##########################################################################
# Title      :	field - return specific column(s) of the input (like cat)
# Author     :	Heiner Steven (stv)
# Date       :	1994-04-19
# Category   :	Text Utilities
# $Id: field,v 1.2 2013/10/20 15:01:06 heiner Exp $
##########################################################################
# Description
#    -	Splits the input in whitespace-delimited columns, and returns
#	the columns specified by number.
#	In contrast to "cut" columns may be separated by arbitrary
#	combinations of blanks and TABs
##########################################################################

PN=`basename $0`			# Programmname
VER='0.1 (beta)'

Usage () {
    echo "$PN - split input into columns, $VER (stv '94)"
    echo "usage: $PN [column ...] [file ...]"
    echo
    echo "Columns are denoted by column numbers (starting with 1)."
    exit 1
}

# Build column list suitable for AWK, i.e.
# Columns="$1,$2,$3"
for i
do
    case "$i" in
	[0-9]*)
	    [ -z "$Columns" ] || Columns="${Columns},"
	    Columns="${Columns}\$$i"
	    shift ;;
	*)  break;;				# scheint Datei zu sein
    esac
done

[ -z "$Columns" ] && Usage


awk '{ print '$Columns' }' "$@"