How to get the first column from the txt file using unix command?


 
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# 1  
Old 01-08-2009
How to get the first column from the txt file using unix command?

Hi All,

I have the file like this (file name is : tem_text)

no Id name ccy
------- ---- ------------------- --------
7777 17 India Overseas Partners 500INR

I want to retreive the third colimn of from the above text file
if i use the basic awk command
cat tem_text | awk '{ print $3 }'
it will return only the
name
------
India
insetead of return the all details from the third column

name
---------------------
India Overseas Partners

Please advice me on this

Thanks
MPS
# 2  
Old 01-08-2009
$3 is field 3 not row 3. Also no cat is needed.

Code:
awk 'NR == 3 {print}' tem_text

or shorter in sed
Code:
sed '3!d' tem_text

# 3  
Old 01-08-2009
I think he wants the third column, not the third row, so $3 is right, but the third column has spaces in it. You can use this:
Code:
awk '{ sub("^[^ ]* [^ ]* ", "") ; sub(" [^ ]*$", "") ; print }'

The first sub() deletes the first two columns ([^ ]* => everything except a space; as long as possible, then a space and the whole thing again). The second sub() deletes the last column and everything in between (=> third column) is printed.
# 4  
Old 01-08-2009
Oh, you are right of course.

sed:
Code:
sed 's/^[^ ]* [^ ]* \(.*\) [^ ]\{1,\}/\1/' tem_text


Last edited by zaxxon; 01-08-2009 at 10:39 AM..
# 5  
Old 01-08-2009
Or you can use sed
Code:
$ sed -e 's/\([^ ]*\) \([^ ]*\) \(.*\) \(.*$\)/\3/' tem_text
India Overseas Partners

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