Linux and Unix csplit command
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About csplit
Syntax
Examples
Related commands
Linux and Unix main page
About csplit
Split files based on context.
Syntax
csplit [-k] [-s] [ -f prefix ] [ -n number ] file arg1 argn
| -k |
Leave previously created files intact. By default, csplit will remove created files if an error
occurs. |
| -s |
Suppress the output of file size messages. |
| -f prefix |
Name the created files prefix00, prefix01, ..., prefixn. The default is xx00 ... xxn. If the prefix argument would create a file name exceeding
14 bytes, an error will result; csplit will exit with a diagnostic message and no files will be created. |
| -n number |
Use number decimal digits to form filenames for the file pieces. The default is 2. |
| file |
The path name of a text file to be split. If file is -, the standard input will be used. |
| arg1 argn |
The operands arg1 ... argn can be a combination of the following:
/rexp/[offset]
Create a file using the content of the lines from the current line up to, but not including, the line that results from
the evaluation of the regular expression with offset, if any, applied. The regular expression rexp must follow the rules for basic regular expressions.
The optional offset must be a positive or negative integer value representing a number of lines. The integer value must be preceded by + or
-. If the selection of lines from an offset expression of this type would create a file with zero lines, or one with greater than the number
of lines left in the input file, the results are unspecified. After the section is created, the current line will be set to the line that results
from the evaluation of the regular expression with any offset applied. The pattern match of rexp always is applied from the current line to
the end of the file.
%rexp%[offset]
This operand is the same as /rexp/[offset], except that no file will be created for the selected section of the input file.
line_no
Create a file from the current line up to (but not including) the line number line_no. Lines in the file will be numbered starting
at one. The current line becomes line_no.
{num}
Repeat operand. This operand can follow any of the operands described previously. If it follows a rexp type operand, that operand
will be applied num more times. If it follows a line_no operand, the file will be split every line_no lines, num times, from that point.
|
Examples
csplit -f cobol filename '/procedure division/' /par5./ /par16./
Creates four files, cobol00...cobol03.
After editing the ``split'' files, they can be recombined using the below command.
cat cobol0[0-3] > filename
Related commands
cat
sed
split
