zcat Command

Purpose

Expands a compressed file to standard output.

Syntax

zcat [ -n ] [ -V ] [ File ... ]

Description

The zcat command allows the user to expand and view a compressed file without uncompressing that file. The zcat command does not rename the expanded file or remove the .Z extension. The zcat command writes the expanded output to standard output.

Flags

Item	Description
-n	Omits the compressed file header from the compressed file. Note: Use the -n option if the file was compressed using the -n option.
-V	Writes the current version and compile options to standard error.

Parameters

Item	Description
File ...	Specifies the compressed files to expand.

Return Values

If the zcat command exits with a status of 1 if any of the following events occur:

The input file was not produced by the compress command.
An input file cannot be read or an output file cannot be written.

If no error occurs, the exit status is 0.

Exit Status

Item	Description
0	Successful completion.
>0	An error occurred.

Examples

To view the foo.Z file without uncompressing it, enter:

zcat foo.Z

The uncompressed contents of the foo.Z file are written to standard output. The file is not renamed.