Shell Programming and Scripting

Hello all,

I have a directory with 2000+ files. I need to look in each file for an invoice number. To identify this, i can search for the string 'BIG' and then retrieve the next 30 characters. I was thinking awk for this, but not sure how to do it. Each file contains one long string and in the middle is the invoice number. If i can find the position of the 'BIG' pattern, then grab the next 30 characters, I can extrapolate the invoice number I need.

I basically need to pull out all 2000+ invoice numbers and put them in one file, one invoice number per line.

Any help is much appreciated??

SAMPLE input:

Code:

TEST FILE|USING|NEW|SYSTEM|BIG|20130924|49685234|THIS ISNT THE END|BYE

output needed:

Code:

BIG|20130924|49685234

keep in mind i need to do this to 2000+ files in one directory.

THANKS!

Jennifer

I only count 18 characters after BIG, if that's the case you can use this:

Code:

grep -oE BIG.\{18\} file

Hi,
Your demand:

Code:

grep -o 'BIG.\{1,30\}' file

But, maybe better

Code:

grep -o 'BIG|\([^|]\+|\)\{1,2\}' file

where file is a list of file ==> * for all in directory
-h option if you don't want the file name in the resultat.

Regards.

Thank you both but when i try those command, it says it doesn't recognize the -o flag?

Ok,
with sed:

Code:

sed -n 's/.*\(BIG.\{1,30\}\).*/\1/p'

Code:

sed -n 's/.*\(BIG|\([^|]\+|\)\{1,2\}\).*/\1/p'

regards.

thanks for the sed, but I am not sure how to use that with a list of files?

as explain for grep:

Code:

sed .... *

Regards.