cut(1) [opendarwin man page]

CUT(1)							    BSD General Commands Manual 						    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 argu-
     ments are specified, or a file argument is a single dash ('-'), cut reads from 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 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, over-
     lapping, 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 the first character of delim as the field delimiter character instead of the tab character.

     -f list
	     The list 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      Suppress lines with no field delimiter characters.  Unless specified, lines with no delimiters are passed through unmodified.

ENVIRONMENT

     The LANG, LC_ALL and LC_CTYPE environment variables affect the execution of cut if the -n option is specified.  Their effect is described in
     environ(7).

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

DIAGNOSTICS

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

SEE ALSO

     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.

BUGS

     The -c option is a synonym for the -b option, which causes incorrect behaviour in locales that support multibyte characters.

     When operating on fields (-f option is specified), cut does not recognise multibyte characters, and the delim character is recognised in the
     middle of multibyte sequences.

BSD
								   June 6, 1993 							       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.

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cut(1) [opendarwin man page]

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