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text-block(1) General Commands Manual text-block(1) NAME text-block -- processes text blocks SYNOPSIS text-block [-C | --cat] [OPTIONS] text-block [-0 | --discard] [OPTIONS] text-block [-H | --highlight] [OPTIONS] text-block [-E | --enumerate] [OPTIONS] text-block [-X | --extract] [OPTIONS] text-block [-D | --delete | --remove] [OPTIONS] text-block [-F insert_file | --insert-front insert_file] [OPTIONS] text-block [-B insert_file | --insert-back insert_file] [OPTIONS] text-block [-R insert_file | --replace insert_file] [OPTIONS] text-block [-h | --help] text-block [-v | --version] OPTIONS: [-b begin_tag | --begin-tag begin_tag] [-e end_tag | --end-tag end_tag] [-i | --input input_file] [-o | --output output_file] [-a | --append] [-p | --in-place] [-k | --keep-broken] [-m | --min-actions] [-M | --max-actions] [-s | --select from_line to_line] [-t | --tag tag] [-y | --include-tags] [-x | --exclude-tags] [-f | --full-tag-lines] [-g | --tags-only] [-q | --suppress-warnings] [--enumerate-format format] [--enumerate-label1 string] [--enumerate-label2 string] [--highlight-begin string] [--highlight-end string] [--highlight-unmarked1 string] [--highlight-unmarked2 string] [--highlight-marked1 string] [--highlight-marked2 string] [--highlight-param begin_label end_label unmarked1_label unmar- ked2_label marked1_label marked2_label] DESCRIPTION text-block -- reads text from standard input or given file, and writes it to standard output or a given file. To the text, various modifications can be applied, according to the operation mode: * Cat: copy the input text as-is. * Discard: do nothing (i.e. just discard the input). * Enumerate: add line numbers. The format of the enumeration is config- urable. * Extract: only output the text between markers, discarding everything else. * Highlight: visually highlight text block between markers. The format of the marking is configurable, e.g. to apply ANSI colouring, etc. * Delete: remove text between markers. * Insert Front: insert text from a file at the front of marked blocks. * Insert Back: insert text from a file at the back of marked blocks. * Replace: replace text of marked blocks by text from a file. The marking used for the operation modes is based on configurable begin and end tags, e.g. <BEGIN-OF-BLOCK> and <END-OF-BLOCK>, or BEGIN and END. The handling of tags is configurable: * tags-only: only the text between the marker tags belongs to a block. That is, multiple blocks can appear on the same line. This is the de- fault. * full-tag-lines: a marker includes the full line of its begin and end tags. That is, a line containing a begin/end tag is handled like being the begin/end tag. This also means that only the first tag in a line is handled. All further tags in the same line are ignored! Hint: Use Highlight mode to visualise the behaviour. Furthermore, the handling of begin/end tags is configurable as well: * exclude-tags: marked text does not include the begin/end tags. This is the default. * include-tags: marked text includes the begin/end tags. A special case is to have identical begin/end tags, e.g. <MARKER>. The text block "inside" this tag is therefore always empty. A use case for such a marker is e.g. to mark where to insert the contents of a file. Alternatively to marking by tags, the marking can be based on a line number range selection. Negative line numbers denote counting backwards from the end of the file, which in this case needs to be line-counted first. That is, input from standard input is not possible in this case. ARGUMENTS The following options are available: -C | --cat Run in Cat mode (default). -0 | --discard Run in Discard mode. -H | --highlight Run in Highlight mode. -E | --enumerate Run in Enumerate mode. -X | --extract Run in Extract mode. -D | --delete | --remove Run in Delete mode. -F insert_file | --insert-front insert_file Run in Insert-Front mode. "-" is placeholder for inserting from standard input. In this case, an input file is required. -B insert_file | --insert-back insert_file Run in Insert-Back mode. "-" is placeholder for inserting from standard input. In this case, an input file is required. -R insert_file | --replace insert_file Run in Replace mode. "-" is placeholder for replacing from stan- dard input. In this case, an input file is required. -h | --help Prints the program's command-line parameters and exits. -v | --version Prints the program version and exits. -s | --select from_line to_line Select a line range, ranging from line from_line to line to_line. A from_line of one (1) denotes marking from start of the file. A to_line of zero (0) denotes marking until end of the file. If a line number is negative, it is counted backwards from the end of the file. This requires an input file (--input|-i), which is line-counted first. Line range selection is mutually exclusive with tags (--begin-tag|-b|--end-tag|--tag|-t). -b begin_tag | --begin-tag begin_tag Sets the begin tag. Tags are mutually exclusive with line selec- tion (--select|-s). -e end_tag | --end-tag end_tag Sets the end tag. Tags are mutually exclusive with line selection (--select|-s). -t tag | --tag tag Sets a combined begin/end tag, i.e. the tag marks begin and end. Tags are mutually exclusive with line selection (--select|-s). -i | --input input_file Sets the input file. "-" is placeholder for reading from standard input (default). -o | --output output_file Sets the output file. By default, an existing output file will be overwritten. "-" is placeholder for writing to standard output (default) -a | --append Opens the output file in append mode, appending new output instead of overwriting an existing file. -p | --in-place In-place update into the input file. The output is written to a temporary file with extension "~" first, which replaces the input file on success. -k | --keep-broken Keep broken output in case of error (default: off). -m | --min-actions Set lower limit for number of marking actions. If the number of ap- plied markings falls below this limit, an error is returned. -M | --max-actions Set upper limit for number of marking actions. If the number of ap- plied markings exceeds this limit, an error is returned. -y | --include-tags Include the marker tags in the marking. Hint: Use Highlight mode to visualise the behaviour. -x | --exclude-tags Exclude the marker tags from the marking. Hint: