Linux / Unix Command: paste

Command Library

paste (merge lines of files)

paste [-s] [-d delim-list] [--serial] [--delimiters=delim-list] [--help] [--version] [file...]

paste prints lines consisting of sequentially corresponding lines of each specified file. In the output the original lines are separated by TABs. The output line is terminated with a newline.

OPTIONS

-s, --serial
Paste the lines of one file at a time rather than one line from each file.

-d, --delimiters delim-list
Consecutively use the characters in delim-list instead of TAB to separate merged lines. When delim-list is exhausted, start again at its beginning.

--help
Print a usage message and exit with a status code indicating success.

--version
Print version information on standard output then exit.

% paste file1 file2 > file3

If the content of file1 is:
1
2
3
and file2 is:
a
b
c
d
the resulting file3 would be:
1 a
2 b
3 c
d

Important: Use the man command (% man) to see how a command is used on your particular computer.

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