echo

Read text files without an editor: filter lines, keep line numbers and limit output from the beginning or end.

FilesVersion 1.2.2StableAliases: read
lil-terminal

Overview

echo is the fast inspection tool for text that does not need an editor. Search literally or with a regular expression, keep original line numbers in their own column, and limit the result to its first or last matching lines.

Read text without opening an editor

Use echo for quick reading and log or configuration inspection; combine text filters, line numbers and head/tail before opening a full editor.

Syntax

lil-terminal
echo <file> [text] [options]

Reference

echo <file>

show the contents of a text file

echo <file> "text"

show lines containing "text"

-i "text"

search for "text" without letter-case matching

-r "pattern"

search with a PHP regular expression

-n

show the file contents with line numbers

-h <lines>

show the first <lines> lines

-t <lines>

show the last <lines> lines

read <file>

alias for echo <file>

Line-oriented work

-n keeps the source line number separate from the text, so long lines remain readable and the number never becomes part of copied content. Head and tail are applied to the result after filtering, which makes them useful for quickly inspecting the beginning or end of a large match set.

Limits

Binary files are rejected. Output is bounded by line count and total size and is marked when truncated.

Alias

read is a documented secondary command owned by echo. It accepts the same arguments and disappears when echo is removed.

Interactive sandbox preview

Run the prepared examples directly on the page. Their results are prebuilt and shown in the browser; no terminal command is executed on the server.

Show the contents of a text file

Install and manage

Install the current compatible version. Choose Base for the complete feature set or Minimum for the reduced package; use upgrade to update a module that is already installed.

Base and Minimum are two packages of the same current module release, not separate command versions.

Base package

Install the complete package with local command reference and every published mode.

install echo
Minimum package

Install the reduced package. Local reference is omitted; help <cmd> -i opens the current server reference.

install echo -m
Exact public version

Install exactly this published version.

install echo -v 1.2.2
Check or update

Ask upgrade to check compatibility and replace the installed block only when needed.

upgrade echo
Remove module

Remove the extension block while leaving the core and unrelated modules intact.

install echo -u

Examples

Examples are copyable command lines, not actions executed by this website. Review paths, permissions and destructive flags before running them on a real project.

Show the contents of a text file
cd \sandbox | echo data/sample.txt -h 3 | echo data/sample.txt "terminal" -i -n
4   It is never included in generated lil-terminal downloads and direct HTTP access is blocked.
Alias for echo <file>
read sandbox/data/sample.txt
lil-terminal sandbox text file

This file is safe to read, copy, rename, replace, hash and archive.

read is a secondary command owned by echo and follows the same module release.

Show the file contents with line numbers
echo sandbox/data/sample.txt -n
lil-terminal sandbox text file

This file is safe to read, copy, rename, replace, hash and archive.
Search for "text" without letter-case matching
echo sandbox/data/sample.txt "terminal" -i -n
4   It is never included in generated lil-terminal downloads and direct HTTP access is blocked.
Search with a PHP regular expression
echo sandbox/logs/app.log -r "/error|warning/i" -n
3   This directory is part of the server tree: website_e36e9fed/sandbox/
4   It is never included in generated lil-terminal downloads and direct HTTP access is blocked.
Show the first <lines> lines
echo sandbox/data/sample.txt -h 3
lil-terminal documentation sandbox

This directory is part of the server tree: website_e36e9fed/sandbox/
Show the last <lines> lines
echo sandbox/data/sample.txt -t 3
During module review, examples may be refined together with the command. Keep paths
stable whenever possible because public documentation links refer to them.
Show the contents of a text file
echo \sandbox\data\missing.txt
File not found

File used in this example: sandbox/data/sample.txt

The example uses a file or directory from the protected /sandbox/ documentation workspace.

lil-terminal sandbox text file

This file is safe to read, copy, rename, replace, hash and archive.

Related documentation

How are filesystem operations protected? →Why are large files or outputs limited? →

Current public release

v1.2.22026-08-09

Cleaner echo reference

Search, line-number and head/tail controls are grouped as ordinary options.

# Version history