APPLY(1) | General Commands Manual | APPLY(1)

# NAME

`apply` — apply a command to a set of arguments

# SYNOPSIS

`apply` | [`-`#] [`-d`] [`-a` magic] command argument ...

# DESCRIPTION

`apply` runs the named command on each given argument in turn.

Character sequences of the form “`%d`” in command, where ‘d’ is a digit from 1 to 9, are replaced by the `d`'th following unused argument. In this case, the largest digit number of arguments are discarded for each execution of command.

The options are as follows:

`-`#
  Normally arguments are taken singly; the optional number `-`# specifies the number of arguments to be passed to command. If the number is zero, command is run, without arguments, once for each argument.

  If any sequences of “`%d`” occur in command, the `-`# option is ignored.

`-a` magic
  Use magic as the magic character instead of the default ‘`%`’.
`-d`
  Debug mode. Print commands to the standard output but do not actually execute them.

# ENVIRONMENT

`SHELL`
  Pathname of shell to use. If this variable is not defined, the Bourne shell is used.

# FILES

/bin/sh
  default shell

# EXAMPLES

Operate similar to ls(1):

`$ apply echo *`

Compare the a* files to the b* files:

`$ apply -2 cmp a1 b1 a2 b2 a3 b3`

Run who(1) five times:

`$ apply -0 who 1 2 3 4 5`

Link all files in the current directory to the directory /home/joe:

`$ apply 'ln %1 /home/joe' *`

# SEE ALSO

sh(1), xargs(1)

# HISTORY

The `apply` command appeared in 4.2BSD.

# AUTHORS

Rob Pike

# BUGS

Shell metacharacters in command may have bizarre effects; it is best to enclose complicated commands in single quotes ('').

September 8, 2014 | Debian