Append To A File

The > operator overwrites files, which can be dangerous when you want to keep existing content. The >> operator solves this by appending to a file instead of replacing it.

echo "First line" >> notes.txt
echo "Second line" >> notes.txt
cat notes.txt

Output:

First line
Second line

Both lines are preserved because >> adds new content at the end of the file. If the file does not exist, it creates a new one — just like > does.

This is perfect for building log files or collecting output over time:

date >> activity.log
echo "User logged in" >> activity.log
date >> activity.log
echo "User logged out" >> activity.log

Each command adds a new line to activity.log without erasing previous entries. Use > when you want a fresh start, and >> when you want to accumulate data.