how to include field separator if there are blank fields? - Page 3 - Shell Programming and Scripting

vino · #15 07-12-2005

Perderabo's solution is a nice hack.

Just one question on that. Wouldnt the column number change if num1a and num1b are different in length ?

Thanks,
Vino

Perderabo · #16 07-12-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by vino

Perderabo's solution is a nice hack.

Just one question on that. Wouldnt the column number change if num1a and num1b are different in length ?

Thanks,
Vino

Not if num2a and num2b always start in, say, column 20. You put a separator just before column 20. Now there are a variable number of spaces before the separator. If num1a was 10 digits, it would have 9 spaces following it. If num1b was 5 digits, it would have 14 spaces following it. The variable number of spaces allowed both num2a and num2b to start in the same column. My solution depends on that variable number of spaces.

vgersh99 · #17 07-12-2005

I think the only constant is the number of fields - the width may vary from line to line.
This is just an assumption - I've been proven wrong before.

Need OPs clarification.

vino · #18 07-12-2005

Perderabo,

That is true, indeed.

And like vgersh99 said, the OP has to step in.

Cheers'

Vino

ReV · #19 07-13-2005

Hi,

Thanks all for the helpful solutions. The fields in each line are all starting in the same columns but they are of different lengths.

for example (ccc is the field length and bbb is the blank space),

cbbbbccccbcccccccbbccccccc
bbbbbcccbbccccbbbbbcc
ccccbccccbcccccccbbccc
ccbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbc

i hope the alignment is ok after i posted it. the fields in each line start at the same column.

I think Perderabo's solution might solve it. Is it possible to guide me this solution with some sample codes so that I can work on it? I will try with this code and see it works on my data sets.

Sorry, I've just learnt shell programming not long ago on my own so I am not so good. Thanks!

ReV · #20 07-13-2005

Hi,

I have gotten help from another forum and it seems to be the correct method! It shd also be similar to what is being suggested in this thread too! I am pasting the code here so that in future, if someone need the same help, he can refer to this:

PHP Code:


			
#cutting the required fields

cat $file | cut -b 1-13 > $TMP/field.1

cat $file | cut -b 14-44 > $TMP/field.2

cat $file | cut -b 45-75 > $TMP/field.3

cat $file | cut -b 76-88 > $TMP/field.4

cat $file | cut -b 89-97 > $TMP/field.5

cat $file | cut -b 98-108 > $TMP/field.6

cat $file | cut -b 109-119 > $TMP/field.7

cat $file | cut -b 185-189 > $TMP/field.8

cat $file | cut -b 235-245 > $TMP/field.9

 

#pasting all fields with ";" as delimiter and removing the trailling spaces

paste -d; $TMP/field.[1-9] | sed 's/ *//g' > $finalfile

thanks everyone for the help!

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