TR command with examples in Linux

The term TR stands for translate, using this TR command we can translate, squeeze, replace or delete the strings or characters from standard input, writing to standard output.

TR command translates uppercase to lower case, squeezing repeating pattern strings or characters and deletes the characters, the translate command doesn’t take any file name if you want to supply file name then it can only be supplied using input re-directional  operator.

We are going to discuss how tr command works in Linux and Unix operating systems with simple examples.

TR command syntax

tr [OPTION]... SET1 [SET2]

TR convert lowercase letters to upper case letters

$cat techdiip | tr “[a-z]” “[A-Z]”
Output
TECHDIIP

There is another way one can also try this.

$cat techdiip | tr “[:lower:]” “[:upper:]”
Output
TECHDIIP

TR command to convert upper case with a file

$cat techdiip.txt
i love powershell scripting 
i’m learning powershell
i teach powershell 

$cat techdiip.txt | tr “[:lower:]” “[:upper:]”

output
I LOVE POWERSHELL SCRIPTING
I’M LEARNING POWERSHELL
I TEACH POWERSHELL

TR delete a specified character

$ echo "Teach Powershell Basics" | tr -d 'T'

Output 

each Powershell Basics

In the above example character T has been removed.

TR command Delete numbers

$ echo "Password number 143143" | tr -d [:digit:]

Output

Password number 

In Linux sets as declared as strings of characters, few of them can be used as SET1 or SET2

TR breaking line of text to multiple lines

$each "I'm Learning TR commands in Linux " | tr " " "/n"
output
I'm
Learning 
TR
commands
in 
Linux

Backslash escapes

\a	audible
\b	backspace
\r	return
\t	horizontal
\f	form feed
\n	new line
\v	vertical

TR command parameters to perform Character operations

c, -c	text complement
-t	truncate
-help	gives you the help information
-version	gives you version information
-s	squeezes the repeated charectors
[:print:]	all printable characters, including space

Other TR commands

[:blank:]	This parameter used in syntax for  horizontal whitespace
[:upper:]	This parameter used in syntax for  upper case letters
[:xdigit:]	This parameter used in syntax for hexadecimal digits
[:cntrl:]	This parameter used in syntax for control characters
[:digit:]	This parameter used in syntax forl digits in Lunix

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