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

XARGS(1)                     BSD Reference Manual                     XARGS(1)

NNAAMMEE
     xxaarrggss - construct argument list(s) and execute utility

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
     xxaarrggss [--tt] [[--xx]--nn _n_u_m_b_e_r] [--ss _s_i_z_e] [_u_t_i_l_i_t_y [_a_r_g_u_m_e_n_t_s _._._.]]

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
     The xxaarrggss utility reads space, tab, newline and end-of-file delimited ar-
     guments from the standard input and executes the specified _u_t_i_l_i_t_y with
     them as arguments.

     The utility and any arguments specified on the command line are given to
     the _u_t_i_l_i_t_y upon each invocation, followed by some number of the argu-
     ments read from standard input.  The _u_t_i_l_i_t_y is repeatedly executed until
     standard input is exhausted.

     Spaces, tabs and newlines may be embedded in arguments using single
     (`` ' '') or double (``"'') quotes or backslashes (``\'').  Single quotes
     escape all non-single quote characters, excluding newlines, up to the
     matching single quote.  Double quotes escape all non-double quote charac-
     ters, excluding newlines, up to the matching double quote.  Any single
     character, including newlines, may be escaped by a backslash.

     The options are as follows:

     --nn _n_u_m_b_e_r
             Set the maximum number of arguments taken from standard input for
             each invocation of the utility.  An invocation of _u_t_i_l_i_t_y will
             use less than _n_u_m_b_e_r standard input arguments if the number of
             bytes accumulated (see the --ss option) exceeds the specified _s_i_z_e
             or there are fewer than _n_u_m_b_e_r arguments remaining for the last
             invocation of _u_t_i_l_i_t_y. The current default value for _n_u_m_b_e_r is
             5000.

     --ss _s_i_z_e
             Set the maximum number of bytes for the command line length pro-
             vided to _u_t_i_l_i_t_y. The sum of the length of the utility name and
             the arguments passed to _u_t_i_l_i_t_y (including NULL terminators) will
             be less than or equal to this number.  The current default value
             for _s_i_z_e is ARG_MAX - 2048.

     --tt      Echo the command to be executed to standard error immediately be-
             fore it is executed.

     --xx      Force xxaarrggss to terminate immediately if a command line containing
             _n_u_m_b_e_r arguments will not fit in the specified (or default) com-
             mand line length.

     If no _u_t_i_l_i_t_y is specified, echo(1) is used.

     Undefined behavior may occur if _u_t_i_l_i_t_y reads from the standard input.

     The xxaarrggss utility exits immediately (without processing any further in-
     put) if a command line cannot be assembled, _u_t_i_l_i_t_y cannot be invoked, an
     invocation of the utility is terminated by a signal or an invocation of
     the utility exits with a value of 255.

     The xxaarrggss utility exits with a value of 0 if no error occurs.  If _u_t_i_l_i_t_y
     cannot be invoked, xxaarrggss exits with a value of 127.  If any other error
     occurs, xxaarrggss exits with a value of 1.

SSEEEE AALLSSOO
     echo(1),  find(1)

SSTTAANNDDAARRDDSS
     The xxaarrggss utility is expected to be IEEE Std1003.2 (``POSIX'') compliant.

4.4BSD                           June 6, 1993                                2