# man > CAT(1)

> **TLDR:** Print and concatenate files.
>
- Print the contents of a file to `stdout`:
  `cat {{path/to/file}}`
- Concatenate several files into an output file:
  `cat {{path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...}} > {{path/to/output_file}}`
- Append several files to an output file:
  `cat {{path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...}} >> {{path/to/output_file}}`
- Copy the contents of a file into an output file without buffering:
  `cat -u {{/dev/tty12}} > {{/dev/tty13}}`
- Write `stdin` to a file:
  `cat - > {{path/to/file}}`

*Source: tldr-pages*

---

[_CAT_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/CAT/1/markdown)                                      User Commands                                     [_CAT_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/CAT/1/markdown)

## NAME
       cat - concatenate files and print on the standard output

## SYNOPSIS
       **cat **[_OPTION_]... [_FILE_]...

## DESCRIPTION
       Concatenate FILE(s) to standard output.

       With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

### -A --show-all
              equivalent to **-vET**

### -b --number-nonblank
              number nonempty output lines, overrides **-n**

### -e      -vE

### -E --show-ends
              display $ at end of each line

### -n --number
              number all output lines

### -s --squeeze-blank
              suppress repeated empty output lines

### -t      -vT

### -T --show-tabs
              display TAB characters as ^I

### -u     (ignored)

### -v --show-nonprinting
              use ^ and M- notation, except for LFD and TAB

       **--help **display this help and exit

### --version
              output version information and exit

## EXAMPLES
       cat f - g
              Output f's contents, then standard input, then g's contents.

       cat    Copy standard input to standard output.

## AUTHOR
       Written by Torbjorn Granlund and Richard M. Stallman.

## REPORTING BUGS
       GNU coreutils online help: <<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>>
       Report any translation bugs to <<https://translationproject.org/team/>>

## COPYRIGHT
       Copyright  ©  2023 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later
       <<https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>>.
       This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.  There is NO WARRANTY,  to
       the extent permitted by law.

## SEE ALSO
       [**tac**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/tac/1/markdown)

       Full documentation <<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/cat>>
       or available locally via: info '(coreutils) cat invocation'

GNU coreutils 9.4                           January 2026                                      [_CAT_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/CAT/1/markdown)