{
"content": [
{
"type": "text",
"text": "# split (man)\n\n## NAME\n\nsplit - split a file into pieces\n\n## SYNOPSIS\n\nsplit [OPTION]... [FILE [PREFIX]]\n\n## DESCRIPTION\n\nOutput pieces of FILE to PREFIXaa, PREFIXab, ...; default size is 1000 lines, and default\nPREFIX is 'x'.\n\n## TLDR\n\n> Split a file into pieces.\n\n- Split a file, each split having 10 lines (except the last split):\n `split {{-l|--lines}} 10 {{path/to/file}}`\n- Split a file into 5 files. File is split such that each split has same size (except the last split):\n `split {{-n|--number}} 5 {{path/to/file}}`\n- Split a file with 512 bytes in each split (except the last split; use 512k for kilobytes and 512m for megabytes):\n `split {{-b|--bytes}} 512 {{path/to/file}}`\n- Split a file with at most 512 bytes in each split without breaking lines:\n `split {{-C|--line-bytes}} 512 {{path/to/file}}`\n- Split into multiple files from `stdin`:\n `gzip {{-cd|--stdout --decompress}} {{path/to/compressed_file.gz}} | split {{-l|--lines}} {{1000}} - {{path/to/output}}`\n\n*Source: tldr-pages*\n\n## Sections\n\n- **NAME**\n- **SYNOPSIS**\n- **DESCRIPTION** (13 subsections)\n- **AUTHOR**\n- **REPORTING BUGS**\n- **COPYRIGHT**\n- **SEE ALSO**\n\nUse structuredContent.sections for detailed options, examples, and full documentation.\n"
}
],
"structuredContent": {
"command": "split",
"section": "",
"mode": "man",
"summary": "split - split a file into pieces",
"synopsis": "split [OPTION]... [FILE [PREFIX]]",
"tldr_summary": "Split a file into pieces.",
"tldr_examples": [
{
"description": "Split a file, each split having 10 lines (except the last split)",
"command": "split {{-l|--lines}} 10 {{path/to/file}}"
},
{
"description": "Split a file into 5 files. File is split such that each split has same size (except the last split)",
"command": "split {{-n|--number}} 5 {{path/to/file}}"
},
{
"description": "Split a file with 512 bytes in each split (except the last split; use 512k for kilobytes and 512m for megabytes)",
"command": "split {{-b|--bytes}} 512 {{path/to/file}}"
},
{
"description": "Split a file with at most 512 bytes in each split without breaking lines",
"command": "split {{-C|--line-bytes}} 512 {{path/to/file}}"
},
{
"description": "Split into multiple files from `stdin`",
"command": "gzip {{-cd|--stdout --decompress}} {{path/to/compressed_file.gz}} | split {{-l|--lines}} {{1000}} - {{path/to/output}}"
}
],
"tldr_source": "official",
"flags": [
{
"flag": "-a",
"long": "--suffix-length",
"arg": null,
"description": "generate suffixes of length N (default 2) --additional-suffix=SUFFIX append an additional SUFFIX to file names"
},
{
"flag": "-b",
"long": "--bytes",
"arg": null,
"description": "put SIZE bytes per output file"
},
{
"flag": "-C",
"long": "--line-bytes",
"arg": null,
"description": "put at most SIZE bytes of records per output file"
},
{
"flag": "-d",
"long": null,
"arg": null,
"description": "--numeric-suffixes[=FROM] same as -d, but allow setting the start value"
},
{
"flag": "-x",
"long": null,
"arg": null,
"description": "--hex-suffixes[=FROM] same as -x, but allow setting the start value"
},
{
"flag": "-e",
"long": "--elide-empty-files",
"arg": null,
"description": "do not generate empty output files with '-n' --filter=COMMAND write to shell COMMAND; file name is $FILE"
},
{
"flag": "-l",
"long": "--lines",
"arg": null,
"description": "put NUMBER lines/records per output file"
},
{
"flag": "-n",
"long": "--number",
"arg": null,
"description": "generate CHUNKS output files; see explanation below"
},
{
"flag": "-t",
"long": "--separator",
"arg": null,
"description": "use SEP instead of newline as the record separator; '\\0' (zero) specifies the NUL character"
},
{
"flag": "-u",
"long": "--unbuffered",
"arg": null,
"description": "immediately copy input to output with '-n r/...'"
},
{
"flag": "",
"long": "--verbose",
"arg": null,
"description": "print a diagnostic just before each output file is opened --help display this help and exit"
},
{
"flag": "",
"long": "--version",
"arg": null,
"description": "output version information and exit The SIZE argument is an integer and optional unit (example: 10K is 10*1024). Units are K,M,G,T,P,E,Z,Y (powers of 1024) or KB,MB,... (powers of 1000). Binary prefixes can be used, too: KiB=K, MiB=M, and so on."
