Question

The redirection of output (> operator) to an existing file results in an error because the existing file cannot be replaced.

a) True
b) False

Answer 1

Using the '>' operator in the command line for redirection will overwrite the existing file without error. If appending is intended, the '>>' operator should be used instead. Some shells provide options to prevent overwriting.

Step-by-step explanation:

The redirection of output (using the ">" operator) to an existing file does not result in an error because the existing file is typically overwritten without prompting for user confirmation. This behavior is by design in shell environments to allow for quick re-direction of command output to files. If you wish to append to the existing file instead of overwriting it, you can use the ">>" operator. For cases where overwriting should be prevented, some shells offer options like "set -o noclobber" to avoid accidental data loss.