csplit(1) General Commands Manual csplit(1)
NAME
csplit - Splits files by context
SYNOPSIS
csplit [-f prefix] [-ks] [-nnumber] file | - arg1...argn
The csplit command reads the specified file (or standard input) and separates it into segments defined by the specified arguments. The
csplit command optionally prints the sizes, in bytes, of each file created.
STANDARDS
Interfaces documented on this reference page conform to industry standards as follows:
csplit: XCU5.0
Refer to the standards(5) reference page for more information about industry standards and associated tags.
OPTIONS
Specifies the prefix name (xx by default) for the created file segments. Leaves previously created file segments intact in the event of an
error. By default, created files are removed if an error occurs. Uses number decimal digits to form file names for the file pieces. The
default is 2. Suppresses the display of file size messages.
OPERANDS
Specifies the text file to be split. If you specify - in place of the input file name, csplit reads from standard input.
The operands arg1...argn can be a combination of the following: Creates a file using the contents of the lines from the current line up to,
but not including, the line that results from the evaluation of the regular expression with an offset, if included. The offset argument
can be any integer (positive or negative) that represents a number of lines. A plus or minus sign is required. Has the same effect as
/pattern/, except that no segment file is created. Moves forward or backward the specified number of lines from the line matched by an
immediately preceding pattern argument (for example, /Page/-5). Creates a file containing the segment from the current line up to, but not
including, line_number, which becomes the current line. Repeats the preceding argument the specified number of times. This number can
follow any of the pattern or line_number arguments. If it follows a pattern argument, csplit reuses that pattern the specified number of
times. If it follows a line_number argument, csplit splits the file from that point every line_number of lines for number times.
DESCRIPTION
By default, csplit writes the file segments to files named xx00 ...xxn, where n is the number of arguments listed on the command line (n
may not be greater than 99). These new files get the following pieces of file: From the start of file up to, but not including, the line
referenced by the first argument. From the line referenced by the first argument up to the line referenced by the second argument. From
the line referenced by the last argument to the end of file.
The csplit command does not alter the original file, unless a generated file overwrites the original file.
Quote all pattern arguments that contain spaces or other characters special to the shell. Patterns may not contain embedded newline char-
acters.
[Tru64 UNIX] See the grep(1) reference page for information about creating patterns. In an expression such as [a-z], the dash means
"through" according to the current collating sequence. The collating sequence is determined by the value of the LC_COLLATE environment
variable.
Unless the -s option is specified, csplit writes one line, containing the file size in bytes, for each file created to standard output.
EXIT STATUS
The following exit values are returned: Successful completion. An error occurred.
Unless the -k option is used, any files created before the error was detected will be removed.
EXAMPLES
To split the text of a book into a separate file for each chapter, enter: csplit book "/^Chapter *[0-9]/" {9}
This creates files named xx00, xx01, xx02,...,xx09, which contain individual chapters of the file book. Each chapter begins with a
line that contains only the word Chapter and the chapter number. The file xx00 contains the front matter that comes before the
first chapter. The {9} after the pattern causes csplit to create up to 9 individual chapters; the remainder are placed in xx10. To
specify the prefix for the created file names, enter: csplit -f chap book "/^Chapter *[0-9]/" {9}
This splits book into files named chap00, chap01,...chap9, chap10.
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
The following environment variables affect the execution of csplit: Provides a default value for the internationalization variables that
are unset or null. If LANG is unset or null, the corresponding value from the default locale is used. If any of the internationalization
variables contain an invalid setting, the utility behaves as if none of the variables had been defined. If set to a non-empty string
value, overrides the values of all the other internationalization variables. Determines the locale for the behavior of ranges, equivalence
classes, and multicharacter collating elements within regular expressions. Determines the locale for the interpretation of sequences of
bytes of text data as characters (for example, single-byte as opposed to multibyte characters in arguments and input files) and the behav-
ior of character classes within regular expressions. Determines the locale for the format and contents of diagnostic messages written to
standard error. Determines the location of message catalogues for the processing of LC_MESSAGES.
SEE ALSO
Commands: ed(1), grep(1), sed(1), sh(1b), sh(1p), split(1)
Files: regexp(3)
Standards: standards(5)
csplit(1)