STRING-SUB(1)

🦋 STRING-SUB(1) — the string sub page, bestie edition 🦋

okay so real talk, this is a page from fish-shell, and it's all about string sub. it's short, it's iconic, and honestly? it ate. let's get into it 💅

---

✨ NAME ✨

string-sub — extract substrings 🎀

like, you got a string? you want a smaller string out of it? bestie, this is the tool. periodt.

---

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

string sub [(-s | --start) START] [(-e | --end) END] [(-l | --length) LENGTH]
           [-q | --quiet] [STRING ...]

that's the whole vibe up there ^^ no cap, that's the entire shape of it. notice the -q | --quiet sitting there all mysterious 👀 — it's literally in the synopsis, so it's a real option, and it's listed below with the others fr fr.

---

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

string sub prints a substring of each STRING argument. like, per argument. it does the thing for each one. 🌸

where does it start, where does it end 🫶

you tell it where the substring starts and/or ends using -s/--start or -e/--end, followed by a 1-based index value. yes, 1-based. the first character is 1, not 0. that's the whole system, don't fight it 💀

• positive index values are relative to the start of the string
• negative index values are relative to the end of the string

the default start value is 1 — so if you don't say anything, it starts at the very beginning like the main character it is 👑

how long is it 👑

the length of the substring can be specified with -l or --length. and if the length or end is not specified, the substring continues all the way to the end of each STRING. it just keeps going. no stop sign. 🦋

the flags, one by one 💖

• -s, --start START — where the substring begins. 1-based index. positive = from the start of the string, negative = from the end of the string. default is 1.
• -e, --end END — where the substring ends. also a 1-based index value, same positive/negative rules as above.
• -l, --length LENGTH — how long the substring is. remember: --length is mutually exclusive with --end — you pick one, you don't get both, that's the rule 🔥
• -q, --quiet — listed in the synopsis up there with the rest of the squad 😌 (this page doesn't describe its behaviour, so we're not gonna make stuff up about it, iykyk)

⚠️ heads up bestie: --length is mutually exclusive with --end. that's not a suggestion, that's the deal. don't come for both at once 🫶

exit status 💀

• 0 — if at least one substring operation was performed (we did it, we slayed)
• 1 — otherwise (nothing happened, sad)

---

✨ EXAMPLES ✨

okay this is the fun part, watch this:

>_ string sub --length 2 abcde
ab

two characters, from the front. ab. iconic. 🌟

>_ string sub -s 2 -l 2 abcde
bc

start at 2, grab 2. bc. chef's kiss 🎀

>_ string sub --start=-2 abcde
de

negative start! from the end! de. the way that works 😭

>_ string sub --end=3 abcde
abc

end at 3, and since there's no start it defaults to 1. abc. clean. ✨

>_ string sub -e -1 abcde
abcd

end at -1, i.e. one from the end. abcd. literally the whole thing minus the last letter 🦋

>_ string sub -s 2 -e -1 abcde
bcd

start at 2, end at -1. bcd. look at her go 💜

>_ string sub -s -3 -e -2 abcde
c

negative start AND negative end. c. one single lowercase c. and honestly? she's the moment. 👑

---

✨ Copyright ✨

fish-shell developers — that's the copyright line, keep it safe, credit the makers 🫶

---

and that's the page!! no cap, you're now a string sub girlie. go slice some strings, bestie 🌈💅

⭐ this was STRING-SUB(1) from fish-shell, version 4.9, dated Sep 08, 2026 — mwah, bye 🎀