FreeBSD Man Pages

cut(1)

NAME

     cut -- select portions of each line of a file

SYNOPSIS

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

DESCRIPTION

     The cut utility selects portions of each line (as specified by list) from
     each file and writes them to the standard output.	If no file arguments
     are specified, or a file argument is a single dash (`-'), cut reads from
     the standard input.  The items specified by list can be in terms of col-
     umn position or in terms of fields delimited by a special character.
     Column numbering starts from 1.

     The list option argument is a comma or whitespace separated set of
     increasing numbers and/or number ranges.  Number ranges consist of a num-
     ber, a dash (`-'), and a second number and 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 delim
	     Use delim as the field delimiter character instead of the tab
	     character.

     -f list
	     The list specifies fields, separated in the input by the field
	     delimiter character (see the -d option.)  Output fields are sepa-
	     rated by a single occurrence of the field delimiter character.

     -n      Do not split multi-byte characters.  Characters will only be out-
	     put if at least one byte is selected, and, after a prefix of zero
	     or more unselected bytes, the rest of the bytes that form the
	     character are selected.

     -s      Suppress lines with no field delimiter characters.  Unless speci-
	     fied, lines with no delimiters are passed through unmodified.

ENVIRONMENT

     The LANG, LC_ALL and LC_CTYPE environment variables affect the execution
     of the cut utility.  Their effect is described in environ(7).

EXAMPLES

DIAGNOSTICS

     The cut utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.

SEE ALSO

     colrm(1), paste(1)

STANDARDS

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

HISTORY

     A cut command appeared in AT&T System III UNIX.

FreeBSD 5.4			 June 28, 2004			   FreeBSD 5.4

SPONSORED LINKS