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

Thecut utility selects portions of each line (as specified bylist) from eachfile (or the standard input by default), and writes them to the standard output. The items specified bylist 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 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.

OPTIONS

cut accepts the following options:

-b list

Thelist specifies byte positions.

-c list

Thelist specifies character positions.

-d string

Use the first character ofstring as the field delimiter character instead of the tab character.

-f list

Thelist 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.

BUGS

cut does not understand multibyte characters; the-c and-b options function identically, and-n does nothing.

STANDARDS

Thiscut implementation is compatible with theOpenBSD implementation.

AUTHOR

The Perl implementation ofcut was written by Rich Lafferty,rich@alcor.concordia.ca.

COPYRIGHT and LICENSE

This program is free and open software. You may use, copy, modify, distribute and sell this program (and any modified variants) in any way you wish, provided you do not restrict others to do the same.