# awk command

**URL:** <https://community.unix.com/t/awk-command/139145>\
**Category:** UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers\
**Created:** [July 31, 2001, 8:39am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/awk-command/139145 "2001-07-31T08:39:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![wolf](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/wolf/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@wolf](https://community.unix.com/u/wolf)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 8:39am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/awk-command/139145/1 "2001-07-31T08:39:35Z")

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Hi,

The awk command is one of the most powerfull commands in UNIX. Can someone please explain to me how this command works and give me an example please. I do not understand this command and also the all the -Ffs and -v and -f variables that are used in this command. I never used the awk command, but really like to know how this works.

Regards  
wolf  
😕

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**Author:** ![system](https://community.unix.com/uploads/default/original/2X/c/c7e9e16a595259edafe88615719d5c5dcda035c2.png) [@system](https://community.unix.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 9:39am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/awk-command/139145/2 "2001-07-31T09:39:57Z")

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As neo suggested to one of your earlier posts - look at the man page to find out more about a command, it's true that you may have to read over the pages two or three times, but they are the best inital source of information.

This awk tutorial may help you:

[http://vectorsite.tripod.com/tsawk0.html](http://vectorsite.tripod.com/tsawk0.html)

Regards.

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**Author:** ![patvdv](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/patvdv/32/21_2.png) [@patvdv](https://community.unix.com/u/patvdv)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 9:43am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/awk-command/139145/3 "2001-07-31T09:43:14Z")

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i would also advise you to spend some money on a good shell scripting book: e.g. UNIX shell programming by Lowell Jay Arthur

or alternatively at least buy yourself a good reference book (with examples) like UNIX in a nutshell from O'Reilly's.

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**Author:** ![Optimus\_P](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/optimus_p/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@Optimus\_P](https://community.unix.com/u/Optimus_P)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 10:17am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/awk-command/139145/4 "2001-07-31T10:17:26Z")

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as with most books i would personly suggest:

sed & awk from O'reilly.

Iv read it once filp thru it 100 times. excelient desk book. (as with most oreilly books)

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**Author:** ![clemeot](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/clemeot/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@clemeot](https://community.unix.com/u/clemeot)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 11:28pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/awk-command/139145/5 "2001-08-02T23:28:03Z")

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as suggested by Optimus\_P about the O'reilly book for Unix,  
I found that the book is hard to find in the market...

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**Author:** ![Neo](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/neo/32/22838_2.png) [@Neo](https://community.unix.com/u/Neo)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 11:45pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/awk-command/139145/6 "2001-08-02T23:45:24Z")

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Here is the book recommended in this thread:

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\<A HREF="[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565922255/silkroadcom](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565922255/silkroadcom)"\>\<IMG SRC="[http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1565922255.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1565922255.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg)" width=107 height=140 align=center border=0\>\</a\>

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