How to use xargs

xargs

The xargs command is used like a loop.

Say wa?

Let's say you have a command that returns multiple lines like:

$ ls -1

 file1
file2
file3

 Now let's say we want to add a file extension to each file.

We could use a for or while loop. But xargs is simpler...

ls -1 | xargs -I {} mv {} {}.txt

 This one liner is easier to type and understand than a traditional while or for loop.

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