UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Can anyone please let me know how do I reduce files into a specific number of files by cat'ing files?

For example:

15 files must be reduced to 1 or 5 or 9 (possible values 1 to 14)

Please expand your question and give examples of your input and expected output.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. I have a set of input files ranging anywhere from 4 to 15
Input File: File 1,File2 ....File 15

I need to merge/cat these input files into fewer number of files.

For example:
1) If the argument is 1 (meaning if I need just 1 output file) then all the 15 files must be concatenated into 1.
2) If the argument is 5, File1,2,3 cat'ed to 1st output file and so on
3) If the argument is 3 , Files 1,2,3,4,5 cat'ed to 1st output file and so on

what if parameter is 4 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 or 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 how are the files going to be distibuted then?

it still pretty unclear to me...but hopefully you understand this.

Code:

for i in $list
do
cat $i >>mergedfile
done

u get the idea right?
variable list contains the filenames set as per parameter passed

What you have done is cat'ing all files into 1, but the number of input files is a variable and can be anything from 4 to 15 and number of files to be merged/cat'ed is also variable.

If no_of_input files is 15, and no_of_output files is any of the following (samples)

1) 1 then all the 15 files must be concatenated into 1.
2) 5, File1,2,3 cat'ed to 1st output file and so on
3) 3 Files 1,2,3,4,5 cat'ed to 1st output file and so on
4) 0-->Invalied entry
5) 16 -->Invalied entry
6 15 -->Do nothing ( because there are already 15 files)

If no_of_input files is 10, and no_of_output files is
1) 1 then all the 10 files must be concatenated into 1.
2) 5, File1,2 cat'ed to 1st output file and so on
3) 10- Do nothing (because there is already 10 files)

Use c_d's script - then add the split command

Code:

outfiles=4
for i in $list
do
cat $i 
done  > mergedfile

wc -l mergedfile | read linecnt  throwaway
limit=$(( $linecnt / $outfiles ))
limit=$(( $limit + $linecnt%limit ))
split -l $limit mergedfile newfile

The output of this is : newfileaa newfileab newfileac newfilead