CUT

cut − remove sections from each line of files

cut OPTION... [FILE]...

Print selected parts of lines from each FILE to standard output.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

−b, −−bytes=LIST

select only these bytes

−c, −−characters=LIST

select only these characters

−d, −−delimiter=DELIM

use DELIM instead of TAB for field delimiter

−f, −−fields=LIST

select only these fields; also print any line that contains no delimiter character, unless the −s option is specified

−n

with −b: don’t split multibyte characters

−−complement

complement the set of selected bytes, characters or fields

−s, −−only−delimited

do not print lines not containing delimiters

−−output−delimiter=STRING

use STRING as the output delimiter the default is to use the input delimiter

−−help

display this help and exit

−−version

output version information and exit

Use one, and only one of −b, −c or −f. Each LIST is made up of one range, or many ranges separated by commas. Selected input is written in the same order that it is read, and is written exactly once. Each range is one of:

N

N’th byte, character or field, counted from 1

N−

from N’th byte, character or field, to end of line

N−M

from N’th to M’th (included) byte, character or field

−M

from first to M’th (included) byte, character or field

With no FILE, or when FILE is −, read standard input.

Written by David M. Ihnat, David MacKenzie, and Jim Meyering.

Report cut bugs to bug−coreutils@gnu.org
GNU coreutils home page: <http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
Report cut translation bugs to <http://translationproject.org/team/>

Copyright © 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

The full documentation for cut is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and cut programs are properly installed at your site, the command

info coreutils 'cut invocation'

should give you access to the complete manual.