UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

hello all,
I have 2 files, list1 and list2.
They can each have several thousand lines each.

I want to check if list2 has any of the contents of list1, perhaps using a grep so that for instance if list1 contained

arb1000

and list2 contained

arb1000tt

It would match this and pipe it out to seperate file, list3.

I have tried a foreach loop but i get error message, "Too many words from ``" and having looked in the forums I am now not even sure if that was the best way of going about it.

Anybody able to advise what the best way to do this sort of thing is?

Many Thanks

Try:

Code:

grep -f list1 <list2 >list3

hi thanks but i receive a message :

grep: illegal option -- f
Usage: grep -hblcnsviw pattern file . . .

should have mentioned I am using a c shell in solaris.

cheers

Having read these forums I have now realised that the either of the following seem to do the job :

/usr/xpg4/bin/grep -f file1 < file2

or

egrep -f file1 < file2

I will have to learn the uses of egrep and I am not sure why there seems to be two grep commands but I guess thats the problem with me being a unix newbie

Thanks to all
Cheers

Using vimdiff command we can find out the difference if it is a small file.

if the file has n number of lines then the vimdiff command is not good.

I am using grep 2.5.1 .In that,

Code:

grep -f list1 <list2 >list3

is not showing any error.This is the option to compare contents of a file with some other files.