Linux CLI - Viewing and Editing Files
Given a file
data.txt with 20 lines, what will be the output of head -n 3 data.txt | tail -n 2?Given a file data.txt with 20 lines, what will be the output of head -n 3 data.txt | tail -n 2?
medium📝 Command Output Q13 of 15
Step-by-Step Solution
Solution:
Step 1: Understand
This command outputs the first 3 lines: lines 1, 2, and 3.head -n 3 data.txtStep 2: Apply
tail -n 2on the outputtail -n 2takes the last 2 lines of the previous output, so lines 2 and 3.Final Answer:
Lines 2 and 3 of data.txt -> Option AQuick Check:
head 3 then tail 2 = lines 2 & 3 [OK]
Quick Trick: Pipe head then tail to slice lines from start [OK]
Common Mistakes:
- Assuming tail works on whole file, not head output
- Confusing line numbers
- Thinking tail -n 2 shows first 2 lines
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