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split(P) split(P)
NAME
split - split files into pieces
SYNOPSIS
split [-l line_count][-a suffix_length][file[name]]
split -b n[k|m][-a suffix_length][file[name]]
DESCRIPTION
The split utility shall read an input file and write one
or more output files. The default size of each output
file shall be 1000 lines. The size of the output files
can be modified by specification of the -b or -l
options. Each output file shall be created with a unique
suffix. The suffix shall consist of exactly suf-
fix_length lowercase letters from the POSIX locale. The
letters of the suffix shall be used as if they were a
base-26 digit system, with the first suffix to be cre-
ated consisting of all 'a' characters, the second with a
'b' replacing the last 'a' , and so on, until a name of
all 'z' characters is created. By default, the names of
the output files shall be 'x' , followed by a two-char-
acter suffix from the character set as described above,
starting with "aa" , "ab" , "ac" , and so on, and con-
tinuing until the suffix "zz" , for a maximum of 676
files.
If the number of files required exceeds the maximum
allowed by the suffix length provided, such that the
last allowable file would be larger than the requested
size, the split utility shall fail after creating the
last file with a valid suffix; split shall not delete
the files it created with valid suffixes. If the file
limit is not exceeded, the last file created shall con-
tain the remainder of the input file, and may be smaller
than the requested size.
OPTIONS
The split utility shall conform to the Base Definitions
volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, Section 12.2, Utility
Syntax Guidelines.
The following options shall be supported:
-a suffix_length
Use suffix_length letters to form the suffix por-
tion of the filenames of the split file. If -a is
not specified, the default suffix length shall be
two. If the sum of the name operand and the suf-
fix_length option-argument would create a file-
name exceeding {NAME_MAX} bytes, an error shall
result; split shall exit with a diagnostic mes-
sage and no files shall be created.
-b n Split a file into pieces n bytes in size.
-b nk Split a file into pieces n*1024 bytes in size.
-b nm Split a file into pieces n*1048576 bytes in size.
-l line_count
Specify the number of lines in each resulting
file piece. The line_count argument is an
unsigned decimal integer. The default is 1000. If
the input does not end with a <newline>, the par-
tial line shall be included in the last output
file.
OPERANDS
The following operands shall be supported:
file The pathname of the ordinary file to be split. If
no input file is given or file is '-' , the stan-
dard input shall be used.
name The prefix to be used for each of the files
resulting from the split operation. If no name
argument is given, 'x' shall be used as the pre-
fix of the output files. The combined length of
the basename of prefix and suffix_length cannot
exceed {NAME_MAX} bytes. See the OPTIONS section.
STDIN
See the INPUT FILES section.
INPUT FILES
Any file can be used as input.
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
The following environment variables shall affect the
execution of split:
LANG Provide a default value for the internationaliza-
tion variables that are unset or null. (See the
Base Definitions volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001,
Section 8.2, Internationalization Variables for
the precedence of internationalization variables
used to determine the values of locale cate-
gories.)
LC_ALL If set to a non-empty string value, override the
values of all the other internationalization
variables.
LC_CTYPE
Determine the locale for the interpretation of
sequences of bytes of text data as characters
(for example, single-byte as opposed to multi-
byte characters in arguments and input files).
LC_MESSAGES
Determine the locale that should be used to
affect the format and contents of diagnostic mes-
sages written to standard error.
NLSPATH
Determine the location of message catalogs for
the processing of LC_MESSAGES .
ASYNCHRONOUS EVENTS
Default.
STDOUT
Not used.
STDERR
The standard error shall be used only for diagnostic
messages.
OUTPUT FILES
The output files contain portions of the original input
file; otherwise, unchanged.
EXTENDED DESCRIPTION
None.
EXIT STATUS
The following exit values shall be returned:
0 Successful completion.
>0 An error occurred.
CONSEQUENCES OF ERRORS
Default.
The following sections are informative.
APPLICATION USAGE
None.
EXAMPLES
In the following examples foo is a text file that con-
tains 5000 lines.
Create five files, xaa, xab, xac, xad, and xae:
split foo
Create five files, but the suffixed portion of the cre-
ated files consists of three letters, xaaa, xaab, xaac,
xaad, and xaae:
split -a 3 foo
Create three files with four-letter suffixes and a sup-
plied prefix, bar_aaaa, bar_aaab, and bar_aaac:
split -a 4 -l 2000 foo bar_
Create as many files as are necessary to contain at most
20*1024 bytes, each with the default prefix of x and a
five-letter suffix:
split -a 5 -b 20k foo
RATIONALE
The -b option was added to provide a mechanism for
splitting files other than by lines. While most uses of
the -b option are for transmitting files over networks,
some believed it would have additional uses.
The -a option was added to overcome the limitation of
being able to create only 676 files.
Consideration was given to deleting this utility, using
the rationale that the functionality provided by this
utility is available via the csplit utility (see csplit
). Upon reconsideration of the purpose of the User
Portability Extension, it was decided to retain both
this utility and the csplit utility because users use
both utilities and have historical expectations of their
behavior. Furthermore, the splitting on byte boundaries
in split cannot be duplicated with the historical
csplit.
The text " split shall not delete the files it created
with valid suffixes" would normally be assumed, but
since the related utility, csplit, does delete files
under some circumstances, the historical behavior of
split is made explicit to avoid misinterpretation.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
None.
SEE ALSO
csplit
COPYRIGHT
Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in
electronic form from IEEE Std 1003.1, 2003 Edition,
Standard for Information Technology -- Portable Operat-
ing System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base Speci-
fications Issue 6, Copyright (C) 2001-2003 by the Insti-
tute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc and
The Open Group. In the event of any discrepancy between
this version and the original IEEE and The Open Group
Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard
is the referee document. The original Standard can be
obtained online at http://www.open-
group.org/unix/online.html .
POSIX 2003 split(P)
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