The
jot utility is used to print out increasing, decreasing, random, or redundant data (usually numbers) one per line.
The following options are available:
-b word
Just print word repetitively.
-c
This is an abbreviation for -w %c.
-n
Do not print the final newline normally appended to the output.
-p precision
Print only as many digits or characters of the data as indicated by the integer
precision. In the absence of
-p, the precision is the greater of the precisions of
begin and
end. The
-p option is overridden by whatever appears in a
printf(3) conversion following
-w.
-r
Generate random data instead of sequential data, the default.
-s string
Print data separated by string. Normally, newlines separate data.
-w word
Print
word with the generated data appended to it. Octal, hexadecimal, exponential, ASCII, zero padded, and right-adjusted representations are possible by using the appropriate
printf(3) conversion specification inside
word, in which case the data are inserted rather than appended.
The last four arguments indicate, respectively, the number of data, the lower bound, the upper bound, and the step size or, for random data, the seed. While at least one of them must appear, any of the other three may be omitted, and will be considered as such if given as “-”. Any three of these arguments determines the fourth. If four are specified and the given and computed values of
reps conflict, the lower value is used. If fewer than three are specified, defaults are assigned left to right, except for
s, which assumes its default unless both
begin and
end are given.
Defaults for the four arguments are, respectively, 100, 1, 100, and 1, except that when random data are requested,
s defaults to a seed depending upon the time of day.
reps is expected to be an unsigned integer, and if given as zero is taken to be infinite.
begin and
end may be given as real numbers or as characters representing the corresponding value in ASCII. The last argument must be a real number.
Random numbers are obtained through
random(3). The name
jot derives in part from
iota, a function in APL.