NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     cut - select portions of each line of a file

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     cut -b list [-n] [file ...]
     cut -c list [file ...]
     cut -f list [-d delim] [-s] [file ...]

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     The cut utility selects portions of each line (as  specified
by list) from
     each  file  (or  the  standard input by default), and writes
them to the
     standard output.  The items specified  by  list  can  be  in
terms of column
     position  or in terms of fields delimited by a special character.  Column
     numbering starts from 1.

     list is a comma or whitespace separated  set  of  increasing
numbers and/or
     number  ranges.   Number  ranges consist of a number, a dash
(`-'), and a
     second number which select the fields or  columns  from  the
first number to
     the second, inclusive.  Numbers or number ranges may be preceded by a
     dash, which selects all fields or  columns  from  1  to  the
first number.
     Numbers  or  number  ranges may be followed by a dash, which
selects all
     fields or columns from the last number to  the  end  of  the
line.  Numbers
     and  number  ranges may be repeated, overlapping, and in any
order.  It is
     not an error to select fields or columns not present in  the
input line.

     The options are as follows:

     -b list
             The list specifies byte positions.

     -c list
             The list specifies character positions.

     -d string
             Use  the  first character of string as the field delimiter character
 instead of the tab character.

     -f list
             The list specifies fields, delimited in the input by
a single tab
             character.   Output fields are separated by a single
tab character.


     -n      Do not split multi-byte characters.

     -s      Suppresses lines with no field delimiter characters.
Unless
             specified,  lines  with  no  delimiters  are  passed
through unmodified.


     The cut utility exits 0 on success or  1  if  an  error  occurred.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     paste(1)

STANDARDS    [Toc]    [Back]

     The   cut   utility   conforms   to   IEEE  Std  1003.2-1992
(``POSIX.2'').

OpenBSD      3.6                           June      6,      1993