+@table @code
+@kindex pipe
+@kindex |
+@cindex send the output of a gdb command to a shell command
+@anchor{pipe}
+@item pipe [@var{command}] | @var{shell_command}
+@itemx | [@var{command}] | @var{shell_command}
+@itemx pipe -d @var{delim} @var{command} @var{delim} @var{shell_command}
+@itemx | -d @var{delim} @var{command} @var{delim} @var{shell_command}
+Executes @var{command} and sends its output to @var{shell_command}.
+Note that no space is needed around @code{|}.
+If no @var{command} is provided, the last command executed is repeated.
+
+In case the @var{command} contains a @code{|}, the option @code{-d @var{delim}}
+can be used to specify an alternate delimiter string @var{delim} that separates
+the @var{command} from the @var{shell_command}.
+
+Example:
+@smallexample
+@group
+(gdb) p var
+$1 = @{
+ black = 144,
+ red = 233,
+ green = 377,
+ blue = 610,
+ white = 987
+@}
+@end group
+@group
+(gdb) pipe p var|wc
+ 7 19 80
+(gdb) |p var|wc -l
+7
+@end group
+@group
+(gdb) p /x var
+$4 = @{
+ black = 0x90,
+ red = 0xe9,
+ green = 0x179,
+ blue = 0x262,
+ white = 0x3db
+@}
+(gdb) ||grep red
+ red => 0xe9,
+@end group
+@group
+(gdb) | -d ! echo this contains a | char\n ! sed -e 's/|/PIPE/'
+this contains a PIPE char
+(gdb) | -d xxx echo this contains a | char!\n xxx sed -e 's/|/PIPE/'
+this contains a PIPE char!
+(gdb)
+@end group
+@end smallexample
+@end table
+
+The convenience variables @code{$_shell_exitcode} and @code{$_shell_exitsignal}
+can be used to examine the exit status of the last shell command launched
+by @code{shell}, @code{make}, @code{pipe} and @code{|}.
+@xref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}.
+