Pattern occurence in a file

videsh77 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-09-2004

How can we find the number of occurence of a specified pattern in a file?
This command would be a part of a shell script.

druuna · #2 (**permalink**) 12-09-2004

Something like this maybe:

#!/bin/bash

SEARCHSTRING="foo"

sed "s/${SEARCHSTRING}/${SEARCHSTRING}\n/g" infile | \
grep ${SEARCHSTRING} | wc -l

Did 2 quick tries. One on a text file an d the second on a script with a more complex searchstring. Both worked.

Hope this helps.

encrypted · #3 (**permalink**) 12-09-2004

Quote:

find the number of occurence of a specified pattern in a file

grep -c <pattern> <filename>

:-0

zazzybob · #4 (**permalink**) 12-09-2004

Quote:

Originally posted by encrypted
grep -c <pattern> <filename>

Nah. grep -c only counts number of lines on which a match occurs, not number of occurrences. So a line with <pattern>foofoo<pattern> would only count as one match with grep -c.

Cheers
ZB

Ygor · #5 (**permalink**) 12-09-2004

in awk..

awk -v s="foo" '{r+=gsub(s,s)}END{print r}' file1

Other UNIX.COM Threads You Might Find Helpful
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
First occurence of character in a file	dhanamurthy	Shell Programming and Scripting	6	05-12-2008 09:56 PM
Perl onliner to search the last line with an occurence of a pattern	ammu	Shell Programming and Scripting	4	01-30-2008 09:09 PM
Count the number of occurence of perticular word from file	rinku	Shell Programming and Scripting	40	08-10-2007 04:33 PM
How to search a pattern inside a zipped file ie (.gz file) with out unzipping it	senraj01	Shell Programming and Scripting	2	04-26-2006 01:32 AM
Search file for pattern and grab some lines before pattern	frustrated1	Shell Programming and Scripting	2	12-22-2005 11:41 AM

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode