bsd man page for join

JOIN(1) 						      General Commands Manual							   JOIN(1)

NAME
       join - relational database operator

SYNOPSIS
       join [ options ] file1 file2

DESCRIPTION
       Join  forms,  on the standard output, a join of the two relations specified by the lines of file1 and file2.  If file1 is `-', the standard
       input is used.

       File1 and file2 must be sorted in increasing ASCII collating sequence on the fields on which they are to be joined, normally the  first	in
       each line.

       There  is  one line in the output for each pair of lines in file1 and file2 that have identical join fields.  The output line normally con-
       sists of the common field, then the rest of the line from file1, then the rest of the line from file2.

       Fields are normally separated by blank, tab or newline.	In this case, multiple separators count as one, and leading  separators  are  dis-
       carded.

       These options are recognized:

       -an    In addition to the normal output, produce a line for each unpairable line in file n, where n is 1 or 2.

       -e s   Replace empty output fields by string s.

       -jn m  Join on the mth field of file n.	If n is missing, use the mth field in each file.

       -o list
	      Each output line comprises the fields specified in list, each element of which has the form n.m, where n is a file number and m is a
	      field number.

       -tc    Use character c as a separator (tab character).  Every appearance of c in a line is significant.

SEE ALSO
       sort(1), comm(1), awk(1)

BUGS
       With default field separation, the collating sequence is that of sort -b; with -t, the sequence is that of a plain sort.

       The conventions of join, sort, comm, uniq, look and awk(1) are wildly incongruous.

7th Edition							  April 29, 1985							   JOIN(1)