UNIX cut command with examples

Cut by selected bytes

The cut utility allows you to cut text by selecting the bytes you want to extract from the string.

sam@asus:~/unix% echo "test" | cut -b 1 
t
sam@asus:~/unix% echo "test" | cut -b 1,2,3
tes

Cut by selected byte range

You can select a range of bytes to extract from a string using the ‘-’, which specifies a range rather than a single byte.

sam@asus:~/unix% echo "test" | cut -b 1-4
test
sam@asus:~/unix% echo "test" | cut -b 1-2,3-4
test
sam@asus:~/unix% 

Cut by selecting characters

Selecting a character with the cut utility is performed with the ‘-c’ option. It extracts one or more characters from a string.

sam@asus:~/unix% echo "test" | cut -c 1
t
sam@asus:~/unix% echo "test" | cut -c 1,2
te

Cut by selecting character range

Selecting a character range with the ‘-c’ is achieved like the ‘-b’ using the ‘-’ character to indicated a range of characters.

sam@asus:~/unix% echo "test" | cut -c 1-3
tes
sam@asus:~/unix% echo "test" | cut -c 1-2,3-4
test
sam@asus:~/unix% 

Cut based on delimiter

Cut gives you the ability to split up a string based on a delimiter you specify. Using the ‘-d’ option along with the ‘-f’ option which tells cut which fields you wish to print on screen. Out data set contains names separated by ‘;’. By default cut separates the string based on the tab delimiter.

sam@asus:~/unix% cut -d ";" -f 1 sample2.txt
Edan
James
Clinton
Dean
Dawn
sam@asus:~/unix% 

If you wanted to print the second field of the string delimiter by a ‘;’ you to do as so:

sam@asus:~/unix% cut -d ";" -f 2 sample2.txt
Carney
Quinn
Wilkinson
Graves
Owen
sam@asus:~/unix% 

The ‘-d’ option can also cut multiple fields and print them them.

sam@asus:~/unix% cut -d "," -f 1,2 sample3.txt
Edan,Carney
James,Quinn
Clinton,Wilkinson
Dean,Graves
Dawn,Owen
sam@asus:~/unix%

or can print a range

sam@asus:~/unix% cut -d "," -f 1-3 sample3.txt
Edan,Carney,Jerry
James,Quinn,Bob
Clinton,Wilkinson,Winston
Dean,Graves,Carrey
Dawn,Owen,Samatha
sam@asus:~/unix% 

Printing a different output delimiter

Cut gives you the ability to set a new output delimiter instead of using the input delimiter by default.

sam@asus:~/unix% cut -d "," -f 1,2 --output-delimiter='//' sample3.txt
Edan//Carney
James//Quinn
Clinton//Wilkinson
Dean//Graves
Dawn//Owen
sam@asus:~/unix%