how to use xargs

What is xargs?
xargs is a command-line utility in Unix and Linux operating systems that is used to build and execute commands from standard input. It can take inputs from standard input or from a file and pass them as arguments to specified commands.
Basic Usage
The basic syntax of the xargs command is as follows:
bash command | xargs [options] [command]
The command generates a list of items as output, which will be passed as arguments to the specified command.
Using xargs with Input from a File
To use xargs with input from a file, you can simply provide the filename as an argument to the xargs command. For example:
bash cat file.txt | xargs command
This will read the contents of “file.txt” and pass each line as an argument to the specified command.
Using xargs with Input from Standard Input
If you want to use xargs with input from standard input, you can pipe the output of a command to xargs. For example:
bash command1 | xargs command2
This will take the output of “command1” and pass it as arguments to “command2”.
Handling Multiple Arguments
By default, xargs treats every space-separated word as a separate argument. However, you can change this behavior using the -d option. For example:
bash command | xargs -d '\n' command2
This will treat each line of the input as a separate argument for “command2” instead of each word.
Limiting the Number of Arguments
If the number of arguments passed to xargs exceeds the command’s argument limit, you can use the -n option to specify the maximum number of arguments to pass at once. For example:
bash command | xargs -n 3 command2
This will pass a maximum of three arguments at a time to “command2”.
Conclusion
xargs is a powerful command-line tool that allows you to build and execute commands from standard input or files. It provides flexibility and convenience when working with large sets of data or when combining multiple commands. Experiment with different options and usage scenarios to make the most out of xargs.