


      SED(1)                      (UNIX 5.0)                     SED(1)



      NAME
           sed - stream editor

      SYNTAX
           sed [ -n ] [ -e script ] [ -f sfile ] [ files ]

      DESCRIPTION
           Sed copies the named files (standard input default) to the
           standard output, edited according to a script of commands.
           The -f option causes the script to be taken from file sfile;
           these options accumulate.  If there is just one -e option
           and no -f options, the flag -e may be omitted.  The -n
           option suppresses the default output.  A script consists of
           editing commands, one per line, of the following form:

                [ address [ , address ] ] function [ arguments ]

           In normal operation, sed cyclically copies a line of input
           into a pattern space (unless there is something left after a
           D command), applies in sequence all commands whose addresses
           select that pattern space, and at the end of the script
           copies the pattern space to the standard output (except
           under -n) and deletes the pattern space.

           Some of the commands use a hold space to save all or part of
           the pattern space for subsequent retrieval.

           An address is either a decimal number that counts input
           lines cumulatively across files, a $ that addresses the last
           line of input, or a context address, i.e., a /regular
           expression/ in the style of ed(1) modified thus:

                In a context address, the construction \?regular
                     expression?, where ?  is any character, is
                     identical to /regular expression/.  Note that in
                     the context address \xabc\xdefx, the second x
                     stands for itself, so that the regular expression
                     is abcxdef.
                The escape sequence \n matches a new-line embedded in
                     the pattern space.
                A period . matches any character except the terminal
                     new-line of the pattern space.
                A command line with no addresses selects every pattern
                     space.
                A command line with one address selects each pattern
                     space that matches the address.
                A command line with two addresses selects the inclusive
                     range from the first pattern space that matches
                     the first address through the next pattern space
                     that matches the second.  (If the second address
                     is a number less than or equal to the line number
                     first selected, only one line is



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                     selected.)Thereafter the process is repeated,
                     looking again for the first address.

           Editing commands can be applied only to non-selected pattern
           spaces by use of the negation function ! (below).

           In the list that follows, the maximum allowable number of
           addresses for each function is indicated in parentheses.

           The text argument consists of one or more lines, all but the
           last of which end with \ to hide the new-line.  Backslashes
           in text are treated like backslashes in the replacement
           string of an s command, and may be used to protect initial
           blanks and tabs against the stripping that is done on every
           script line.  The rfile or wfile argument must terminate the
           command line and must be preceded by exactly one blank.
           Each wfile is created before processing begins.  There can
           be at most 10 distinct wfile arguments.

           (1)a\
           text      Append.  Place text on the output before reading
                     the next input line.
           (2)b label
                     Branch to the : command bearing the label.  If
                     label is empty, branch to end of script.
           (2)c\
           text      Change.  Delete the pattern space.  With 0 or 1
                     address or at the end of a 2-address range, place
                     text on the output.  Start the next cycle.
           (2)d      Delete the pattern space.  Start the next cycle.
           (2)D      Delete the initial segment of the pattern space
                     through the first new-line.  Start the next cycle.
           (2)g      Replace the contents of the pattern space by the
                     contents of the hold space.
           (2)G      Append the contents of the hold space to the
                     pattern space.
           (2)h      Replace the contents of the hold space by the
                     contents of the pattern space.
           (2)H      Append the contents of the pattern space to the
                     hold space.
           (1)i\
           text      Insert.  Place text on the standard output.
           (2)l      List the pattern space on the standard output in
                     an unambiguous form.  Non-printing characters are
                     spelled in two-digit ASCII; long lines are folded.
           (2)n      Copy the pattern space to the standard output.
                     Replace pattern space with next input line.
           (2)N      Append the next line of input to the pattern space
                     with an embedded new-line.  (The current line
                     number changes.)
           (2)p      Print.  Copy pattern space to standard output.
           (2)P      Copy the initial segment of the pattern space



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                     through the first new-line to the standard output.
           (1)q      Quit.  Branch to the end of the script.  Do not
                     start a new cycle.
           (2)r rfile
                     Read the contents of rfile.  Place them on the
                     output before reading the next input line.
           (2)s/regular expression/replacement/flags
                     Substitute the replacement string for instances of
                     the regular expression in the pattern space.  Any
                     character may be used instead of /.  For a fuller
                     description see ed(1).  Flags is zero or more of:
                          g    Global.  Substitute for all
                               nonoverlapping instances of the regular
                               expression rather than just the first
                               one.
                          p    Print the pattern space if a replacement
                               was made.
                          w wfile
                               Write.  Append the pattern space to
                               wfile if a replacement was made.
           (2)t label
                     Test.  Branch to the : command bearing the label
                     if any substitutions have been made since the most
                     recent reading of an input line or execution of a
                     t.  If label is empty, branch to end of script.
           (2)w wfile
                     Write.  Append the pattern space to wfile.
           (2)x      Exchange the contents of pattern and hold spaces.
           (2)y/string1/string2/
                     Transform.  Replace all occurrences of characters
                     in string1 with the corresponding character in
                     string2.  The lengths of string1 and string2 must
                     be equal.
           (2)! function
                     Don't.  Apply the function (or group, if function
                     is {) only to lines not selected by the
                     address(es).
           (0): label
                     This command does nothing; it bears a label for b
                     and t commands to branch to.
           (1)=      Place the current line number on the standard
                     output as a line.
           (2){      Execute the following commands through a matching
                     } only when the pattern space is selected.
           (0)       An empty command is ignored.

      SEE ALSO
           awk(1), ed(1), grep(1).







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