JOIN(1)

✨ JOIN(1) ✨

okay so bestie, you know how sometimes you have two lists and you're like "ugh I wish I could match them up on a common key"? that's literally what join does. it's the Unix utility for relational database vibes, and it's giving main character energy fr fr 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

join [-a file_number | -v file_number] [-e string]
     [-o list] [-t char]
     [-1 field] [-2 field] file1 file2

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

The join utility performs an "equality join" on the specified files and writes the result to standard output. no cap, that's the whole vibe.

The "join field" is the field in each file by which the files are compared. the first field in each line is used by default (like, it just assumes, iconic behavior honestly).

There's one line in the output for each pair of lines in file1 and file2 which have identical join fields. each output line consists of the join field, the remaining fields from file1 and then the remaining fields from file2. slay.

The defaults are literally:

• the join field is the first field in each line
• fields in the input are separated by one or more blanks, with leading blanks on the line ignored
• fields in the output are separated by a space
• each output line consists of the join field, the remaining fields from file1, then the remaining fields from file2

Many of the options use file and field numbers. both file numbers and field numbers are 1 based, i.e. the first file on the command line is file number 1 and the first field is field number 1. lowkey makes sense, highkey convenient.

The following options are available:

• -a file_number — In addition to the default output, produce a line for each unpairable line in file file_number. (the argument to -a must not be preceded by a space; see the COMPATIBILITY section. like, don't put a space there bestie, it's not that kind of party 🚫)
• -e string — Replace empty output fields with string. so if a field is giving nothing, you can give it a lil fill-in 💁‍♀️
• -o field-list — Construct each output line according to the format in field-list. Each element in field-list is either the single character 0 or has the form M.N where the file number, M, is 1 or 2 and N is a positive field number.

A field specification of 0 denotes the join field. In most cases, the functionality of the 0 field spec may be reproduced using the explicit M.N that corresponds to the join field. However, when printing unpairable lines (using either of the -a or -v options), there is no way to specify the join field using M.N in field-list if there are unpairable lines in both files. To give join that functionality, POSIX invented the 0 field specification notation. history was made tbh 📜✨

The elements in field-list are separated by commas or blanks. Multiple field-list arguments can be given after a single -o option; the values of all lists given with -o are concatenated together. All output lines — including those printed because of any -a or -v option — are subject to the specified field-list. every single one, no exceptions 💯

• -t char — Use character char as a field separator for both input and output. Every occurrence of char in a line is significant. like, every. single. one. don't sleep on it 🔥
• -v file_number — Do not display the default output, but display a line for each unpairable line in file file_number. The options -v 1 and -v 2 may be specified at the same time. yes queen, multitask 💅
• -1 field — Join on the field'th field of file 1.
• -2 field — Join on the field'th field of file 2.

When the default field delimiter characters are used, the files to be joined should be ordered in the collating sequence of sort(1), using the -b option, on the fields on which they are to be joined, otherwise join may not report all field matches. ⚠️ like, it might just ghost some matches and you'll be like "where did they go" and the answer is "you didn't sort properly bestie".

When the field delimiter characters are specified by the -t option, the collating sequence should be the same as sort without the -b option. different vibe, different rules.

If one of the arguments file1 or file2 is -, the standard input is used. yes, the humble hyphen, the icon, the legend 🎀

The join utility exits 0 on success or >0 if an error occurred. simple as that.

🦋 COMPATIBILITY 🦋

For compatibility with historic versions of join, the following options are available (like, vintage options, retro chic honestly):

• -j1 field — Join on the field'th field of file 1.
• -j2 field — Join on the field'th field of file 2.
• -j field — Join on the field'th field of both file 1 and file 2. two birds, one stone, we love efficiency 🐦🐦
• -o list ... — Historical implementations of join permitted multiple arguments to the -o option. These arguments were of the form "file_number.field_number" as described for the current -o option. This has obvious difficulties in the presence of files named 1.2. like, imagine the chaos. the confusion. the drama 💀

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

awk(1), comm(1), paste(1), sort(1), uniq(1)

(the whole squad, honestly. they all ate.)

🍓 BUGS 🍓

join has no known bugs. it's literally perfect, we been knew 💁‍♀️✨

It does not support the following historical switches: -a with no args. Patches are welcome. (so if you're feeling generous and wanna contribute, the door is open bestie 🫶)

🧚 AUTHOR 🧚

The Perl implementation of join was written by Jonathan Feinberg, jdf@pobox.com. we stan a legend 👑

💜 COPYRIGHT and LICENSE 💜

This program is copyright (c) Jonathan Feinberg 1999.

This program is free and open software. You may use, modify, distribute, and sell this program (and any modified variants) in any way you wish, provided you do not restrict others from doing the same. so like, go off, be free, just don't be a gatekeeper about it 🎀

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okay that's the whole page bestie, you're now fully caught up on join. go forth and match those fields like the icon you are 💖✨

perl v5.42.2 — 2026-02-15 (the vibe check was immaculate, the documentation was slayed, and we are literally obsessed 💅🦋🌸)