Shell Programming and Scripting

I have an output from a database query on the unix standard output as under:

abc
dsagh
dsflsfds
dsfsdfsdfsd
sdf
sdfsd
sdfsd
sdfsdf
sdfsdfs
sdfsdf
sdfsdf
sdfsdf
sdfsdf
sdfsdf
sdfsdff
dsfsdf
sdfdf
sdf
dsf
sdfsdf
sdfsdf

I want to display it like this:

abc dsagh dsflsfds dsfsdfsdfsd sdf sdfsd
sdfsd sdfsdf sdfsdfs sdfsdf sdfsdf sdfsdf
sdfsdf sdfsdf sdfsdff dsfsdf sdfdf sdf
dsf sdfsdf sdfsdf

Can somebody help me in getting the required script at place?

Many thanks in advance.

Code:

awk 'BEGIN {count=0}
       {
          printf("%s ", $0);
          count++;
          if(count % 6 ==0) {printf("\n")}
       }
       END {printf("\n") }
       ' inputfile > outputfile

Most db's support something like Oracle's spool command which directs the output into a file.
Otherwise you wil have to pipe the output into awk, if that is possible with your db query language.
What db are you using?

Code:

nawk 'ORS=FNR%6?OFS:RS' myFile

Jim,

The script did work out and the output is somewhat coming in columnar format but as the length of the values varies it does move the next column.

Is it possible to get this output in the form that "SELECT i in `sql st`"
displays. I mean it's exactly in the tabular format even if the length of the value varies.

For your info. I am using Netezza DB on Linux.
-----------------------------------------
vgersh99

Script dint workout.
It gave the following error:
0403-057 Syntax error at line 92 : `'' is not matched.

please, post exactly what you tried using [code] and [/code] vB Code tags - more on the vB Code tags here.

You did not specify columns to start with. the %10s makes columns ten characters wide. change it as you need it.

Code:

awk 'BEGIN {count=0}
       {
          printf("%s ", sprintf("%10s ", $0));
          count++;
          if(count % 6 ==0) {printf("\n")}
       }
       END {printf("\n") }
       ' inputfile > outputfile

actually for a given user, I would get the list of groups and database names as the output (which I want to format) and then based on this give some options to the user whether they want to do with the user associated with a group or database.

The problem I am facing is the output scrolls to multiple pages and script user reallyhave to scroll up for the details which is bit annoying.

That's why I just want the data to be formatted in tabular or columnar format.

I don't know whether it's possible or not but it will be great help....

Here is the line in the script that is giving me the output and that I want to format:

echo "select grpname||"->"||databasnam from tablename where user="$USER"|nzsql <dbname>