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cut-command-builder

Extract columns

cut
Ready
Editor

Configuration

Remove sections from each line of a file

Required
Flags & Options

Add flags from the picker below...

Tests

-f
Fields

Select only these fields (tab-delimited by default). Ranges and comma-separated lists are supported (-f / --fields).

-b
Byte positions

Select only these byte positions. Ranges and lists supported (-b / --bytes).

-c
Character positions

Select only these character positions (locale-aware) (-c / --characters).

-d
Delimiter

Use the specified character as the field delimiter instead of TAB (-d / --delimiter). Enclose special chars in quotes, e.g. ",".

--output-delimiter
Output delimiter

Use the specified string as the output field separator instead of the input delimiter.

-s
Only delimited lines

Do not print lines that do not contain the delimiter (-s / --only-delimited). Useful to skip header lines.

--complement
Complement selection

Invert the selection — output everything NOT in the selected range.

-z
NUL line terminator

Use NUL (\0) as the line delimiter instead of newline, for null-separated input (GNU coreutils 8.20+) (-z / --zero-terminated).

Live Output

Command
man page
➜cut -

PRO TIP:Combine with sort and uniq: cut -d: -f1 /etc/passwd | sort -u

UTF-8
LangStop DevTools v1.0.0
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Linux cut Command Builder (Online Tool + Complete Guide)

The Linux cut command is a powerful utility used to extract specific columns, fields, or character ranges from text input. This tool helps you build cut commands interactively, making it faster to work with structured data like CSV files, logs, and command output.

🚀 What is the cut Command?

The cut command allows you to:

  • Extract specific fields (columns) from text
  • Work with custom delimiters (comma, tab, pipe, etc.)
  • Process large text data efficiently
  • Integrate into shell pipelines

⚙️ Basic Syntax

cut -d 'delimiter' -f fields file.txt

Key Options

  • -d → Specify delimiter
  • -f → Select fields (columns)
  • -c → Select character positions
  • --complement → Exclude selected fields

🧠 How to Use This Cut Command Builder

This interactive tool lets you:

  • Enter your input data
  • Define a delimiter
  • Select fields or ranges
  • Instantly generate a ready-to-use command

Workflow

  1. Paste your input data
  2. Set delimiter (e.g., ,, \t, |)
  3. Choose fields (e.g., 1, 1,3, 2-4)
  4. Copy the generated command

📌 Practical Examples

1. Extract First Column (CSV)

cut -d ',' -f 1 data.csv

2. Extract Multiple Columns

cut -d ',' -f 1,3 data.csv

3. Extract Column Range

cut -d ',' -f 2-4 data.csv

4. Use Tab as Delimiter

cut -f 2 file.txt

5. Extract Characters Instead of Fields

cut -c 1-5 file.txt

6. Exclude Specific Fields

cut -d ',' -f 2 --complement data.csv

🧩 Common Use Cases

📊 CSV Processing

  • Extract columns from large datasets
  • Clean and preprocess data

📜 Log Analysis

  • Extract timestamps, IPs, or fields
  • Filter structured logs

🔗 Shell Pipelines

  • Combine with:
    • grep
    • awk
    • sort
    • uniq

Example:

cat logs.txt | cut -d ' ' -f 1 | sort | uniq

⚡ Performance Tips

  • Use cut when:
    • Data is delimiter-based
    • You need fast column extraction
  • Prefer cut over heavier tools like awk for simple tasks
  • Works efficiently even with large files

⚠️ Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting delimiter:
    • Default is tab, not comma
  • Incorrect field indexing:
    • Fields start from 1 (not 0)
  • Using cut on irregular data:
    • Works best with structured input

🔍 cut vs awk vs sed

Tool Best For
cut Fast column extraction
awk Complex data processing
sed Text transformation

❓ FAQ

What does the cut command do in Linux?

  • It extracts specific sections from each line of input.

What is the default delimiter?

  • Tab character (\t)

Can I select multiple fields?

  • Yes, use:
    • 1,2,3 → specific fields
    • 1-3 → range

Can cut handle large files?

  • Yes, it is optimized for performance and works well with large datasets.

🧠 Pro Tips

  • Combine with pipes for powerful workflows
  • Use ranges (1-5) to reduce command complexity
  • Validate delimiter before processing

🔗 Related Linux Commands

  • awk → advanced data processing
  • sed → stream editing
  • grep → pattern searching

🏁 Summary

The Linux cut command is:

  • ⚡ Fast
  • 🎯 Precise
  • 🧩 Ideal for structured text

Use this Cut Command Builder to eliminate guesswork and generate commands instantly for your workflow.