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How can I format a text file into uniform columns?

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Top Forums Shell Programming and Scripting How can I format a text file into uniform columns?
# 8  
Old 04-26-2012
Hi Try this Smilie
Code:
sed -e 's/\s\s*/\t/g' filename

# 9  
Old 04-26-2012
use printf in awk to make an aligned table, but for this you should have your data to be space delimited or comma delimited uniformly throughout your input.

Code:
awk -F"," '{ printf "%-10s %-10s %-10s %-10s %-10s %-10s\n", $1, $2 , $3 ,$4, $5, $6 }' file_name

# 10  
Old 04-26-2012
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigbuk
Thanks for taking the time to look at this guys. Unfortunately I don't have the "util" package ygemici and I don't have any perl skills drl ! I tried running your perl script but got errors and don't have the knowledge to interpret them. I was hoping for a standard unix scripting solution but again - I do appreciate your times ! Thanks.
try this
Code:
# awk '{for(i=1;i<NF-3;i++)printf "%-10s%-10s%c",$i,$++i," ";printf "%+15s%5s%5s\n",$(NF-2),$(NF-1),$NF}' infile

# 11  
Old 04-26-2012
Hi.

Here is an approach using standard utility expand:
Code:
#!/usr/bin/env bash

# @(#) s2	Demonstrate preparing and aligning text fields, sed, expand.

pe() { for _i;do printf "%s" "$_i";done; printf "\n"; }
pl() { pe;pe "-----" ;pe "$*"; }
db() { ( printf " db, ";for _i;do printf "%s" "$_i";done;printf "\n" ) >&2 ; }
db() { : ; }
C=$HOME/bin/context && [ -f $C ] && $C sed expand

FILE=${1-data1}
pl " Input file $FILE:"
cat -A $FILE

pl " Results of expand:"
sed 's/   */\t/g' $FILE |
expand -t '20,30,50' |
tee f1

pl " Displaying special characters (if any) in output:"
cat -A f1

exit 0

producing:
Code:
% ./s2

Environment: LC_ALL = C, LANG = C
(Versions displayed with local utility "version")
OS, ker|rel, machine: Linux, 2.6.26-2-amd64, x86_64
Distribution        : Debian GNU/Linux 5.0.8 (lenny) 
bash GNU bash 3.2.39
sed GNU sed version 4.1.5
expand (GNU coreutils) 6.10

-----
 Input file data1:
Charles Dixon  Age 23       Hometown Darlington  Postcode DL1 2DC$
Fred Bixton  Age 34  Hometown Leeds     Postcode LS1 5XS$
Jim Davis            Age 48      Hometown Cardiff  CF2 8YY$

-----
 Results of expand:
Charles Dixon       Age 23    Hometown Darlington Postcode DL1 2DC
Fred Bixton         Age 34    Hometown Leeds      Postcode LS1 5XS
Jim Davis           Age 48    Hometown Cardiff    CF2 8YY

-----
 Displaying special characters (if any) in output:
Charles Dixon       Age 23    Hometown Darlington Postcode DL1 2DC$
Fred Bixton         Age 34    Hometown Leeds      Postcode LS1 5XS$
Jim Davis           Age 48    Hometown Cardiff    CF2 8YY$

This uses the same idea of transforming runs of spaces into TABs, then do the expand.

Obviously, this is not automatic, but it seems easier than awk-printf. You do not however, get the flexibility of right-left-center justification.

Best wishes ... cheers, drl
# 12  
Old 05-01-2012
Thanks for all the replies guys. The closest I get to work on the actual (real) file I am using is ygemici's suggestion.

The actual file I am using looks like :
Code:
CCEBP2Cluster-MQ-Listener-PNGWSC46 State            s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2Cluster-MQ-Listener-PNGWSC56 State            s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2Cluster-MQ-QMGR-PNGWSC46 State                    s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2Cluster-MQ-QMGR-PNGWSC56 State                    s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-cebgr1-jvm-61n-prodc-c-1 State                s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-cebgr1-jvm-61n-prodc-c-2 State                s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-cebss-jvm-61n-prodc-c-1 State                s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-cebss-jvm-61n-prodc-c-2 State                s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-ew-jvm-61n-prodc-c-1 State                s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-ew-jvm-61n-prodc-c-2 State                s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-node-61n-prodc-c-1 State                s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-node-61n-prodc-c-3 State                s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2ClusterApp-z-wpcp22-Patrolagent State            s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2ClusterDiskGroup State               s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2ClusterIPAddressProxy State            s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2ClusterMount-z-wpcp22-01 State              s2wsc4     ONLINE
CCEBP2ClusterZone-z-wpcp22 State               s2wsc4     ONLINE

After running :
Code:
awk -F"," '{ printf "%-10s %-10s %-10s %-10s %-10s %-10s\n", $1, $2 , $3 ,$4, $5, $6 }' filename

I get this file concatenated together :
Code:
CCEBP2Cluster-MQ-Listener-PNGWSC46States2wsc4
CCEBP2Cluster-MQ-Listener-PNGWSC56States2wsc4
CCEBP2Cluster-MQ-QMGR-PNGWSC46States2wsc4
CCEBP2Cluster-MQ-QMGR-PNGWSC56States2wsc4
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-cebgr1-jvm-61n-prodc-c-1States2wsc4
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-cebgr1-jvm-61n-prodc-c-2States2wsc4
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-cebss-jvm-61n-prodc-c-1States2wsc4
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-cebss-jvm-61n-prodc-c-2States2wsc4
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-ew-jvm-61n-prodc-c-1States2wsc4
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-ew-jvm-61n-prodc-c-2States2wsc4
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-node-61n-prodc-c-1States2wsc4
CCEBP2Cluster-WAS-node-61n-prodc-c-3States2wsc4
CCEBP2ClusterApp-z-wpcp22-PatrolagentStates2wsc4
CCEBP2ClusterDiskGroupStates2wsc4
CCEBP2ClusterIPAddressProxyStates2wsc4
CCEBP2ClusterMount-z-wpcp22-01States2wsc4
CCEBP2ClusterZone-z-wpcp22States2wsc4

What I was hoping for was the file tabulated into neat columns (probably using the spaces as delimiters)

---------- Post updated at 07:48 AM ---------- Previous update was at 07:45 AM ----------

*NOTE* on my last post - the file I am using as input has staggered rows with spaces in between - NOT concateneated as has appeared in the paste above - sorry! But the output is concatenated as I said.
Last edited by Franklin52; 05-01-2012 at 10:23 AM.. Reason: Please use code tags
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