'\" te
.\"  Copyright (c) 1988 Sun Microsystems, Inc - All Rights Reserved.
.\" The contents of this file are subject to the terms of the Common Development and Distribution License (the "License").  You may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
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.TH ECHO 1B "Aug 3, 1994"
.SH NAME
echo \- echo arguments to standard output
.SH SYNOPSIS
.LP
.nf
\fB/usr/ucb/echo\fR [\fB-n\fR] [\fIargument\fR]
.fi

.SH DESCRIPTION
.sp
.LP
\fBecho\fR writes its arguments, separated by \fIBLANK\fRs and terminated by a
\fINEWLINE\fR, to the standard output.
.sp
.LP
\fBecho\fR is useful for producing diagnostics in command files and for sending
known data into a pipe, and for displaying the contents of environment
variables.
.sp
.LP
For example, you can use \fBecho\fR to determine how many subdirectories below
the root directory (\fB/\fR) is your current directory, as follows:
.RS +4
.TP
.ie t \(bu
.el o
echo your current-working-directory's full pathname
.RE
.RS +4
.TP
.ie t \(bu
.el o
pipe the output through \fBtr\fR to translate the path's embedded
slash-characters into space-characters
.RE
.RS +4
.TP
.ie t \(bu
.el o
pipe that output through \fBwc\fR \fB-w\fR for a count of the names in your
path.
.sp
.in +2
.nf
example% \fB/usr/bin/echo "echo $PWD | tr '/' ' ' | wc -w"\fR
.fi
.in -2
.sp

.RE
.sp
.LP
See \fBtr\fR(1) and \fBwc\fR(1) for their functionality.
.sp
.LP
The shells \fBcsh\fR(1), \fBksh\fR(1), and \fBsh\fR(1), each have an \fBecho\fR
built-in command, which, by default, will have precedence, and will be invoked
if the user calls \fBecho\fR without a full pathname. \fB/usr/ucb/echo\fR and
\fBcsh\fR's \fBecho()\fR have an \fB-n\fR option, but do not understand
back-slashed escape characters. \fBsh\fR's \fBecho()\fR, \fBksh\fR's
\fBecho()\fR, and \fB/usr/bin/echo\fR, on the other hand, understand the
black-slashed escape characters, and \fBksh\fR's \fBecho()\fR also understands
\fB\ea\fR as the audible bell character; however, these commands do not have an
\fB-n\fR option.
.SH OPTIONS
.sp
.ne 2
.na
\fB\fB-n\fR\fR
.ad
.RS 6n
Do not add the \fINEWLINE\fR to the output.
.RE

.SH SEE ALSO
.sp
.LP
.BR csh (1),
.BR echo (1),
.BR ksh (1),
.BR sh (1),
.BR tr (1),
.BR wc (1),
.BR attributes (7)
.SH NOTES
.sp
.LP
The \fB-n\fR option is a transition aid for \fBBSD\fR applications, and may not
be supported in future  releases.