UNIX: Sorting & Pipe System

A collection of flashcards summarizing key concepts from the UNIX: Sorting & Pipe System lecture.

What does the command 'wc' stand for in UNIX?

Word count, reporting the number of lines, words, and characters in a file.

How do you sort a file in UNIX?

Use the command 'sort [OPTIONS] [FILE]'.

What is the function of the 'uniq' command in UNIX?

Removes duplicate copies of adjacent lines in a file.

What does 'stdin' refer to in UNIX?

Standard input; everything a UNIX program reads, usually from the keyboard.

What is 'stdout' in UNIX?

Standard output; everything a UNIX program writes, usually to the screen.

How do you redirect output to a file in UNIX?

Using the '>' operator to overwrite the file or create a new file.

What is the difference between '>' and '>>' in UNIX?

'>' overwrites a file while '>>' appends output to a file.

What is stderr in UNIX?

Standard error; it outputs error messages that appear on the screen.

What command can be used to combine the output of multiple programs in UNIX?

The pipe operator '|', which feeds the output of one program into another.

How do you read pipes in UNIX?

From left to right; output flows from one program to the next in that direction.