On UNIX the streams for getting input and writing output are predefined. There are always three default files open:
stdin is the input data source (the keyboard)
stdout is the output data source (the screen)
stderr is the standard error output source (error messages output to the screen)
These, and any other open files, can be redirected. Redirection simply means capturing output from a file, command, program, script, or even code block within a script and sending it as input to another file, command, program, or script.
## command_output >
# Redirect stdout to a file
# Creates the file if not present, otherwise overwrites it.
$ ls -la > ls_result.txt
## : > filename
# The '>' truncates file 'filename; to zero length
# If file not present, creates zero-length file (same effect as 'touch')
# The ':' serves as a dummy placeholder, producing no output
$ : > empty_file.txt
## command_output >>
# Redirect stdout to a file
# Creates the file if not present, otherwise appends to it
$ ls -la >> ls_result.txt
## m>n
# 'm' is a file descriptor, which defaults to 1, if not explicitly set
# 'n' is a filename
# File descriptor 'm' is redirect to file 'n'
$ ls -la > ls_result.txt
$ ls -la 1>ls_result.txt
$ ./script.sh 2>error.log
## m>&n
# 'm' is a file descriptor, which defaults to 1, if not set
# 'n' is another file descriptor
$ ./script.sh 2>&1 > log.txt
## &>filename
# Redirect both stdout and stderr to file 'filename'
$ ./script.sh &>filename
## < filename
# Accept input from a file
$ grep "*some*" <filename
$ grep "*some*" 0<filename
You can ensure none of your redirects clobber an existing file by setting the noclobber option in the shell:
Each open file gets assigned a . The file descriptors for stdin, stdout, and stderr are 0, 1, and 2, respectively. For opening additional files, there remain descriptors 3 to 9.