echo:tldr:635e5
echo: Enable interpretation of backslash escapes (special characters).
$ echo -e "${Column 1\tColumn 2}"
try on your machine
The command "echo" is a basic command in Unix-like operating systems that prints its arguments to the standard output.
In this case, the command is using the "-e" option which enables the interpretation of backslash escapes. This means it allows the usage of special characters or sequences that are prefixed by a backslash.
The argument to the "echo" command is "${Column 1\tColumn 2}". This is a string that includes two columns separated by a tab character ("\t").
Here's what happens when the command is executed:
- The backslash escape sequence "\t" is interpreted as a tab character.
- The string "${Column 1\tColumn 2}" is printed to the standard output.
- This would be displayed as "Column 1 Column 2" where the tab character acts as a separator between column 1 and column 2, creating a visually distinct output.
This explanation was created by an AI. In most cases those are correct. But please always be careful and
never run a command you are not sure if it is safe.