CSPLIT(1) User Commands CSPLIT(1) NAME csplit - split a file into sections determined by context lines SYNOPSIS csplit [OPTION]... FILE PATTERN... DESCRIPTION Output pieces of FILE separated by PATTERN(s) to files 'xx00', 'xx01', ..., and output byte counts of each piece to standard output. Read standard input if FILE is - Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too. -b, --suffix-format=FORMAT use sprintf FORMAT instead of %02d -f, --prefix=PREFIX use PREFIX instead of 'xx' -k, --keep-files do not remove output files on errors --suppress-matched suppress the lines matching PATTERN -n, --digits=DIGITS use specified number of digits instead of 2 -s, --quiet, --silent do not print counts of output file sizes -z, --elide-empty-files suppress empty output files --help display this help and exit --version output version information and exit Each PATTERN may be: INTEGER copy up to but not including specified line number /REGEXP/[OFFSET] copy up to but not including a matching line %REGEXP%[OFFSET] skip to, but not including a matching line {INTEGER} repeat the previous pattern specified number of times {*} repeat the previous pattern as many times as possible A line OFFSET is an integer optionally preceded by '+' or '-' AUTHOR Written by Stuart Kemp and David MacKenzie. REPORTING BUGS GNU coreutils online help: Report any translation bugs to COPYRIGHT Copyright (C) 2024 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later . This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. SEE ALSO Full documentation or available locally via: info '(coreutils) csplit invocation' GNU coreutils 9.5 March 2024 CSPLIT(1)