1. NAME▲

sed - stream editor for filtering and transforming text

2. SYNOPSIS ▲

sed [OPTION]... {script-only-if-no-other-script} [input-file]...

3. DESCRIPTION ▲

\*(Sd is a stream editor. A stream editor is used to perform basic text transformations on an input stream (a file or input from a pipeline). While in some ways similar to an editor which permits scripted edits (such as ed), \*(sd works by making only one pass over the input(s), and is consequently more efficient. But it is \*(sd's ability to filter text in a pipeline which particularly distinguishes it from other types of editors. -n, --quiet, --silent

suppress automatic printing of pattern space -e script, --expression=script

add the script to the commands to be executed -f script-file, --file=script-file

add the contents of script-file to the commands to be executed --follow-symlinks

follow symlinks when processing in place -i[SUFFIX], --in-place[=SUFFIX]

edit files in place (makes backup if extension supplied) -l N, --line-length=N

specify the desired line-wrap length for the `l' command --posix

disable all GNU extensions. -r, --regexp-extended

use extended regular expressions in the script. -s, --separate

consider files as separate rather than as a single continuous long stream. -u, --unbuffered

load minimal amounts of data from the input files and flush the output buffers more often

  • --help
        display this help and exit
  • --version
        output version information and exit

If no -e, --expression, -f, or --file option is given, then the first non-option argument is taken as the sed script to interpret. All remaining arguments are names of input files; if no input files are specified, then the standard input is read.

GNU sed home page: <http://www.gnu.org/software/sed/>. General help using GNU software: <http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>. E-mail bug reports to: <>. Be sure to include the word ``sed'' somewhere in the ``Subject:'' field.

4. COMMAND SYNOPSIS ▲

This is just a brief synopsis of \*(sd commands to serve as a reminder to those who already know \*(sd; other documentation (such as the texinfo document) must be consulted for fuller descriptions.

4.1. ▲

Zero-address ``commands''

  • :  label
        Label for

b and

t commands.

  • # comment
        The comment extends until the next newline (or the end of a

-e script fragment).

  • }
        The closing bracket of a { } block.

4.2. ▲

Zero- or One- address commands

  • =
        Print the current line number.
  • a \
  • text
        Append text , which has each embedded newline preceded by a backslash.
  • i \
  • text
        Insert text , which has each embedded newline preceded by a backslash.
  • q [exit-code]
        Immediately quit the \*(sd script without processing any more input, except that if auto-print is not disabled the current pattern space will be printed. The exit code argument is a GNU extension.
  • Q [exit-code]
        Immediately quit the \*(sd script without processing any more input. This is a GNU extension.
  • r  filename
        Append text read from filename .
  • R  filename
        Append a line read from filename . Each invocation of the command reads a line from the file. This is a GNU extension.

4.3. ▲

Commands which accept address ranges

  • {
        Begin a block of commands (end with a }).
  • b  label
        Branch to label ; if labelis omitted, branch to end of script.
  • t  label
        If a s/// has done a successful substitution since the last input line was read and since the last t or T command, then branch to label ; if labelis omitted, branch to end of script.
  • T  label
        If no s/// has done a successful substitution since the last input line was read and since the last t or T command, then branch to label ; if labelis omitted, branch to end of script. This is a GNU extension.
  • c \
  • text
        Replace the selected lines with text , which has each embedded newline preceded by a backslash.
  • d
        Delete pattern space. Start next cycle.
  • D
        Delete up to the first embedded newline in the pattern space. Start next cycle, but skip reading from the input if there is still data in the pattern space.
  • h H
        Copy/append pattern space to hold space.
  • g G
        Copy/append hold space to pattern space.
  • x
        Exchange the contents of the hold and pattern spaces.
  • l
        List out the current line in a ``visually unambiguous'' form.
  • l  width
        List out the current line in a ``visually unambiguous'' form, breaking it at widthcharacters. This is a GNU extension.
  • n N
        Read/append the next line of input into the pattern space.
  • p
        Print the current pattern space.
  • P
        Print up to the first embedded newline of the current pattern space.
  • s/ regexp / replacement /
        Attempt to match regexpagainst the pattern space. If successful, replace that portion matched with replacement . The replacementmay contain the special character

& to refer to that portion of the pattern space which matched, and the special escapes \1 through \9 to refer to the corresponding matching sub-expressions in the regexp .

  • w  filename
        Write the current pattern space to filename .
  • W  filename
        Write the first line of the current pattern space to filename . This is a GNU extension.
  • y/ source / dest /
        Transliterate the characters in the pattern space which appear in sourceto the corresponding character in dest .

5. ▲

Addresses \*(Sd commands can be given with no addresses, in which case the command will be executed for all input lines; with one address, in which case the command will only be executed for input lines which match that address; or with two addresses, in which case the command will be executed for all input lines which match the inclusive range of lines starting from the first address and continuing to the second address. Three things to note about address ranges: the syntax is addr1 , addr2 (i.e., the addresses are separated by a comma); the line which addr1matched will always be accepted, even if addr2selects an earlier line; and if addr2is a regexp , it will not be tested against the line that addr1matched.

After the address (or address-range), and before the command, a

! may be inserted, which specifies that the command shall only be executed if the address (or address-range) does

not match.

The following address types are supported:

  • number
        Match only the specified line number .
  • first ~ step
        Match every step 'th line starting with line first . For example, ``sed -n 1~2p'' will print all the odd-numbered lines in the input stream, and the address 2~5 will match every fifth line, starting with the second. firstcan be zero; in this case, \*(sd operates as if it were equal to step . (This is an extension.)
  • $
        Match the last line.
  • / regexp /
        Match lines matching the regular expression regexp .
  • \fR\\fPc regexp c
        Match lines matching the regular expression regexp . The

c may be any character.

GNU \*(sd also supports some special 2-address forms:

  • 0, addr2
        Start out in "matched first address" state, until addr2is found. This is similar to 1, addr2 , except that if addr2matches the very first line of input the 0, addr2 form will be at the end of its range, whereas the 1, addr2 form will still be at the beginning of its range. This works only when addr2is a regular expression.
  • addr1 ,+ N
        Will match addr1and the Nlines following addr1 .
  • addr1 ,~ N
        Will match addr1and the lines following addr1until the next line whose input line number is a multiple of N .

6. REGULAR EXPRESSIONS ▲

POSIX.2 BREs shouldbe supported, but they aren't completely because of performance problems. The

\n sequence in a regular expression matches the newline character, and similarly for

R \a ,

R \t , and other sequences.

7. BUGS ▲

E-mail bug reports to

R . Be sure to include the word ``sed'' somewhere in the ``Subject:'' field. Also, please include the output of ``sed --version'' in the body of your report if at all possible.

8. COPYRIGHT ▲

Copyright © 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, to the extent permitted by law.

GNU sed home page: <http://www.gnu.org/software/sed/>. General help using GNU software: <http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>. E-mail bug reports to: <>. Be sure to include the word ``sed'' somewhere in the ``Subject:'' field.

9. SEE ALSO ▲

R awk (1),

R ed (1),

R grep (1),

R tr (1),

R perlre (1), sed.info, any of various books on \*(sd, .na the \*(sd FAQ (http://sed.sf.net/grabbag/tutorials/sedfaq.txt), http://sed.sf.net/grabbag/.

The full documentation for

sed is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the

info and

sed programs are properly installed at your site, the command

info sed

should give you access to the complete manual.