Manual Pages  — CUT

cut – cut out selected portions of each line of a file

SYNOPSIS DESCRIPTION ENVIRONMENT EXIT STATUS EXAMPLES SEE ALSO STANDARDS HISTORY

cut -b list [-n] [file ...]
cut -c list [file ...]
cut -f list [-w | -d delim] [-s] [file ...]

The cut utility cuts out selected portions of each line (as specified by list) from each file and writes them to the standard output. If no file arguments are specified, or a file argument is a single dash ('-'), cut reads from the standard input. The items specified by list can be in terms of column position or in terms of fields delimited by a special character. Column and field numbering start from 1.

The list option argument 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 and select the columns or fields from the first number to the second, inclusive. Numbers or number ranges may be preceded by a dash, which selects all columns or fields from 1 to the last number. Numbers or number ranges may be followed by a dash, which selects all columns or fields 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 columns or fields 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 delim
	Use delim as the field delimiter character instead of the tab character.
-f list
	The list specifies fields, separated in the input by the field delimiter character (see the -d option). Output fields are separated by a single occurrence of the field delimiter character.
-n
	Do not split multi-byte characters. Characters will only be output if at least one byte is selected, and, after a prefix of zero or more unselected bytes, the rest of the bytes that form the character are selected.
-s
	Suppress lines with no field delimiter characters. Unless specified, lines with no delimiters are passed through unmodified.
-w
	Use whitespace (spaces and tabs) as the delimiter. Consecutive spaces and tabs count as one single field separator.

The utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.

The cut utility conforms to IEEE Std 1003.2-92 ("POSIX.2").

The -w flag is an extension to the specification.

A cut command appeared in AT&T System III Unix .