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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.

See Also
       grep(1), paste(1)

																	    cut(1)
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