echo

echo [-n] [string]

Write string to standard output; if -n is specified, the output is not terminated by a newline. If no string is supplied, echo a newline. In the Korn shell, echo is built-in, and it emulates the system's real echo command.[2] (See also echo in Chapter 2.) echo understands special escape characters, which must be quoted (or escaped with a \) to prevent interpretation by the shell:

[2] But, if a path search finds /usr/bin/echo, the ksh built-in echo doesn't accept the -n option. (The situation with echo is a mess; consider using printf instead.)

\a

Alert (ASCII BEL). (Not in /bin/sh's echo.)

\b

Backspace.

\c

Suppress the terminating newline (same as -n).

\f

Formfeed.

\n

Newline.

\r

Carriage return.

\t

Tab character.

\v

Vertical-tab character.

\\

Backslash.

\0nnn

ASCII character represented by octal number nnn, where nnn is one, two, or three digits and is preceded by a 0.

Examples

$ echo "testing printer" | lp
$ echo "Warning: ringing bell \a"