xref: /netbsd/usr.bin/cut/cut.1 (revision bf9ec67e)
1.\"	$NetBSD: cut.1,v 1.9 2001/12/01 16:43:12 wiz Exp $
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3.\" Copyright (c) 1989, 1990, 1993
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6.\" This code is derived from software contributed to Berkeley by
7.\" the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
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37.\"     @(#)cut.1	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93
38.\"
39.Dd June 6, 1993
40.Dt CUT 1
41.Os
42.Sh NAME
43.Nm cut
44.Nd select portions of each line of a file
45.Sh SYNOPSIS
46.Nm
47.Fl b Ar list
48.Op Fl n
49.Op Ar
50.Nm ""
51.Fl c Ar list
52.Op Ar
53.Nm ""
54.Fl f Ar list
55.Op Fl d Ar delim
56.Op Fl s
57.Op Ar
58.Sh DESCRIPTION
59The
60.Nm
61utility selects portions of each line (as specified by
62.Ar list  )
63from each
64.Ar file
65(or the standard input by default), and writes them to the
66standard output.
67The items specified by
68.Ar list
69can be in terms of column position or in terms of fields delimited
70by a special character. Column numbering starts from 1.
71.Pp
72.Ar List
73is a comma or whitespace separated set of increasing numbers and/or
74number ranges.
75Number ranges consist of a number, a dash
76.Pq Li \- ,
77and a second number
78and select the fields or columns from the first number to the second,
79inclusive.
80Numbers or number ranges may be preceded by a dash, which selects all
81fields or columns from 1 to the first number.
82Numbers or number ranges may be followed by a dash, which selects all
83fields or columns from the last number to the end of the line.
84Numbers and number ranges may be repeated, overlapping, and in any order.
85It is not an error to select fields or columns not present in the
86input line.
87.Pp
88The options are as follows:
89.Bl -tag -width Fl
90.It Fl b Ar list
91The
92.Ar list
93specifies byte positions.
94.It Fl c Ar list
95The
96.Ar list
97specifies character positions.
98.It Fl d Ar string
99Use the first character of
100.Ar string
101as the field delimiter character instead of the tab character.
102.It Fl f Ar list
103The
104.Ar list
105specifies fields, delimited in the input by a single tab character.
106Output fields are separated by a single tab character.
107.It Fl n
108Do not split multi-byte characters.
109.It Fl s
110Suppresses lines with no field delimiter characters.
111Unless specified, lines with no delimiters are passed through unmodified.
112.El
113.Pp
114.Nm
115exits 0 on success, 1 if an error occurred.
116.Sh SEE ALSO
117.Xr paste 1
118.Sh STANDARDS
119The
120.Nm
121utility conforms to
122.St -p1003.2-92 .
123