show the first lines of one or many text files with sfk head for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Raspberry Pi.

• Download the free Swiss File Knife Base from Sourceforge.
• Open the Windows CMD command line, Mac OS X Terminal or Linux shell.
• OS X : type mv sfk-mac-64.exe sfk and chmod +x sfk then ./sfk
• Linux: type mv sfk-linux-64.exe sfk and chmod +x sfk then ./sfk. OS X and Linux syntax may differ, check the help within the tool.

sfk head [-lines=n] [-f[ollow] [filename]
sfk ... +[t]head [-lines=n]

1. print first lines of a file, optionally following changes.
   to use file content processing, provide a single filename.

2. print first text lines procuded by a previous command.
   to process chain text thead is recommended.

options
   -lines=n     print first n lines (default is 10).
   -follow      or -f waits for file changes, rereading from start.
                to post-process head output, e.g. with +filter, always
                add +loop at the end of the command sequence.
                head checks both file size and time for changes.
   -altsize     use a different method to determine the file size
                (stat instead of seek). may help if the default method
                fails to read the file, or to improve performance.

aliases
   sfk head50 in.txt   same as head -lines=50

see also
   sfk filter -head=n  read and search first n lines of text files.
   sfk view     GUI tool to view all text files of a folder, then jump
                through file heads by ctrl+pageDown.

examples
   sfk head readme.txt
      print first 10 lines of readme.txt
   type myfile.txt | sfk filter +thead -lines=50
      filter first 50 lines from stdin, via sfk filter.
   sfk head -follow status.txt +filt -high Red error +loop
      show changes in status.txt, highlight "error" in red.
 

sfk head [-lines=n] [-f[ollow] [filename]
sfk ... +[t]head [-lines=n]

1. print first lines of a file, optionally 
following changes.  to use file content
processing, provide a single filename.

2. print first text lines procuded by a 
previous command.  to process chain text
thead is recommended.

options
   -lines=n     print first n lines 
                (default is 10).
   -follow      or -f waits for file 
                    changes, rereading from
                    start.
                to post-process head output,
                e.g. with +filter, always
                add +loop at the end of the
                command sequence. head
                checks both file size and
                time for changes.
   -altsize     use a different method to 
                determine the file size
                (stat instead of seek). may
                help if the default method
                fails to read the file, or
                to improve performance.

aliases
   sfk head50 in.txt   same as head 
 -lines=50

see also
   sfk filter -head=n  read and search 
                       first n lines of
                       text files.
   sfk view     GUI tool to view all text 
                files of a folder, then
                jump through file heads by
                ctrl+pageDown.


examples
   sfk head readme.txt
      print first 10 lines of readme.txt
   type myfile.txt | sfk filter +thead 
   -lines=50
      filter first 50 lines from stdin, via 
      sfk filter.
   sfk head -follow status.txt +filt -high 
              Red error +loop
      show changes in status.txt, highlight 
      "error" in red.
 

read more about all sfk functions

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