \n\tcommunity \n\tof \n\tLinux \n\tNerds
” Tecmint is a Linux Nerds
7 community. Using the option ‘v‘ – vertical tab with backspace interpreter ‘-e‘ to have vertical tab spaces.
$ echo -e “\vTecmint \vis \va \vcommunity \vof \vLinux \vNerds” Tecmint is a Linux Nerds
8 community. How about using the new Line option ‘\n’ and the vertical tab ‘\v’ simultaneously? $ echo -e “\n\vTecmint \n\vis \n\va \n\vcommunity \n\vof \n\vLinux \n\vNerds
” Tecmint is a community of Linux nerds
Note : We can duplicate the vertical tab, the horizontal tab and the new line spacing using the option twice or as many times as needed
. 9. Using the option ‘\r’ – carriage return
with backspace interpreter ‘-e‘ to have a carriage return specified in the output.
$ echo -e “Tecmint \ris a community of Linux Nerds” is a Linux Nerds
10 community. Using the option ‘c‘ – delete the new end line with the backspace interpreter ‘-e‘ to continue without emitting a new line.
$ echo -e “Tecmint is a community \cof Linux Nerds” Tecmint is a community [email protected]:~$
11. Skip the echo of the new end line using the ‘-n‘ option.
$ echo -n “Tecmint is a Linux Nerds Community” Tecmint is a Linux community [email protected]:~/Documents$
12. Using the option ‘a‘ – alert return with backspace interpreter ‘-e‘ to have the audible alert.
$ echo -e “Tecmint is a community of \aLinux Nerds” Tecmint is a Linux Nerds community
Note: Be sure to check the Volume key, before shooting
.
13. Print all files/folders using echo command (ls command alternative).
$ echo * 103.odt 103.pdf 104.odt 104.pdf 105.odt 105.pdf 106.odt 106.pdf 107.odt 107.pdf 108a.odt 108.odt 108.pdf 109.odt 109.pdf 110b.odt 110.odt 110.pdf 111.odt 111.pdf 112.odt 112.pdf 113.odt linux-headers-3.16.0-customkernel_1_amd64.deb linux-image-3.16.0-customkernel_1_amd64.deb network.jpeg
14. Print files of a specific type. For example, suppose you want to print all the ‘.jpeg‘ files, use the following command.
$ echo *.jpeg network.jpeg
15. The echo can be used with a redirect operator to emit to a file and not to a standard output.
$ echo “Test page” > test page ## Check content [email protected]:~$ cat testpage echo test page
Echo options
Description of options -n Do not print the new final line. -e allow the interpretation of backslash escapes. b backspace \\ backslash \n new line \r carriage return \t horizontal tab v vertical tab
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