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Replacing individual characters with a pattern.

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# 1  
Old 11-24-2011
Replacing individual characters with a pattern.
Given a paragraph of text which individual words have been prepended with an equals sign, I want to replace the individual characters in each of the marked words with blank spaces (two underscores and a space) for students to fill in -- a cloze passage that lets the students know how many letters are in each of the words they are required to fill.

As an example, something like:
Code:
Truth be told, this is the =closest
 I've =ever =gotten to a =college =graduation.

should give:
Code:
Truth be told, this is the __ __ __ __ __ __ __  
I've __ __ __ __     __ __ __ __ __ __  to a 
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.

another variation I would like to be able to get is :
Code:
Truth be told, this is the c __ __ __ __ __ __  I've e __ __ __  
g__ __ __ __ __  to a g __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.

I'm not quite sure how to go about this but I suspect awk will be the tool to use.
# 2  
Old 11-24-2011
What have you done so far?
The second version would be easier...

How would you know from when or what is to be substituted?
# 3  
Old 11-24-2011
Try this...
Code:
#Variation 1
awk '{ for(i=1;i<=NF;i++) {
                if($i~"=") {
                        l=length($i)-1
                        if($i~"[\\.,]$"){
                          l=l-1; e=substr($i,l+2,l) }
                        for(j=1;j<=l;j++) p=p"_ ";
                        $i=p;printf $i e OFS;p="";e=""
                } else { printf $i OFS }
        }printf "\n" } ' input_file

#Variation 2
awk '{ for(i=1;i<=NF;i++) {
                if($i~"=") {
                        l=length($i)-1
                        if($i~"[\\.,]$"){
                          l=l-1; e=substr($i,l+2,l) }
                        s=substr($i,2,1);
                        for(j=2;j<=l;j++) p=p"_ ";
                        $i=p;printf s $i e OFS;p="";e=""
                } else { printf $i OFS }
        }printf "\n" } ' input_file

--ahamed
This User Gave Thanks to ahamed101 For This Post:
maouinin
# 4  
Old 11-24-2011
Another variation:
Code:
#  cat x.txt
Truth be told, this is the =closest
 I've =ever =gotten to a =college =graduation.
# awk '{for (i=1;i<=NF;i++) { if ($i ~ /^=/) { $i=substr($i,2); gsub ("[[:alpha:]]","__ ", $i) }} print}' x.txt
Truth be told, this is the __ __ __ __ __ __ __
I've __ __ __ __  __ __ __ __ __ __  to a __ __ __ __ __ __ __  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ .

These 2 Users Gave Thanks to CarloM For This Post:
ahamed101 maouinin
# 5  
Old 11-24-2011
ahhhh!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by CarloM
Another variation:
Code:
#  cat x.txt
Truth be told, this is the =closest
 I've =ever =gotten to a =college =graduation.
# awk '{for (i=1;i<=NF;i++) { if ($i ~ /^=/) { $i=substr($i,2); gsub ("[[:alpha:]]","__ ", $i) }} 
print}' x.txt
Truth be told, this is the __ __ __ __ __ __ __
I've __ __ __ __  __ __ __ __ __ __  to a __ __ __ __ __ __ __  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ .

I was trying everything for this gsub ("[[:alpha:]]","__ ", $i).
Awesome code CarloM Smilie And thanks for the info!
My code looks like junk! Smilie

--ahamed
# 6  
Old 11-24-2011
this is fun!

Code:
perl -pe 's/(?:=)(\w+)\w/\1__ /g ; 1 while s/(\w)(\w)((__ )+)/\1__ \3/' < input-text-file 

Truth be told, this is the c__ __ __ __ __ __ 
 I've e__ __ __  g__ __ __ __ __  to a c__ __ __ __ __ __  g__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ .

[/code]
This User Gave Thanks to bigearsbilly For This Post:
maouinin
# 7  
Old 11-24-2011
Quote:
Originally Posted by ahamed101
Try this...
Code:
#Variation 1
awk '{ for(i=1;i<=NF;i++) {
                if($i~"=") {
                        l=length($i)-1
                        if($i~"[\\.,]$"){
                          l=l-1; e=substr($i,l+2,l) }
                        for(j=1;j<=l;j++) p=p"_ ";
                        $i=p;printf $i e OFS;p="";e=""
                } else { printf $i OFS }
        }printf "\n" } ' input_file

#Variation 2
awk '{ for(i=1;i<=NF;i++) {
                if($i~"=") {
                        l=length($i)-1
                        if($i~"[\\.,]$"){
                          l=l-1; e=substr($i,l+2,l) }
                        s=substr($i,2,1);
                        for(j=2;j<=l;j++) p=p"_ ";
                        $i=p;printf s $i e OFS;p="";e=""
                } else { printf $i OFS }
        }printf "\n" } ' input_file

--ahamed
Work brilliantly. Thank you.

---------- Post updated at 01:17 AM ---------- Previous update was at 01:11 AM ----------

Quote:
Originally Posted by CarloM
Another variation:
Code:
#  cat x.txt
Truth be told, this is the =closest
 I've =ever =gotten to a =college =graduation.
# awk '{for (i=1;i<=NF;i++) { if ($i ~ /^=/) { $i=substr($i,2); gsub ("[[:alpha:]]","__ ", $i) }} print}' x.txt
Truth be told, this is the __ __ __ __ __ __ __
I've __ __ __ __  __ __ __ __ __ __  to a __ __ __ __ __ __ __  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ .

Works brilliantly, too. Just one question. I use the bash shell and can usually repeat the previous command by using the up arrow. This command doesn't show up. When I press the up arrow, the command before it appears. What gives?

[COLOR="#738fbf"][SIZE=1]---------- Post updated at 01:23 AM ----------

---------- Post updated at 01:26 AM ---------- Previous update was at 01:23 AM ----------

Quote:
Originally Posted by bigearsbilly
this is fun!

Code:
perl -pe 's/(?:=)(\w+)\w/\1__ /g ; 1 while s/(\w)(\w)((__ )+)/\1__ \3/' < input-text-file 

Truth be told, this is the c__ __ __ __ __ __ 
 I've e__ __ __  g__ __ __ __ __  to a c__ __ __ __ __ __  g__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ .

[/code]
Works as advertised. Thanks. Pity I am illiterate in perl.
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