From: jqb AT netcom DOT com (Jim Balter)
Subject: Re: using cat on binary files (CTRL-Z trauma)
30 Oct 1996 00:56:54 -0800
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In-Reply-To: <3276B7F4.6A09@transition.com> from "Scott R. Sewall" at Oct 29, 96 08:05:40 pm
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Scott R. Sewall wrote:
> > > From: "Henrik Geleff" <hgeleff AT logos DOT cy DOT net>
> > > - cat was intended to show text files -- cat'ing binary files to an ASCII
> > > terminal can bring the terminal into a state which you can not escape from

> I can't resist, this thread is too good!
> 
> The man page for cat from SunOS 5.4 says:
> 
>      cat -- concatonate and display files.
> 
> it suggests that cat can be used for displaying files, but
> not necessarily text files, since that concept doesn't
> exist with Unix.

Of course "can be used to" is nothing like "was intended to".  cat is a basic
tool that can be used to do a lot of things; that's the unix methodology.

-- 
<J Q B>

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