Manual: gnupr

PR(1)							User Commands						       PR(1)

NAME
       pr - convert text files for printing

SYNOPSIS
       pr [OPTION]... [FILE]...

DESCRIPTION
       Paginate or columnate FILE(s) for printing.

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

       Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

       +FIRST_PAGE[:LAST_PAGE], --pages=FIRST_PAGE[:LAST_PAGE]
	      begin [stop] printing with page FIRST_[LAST_]PAGE

       -COLUMN, --columns=COLUMN
	      output  COLUMN  columns  and  print columns down, unless -a is used. Balance number of lines in the columns on
	      each page

       -a, --across
	      print columns across rather than down, used together with -COLUMN

       -c, --show-control-chars
	      use hat notation (^G) and octal backslash notation

       -d, --double-space
	      double space the output

       -D, --date-format=FORMAT
	      use FORMAT for the header date

       -e[CHAR[WIDTH]], --expand-tabs[=CHAR[WIDTH]]
	      expand input CHARs (TABs) to tab WIDTH (8)

       -F, -f, --form-feed
	      use form feeds instead of newlines to separate pages (by a 3-line page header with -F or a 5-line	 header	 and
	      trailer without -F)

       -h, --header=HEADER
	      use a centered HEADER instead of filename in page header, -h "" prints a blank line, don't use -h""

       -i[CHAR[WIDTH]], --output-tabs[=CHAR[WIDTH]]
	      replace spaces with CHARs (TABs) to tab WIDTH (8)

       -J, --join-lines
	      merge full lines, turns off -W line truncation, no column alignment, --sep-string[=STRING] sets separators

       -l, --length=PAGE_LENGTH
	      set  the	page length to PAGE_LENGTH (66) lines (default number of lines of text 56, and with -F 63).  implies
	      -t if PAGE_LENGTH <= 10

       -m, --merge
	      print all files in parallel, one in each column, truncate lines, but join lines of full length with -J

       -n[SEP[DIGITS]], --number-lines[=SEP[DIGITS]]
	      number lines, use DIGITS (5) digits, then SEP (TAB), default counting starts with 1st line of input file

       -N, --first-line-number=NUMBER
	      start counting with NUMBER at 1st line of first page printed (see +FIRST_PAGE)

       -o, --indent=MARGIN
	      offset each line with MARGIN (zero) spaces, do not affect -w or -W, MARGIN will be added to PAGE_WIDTH

       -r, --no-file-warnings
	      omit warning when a file cannot be opened

       -s[CHAR], --separator[=CHAR]
	      separate columns by a single character, default for CHAR is the  character without -w and 'no char'	with
	      -w.  -s[CHAR] turns off line truncation of all 3 column options (-COLUMN|-a -COLUMN|-m) except -w is set

       -S[STRING], --sep-string[=STRING]
	      separate columns by STRING, without -S: Default separator  with -J and  otherwise (same as -S" "),
	      no effect on column options

       -t, --omit-header
	      omit page headers and trailers; implied if PAGE_LENGTH <= 10

       -T, --omit-pagination
	      omit page headers and trailers, eliminate any pagination by form feeds set in input files

       -v, --show-nonprinting
	      use octal backslash notation

       -w, --width=PAGE_WIDTH
	      set page width to PAGE_WIDTH (72) characters for multiple text-column output only, -s[char] turns off (72)

       -W, --page-width=PAGE_WIDTH
	      set  page width to PAGE_WIDTH (72) characters always, truncate lines, except -J option is set, no interference
	      with -S or -s

       --help display this help and exit

       --version
	      output version information and exit

AUTHOR
       Written by Pete TerMaat and Roland Huebner.

REPORTING BUGS
       GNU coreutils online help: 
       Report any translation bugs to 

SEE ALSO
       Full documentation 
       or available locally via: info '(coreutils) pr invocation'

       Packaged by Ubuntu (9.7-3ubuntu2)
       Copyright © 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later .
       This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
       There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

GNU coreutils 9.7					January 2026						       PR(1)