Command Line Arguments and Options

Command line arguments and options are used to provide additional information to a command. Arguments are values that are passed to a command, while options modify the behavior of a command. Options can be used to specify file names, set flags, or change the behavior of a command in some other way.

Command Line Arguments

Command line arguments are values that are passed to a command when it is executed. Arguments are usually used to specify the input or output file name, or some other value that a command needs to operate on.

For example, to create a new file named my_file.txt in the current directory, you would use the touch command followed by the name of the file:

In this example, my_file.txt is the argument that is passed to the touch command.

Command Line Options

Command line options modify the behavior of a command. Options are usually preceded by one or two dashes (- or --). Options can be used to set flags, specify file names, or change the behavior of a command in some other way.

For example, the ls command can be used to list the contents of a directory. The -l option is used to show the long format of the listing:

In this example, the -l option is passed to the ls command to modify its behavior.

Combining Command Line Options

Multiple command line options can be combined by placing them together after a single dash. For example, the ls command can be used to show the long format of the listing and include hidden files by combining the -l and -a options:

In this example, the -la option is passed to the ls command to show the long format of the listing and include hidden files.

Conclusion

Command line arguments and options are an essential part of the command line interface in Linux. Understanding how to use them can help you to work more efficiently and effectively on the command line.