The cut command allows cutting of sections based on byte positions, characters, or fields separated by a delimiter like the ‘-‘ or ‘:’ characters.

cut - remove sections from each line of files.

cut can return section based on number of bytes (-b), characters (-c), or fields (-f) when fields are separated by a delimiter(-d).

Default delimiter is tab.

A range must be provided in each case which consists of one of N, N-M, N-(N to last) or -M (first to M)

cut -c 2-4
abcdef

Press CTRL+D to stop inputting

returns:

bcd

cut -c 3
abcdef

returns:

c

cut -c 2,4,7
alongtext 

returns:

lne

cut -c -2
abcdef

returns:

ab

cut -c 2-
abcdef

returns:

bcdef

cut -c 1,6-9,16-
alongtextwithnospaces

returns:

atextspaces
</code
 
----
 
<code bash>
cut -f 2- -d ':'
23:34:45:56

NOTE: -d specifies delimiter

returns:

34:45:56

cut -f 2
er rt fg wd ji

returns:

er rt fg wd ji

NOTE: cut didn't find the delimiter (default is tab) so returns whole line.

cut -f 2 -s
er rt fg wd ji    

NOTE: cut wont print as -s flag is used to prevent printing when delimiter not found.

cut -d: -f1 /etc/passwd >users.txt