CUT(1)                     OpenBSD Reference Manual                     CUT(1)

NAME
     cut - select portions of each line of a file

SYNOPSIS
     cut -b list [-n] [file ...]
     cut -c list [file ...]
     cut -f list [-d delim] [-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
     second number which 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 error to select fields or columns not present in the input line.

     The options are as follows:

     -b list
             The list specifies byte positions.

     -c list
             The list specifies character positions.

     -d string
             Use the first character of string as the field delimiter charac-
             ter 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 charac-
             ter.

     -n      Do not split multi-byte characters.

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

     The cut utility exits 0 on success or 1 if an error occurred.

SEE ALSO
     paste(1)

STANDARDS
     The cut utility conforms to IEEE Std1003.2-1992 (``POSIX.2'').

OpenBSD 2.9                      June 6, 1993                                1
