UUOC

   [from  the comp.unix.shell group on Usenet] Stands for Useless Use of
   {cat};  the  reference  is to the Unix command cat(1), not the feline
   animal.  As received wisdom on comp.unix.shell observes, "The purpose
   of  cat  is  to  concatenate  (or `catenate') files. If it's only one
   file,  concatenating  it  with nothing at all is a waste of time, and
   costs you a process." Nevertheless one sees people doing

   cat file | some_command and its args ...

   instead of the equivalent and cheaper

   <file some_command and its args ...

   or (equivalently and more classically)

   some_command and its args ... <file

   Since  1995,  occasional awards for UUOC have been given out, usually
   by  Perl  luminary Randal L. Schwartz. There is a web page devoted to
   this and other similar awards.

[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {cat}]