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The documentation for xargs could use several improvements. The Invoking
`xargs' section of the info pages do not mention -E or -L, and implies
that -I's argument is optional when it is not. Showing the difference
between -i and -I may be useful:
$ echo 1 | xargs -i echo echo {} echo # replace {} in 'echo {} echo'
echo 1 echo
$ echo 1 | xargs -iecho echo {} echo # replace echo in '{} echo'
{} 1
$ echo 1 | xargs -I echo echo {} echo # replace echo in '{} echo'
{} 1
$ echo 1 | xargs -Iecho echo {} echo # replace echo in '{} echo'
{} 1
It also fails to mention that -L and -n are mutually exclusive, and that
since -i/-I implies -L1, that the use of -i and -n is order-dependent. As
an example,
$ echo -e '1\n2' | xargs -i -n 2 echo {}
{} 1 2
$ echo -e '1\n2' | xargs -n 2 -i echo {}
1
2
Meanwhile, the output of 'xargs --help' is pretty sparse, especially when
compared with the --help output of other GNU utilities such as ls(1), and
fails to mention -L, -E, or -I.
- --
Life is short - so eat dessert first!
Eric Blake [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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