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.TH CSPLIT 1L \" -*- nroff -*-
.SH NAME
csplit \- split a file into sections determined by context lines
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B csplit
[\-sk] [\-f prefix] [\-n digits] [\-\-prefix=prefix] [\-\-digits=digits]
[\-\-quiet] [\-\-silent] [\-\-keep-files] file pattern...
.SH DESCRIPTION
This manual page
documents the GNU version of
.BR csplit .
.B csplit
creates zero or more output files containing sections of the given
input
.IR file ,
or the standard input if the name `\-' is given.  By default,
.B csplit
prints the number of bytes written to each output file after it has
been created.
.PP
The contents of the output files are determined by the
.I 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.  The types of pattern arguments
are:
.RS
.TP
.I line
.br
Create an output file containing the current line up to (but not
including) line \fIline\fP (a positive integer) of the input file.  If
followed by a repeat count, also create an output file containing the
next \fIline\fP lines of the input file once for each repeat.
.TP
/\fIregexp\fP/[\fIoffset\fP]
.br
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
\fIregexp\fP.  The optional \fIoffset\fP is a `+' or `\-' followed by
a positive integer; if it is given, the line that starts the next
section of the input file is the line that contains the match for
\fIregexp\fP plus the offset.
.TP
%\fIregexp\fP%[\fIoffset\fP]
.br
Like the previous type, except that it does not create an output file,
so that section of the input file is effectively ignored.
.TP
{\fIrepeat-count\fP}
.br
Repeat the previous pattern \fIrepeat-count\fP (a positive integer)
additional times.
.RE
.PP
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'.
.PP
By default, if
.B 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.
.SS OPTIONS
.TP
.I "\-f, \-\-prefix=prefix"
Use
.I prefix
as the output file name prefix.
.TP
.I "\-k, \-\-keep-files"
Do not remove output files.
.TP
.I "\-n, \-\-digits=digits"
Use output file names containing numbers that are
.I digits
digits long instead of the default 2.
.TP
.I "\-s, \-\-silent, \-\-quiet"
Do not print counts of output file sizes.
.PP
The long-named options can be introduced with `+' as well as `\-\-',
for compatibility with previous releases.  Eventually support for `+'
will be removed, because it is incompatible with the POSIX.2 standard.