echo

Additional Notes

echo prints text to standard output. It is common in shell scripts, quick terminal messages, and simple variable checks.

For portable scripting, printf is often better because echo behavior can vary between shells.

Syntax

echo [options] [text...]

Parameters

• options: Flags that change how echo behaves.
• arguments: Values consumed by the shell builtin or script command.
• command: Command line to run, test, wrap, or control.

Common Options

• -n: Do not print the final newline.
• -e: Enable backslash escape interpretation in many shells.
• -E: Disable backslash escape interpretation in many shells.

Examples

echo hello

Print text.

echo "$HOME"

Print the value of a shell variable.

echo "Log started at $(date)"

Print text with command substitution.

echo "text" > file.txt

Write text to a file, replacing existing contents.

echo "more text" >> file.txt

Append text to a file.

Practical Notes

• Quote variables to preserve spaces: echo "$name".
• Use printf when exact formatting matters.
• Redirection with > overwrites files; >> appends.
• Some shells provide echo as a builtin.