4.4BSD/usr/share/man/cat1/apply.0

APPLY(1)                     BSD Reference Manual                     APPLY(1)

NNAAMMEE
     aappppllyy - apply a command to a set of arguments

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
     aappppllyy [--aa_c] [--_n] _c_o_m_m_a_n_d _a_r_g_s _._._.

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
     AAppppllyy runs the named _c_o_m_m_a_n_d on each argument _a_r_g in turn.

     Options available are:

     --_n   Normally arguments are chosen singly; the optional number --nn speci-
          fies the number of arguments to be passed to _c_o_m_m_a_n_d. If --nn is zero,
          _c_o_m_m_a_n_d is run without arguments once for each _a_r_g. Character se-
          quences of the form %_d in _c_o_m_m_a_n_d, where _d is a digit from 1 to 9,
          are replaced by the _d'th following unused _a_r_g. If any such sequences
          occur, --nn is ignored, and the number of arguments passed to _c_o_m_m_a_n_d
          is the maximum value of _d in _c_o_m_m_a_n_d.

     --aa_c  The character `%' may be changed by the --aa option.

EENNVVIIRROONNMMEENNTT
     The following environment variable is used by aappppllyy:

     SHELL  Pathname of shell to use. If this option is not defined, a default
            shell is used.

EEXXAAMMPPLLEESS
     apply echo a*
            is similar to ls(1);
     apply -2 cmp a1 b1 a2 b2 ...
            compares the `a' files to the `b' files;
     apply -0 who 1 2 3 4 5
            runs who(1) 5 times; and
     apply 'ln %1 /usr/joe' *
            links all files in the current directory to the directory
            _/_u_s_r_/_j_o_e.

SSEEEE AALLSSOO
     sh(1)

AAUUTTHHOORR
     Rob Pike

BBUUGGSS
     Shell metacharacters in _c_o_m_m_a_n_d may have bizarre effects; it is best to
     enclose complicated commands in single quotes (`').

     There is no way to pass a literal `%2' if `%' is the argument expansion
     character.

HHIISSTTOORRYY
     The aappppllyy command appeared in 4.2BSD.

4.2 Berkeley Distribution        June 6, 1993                                1