NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     split - split a file into pieces

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     split [-b  byte_count[k|m]]  [-l  line_count]  [-p  pattern]
[file [name]]

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     The split utility reads the given file (or standard input if
no file is
     specified) and breaks it up into files of 1000 lines each.

     The options are as follows:

     -b      Create smaller files byte_count bytes in length.  If
`k' is appended
  to  the  number,  the  file  is  split  into
byte_count kilobyte
             pieces.  If `m' is appended to the number, the  file
is split into
             byte_count megabyte pieces.

     -l      Create smaller files n lines in length.

     -p pattern
             The  file  is  split  whenever an input line matches
pattern, which
             is interpreted as an  extended  regular  expression.
The matching
             line will be the first line of the next output file.
This option
             is incompatible with the -b and -l options.

     If additional arguments are specified, the first is used  as
the name of
     the input file which is to be split.  If a second additional
argument is
     specified, it is used as a prefix for the names of the files
into which
     the  file  is split.  In this case, each file into which the
file is split
     is named by the prefix followed by a lexically ordered  suffix in the
     range of ``aa-zz''.

     If the name argument is not specified, the file is split into lexically
     ordered files named in the range of ``xaa-zzz''.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     re_format(7)

HISTORY    [Toc]    [Back]

     A split command appeared in Version 3 AT&T UNIX.

BUGS    [Toc]    [Back]

     For historical reasons, if you specify name, split can  only
create 676
     separate  files.   The default naming convention allows 2028
separate
     files.

     The maximum line length for matching patterns is 65536.

OpenBSD     3.6                          April      16,      1994