How to use cat command to display file contents?

Using the cat Command to Display File Contents

The cat command is a powerful tool in the Linux operating system that allows you to display the contents of a file or multiple files in the terminal. It is a versatile command that can be used for various tasks, such as concatenating files, creating new files, and more.

Displaying the Contents of a Single File

To display the contents of a single file using the cat command, simply type the following in the terminal:

cat filename.txt

Replace filename.txt with the name of the file you want to display. The contents of the file will be printed to the terminal.

For example, if you have a file named example.txt with the following contents:

Hello, world!
This is a sample file.

You can display the contents of the file by running:

cat example.txt

The output will be:

Hello, world!
This is a sample file.

Displaying the Contents of Multiple Files

You can also use the cat command to display the contents of multiple files. To do this, simply list the filenames separated by a space:

cat file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt

The contents of the files will be displayed in the order they are listed.

Appending the Contents of a File to Another File

The cat command can also be used to append the contents of one file to another. To do this, use the following syntax:

cat file1.txt >> file2.txt

This will append the contents of file1.txt to the end of file2.txt. If file2.txt does not exist, it will be created.

Creating a New File Using cat

You can also use the cat command to create a new file. To do this, type the following in the terminal:

cat > new_file.txt

This will open a new file named new_file.txt in the terminal. You can then type the contents of the file and press Ctrl+D to save and close the file.

Here's a Mermaid diagram that summarizes the key uses of the cat command:

In conclusion, the cat command is a versatile and powerful tool in the Linux operating system that allows you to display, concatenate, and create files with ease. By understanding the different use cases of the cat command, you can become more efficient and productive in your daily Linux tasks.