Command: bat

bat prints files with syntax highlighting, line numbers, and paging.

bat ~/src/pages/index.md
bat --plain /etc/os-release

bat is a good everyday replacement for both cat and less when you are reading code, Markdown, or configuration files interactively. It is not the true standard: cat and less are available on almost every Unix-like system, while bat may be missing on minimal servers.

Use cat for tiny files, exact proof output, and pipelines where extra formatting would get in the way. Use less when bat is unavailable and you need paging.

Watch Out

bat is a reader, not an editor. If output looks decorated, rerun with --plain before copying proof into chat. If a command or script must work on any normal server, write it with cat or less, not bat.

Docs Pointers

• Run bat --help.
• Read Command: cat](/docs/commands/cat.md/), [Command: less, and Concept: Reading Files.