SPLIT(1)                   OpenBSD Reference Manual                   SPLIT(1)

NAME
     split - split a file into pieces

SYNOPSIS
     split [-b byte_count[k|m]] [-l line_count] [-p pattern] [file [name]]

DESCRIPTION
     The split utility reads the given file (or standard input if no file is
     specified) and breaks it up into files of 1000 lines each.

     The options are as follows:

     -b      Create smaller files byte_count bytes in length.  If `k' is ap-
             pended to the number, the file is split into byte_count kilobyte
             pieces.  If `m' is appended to the number, the file is split into
             byte_count megabyte pieces.

     -l      Create smaller files n lines in length.

     -p pattern
             The file is split whenever an input line matches pattern, which
             is interpreted as an extended regular expression.  The matching
             line will be the first line of the next output file.  This option
             is incompatible with the -b and -l options.

     If additional arguments are specified, the first is used as the name of
     the input file which is to be split.  If a second additional argument is
     specified, it is used as a prefix for the names of the files into which
     the file is split.  In this case, each file into which the file is split
     is named by the prefix followed by a lexically ordered suffix in the
     range of ``aa-zz''.

     If the name argument is not specified, the file is split into lexically
     ordered files named in the range of ``xaa-zzz''.

SEE ALSO
     re_format(7).

HISTORY
     A split command appeared in Version 6 AT&T UNIX.

BUGS
     For historical reasons, if you specify name, split can only create 676
     separate files.  The default naming convention allows 2028 separate
     files.

     The maximum line length for matching patterns is 65536.

OpenBSD 2.9                     April 16, 1994                               1
