To test whether a field contains string value


 
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# 1  
Old 09-22-2017
To test whether a field contains string value

I want to find whether string values are available in a field of a file. Let it be any character other than number . I just want to know whether characters will be available in it . Please share a single step command for this without creating a shell script.
# 2  
Old 09-22-2017
Please provide an example of representative input file, field, field separator, and by the way, what did you try so far ?
# 3  
Old 09-22-2017
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sang
I want to find whether string values are available in a field of a file. Let it be any character other than number . I just want to know whether characters will be available in it . Please share a single step command for this without creating a shell script.
Would be helpful to know the definition of a "field".
A sample representative file/line would help as well....
# 4  
Old 09-22-2017
Pipe delimter.Tried to get that specific field value
Code:
cut -d "|" -f 26 filename | head

From the above I found 10 values with all numbers . File is huge . With Grep I have to specify all characters But I don't that way .I just want a command to check whether characters are available in this field . Based on this I will decide it's datatype.

Last edited by MadeInGermany; 09-22-2017 at 01:01 PM.. Reason: added code tags
# 5  
Old 09-22-2017
Please use code tags! (The co/de symbol at the top of the Wiki editor)
awk splits the input lines into fields $1 $2 ... $NF.
NF is number of fields, NR the line number.
Code:
awk -F "|" '{ print $26 } (NR==10) { exit }' filename'

You can add an egrep-like condition
Code:
awk -F "|" '($26 ~ /eregex/){ print $26 } (NR == 10) { exit }' filename'

And/or modify your output e.g. { print $0 } that is the whole line.
# 6  
Old 09-22-2017
Code:
if awk -F"|" '$COL ~ /[^0-9]/ { Z=1 } ; END { exit !Z }' COL=5 filename
then
        echo "Character"
else
        echo "Numeric"
then

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