Use Highlight mode to visualise the behaviour. -f | --full-tag-lines Include full marker tag lines in the marking. Hint: Use Highlight mode to visualise the behaviour. -g | --tags-only Exclude the marker tag lines from the marking. Hint: Use Highlight mode to visualise the behaviour. -q | --suppress-warnings Suppress warnings on useless input parameters. Useful for debug- ging. --enumerate-format format In Enumerate mode, sets the format of the line number output ac- cording to printf formatting. However, only the number format spec- ification is allowed here. Examples: * 06 -> add leading zero to get a 6-digit output (e.g. "000001", etc.). This is the default. * 4 -> 4-digit line numbers, prepended with space when necessary (e.g. " 2", etc.). * -4 -> left-adjusted 4-digit number (e.g. "3 "). --enumerate-label1 string For Enumerate mode: prepends the given string before the line num- ber output. Default: $'\x1b[36m' (enables cyan colour output). --enumerate-label2 string For Enumerate mode: appends the given string before the line number output. Default: $'\x1b[0m ' (disables colour output, and add a space). --highlight-begin string For Highlight mode: Sets string to visualise the begin of a marked block. Default: a. --highlight-end string For Highlight mode: Sets string to visualise the end of a marked block. Default: dh. --highlight-unmarked1 string For Highlight mode: Sets string to visualise the begin of an un- marked text fragment. Default: $'\x1b[34m' (enables blue colour output). --highlight-unmarked2 string For Highlight mode: Sets string to visualise the end of an unmarked text fragment. Default: $'\x1b[0m ' (disables colour output). --highlight-marked1 string For Highlight mode: Sets string to visualise the begin of a marked text fragment. Default: $'\x1b[31m' (enables red colour output). --highlight-marked2 string For Highlight mode: Sets string to visualise the end of a marked text fragment. Default: $'\x1b[0m ' (disables colour output). --highlight-param begin_label end_label unmarked1_label unmarked2_label marked1_label marked2_label A shortcut to set all 6 highlight parameters at once. EXIT STATUS The text-block tool exits with 0 on success, and >0 in case of an error. EXAMPLES Note: the example input files example1.txt, example2.txt, insert.txt, and numbers.txt, referred to in the following command-line examples, are usu- ally installed under /usr/share/text-block or /usr/local/share/text-block/ Cat Mode * text-block -i example1.txt --cat * text-block -i /etc/system-info.d/01-example * text-block -i /etc/system-info.d/01-example -C Enumerate Mode * text-block -i example1.txt --enumerate * figlet "Test!" | text-block -E * text-block -i /etc/system-info.d/01-example -E * text-block -i /etc/system-info.d/01-example --enumerate --enumer- ate-format "6" --enumerate-label1 $'\x1b[37m<' --enumerate-label2 $'>\x1b[0m ' Highlight Mode * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' --high- light * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' -H --ex- clude-tags --tags-only * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' -H --in- clude-tags --tags-only * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' -H --in- clude-tags --full-tag-lines * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' -H --ex- clude-tags --full-tag-lines * text-block -i example2.txt -b '<MARKER>' -H --exclude-tags --tags-only * text-block -i example2.txt -b '<MARKER>' -H --include-tags --tags-only * text-block -i example2.txt -b '<MARKER>' -H --include-tags --full-tag-lines * text-block -i example2.txt -b '<MARKER>' -H --exclude-tags --full-tag-lines * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' --high- light --highlight-param "a" "dh" $'\[32m' $'\[0m' $'\[31;5m' $'\[0m' * text-block -i numbers.txt --select 1 3 -H * text-block -i numbers.txt --select -3 -1 -H * text-block -i numbers.txt --select -5 0 -H Delete Mode * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' --delete * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' -D * text-block -i numbers.txt --select 2 4 -D * text-block -i numbers.txt --select -4 -2 -D * text-block -i numbers.txt -s -7 0 -D Insert Front Mode * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' --in- sert-front insert.txt * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' -F in- sert.txt * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' -F in- sert.txt -f * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' -F in- sert.txt --min-actions 1 --max-actions 1 * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' -F in- sert.txt -m 1 -M 1 * text-block -i numbers.txt -F insert.txt --select 4 7 * text-block -i numbers.txt -F insert.txt --select -4 -2 * text-block -i numbers.txt -F insert.txt -s 4 0 Insert Back Mode * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' --in- sert-back insert.txt * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' -B in- sert.txt * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' -B in- sert.txt -f * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' -B in- sert.txt --min-actions 1 --max-actions 1 * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' -B in- sert.txt -m 1 -M 1 * text-block -i numbers.txt -B insert.txt --select 4 7 * text-block -i numbers.txt -B insert.txt --select -4 -2 * text-block -i numbers.txt -B insert.txt -s 4 0 Replace Mode * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' --re- place insert.txt * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' --re- place insert.txt --include-tags * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' --re- place insert.txt --include-tags --full-tag-lines * text-block -i example1.txt -b '<BEGIN-BLOCK>' -e '<END-BLOCK>' -R in- sert.txt -gy * text-block -i numbers.txt -R insert.txt --select 4 7 * text-block -i numbers.txt -R insert.txt --select -4 -2 * text-block -i numbers.txt -R insert.txt -s 4 0 Other Examples * text-block --help * text-block --version * text-block -v SEE ALSO print-utf8(1,) System-Info(1) NOTES This program is part of System-Tools. The latest version of System-Tools can be found on the System-Tools Homepage at System-Tools Homepage. AUTHORS Thomas Dreibholz, Homepage text-block May 9, 2026 text-block(1)
NAME | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | ARGUMENTS | EXIT STATUS | EXAMPLES | SEE ALSO | NOTES | AUTHORS
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