Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!unh!pss
From: pss@unh.UUCP (Paul S. Sawyer == paul)
Newsgroups: comp.bugs.sys5
Subject: bug in cut
Keywords: cut null
Message-ID: <941@unh.UUCP>
Date: 22 Feb 89 19:06:54 GMT
Organization: unhtel.UUCP == UNH Telecommunications
Lines: 20


	I recently noticed some strange behaviour in CUT.  After a lot
of grief, I discovered that the input file (which had come from a
different system via Kermit) had a NULL character after the last newline.
This caused an extra blank line to be appended if cut was called using the
first character (cut -c1-80 file), and an extra line EXACTLY LIKE THE
"REAL" LAST LINE to be appended if the "cut" was from the third character
or beyond (cut -c3-80).  I RTFM and found, in INTRO(1) "WARNINGS - Some
commands produce unexpected results when processing null characters...."
Yes, so pass foreign text files thru TR as a minimum if there may be NULLS
within! 

	Lots of trouble over "nothing"  B-)


-- 
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Paul S. Sawyer              uunet!unh!unhtel!paul     paul@unhtel.UUCP
UNH Telecommunications
Durham, NH  03824-3523      VOX: 603-862-3262         FAX: 603-862-2030