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searching a text string for n'th :

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Top Forums Shell Programming and Scripting searching a text string for n'th :
# 1  
Old 08-25-2010
searching a text string for n'th :
hello, i'm a novice on bsh scripting so thanks for any help here
basically i have a shell var $x that looks like this
Code:
> echo $x
nabc1234:!:73394:17155:Gary Mason:/home/garym:/bin/ksh

and i'm trying to keep the first 8 characters and the text from the 4th : to the 5th :

i've been trying to use the index function, but can figure out how to tell it the nth : to go to
Code:
echo `expr index "$x" $":"`   # returns 8

i know there are many ways to skin this cat.
but if you post a solution, please give me a little explaination/comments
thanks
Last edited by Scott; 08-25-2010 at 11:54 AM.. Reason: Please use code tags
# 2  
Old 08-25-2010
Code:
echo $x | cut -d: -f1,5

To know how this command works, consult "man cut"
This User Gave Thanks to bartus11 For This Post:
sasglm
# 3  
Old 08-25-2010
Code:
y=${x%:*:*}
echo "${y%%:*} ${y##*:}"

# 4  
Old 08-25-2010
ok yes the cut works
here's my command string, the problem is when i get multiple lines from the passwd file. this only returns the first line's info, the result of the grep seems to put just one space between the lines and the cut thinks that it's looking at one line not 2. i've looked and man grep and man cut to see if there are any switches I should turn on and nothing has worked thus far.
any suggestions to get the second line to echo?

Code:
echo \\n \\r `cat /etc/passwd | grep -E Sean` | cut -d: -f1,5

Last edited by Scott; 08-25-2010 at 09:09 PM.. Reason: Code tags, please...
# 5  
Old 08-25-2010
When you execute a command in back quotes or $() the output is stripped of new lines (by the shell). You don't need to cat the file, grep will read it when given the file name on the command line:

Code:
grep -E Sean /etc/passwd | cut -d: -f1,5

Last edited by agama; 08-25-2010 at 07:56 PM.. Reason: clarification
This User Gave Thanks to agama For This Post:
sasglm
# 6  
Old 08-25-2010
good point...but
I've got this as a function in my .profile, and with out the ` ticks the grep doesn't invoke.
Double quotes don't help either
thanks

Code:
nbk ()
{
echo \\n \\r grep -E $1 /etc/passwd | cut -d: -f1,5
}
 
 
tx8apbci210:/home/nas/nbk1hhk> nbk Sean
 
 grep -E Sean /etc/passwd
tx8apbci210:/home/nas/nbk1hhk>

Last edited by Scott; 08-25-2010 at 09:10 PM.. Reason: Please use code tags
# 7  
Old 08-25-2010
The grep won't fire because it's in the echo which isn't needed. Try this:

Code:
nbk ()
{
grep -E $1 /etc/passwd | cut -d: -f1,5
}
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