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Site by David Winterbottom (user root).

Redirect STDIN

Terminal - Redirect STDIN
< /path/to/file.txt grep foo
2009-03-29 02:43:40
User: atoponce
Functions: grep
14
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Down
Redirect STDIN

Several times, I find myself hitting my up arrow, and changing the search term. Unfortunately, I find myself wasting too much time typing:

grep kernel /var/log/messages

Redirecting STDIN allows me to put the search term at the end so I less cursor movement to change what I'm searching for:

< /var/log/messages grep kernel

If you're using the emacs keyboard binding, then after you press your up arrow, press CTRL+w to erase the word.

If this has already been submitted, I couldn't find it with the search utility.

Add to favourites | Report as malicious

Know a better way?

If you can do better, submit your command here.

What others think

very nice. I had not thought of that

Comment by GNUix 49 weeks and 5 days ago

This is very nice. I had always used

cat file|grep foo

for easy editing. Good to know there's a better syntax.

Comment by clockworkavian 49 weeks and 5 days ago

grep foo

Comment by jnash 49 weeks and 5 days ago

I wanted to say: grep foo

Comment by jnash 49 weeks and 5 days ago

Oh well.. looks like theres some garbling of comments.

(here goes)

I wanted to say: grep foo "lessthan"(cat file)

Comment by jnash 49 weeks and 5 days ago

clockworkavian: using grep with cat like that is highly discouraged, as it (needlessly) invokes cat. I like the suggestion for redirecting stdin.

Comment by kaedenn 49 weeks and 5 days ago

@kaedenn I know it's discouraged, as grep can do it natively, but for long filenames, having to hit the arrow keys a bunch of times to change a search term is a pain.

I will follow the correct way when it involves less work (the redirection is acceptable), but when it involves more work, I think I'll do it wrong and cut down the RSI

Comment by clockworkavian 49 weeks and 3 days ago

Your point of view

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