UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi all,
I'm hoping you can help.. I've used this forum a couple of times and I am back again now i've moved onto something more complex (for me!)

I have some data which looks like:
"AL1_1,AL1_1,"
"AL1_1.AL1_1A.AL1_1AE,AL1_1AE,"
"AL1_1.AL1_1A.AL1_1AG,AL1_1AG,"
"AL1_1.AL1_1A.AL1_1AJ,AL1_1AJ,"
"AL1_1.AL1_1B.AL1_1BH,AL1_1BH,"

What i need it to look like is:
"AL1_1,AL1 1,"
"AL1_1.AL1_1A.AL1_1AE,AL1 1AE,"
"AL1_1.AL1_1A.AL1_1AG,AL1 1AG,"
"AL1_1.AL1_1A.AL1_1AJ,AL1 1AJ,"
"AL1_1.AL1_1B.AL1_1BH,AL1 1BH,"

So all underscores after the comma need to be replaced with a white space.. Is this possible at all?

Many thanks for reading
Gareth

Code:

sed -e "s/_/ /"
 
 
"AL1_1,AL1 1,"
"AL1_1.AL1_1A.AL1_1AE,AL1 1AE,"
"AL1_1.AL1_1A.AL1_1AG,AL1 1AG,"
"AL1_1.AL1_1A.AL1_1AJ,AL1 1AJ,"
"AL1_1.AL1_1B.AL1_1BH,AL1 1BH,"

Thanks Scott!
Will this work on the file which 500,000 rows? Can I call the file form the command line?

---------- Post updated at 12:02 PM ---------- Previous update was at 12:00 PM ----------

Ive just tried

Code:

sed -e "s/_/ /" regions_postcodes.dat > region_postcodes1.dat

However, it stripped all underscores, not just the ones after the comma.

Try this:

Code:

awk -F, '{gsub("_"," ",$2)}1' OFS="," file > newfile

It doesn't replace all underscores... only the last one.

Based on the data you provided and the "expected output" sed -e "s/_/ /" does what you asked.

Unfortunately i've got the following error after running:

Code:

awk -F, '{gsub("_"," ",$2)}1' OFS="," file > newfile

awk: syntax error near line 1
awk: illegal statement near line 1
awk: syntax error near line 1
awk: bailing out near line 1

Use nawk or /usr/xpg4/bin/awk on Solaris.

Regards