cut(1) — BSD/386 1.0

CUT(1)                       BSD Reference Manual                       CUT(1)

NAME
     cut - select portions of each line of a file

SYNOPSIS
     cut -c list file ...
     cut -f list [-d string] [-s] file ...

DESCRIPTION
     The cut utility selects portions of each line (as specified by list) from
     each file (or the standard input by default), and writes them to the
     standard output.  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.

     List is a comma or whitespace separated set of increasing numbers and/or
     number ranges.  Number ranges consist of a number, a dash (-), and a sec-
     ond 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, overlapping, and in any order.  It is not an er-
     ror to select fields or columns not present in the input line.

     The options are as follows:

     -c list     The list specifies character positions.

     -d string   Use char 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.

     -s          Suppresses lines with no field delimiter characters.  Unless
                 specified, lines with no delimiters are passed through unmod-
                 ified.

     Cut exits 0 on success, 1 if an error occurred.

SEE ALSO
     paste(1)

STANDARDS
     The cut utility is expected to conform to IEEE Std1003.2 (``POSIX'').

BSDI BSD/386                    March 27, 1993                               1
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