xref: /freebsd/usr.bin/cut/cut.1 (revision daf1cffce2e07931f27c6c6998652e90df6ba87e)
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35.\"     @(#)cut.1	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93
36.\" $FreeBSD$
37.\"
38.Dd June 6, 1993
39.Dt CUT 1
40.Os
41.Sh NAME
42.Nm cut
43.Nd select portions of each line of a file
44.Sh SYNOPSIS
45.Nm cut
46.Fl b Ar list
47.Op Fl n
48.Op Ar
49.Nm cut
50.Fl c Ar list
51.Op Ar
52.Nm cut
53.Fl f Ar list
54.Op Fl d Ar delim
55.Op Fl s
56.Op Ar
57.Sh DESCRIPTION
58The
59.Nm cut
60utility selects portions of each line (as specified by
61.Ar list  )
62from each
63.Ar file
64(or the standard input by default), and writes them to the
65standard output.
66The items specified by
67.Ar list
68can be in terms of column position or in terms of fields delimited
69by a special character. Column numbering starts from 1.
70.Pp
71.Ar list
72is a comma or whitespace separated set of increasing numbers and/or
73number ranges.
74Number ranges consist of a number, a dash
75.Pq Sq \- ,
76and a second number
77and select the fields or columns from the first number to the second,
78inclusive.
79Numbers or number ranges may be preceded by a dash, which selects all
80fields or columns from 1 to the first number.
81Numbers or number ranges may be followed by a dash, which selects all
82fields or columns from the last number to the end of the line.
83Numbers and number ranges may be repeated, overlapping, and in any order.
84It is not an error to select fields or columns not present in the
85input line.
86.Pp
87The options are as follows:
88.Bl -tag -width Fl
89.It Fl b Ar list
90The
91.Ar list
92specifies byte positions.
93.It Fl c Ar list
94The
95.Ar list
96specifies character positions.
97.It Fl d Ar delim
98Use the first character of
99.Ar delim
100as the field delimiter character instead of the tab character.
101.It Fl f Ar list
102The
103.Ar list
104specifies fields, delimited in the input by a single tab character.
105Output fields are separated by a single tab character.
106.It Fl n
107Do not split multi-byte characters.
108.It Fl s
109Suppresses lines with no field delimiter characters.
110Unless specified, lines with no delimiters are passed through unmodified.
111.El
112.Pp
113The
114.Nm cut
115utility exits with 0 on success or 1 if an error occurred.
116.Sh SEE ALSO
117.Xr paste 1
118.Sh STANDARDS
119The
120.Nm cut
121utility conforms to
122.St -p1003.2-92 .
123