cut(1) [freebsd man page]

CUT(1)							    BSD General Commands Manual 						    CUT(1)

NAME

     cut -- cut out selected portions of each line of a file

SYNOPSIS

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

DESCRIPTION

     The cut utility cuts out selected 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 column position or in terms of fields delimited by a special character.  Column and field numbering start 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 columns or fields from the first number to the second, inclusive.  Numbers or number
     ranges may be preceded by a dash, which selects all columns or fields from 1 to the last number.  Numbers or number ranges may be followed by
     a dash, which selects all columns or fields from the last number to the end of the line.  Numbers and number ranges may be repeated, overlap-
     ping, and in any order.  It is not an error to select columns or fields 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 separated
	     by a single occurrence of the field delimiter character.

     -n      Do not split multi-byte characters.  Characters will only be output 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 specified, lines with no delimiters are passed through unmodified.

     -w      Use whitespace (spaces and tabs) as the delimiter.  Consecutive spaces and tabs count as one single field separator.

ENVIRONMENT

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

EXIT STATUS

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

EXAMPLES

     Extract users' login names and shells from the system passwd(5) file as ``name:shell'' pairs:

	   cut -d : -f 1,7 /etc/passwd

     Show the names and login times of the currently logged in users:

	   who | cut -c 1-16,26-38

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.

BSD
								  August 8, 2012							       BSD

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cut(1) General Commands Manual cut(1)

Name
cut - cut out selected fields of each line of a file

Syntax
cut -clist [file1 file2...]
cut -flist [-dchar] [-s] [file1 file2...]

Description
Use the command to cut out columns from a table or fields from each line of a file. The fields as specified by list can be fixed length,
that is, character positions as on a punched card (-c option), or the length can vary from line to line and be marked with a field delim-
iter character like tab (-f option). The command can be used as a filter. If no files are given, the standard input is used.

Use to make horizontal ``cuts'' (by context) through a file, or to put files together in columns. To reorder columns in a table, use and

Options
list Specifies ranges that must be a comma-separated list of integer field numbers in increasing order. With optional - indicates
ranges as in the -o option of nroff/troff for page ranges; for example, 1,4,7; 1-3,8; -5,10 (short for 1-5,10); or 3- (short
for third through last field).

-clist Specifies character positions to be cut out. For example, -c1-72 would pass the first 72 characters of each line.

-flist Specifies the fields to be cut out. For example, -f1,7 copies the first and seventh field only. Lines with no field delim-
iters are passed through intact (useful for table subheadings), unless -s is specified.

-dchar Uses the specified character as the field delimiter. Default is tab. Space or other characters with special meaning to the
shell must be quoted. The -d option is used only in combination with the -f option, according to XPG3 and SVID2/SVID3.

-s Suppresses lines with no delimiter characters. Unless specified, lines with no delimiters are passed through untouched.
Either the -c or -f option must be specified.

Examples
Mapping of user IDs to names:
cut -d: -f1,5 /etc/passwd
To set name to the current login name for the csh shell:
set name=`who am i | cut -f1 -d" "`
To set name to the current login name for the sh, sh5, and ksh shells:
name=`who am i | cut -f1 -d" "`

Diagnostics
"line too long" A line can have no more than 511 characters or fields.

"bad list for c/f option"
Missing -c or -f option or incorrectly specified list. No error occurs if a line has fewer fields than the list calls
for.

"no fields" The list is empty.

Linux and UNIX Man Pages

cut(1) [freebsd man page]

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