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How to Search for text in a file

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# 1  
Old 02-20-2009
How to Search for text in a file
I need to search for a record in a file and spit out the first record. The file however is csv and is laid out like this:

20984498494 J SMITH MISS SMITH ADDRESSSXXXXXX
30000000000 0000000000000 000000000000000 0000000000
402XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
50XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX
20765476746 J DOE MR DOE ADDRESS XXXXXXXXXXXXX
45XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX DDDDDDDDDD

ETC.

Each record can be a different length and the only way to find the end of a record is that the next 20xxxxx is another customer.

How can I extract the first customer only from a file of 100's of records in that format.

Got me stumped????Smilie
# 2  
Old 02-20-2009
Not sure what exactly you want but i guess the below may help you...

Code:
$ cat ser.txt
20984498494 J SMITH MISS SMITH ADDRESSSXXXXXX
30000000000 0000000000000 000000000000000 0000000000
402XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
50XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX
20765476746 J DOE MR DOE ADDRESS XXXXXXXXXXXXX
45XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX DDDDDDDDDD47

Want to search SMITH in your file.. use.....
Code:
$ awk '/SMITH/ {print}' ser.txt
20984498494 J SMITH MISS SMITH ADDRESSSXXXXXX

To get the first field in your file....

Code:
$ awk '{print $1}' ser.txt
20984498494
30000000000
402XXXXXXXX
50XXXXXX
20765476746
45XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

If the above commands didnt help you pls post a sample input as well as output file....
# 3  
Old 02-20-2009
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whiteboard
To get the first field in your file....
Code:
$ awk '{print $1}' ser.txt

The OP needs the first record not the first field:

Code:
awk '/^20/{print;exit}' ser.txt

Regards
# 4  
Old 02-20-2009
Quote:
Originally Posted by Franklin52
The OP needs the first record not the first field:

Code:
awk '/^20/{print;exit}' ser.txt

Regards
oops got the difference now...Smilie
# 5  
Old 02-23-2009
Thanks for replies:

this command awk '/^20/{print;exit}' ser.txt gives me:

20984498494 J SMITH MISS SMITH ADDRESSSXXXXXX

I need to get:

20984498494 J SMITH MISS SMITH ADDRESSSXXXXXX
30000000000 0000000000000 000000000000000 0000000000
402XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
50XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX

basically i need everything under the 20984498494 as all info relates to that client.The next 20xxxxx signifies the next client and info relating to them.
# 6  
Old 02-23-2009
The below code will work....

Code:
$ sed -n '/^20/,/^20/ { p; }' < ser.txt | sed '$d'
20984498494 J SMITH MISS SMITH ADDRESSSXXXXXX
30000000000 0000000000000 000000000000000 0000000000
402XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
50XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX

# 7  
Old 02-23-2009
Hi,

The below command also is working....means without sed '$d'

sed -n '/^20/,/^20/ {p;}' ser.txt

Thanks
va2206Smilie
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