cut(1)                                                     cut(1)



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

     SYNOPSIS
          cut -type [-dchar] [-s] [file1 file2 ...]

     DESCRIPTION
          Use cut to cut out columns from a table or fields from each
          line of a file; in data base parlance, it implements the
          projection of a relation.  cut may be used as a filter; if
          no files are given, the standard input is used.

          type may be either c or f, followed by list.  The fields as
          specified by list may be fixed length, i.e., character
          positions as on a punched card (-c flag option) or the
          length may vary from line to line and be marked with a field
          delimiter character like TAB (-f flag option).  Note that
          -type (i.e., either the -c or -f flag option) must be
          specified.

          The meanings of the flag options are:

          list     A comma-separated list of integer field numbers (in
                   increasing order), with optional - to indicate
                   ranges as in the -o flag option of nroff/troff for
                   page ranges; e.g., 1,4,7; 1-3,8; -5,10 (short for
                   1-5,10); or 3- (short for third through last
                   field).

          -clist   The list following -c (no space) specifies
                   character positions (e.g., -c1-72 would pass the
                   first 72 characters of each line).

          -flist   The list following -f is a list of fields assumed
                   to be separated in the file by a delimiter
                   character (see -d ); e.g., -f1,7 copies the first
                   and seventh field only.  Lines with no field
                   delimiters will be passed through intact (useful
                   for table subheadings), unless -s is specified.

          -dchar   The character following -d is the field delimiter
                   (-f flag option only).  Default is TAB.  Space or
                   other characters with special meaning to the shell
                   must be quoted.

          -s       Suppresses lines with no delimiter characters in
                   case of -f flag option.  Unless specified, lines
                   with no delimiters will be passed through
                   untouched.

     HINTS
          Use grep(1) to make horizontal cuts (by context) through a



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     cut(1)                                                     cut(1)



          file, or paste(1) to put files together column-wise (i.e.,
          horizontally).  To reorder columns in a table, use cut and
          paste.

     EXAMPLE
               cut -d: -f1,5 /etc/passwd

          mapping of user IDs to names.

               name=`who am i | cut -f1 -d" "`

          to set name to current login name.

     DIAGNOSTICS
          Line too long
        A line can have no more than 1023 characters or fields.

     Bad list for c/f flag option
        Missing -c or -f flag 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.

     FILES
          /usr/bin/cut

     SEE ALSO
          grep(1, paste(1).

























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