How to insert text in the middle of a file

kartikkumar84@g · #1 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008

Hey guys, how do we take a line of text as an argument from a user and then insert it in the middle of a file irrespective of the number of lines in the file. I am trying to do this without SED or AWK. Inserting it in the beginning and at the end is easy, but i am trying to accomplish inserting text in the middle?

jim mcnamara · #2 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008

One way - file has 10 lines

Code:

head -10 file > newfile
echo "line of text ">> newfile
tail -10 file >> newfile

kartikkumar84@g · #3 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008

tht dint wrk as i am trying to do this using a script..im pasting the script

#!bin/bash

echo "Enter a line of text";
read text;

echo "Enter the file path to append to";
read path;

nfline=$(wc -l $path);
middle=$($nfline/2);

head -$middle $path > tmpfile;
$text >> tmpfile;
tail -$middle $path >> tmpfile;

mv tmpfile $path;

more $path;

kartikkumar84@g · #4 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008

wc -l filename

does not work because it returns the file name as well, so it cant be used in an expression.

matrixmadhan · #5 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by kartikkumar84@g

wc -l filename

does not work because it returns the file name as well, so it cant be used in an expression.

there is a way

Code:

cnt=`wc -l < filename`

kartikkumar84@g · #6 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008

yup thank u!

fpmurphy · #7 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008

Here is another way of doing it using ed(1)

Code:

#!/bin/ksh93

TMP=file.$$

read TEXT?"Enter a line of text: "

read path?"Enter the file path to append to: "

MIDDLE=$(( $(/bin/wc -l < $path)/2 ))

# build editing command file
cat <<EOT >$TMP
${MIDDLE}
a
${TEXT}
.
w
q
EOT

cat $TMP

# go do the work
/bin/ed -s $path < $TMP

rm $TMP

cat $path

exit 0

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