piping and executing multiple arguments in BASH

Question

I would like to run the following command and pipe stout of both to textedit:

pmset -g; echo; pmset -g assertions | open -f -a TextEdit

This doesn't work, it only executes the latter.

Also, anyway to execute multiple arguments for the same command like:

pmset -g { echo, assertions}

I'm sure this will get voted down for being a basic question. Thanks in advance to any who reply.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11917708/pipe-multiple-commands-to-a-single-command — Miro, Jan 18 '14 at 00:10
Just use the > operator to redirect your output on a file...and THEN open the file with TextEdit. — elbuild, Jan 18 '14 at 00:11
@elbuild Intermediate file not necessary. Just pipe `stdin` to `open -f` and you're done. — grebneke, Jan 18 '14 at 00:21

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 18 '14 at 00:11

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(pmset -g; echo; pmset -g assertions) | open -f -a TextEdit

answered Jan 18 '14 at 00:11

jbmchuck

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In fact, you can remove `-a TextEdit` all together. `open -f` opens TextEdit with the contents of `stdin` – grebneke Jan 18 '14 at 00:19

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 18 '14 at 00:17

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Also, anyway to execute multiple arguments for the same command like:

pmset -g { echo, assertions}

That is entirely up to the program, in this case pmset. Some programs allow you to use a switch multiple times, as in pmset -g echo -g assertions

However, that doesn't seem to be the case with pmset

answered Jan 18 '14 at 00:17

grebneke

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Thanks for this reply to my second question. I don't have enough reputation to "vote up," but will when I gain it. – njboot Jan 19 '14 at 11:36

ray · Answer 3 · 2014-01-18T00:50:58.430

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alternatively you can use curly bracket

{ pmset -g; echo; pmset -g assertions; } | open -f -a TextEdit

(pmset -g; echo; pmset -g assertions) is executing the commands in a subshell
{ pmset -g; echo; pmset -g assertions; } is executing the commands in current shell

edited Jan 18 '14 at 00:50

answered Jan 18 '14 at 00:45

ray

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You must have a space between the braces `{ <-space-> }`, otherwise it will fail. – l'L'l Jan 18 '14 at 00:49

piping and executing multiple arguments in BASH

3 Answers3