`cut`

Cut out selected fields of each line of a file (POSIX)

Syntax:

cut -b list [-n] [file...]

cut -c list [file...]

cut -f list [-d delim] [-s] [file...]

Options:

-b list: Cut out the bytes found in the byte positions specified by list.
-c list: Cut out the characters found in the character positions specified by list. For example, a list of -c 1-64 outputs the first 64 characters of each line.
-d delim: Use the delimiter specified by delim (default is tab).
-f list: Cut out the fields specified by list. For example, -f 2,9 outputs the second and ninth fields. The fields described by list are assumed to be separated in the file by a delimiter character (see option -d). Lines without field delimiters are passed through intact, unless -s is specified.
-n: Don't split multi-byte characters. Characters are output only 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: If -f is specified, suppress lines with no field delimiters.
file: The pathname of a text file, whose contents are used instead of the standard input.

Description:

For every file you name, the cut utility cuts out columns or fields from each line, concatenates them, and writes them to the standard output.

If the fields are of a fixed length, you can select them by the byte or character position with option -b or -c. If, however, the fields vary in length from line to line, you can select them with the -f option, provided they're separated by a delimiter character. By default, cut assumes the field delimiter character to be tab. You can use the -d option to specify another delimiter.

In options -b, -c, and -f, list is a comma-separated list of integers (in increasing order), with an optional dash (-) to indicate ranges.

You can use the cut utility as a filter; if no files are given, the standard input is used.

Examples:

The following are examples of the list argument:

list argument:	Meaning:
`1,4,7`	Select the first, fourth, and seventh characters or fields.
`1-3,8`	Equivalent to 1, 2, 3, 8.
`-5,10`	Equivalent to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10.
`3-`	Equivalent to the third through last.

Map userids to names:

cut -d: -f1,5 /etc/passwd

List filenames and their permissions:

ls -l | cut -c57-79,56,56,1-11

Exit status:

0: All input files were output successfully.
>0: An error occurred.