Bash Scripting – Bash Echo Command

In this article, we are going to see the echo command. The Echo command is a built-in command feature for Unix / Linux which is generally used to display the text or message on the screen.

Syntax :

$ echo [option]

For Example :

$ echo Beginner For Beginner

Output :

Beginner For Beginner

There are generally three options:

• -n: It does not print the trailing newline.
• -E: It is the default option that disables the implementation of escape sequences.
• -e: It is used to enable interpretation of backslash escapes

Example 1: Backspace

$ echo -e "Beginner \bFor \bBeginner"

Output:

w3wiki

Example 2: New Line

$ echo -e "Beginner\nFor\nBeginner"

Output :

Beginner
For  
Beginner

Example 3: Horizontal Tab

$ echo -e "Beginner\tFor\tBeginner"

Output :

Beginner   For     Beginner

Example 4: Backslash

$ echo -e "Beginner\\For\\Beginner"  

Output : 

Beginner\For\Beginner

Example 5: Carriage Return

$ echo -e "Beginner\rFor Beginner"

Output : 

For Beginner

Example 6: Vertical Tab

$ echo -e "Beginner\v For\v Beginner"

Output :

Beginner♂ For♂ Beginner

Example 7: -n Option

$ echo -n "Beginner For Beginner"

Output :

Beginner For Beginner

You can find all the commands related to echo by writing the following command.

$ /bin/echo --help

Output : 

Taking input from user: 

We create a text file named ” userInput.sh ” and write the following code inside the file. 

#!/bin/sh  

echo "Enter Your Name : "

read name     #It take input from user

echo "Hello, $name. Welcome to w3wiki"

Now run the ” userInput.sh ” with the help of the below code:

$ chmod +x ./userInput.sh
$ ./userInput.sh

Output :

In conclusion, the echo command is a versatile and powerful built-in command in Unix/Linux systems that allows users to display text or messages on the screen. The article provided a detailed overview of the echo command’s syntax, options, and various examples demonstrating its usage, including the ability to suppress newline characters, enable/disable escape sequence interpretation, and display special characters like backspaces, tabs, and carriage returns. The article also covered how to take input from users using the echo and read commands together. Overall, the echo command is an essential tool in a Unix/Linux user’s toolkit, enabling effective text manipulation and output display within the command-line environment.