source: buchla-68k/orig/doc/Utilities/FIELD.TXT@ f6afbab

NAME
        field - select fields or columns from a file

SYNOPSIS

        field [-tc] [-nc] [-pc] n ...

DESCRIPTION

        The field command copies selected, delimiter-separated fields from 
        the standard input to the standard output.

        Fields are numbered from 1 and a field may be requested more than once.

        The default delimiter is a tab.

        This can be changed to character c with the option -tc .
        If the form -nc is used, the delimiter c is used on input,
        but the output is still separated by tabs.  If the form -pc
        is use, the delimiter c is used on output, but the input is
        still delimited by tabs.

EXAMPLE

        The following command extracts the login names, user and group numbers
        from the password file:


        field -t: 1 3 4 </etc/passwd

SEE ALSO

        Cut, which is available on System V.
        There is a version of cut on this system, but no manual entry yet.

BUGS/LIMITATIONS

        The number of input or output fields may not exceed 256 and
        the maximum line length is 4096 characters.

AUTHORS

        Adapted from:

                Bourne, S. R.
                "The Unix Programming Environment"
                        p 228-9.

        Modifications by William Silvert and D.N. Lynx Crowe.