bash-hackers-wiki/docs/commands/builtin/echo.md

# The echo builtin command

## Synopsis

    echo [-neE] [arg ...]

## Description

`echo` outputs it's args to stdout, separated by spaces, followed by a
newline. The return status is always `0`. If the
[shopt](../../commands/builtin/shopt.md) option `xpg_echo` is set, Bash
dynamically determines whether echo should expand escape characters
(listed below) by default based on the current platform. `echo` doesn't
interpret `--` as the end of options, and will simply print this string
if given.

### Options

  Option   Description
  -------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  `-n`     The trailing newline is suppressed.
  `-e`     Interpretation of the following backslash-escaped characters (below) is enabled.
  `-E`     Disables the interpretation of these escape characters, even on systems where they are interpreted by default.

### Escape sequences

  Escape         Description
  -------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  `\a`           alert (bell)
  `\b`           backspace
  `\c`           suppress further output
  `\e`
  `\E`           an escape character
  `\f`           form feed
  `\n`           new line
  `\r`           carriage return
  `\t`           horizontal tab
  `\v`           vertical tab
  `\\`           backslash
  `\0nnn`        the eight-bit character whose value is the octal value nnn (zero to three octal digits)
  `\xHH`         the eight-bit character whose value is the hexadecimal value HH (one or two hex digits)
  `\uHHHH`       the Unicode (ISO/IEC 10646) character whose value is the hexadecimal value HHHH (one to four hex digits)
  `\UHHHHHHHH`   the Unicode (ISO/IEC 10646) character whose value is the hexadecimal value HHHHHHHH (one to eight hex digits)

## Examples

## Portability considerations

-   `echo` is a portability train wreck. No major shell follows POSIX
    completely, and any shell that attempts to do so should be
    considered horribly broken.
    [SUSv4](http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/echo.html#tag_20_37)
    specifies that `echo` **shall not** include any options. Further, it
    specifies that the behavior of `-n` as a first argument shall be
    determined by the implementation, unless XSI is followed, in which
    case `-n` is always treated as a string, and backslash escapes are
    interpreted by default. `dash` has the misfeature of following this
    and interpreting escapes by default, but includes a `-n` feature for
    suppressing newlines nevertheless.

    In practice, if you're able to assume a korn-like shell including
    bash, mksh, or zsh, `echo` when used in simple cases is generally
    reliable. For example, in the very common situation in which echo is
    supplied with a single argument and whose output is to have a
    newline appended, using `echo` is considered common practice.

-   **Never use options to `echo`! *Ever*!** Any time you feel tempted
    to use `echo -e`, `-n`, or any other special feature of echo, **use
    [printf](../../commands/builtin/printf.md) instead!** If portability is a
    requirement, you should consider using `printf` *exclusively* and
    just ignore that `echo` even exists. If you must use `echo -e` and
    refuse to use `printf`, it is usually acceptable to use \'\'echo
    \$\'\...\' \'\'if targeting only shells that support this special
    quoting style.

-   `ksh93` has a `print` command, which if coding specifically for
    `ksh93` should be preferred over `echo`.
    [printf](../../commands/builtin/printf.md) still includes most of the
    functionality of both, and should usually be the most preferred
    option.

## See also

-   [printf](../../commands/builtin/printf.md)
-   <http://cfajohnson.com/shell/cus-faq.html#Q0b>
-   <http://www.in-ulm.de/~mascheck/various/echo+printf/>