NAME

colrm — remove columns from a file

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

The colrm utility removes selected columns from the lines of a file. A column is defined as a single character in a line. Input is read from the standard input. Output is written to the standard output.

If only the start column is specified, columns numbered less than the start column will be written. If both start and stop columns are specified, columns numbered less than the start column or greater than the stop column will be written. Column numbering starts with one, not zero.

Tab characters increment the column count to the next multiple of eight. Backspace characters decrement the column count by one.

ENVIRONMENT

The LANG, LC_ALL and LC_CTYPE environment variables affect the execution of colrm as described in environ(7).

EXIT STATUS

The colrm utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.

EXAMPLES

Show columns below 3 (c) and above 5 (e):

$ echo -e "abcdefgh\n12345678" | colrm 3 5
abfgh
12678

Specifying a start column bigger than the number of columns in the file is allowed and shows all the columns:

$ echo "abcdefgh" | colrm 100
abcdefgh

Using 1 as start column will show nothing:

$ echo "abcdefgh" | colrm 1

SEE ALSO

awk(1), column(1), cut(1), paste(1)

HISTORY

The colrm utility first appeared in 1BSD.

AUTHORS

Jeff Schriebman wrote the original version of colrm in November 1974.