SPLIT(1)                   OpenBSD Reference Manual                   SPLIT(1)

NAME
     split - split a file into pieces

SYNOPSIS
     split [-a suffix_length]
           [-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.  file itself
     is not altered.

     The options are as follows:

     -a suffix_length
             Use suffix_length letters to form the suffix of the file name
             (see below).  The default suffix length is 2.

     -b byte_count[k|m]
             Create files byte_count bytes in length.  If `k' is appended 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 line_count
             Create files line_count 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 name 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 suf-
     fix using suffix_length characters in the range ``a-z''.

     If the name argument is not specified, the file is split into lexically
     ordered files named with the prefixes `x', `y', and `z'.

SEE ALSO
     csplit(1), re_format(7)

STANDARDS
     The split utility is compliant with the IEEE Std 1003.1-2008 (``POSIX'')
     specification.

     The flag [-p] is an extension to that specification.

     The use of `y' and `z' prefixes (in addition to the standard `x') in the
     absence of a name parameter is an OpenBSD extension.

HISTORY
     A split command appeared in Version 3 AT&T UNIX.

BUGS
     The maximum line length for matching patterns is 65536.

OpenBSD 4.7                    February 8, 2009                              1
