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(textutils.info)The cut command

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The `cut' command
=================

   The next program we'll look at is the `cut' command.  This program
cuts out columns or fields of input data.  For example, we can tell it
to print just the login name and full name from the `/etc/passwd file'.
The `/etc/passwd' file has seven fields, separated by colons:

     arnold:xyzzy:2076:10:Arnold D. Robbins:/home/arnold:/bin/ksh

   To get the first and fifth fields, we would use cut like this:

     $ cut -d: -f1,5 /etc/passwd
     root:Operator
     ...
     arnold:Arnold D. Robbins
     miriam:Miriam A. Robbins
     ...

   With the `-c' option, `cut' will cut out specific characters (i.e.,
columns) in the input lines.  This command looks like it might be
useful for data filtering.