Bash Splitting Files We can use sed with w option to split a file into mutiple files. Files can be split by specifying line address or pattern.
Example
Suppose we have this source file that we would like to split:
cat -n sourcefile
1 On the Ning Nang Nong
2 Where the Cows go Bong!
3 and the monkeys all say BOO!
4 There's a Nong Nang Ning
5 Where the trees go Ping!
6 And the tea pots jibber jabber joo.
7 On the Nong Ning Nang
Command to split the file by line number:
sed '1,3w f1
> 4,7w f2' sourcefile
This writes line1 to line3 into file f1 and line4 to line7 into file f2, from the sourcefile.
cat -n f1
1 On the Ning Nang Nong
2 Where the Cows go Bong!
3 and the monkeys all say BOO!
cat -n f2
1 There's a Nong Nang Ning
2 Where the trees go Ping!
3 And the tea pots jibber jabber joo.
4 On the Nong Ning Nang
Command to split the file by context/pattern:
sed '/Ning/w file1
> /Ping/w file2' sourcefile
This splits the sourcefile into file1 and file2. file1 contains all lines that match Ning, file2 contains lines that match Ping.
cat file1
On the Ning Nang Nong
There's a Nong Nang Ning
On the Nong Ning Nang
cat file2
Where the trees go Ping!
