NL(1) INTERACTIVE UNIX System NL(1)
NAME
nl - line-numbering filter
SYNOPSIS
nl [-htype] [-btype] [-ftype] [-vstart#] [-iincr] [-p]
[-lnum] [-ssep] [-wwidth] [-nformat] [-ddelim] file
DESCRIPTION
The nl command reads lines from the named file or the stan-
dard input if no file is named and reproduces the lines on
the standard output. Lines are numbered on the left in
accordance with the command options in effect.
nl views the text it reads in terms of logical pages. Line
numbering is reset at the start of each logical page. A
logical page consists of a header, a body, and a footer sec-
tion. Empty sections are valid. Different line-numbering
options are independently available for header, body, and
footer (e.g., no numbering of header and footer lines while
numbering blank lines only in the body).
The start of logical page sections are signaled by input
lines containing nothing but the following delimiter
character(s):
Line contents Start of
\:\:\: header
\:\: body
\: footer
Unless optioned otherwise, nl assumes the text being read is
in a single logical page body.
Command options may appear in any order and may be intermin-
gled with an optional file name. Only one file may be
named. The options are:
-btype Specifies which logical page body lines are to be
numbered. Recognized types and their meaning are:
a number all lines
t number lines with printable text only
n no line-numbering
pstringnumber only lines that contain the regular expression
specified in string.
Default type for logical page body is t (text
lines numbered).
-htype Same as -btype except for header. Default type
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NL(1) INTERACTIVE UNIX System NL(1)
for logical page header is n (no lines numbered).
-ftype Same as -btype except for footer. Default for
logical page footer is n (no lines numbered).
-vstart# Start# is the initial value used to number logical
page lines. Default is 1.
-iincr Incr is the increment value used to number logical
page lines. Default is 1.
-p Do not restart numbering at logical page delim-
iters.
-lnum Num is the number of blank lines to be considered
as one. For example, -l2 results in only the
second adjacent blank being numbered (if the
appropriate -ha, -ba, and/or -fa option is set).
Default is 1.
-ssep Sep is the character(s) used in separating the
line number and the corresponding text line.
Default sep is a tab.
-wwidth Width is the number of characters to be used for
the line number. Default width is 6.
-nformat Format is the line-numbering format. Recognized
values are: ln, left justified, leading zeroes
suppressed; rn, right justified, leading zeroes
suppressed; rz, right justified, leading zeroes
kept. Default format is rn (right justified).
-dxx The delimiter characters specifying the start of a
logical page section may be changed from the
default characters (\:) to two user-specified
characters. If only one character is entered, the
second character remains the default character
(:). No space should appear between the -d and
the delimiter characters. To enter a backslash,
use two backslashes.
EXAMPLE
The command:
nl -v10 -i10 -d!+ file1
will number file1 starting at line number 10 with an incre-
ment of ten. The logical page delimiters are !+.
SEE ALSO
pr(1).
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