CSPLIT(1)

📦
version 9.12 · 26 versions
, in arch rolling

✨ CSPLIT(1) ✨

okay so bestie, this is csplit from the GNU coreutils manual — page one of section one, user commands, the whole vibe. it's the little sister of split and she is unhinged in the best way 🎀 she doesn't cut by size, she cuts by context. like, by meaning. main character energy fr fr 💅

🌸 NAME 🌸

csplit — split a file into sections determined by context lines. that's it, that's the girl. she takes one file and goes snip snip snip wherever the content tells her to 🦋

⭐ SYNOPSIS ⭐

csplit [OPTION]... FILE PATTERN...

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

So here's the tea 🍓: csplit outputs pieces of FILE, separated by PATTERN(s), into files named 'xx00', 'xx01', ... — and then, because she's an overachiever, she prints the byte counts of each piece to standard output. not me being obsessed with a byte count 😭

If FILE is -, she reads standard input. iconic behaviour, honestly.

⚠️ Real talk: mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too. no shortcuts, babe. the rules are the rules 💅

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

  • -b, --suffix-format=FORMAT — use sprintf FORMAT instead of %02d. you wanna name your babies something else? go off ✨
  • -f, --prefix=PREFIX — use PREFIX instead of 'xx'. so instead of xx00 you get whatever cute little prefix you dream up 🦋
  • -k, --keep-files — do not remove output files on errors. she's usually like "oops, cleanup time" but with this she holds onto everything 🫶
  • --suppress-matched — suppress the lines matching PATTERN. the matching line just... doesn't make it in. gone. ghosted 💀
  • -n, --digits=DIGITS — use specified number of digits instead of 2. more digits, more drama 👑
  • -s, --quiet, --silent — do not print counts of output file sizes. sometimes you just don't wanna hear the numbers, and that's valid 🙈
  • -z, --elide-empty-files — suppress empty output files. no empty files on this account, we don't do that here 💅
  • --help — display this help and exit. your girl is helpful 🌈
  • --version — output version information and exit. she'll tell you who she is ⭐

🧚 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

and one more lil note, bestie:

A line OFFSET is an integer optionally preceded by '+' or '-' 🌸

💜 AUTHOR 💜

Written by Stuart Kemp and David MacKenzie. legends, truly. we stan 🫶

🌈 REPORTING BUGS 🌈

ngl if you found a bug, tell them!! they wanna know!! 🐛✨

Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.

This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.

There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. like, none. zero. don't come for her 💀

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

iykyk, the info page is right there, go read it 📖

GNU coreutils 9.12, September 2026 — and that's the whole page, bestie!! you ate that. go split something with context. periodt 💖✨🎀

📦 where this page comes from