---
name: "utfout"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "utfout"
version: "0.0.1-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/utfout"
---

# utfout(1)

utility for producing UTF-8 output to standard streams and terminal.

## NAME

utfout - utility for producing UTF-8 output to standard streams and terminal.

## SYNOPSIS

**utfout** \[*OPTION*\]... \[*STRING*\]...

## DESCRIPTION

Echo strings to specified output stream(s).

## OPTIONS

- **-a**, **--intra-char=**\<char\>

  Insert specified character (which may be a 1-character escape character) between all output characters.

- **-b**, **--intra-pause=**\<delay\>

  Pause between writing each character.

- **-e**, **--stderr**

  Write subsequent strings to standard error (file descriptor 2).

- **-h**, **--help**

  This help text.

- **-i**, **--interpret**

  Interpret escape characters (default).

- **-l**, **--literal**

  Write literal strings only (disable escape characters).

- **-o**, **--stdout**

  Write subsequent strings to standard output (file descriptor 1).

- **-p**, **--prefix=**\<prefix\>

  Use \<prefix\> as escape prefix (default='\\').

- **-r**, **--repeat=**\<repeat\>

  Repeat previous value \<repeat\> times.

- **-s**, **--sleep=**\<delay\>

  Sleep for \<delay\> amount of time.

- **-t**, **--terminal**

  Write subsequent strings directly to terminal.

**-u**, **--file-descriptor=**\<fd\> Write to specified file descriptor.

- **-x**, **--exit=**\<num\>

  Exit with value \<num\>.

## ESCAPE CHARACTERS

**utfout** recognises C-style escape sequences as used by [**printf**(1)](/printf/1.md) . By default an escape sequence is introduced by the backslash character ('\\'), however this may be changed with the **-p** option. **utfout** also supports some additional sequences:

- \\0

  \- nul byte (hex value 0x00)

- \\a

  \- alert (bell)

- \\b

  \- backspace

- \\c

  \- no further output

- \\e

  \- escape character (used for changing terminal attributes)

- \\f

  \- form feed

- \\g

  \- generate pseudo-random printable character

- \\n

  \- newline

- \\oNNN

  \- byte with octal value NNN (1 to 3 digits)

- \\r

  \- carriage return

- \\t

  \- horizontal tab

- \\uNNNN

  \- 2 byte Unicode (ISO/IEC 10646) character with hex value NNNN (4 digits)

- \\UNNNNNNNN

  \- 4 byte Unicode (ISO/IEC 10646) character with hex value NNNNNNNN (8 digits)

- \\v

  \- vertical tab

- \\xNN

  \- byte with hexadecimal value NN (1 to 2 digits)

## RANGE ESCAPES

**utfout** also supports range escapes which allow a range of characters to be specified in a compact format.

- \\{N..N}

  \- specify a range by two 1-byte literal characters.

- \\{oNNN..oNNN}

  \- specify a range by two 3-byte octal values.

- \\{uNNNN..uNNNN}

  \- specify a range by two 2-byte Unicode values.

- \\{UNNNNNNNN..UNNNNNNNN}

  \- specify a range by two 4-byte Unicode values.

- \\{xNN..xNN}

  \- specify a range by two 2-byte hex values.

Note that ranges take two values of the same type and the maximum width for that type must be specified.

## NOTES

- •

  Arguments are processed in order.

- •

  With the exception of '-x', arguments may be repeated any number of times.

- •

  All output will be sent to standard output until an output redirection option is specified that changes the output stream (namely **-e** or **-t** (or their long-option equivalents), or if output has already been redirected **-o** (or its long-option equivalent)).

- •

  If \<str\> is the empty string ("" or '') it will be treated as \\0 such that a nul byte will be displayed.

- •

  To cancel the effect of **-a**, specify a null string: **-a** **''**.

- •

  If \<repeat\> is '-1', repeat forever.

- •

  Replace the 'Z' in the range formats above with the appropriate characters.

- •

  Ranges can be either ascending or descending.

- •

  \<delay\> can take the following forms where \<num\> is a positive integer:

  ```
  <num>ns : nano-seconds (1/1,000,000,000 second)
  <num>us : micro-seconds (1/1,000,000 second)
  <num>ms : milli-seconds (1/1,000 second)
  <num>cs : centi-seconds (1/100 second)
  <num>ds : deci-seconds (1/10 second)
  <num>s  : seconds
  <num>m  : minutes
  <num>h  : hours
  <num>h  : days
  <num>   : seconds

  If <num> is -1, wait until any signal is received.
  If signal is SIGNUM continue, else exit immediately.
  ```

-

  - •

  Generated printable random characters may not display unless you are using an appropriate font.

## EXAMPLES

```
 # Print "foofoofoo" to stderr, followed by "barbar" to stdout.
 utfout "foo" -r 2 -o "bar" -r 1

 # Write 50 nul bytes direct to the terminal.
 utfout -t "" -r 49

 # Write continuous stream of nul bytes direct to the terminal,
 # 1 per second.
 utfout -b 1s -t '' -r -1

 # Display a greeting slowly (as a human might type)
 utfout -b 20cs "Hello, $USER.\n"

 # Display a "spinner" that loops 4 times.
 utfout -b 20cs -p % "%r|%r/%r-%r\%r" -r 3

 # Display all digits between zero and nine with a trailing
 # newline.
 utfout "\{0..9}\n"

 # Display slowly the lower-case letters of the alphabet,
 # backwards without a newline.
 utfout -b 1ds "\{z..a}"

 # Display upper-case 'ABC' with newline.
 utfout '\u0041\u0042\u0043\n'

 # Display 'foo' with newline.
 utfout '\o146\u006f\x6F\n'

 # Clear the screen.
 utfout '\n' -r $LINES

 # Write hello to stdout, stderr and the terminal.
 utfout 'hello' -t -r 1 -e -r 1

 # Display upper-case letters of the alphabet using octal
 # notation, plus a newline.
 utfout "\{\o101..\o132}"

 # Display 'h.e.l.l.o.' followed by a newline.
 utfout -a . "hello" -a '' "\n"

 # Display upper-case and lower-case letters of the alphabet
 # including the characters in-between, with a trailing newline.
 utfout "\{A..z}\n"

 # Display lower-case alphabet followed by reversed lower-case alphabet
 # with the digits zero to nine, then nine to zero on the next line.
 utfout "\{a..z}\{z..a}\n\{0..9}\{9..0}\n"

 # Display lower-case Greek letters of the alphabet.
 utfout "\{α..ω}"

 # Display cyrillic characters.
 utfout "\{Ѐ..ӿ}"

 # Display all printable ASCII characters using hex range:
 utfout "\{\x21..\x7e}"

 # Display all printable ASCII characters using 2-byte UTF-8 range:
 utfout "\{\u0021..\u007e}"

 # Display all printable ASCII characters using 4-byte UTF-8 range:
 utfout "\{\U00000021..\U0000007e}"

 # Display all braille characters.
 utfout "\{\u2800..\u28FF}"

 # Display 'WARNING' in white on red background.
 utfout '\e[37;41mWARNING\e[0m\n'

 # Generate 10 random characters.
 utfout '\g' -r 9

```

## AUTHOR

Written by James Hunt \<**james.hunt@ubuntu.com**\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2012 James Hunt \<**james.hunt@ubuntu.com**\>

## LICENSE

GNU GPL version 3 or later \<http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html\>.\
 This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

## SEE ALSO

[**echo**(1)](/echo/1.md) [**printf**(1)](/printf/1.md)