CSPLIT(1L)

NAME
csplit - split a file into sections determined by context lines

SYNOPSIS
csplit [-sk] [-f prefix] [-n digits] [--prefix=prefix] [--digits=digits] [--quiet] [--silent] [--keep-files] [--help] [--version] file pattern...

DESCRIPTION
This manual page documents the GNU version of csplit. csplit creates zero or more output files containing sections of the given input file, or the standard input if the name `-' is given. By default, csplit prints the number of bytes written to each output file after it has been created.

The contents of the output files are determined by the pattern arguments. An error occurs if a pattern argument refers to a nonexistent line of the input file, such as if no remaining line matches a given regular expression. After all the given patterns have been matched, any remaining output is copied into one last output file. The types of pattern arguments are:

    line
        Create an output file containing the current line up to (but not including) line line (a positive integer) of the input file. If followed by a repeat count, also create an output file containing the next line lines of the input file once for each repeat.

    /regexp/[offset]
        Create an output file containing the current line up to (but not including) the next line of the input file that contains a match for regexp. The optional offset is a `+' or `-' followed by a positive integer. If it is given, the input up to the matching line plus or minus offset is put into the output file, and the line after that begins the next section of input.

    %regexp%[offset]
        Like the previous type, except that it does not create an output file, so that section of the input file is effectively ignored.

    {repeat-count}
        Repeat the previous pattern repeat-count (a positive integer) additional times.

The output file names consist of a prefix followed by a number, so that concatenating the output files in sorted order by file name produces the original input file, in order. The default output file name prefix is `xx'.

By default, if csplit encounters an error or receives a hangup, interrupt, quit, or terminate signal, it removes any output files that it has created so far before it exits.

  OPTIONS

-f, --prefix=prefix
    Use prefix as the output file name prefix.

-k, --keep-files
    Do not remove output files.

-n, --digits=digits
    Use output file names containing numbers that are digits digits long instead of the default 2.

-s, --silent, --quiet
    Do not print counts of output file sizes.

--help
    Print a usage message and exit with a non-zero status.

--version
    Print version information on standard error then exit.