head

Output the first part of files, prints the first part (10 lines by default) of each file.

SYNTAX
      head [options]... [file]...

Options:

  -NUMBER
     Return the first NUMBER of lines from the file. (must be the first option specified)

  -CountOptions
This option is only recognized if it is specified first. Count is a decimal number optionally followed by a size letter ('b', 'k',
'm' for bytes, Kilobytes or Megabytes) , or 'l' to mean count by lines, or other option letters ('cqv').

  -c BYTES
  --bytes=BYTES
       Print the first BYTES bytes, instead of initial lines.  Appending
       'b' multiplies BYTES by 512, 'k' by 1024, and 'm' by 1048576.

  -n N
  --lines=N
       Output the first N lines.

  -q
  --quiet
  --silent
       Never print file name headers.

  -v
  --verbose
       Always print file name headers.
If no files are given (or if given a FILE of '-') head will read from standard input.

If more than one FILE is specified, 'head' will print a one-line header consisting of ==> FILE NAME <== before the output for each FILE.

Two option formats are accepted: the new one, in which numbers are arguments to the options ('-q -n 1'), and the old one, in which the number precedes any option letters ('-1q')

Examples

Extract the first 85 lines from a file:

head -85 file,txt

Extract lines 40-50 from a file, first using head to get the first 50 lines then tail to get the last 10:

head -50 file.txt | tail -10

"If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you..." ~ Rudyard Kipling

Related bash commands:

csplit - Split a file into context-determined pieces
cut - Divide a file into several parts
fmt - Reformat paragraph text
paste - Merge lines of files
split - Split a file into fixed-size pieces
tail - Output the last part of files
Equivalent Windows command: FOR /F "skip=nlines" - Loop through items in a text file