Bash Show Non Printable Characters

What are Non-Printable Characters?

When working with text files or scripts in Bash, it's not uncommon to encounter non-printable characters that can cause issues or affect the output. Non-printable characters, also known as control characters, are characters that don't have a visual representation on the screen. These characters can include spaces, tabs, line breaks, and other special characters that are used to format text or control the flow of a script.

Understanding and displaying non-printable characters is crucial for debugging and troubleshooting purposes. For instance, if you're trying to parse a text file and it's not working as expected, it could be due to hidden characters that are interfering with the parsing process. By showing non-printable characters, you can identify and fix these issues more easily.

How to Display Non-Printable Characters in Bash

What are Non-Printable Characters? Non-printable characters are a set of characters that are used to control the formatting and flow of text. These characters can be divided into several categories, including whitespace characters (such as spaces, tabs, and line breaks), control characters (such as carriage returns and line feeds), and other special characters. In Bash, you can use various commands and tools to display and manipulate non-printable characters.

How to Display Non-Printable Characters in Bash To display non-printable characters in Bash, you can use the `cat` command with the `-v` or `-e` option. The `-v` option displays non-printable characters in a visible format, while the `-e` option displays the end of each line. Alternatively, you can use the `od` command to display the octal representation of non-printable characters. By using these commands and techniques, you can show non-printable characters in Bash and improve your debugging and scripting skills.