}
],
"examples": [],
"see_also": [],
"section_outline": [
{
"name": "NAME",
"lines": 2,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "SYNOPSIS",
"lines": 2,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "DESCRIPTION",
"lines": 7,
"subsections": [
{
"name": "-a --suffix-length",
"lines": 5,
"flag": "-a",
"long": "--suffix-length"
},
{
"name": "-b --bytes",
"lines": 2,
"flag": "-b",
"long": "--bytes"
},
{
"name": "-C --line-bytes",
"lines": 2,
"flag": "-C",
"long": "--line-bytes"
},
{
"name": "-d",
"lines": 3,
"flag": "-d"
},
{
"name": "-x",
"lines": 3,
"flag": "-x"
},
{
"name": "-e --elide-empty-files",
"lines": 5,
"flag": "-e",
"long": "--elide-empty-files"
},
{
"name": "-l --lines",
"lines": 2,
"flag": "-l",
"long": "--lines"
},
{
"name": "-n --number",
"lines": 2,
"flag": "-n",
"long": "--number"
},
{
"name": "-t --separator",
"lines": 3,
"flag": "-t",
"long": "--separator"
},
{
"name": "-u --unbuffered",
"lines": 2,
"flag": "-u",
"long": "--unbuffered"
},
{
"name": "--verbose",
"lines": 4,
"long": "--verbose"
},
{
"name": "--version",
"lines": 6,
"long": "--version"
},
{
"name": "CHUNKS may be:",
"lines": 12
}
]
},
{
"name": "AUTHOR",
"lines": 2,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "REPORTING BUGS",
"lines": 3,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "COPYRIGHT",
"lines": 5,
"subsections": []
},
{
"name": "SEE ALSO",
"lines": 6,
"subsections": []
}
],
"sections": {
"NAME": {
"content": "split - split a file into pieces\n",
"subsections": []
},
"SYNOPSIS": {
"content": "split [OPTION]... [FILE [PREFIX]]\n",
"subsections": []
},
"DESCRIPTION": {
"content": "Output pieces of FILE to PREFIXaa, PREFIXab, ...; default size is 1000 lines, and default\nPREFIX is 'x'.\n\nWith no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.\n\nMandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.\n",
"subsections": [
{
"name": "-a --suffix-length",
"content": "generate suffixes of length N (default 2)\n\n--additional-suffix=SUFFIX\nappend an additional SUFFIX to file names\n",
"flag": "-a",
"long": "--suffix-length"
},
{
"name": "-b --bytes",
"content": "put SIZE bytes per output file\n",
"flag": "-b",
"long": "--bytes"
},
{
"name": "-C --line-bytes",
"content": "put at most SIZE bytes of records per output file\n",
"flag": "-C",
"long": "--line-bytes"
},
{
"name": "-d",
"content": "--numeric-suffixes[=FROM]\nsame as -d, but allow setting the start value\n",
"flag": "-d"
},
{
"name": "-x",
"content": "--hex-suffixes[=FROM]\nsame as -x, but allow setting the start value\n",
"flag": "-x"
},
{
"name": "-e --elide-empty-files",
"content": "do not generate empty output files with '-n'\n\n--filter=COMMAND\nwrite to shell COMMAND; file name is $FILE\n",
"flag": "-e",
"long": "--elide-empty-files"
},
{
"name": "-l --lines",
"content": "put NUMBER lines/records per output file\n",
"flag": "-l",
"long": "--lines"
},
{
"name": "-n --number",
"content": "generate CHUNKS output files; see explanation below\n",
"flag": "-n",
"long": "--number"
},
{
"name": "-t --separator",
"content": "use SEP instead of newline as the record separator; '\\0' (zero) specifies the NUL\ncharacter\n",
"flag": "-t",
"long": "--separator"
},
{
"name": "-u --unbuffered",
"content": "immediately copy input to output with '-n r/...'\n",
"flag": "-u",
"long": "--unbuffered"
},
{
"name": "--verbose",
"content": "print a diagnostic just before each output file is opened\n\n--help display this help and exit\n",
"long": "--verbose"
},
{
"name": "--version",
"content": "output version information and exit\n\nThe SIZE argument is an integer and optional unit (example: 10K is 10*1024). Units are\nK,M,G,T,P,E,Z,Y (powers of 1024) or KB,MB,... (powers of 1000). Binary prefixes can be used,\ntoo: KiB=K, MiB=M, and so on.\n",
"long": "--version"
},
{
"name": "CHUNKS may be:",
"content": "N split into N files based on size of input\n\nK/N output Kth of N to stdout\n\nl/N split into N files without splitting lines/records\n\nl/K/N output Kth of N to stdout without splitting lines/records\n\nr/N like 'l' but use round robin distribution\n\nr/K/N likewise but only output Kth of N to stdout\n"
}
]
},
"AUTHOR": {
"content": "Written by Torbjorn Granlund and Richard M. Stallman.\n",
"subsections": []
},
"REPORTING BUGS": {
"content": "GNU coreutils online help: \nReport any translation bugs to \n",
"subsections": []
},
"COPYRIGHT": {
"content": "Copyright © 2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later\n.\nThis is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to\nthe extent permitted by law.\n",
"subsections": []
},
"SEE ALSO": {
"content": "Full documentation \nor available locally via: info '(coreutils) split invocation'\n\n\n\nGNU coreutils 8.32 January 2026 SPLIT(1)",
"subsections": []
}
}
}
}