NAME
       printf - format and print data
 
SYNOPSIS
       printf FORMAT [ARGUMENT]...
       printf OPTION
 
DESCRIPTION
       Print ARGUMENT(s) according to FORMAT.
 
       --help display this help and exit
 
       --version
              output version information and exit
 
       FORMAT controls the output as in C printf.  Interpreted sequences are:
 
       \"     double quote
 
       \NNN   character with octal value NNN (1 to 3 digits)
 
       \\     backslash
 
       \a     alert (BEL)
 
       \b     backspace
 
       \c     produce no further output
 
       \f     form feed
 
       \n     new line
 
       \r     carriage return
 
       \t     horizontal tab
 
       \v     vertical tab
 
       \xHH   byte with hexadecimal value HH (1 to 2 digits)
 
       \uHHHH Unicode (ISO/IEC 10646) character with hex value HHHH (4 digits)
 
       \UHHHHHHHH
              Unicode character with hex value HHHHHHHH (8 digits)
 
       \t     horizontal tab
 
       \v     vertical tab
 
       \xHH   byte with hexadecimal value HH (1 to 2 digits)
 
       \uHHHH Unicode (ISO/IEC 10646) character with hex value HHHH (4 digits)
 
       \UHHHHHHHH
              Unicode character with hex value HHHHHHHH (8 digits)
 
       %%     a single %
 
       %b     ARGUMENT as a string with ‘\' escapes interpreted,
 
              except that octal escapes are of the form \0 or \0NNN
 
       and all C format specifications ending with one of diouxXfeEgGcs,  with
       ARGUMENTs converted to proper type first.  Variable widths are handled.
 
       NOTE: your shell may have its own  version  of  printf,  which  usually
       supersedes  the  version  described here.  Please refer to your shell's
       documentation for details about the options it supports.
 
AUTHOR
       Written by David MacKenzie.
 
REPORTING BUGS
       Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.
 
COPYRIGHT
       Copyright © 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       This is free software.  You may redistribute copies  of  it  under  the
       terms       of       the      GNU      General      Public      License
       <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.  There is NO WARRANTY,  to  the
       extent permitted by law.
 
SEE ALSO
       The  full  documentation  for printf is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
       If the info and printf programs are properly installed  at  your  site,
       the command
 
              info printf
 
       should give you access to the complete manual.
 
printf 5.97                      October 2006                        PRINTF(1)