I'm parsing through a large lslpp -Lc output file with a for loop. The file contains many lines similar to this:
zip:zip-2.3-3:2.3: : :C:R:A file compression and packaging utility compatible with PKZIP.: :/bin/rpm -e zip: : : : :0:

There appears to be no specialized or secret markup in the file.
However, when I try reading through the file in a loop while in a shell script, it breaks up every space as a line break, and each line break as a double break.
Below is the code:

#!/usr/bin/ksh
for i in `cat -n servername.lpp`
do 
echo "$i"
done

 1
#Package
Name:Fileset:Level:State:PTF
Id:Fix
State:Type:Description:Destination
Dir.:Uninstaller:Message
Catalog:Message
Set:Message
Number:Parent:Automatic:EFIX
Locked:Install
Path:Build
Date
2
Java14.sdk:Java14.sdk:1.4.2.175:
:
:C:F:Java
SDK
32-bit:
:
:
:
:
:
:0:0:/:

please provide a sample input and expected output file


cheers,
Devaraj Takhellambam

Sample input:
[CODE]
readline:readline-4.3-2:4.3: : :C:R:A library for reading and returning lines from a terminal.: :/bin/rpm -e readline: : : : :0:
sudo:sudo-1.6.7p5-3:1.6.7p5: : :C:R:Allows restricted root access for specified users.: :/bin/rpm -e sudo: : : : :0:
unzip:unzip-5.51-1:5.51: : :C:R:A utility for unpacking zip files.: :/bin/rpm -e unzip: : : : :0:
wget:wget-1.9.1-1:1.9.1: : :C:R:A utility for retrieving files using the HTTP or FTP protocols.: :/bin/rpm -e wget: : : : :0:
zip:zip-2.3-3:2.3: : :C:R:A file compression and packaging utility compatible with PKZIP.: :/bin/rpm -e zip: : : : :0:

[ /CODE]

the output should be identical. Once I'm able to load each line into memory, I will parse through the lines.

I'd use a while loop...for example:

IFS=":"
while read line; do
echo $line
done <servername.lpp

giannicello: thanks!

I appended the script to add the colons back in for later parsing.

#!/bin/bash
IFS=":"
while read line; do
echo $line
done <servername.lpp|tr ' ' ':'

try using a while loop instead...your issue seems to be because of the echo command

while read line
do
echo $line
done < "filename"

if you want the line number also:

i=1;while read line; do echo "$i $line";i=`expr $i + 1`; done < "filename"


cheers,
Devaraj Takhellambam