Error passing parameter in "sub" command in awk

Shell Programming and Scripting
1

I have to replace the pattern found in one file in another file with null/empty "" if found on the fields 3 or 4 ONLY

File 1
====
10604747|Mxdef|9999|9999|9999|2012-03-04 00:00:59
10604747|Mcdef|8888|9999|8888|2012-03-04 00:00:59
.
.
.
File 2
====
9999
8888
.
.
.
 
Expected output:
 
File 1
====
10604747|Mxdef|||9999|2012-03-04 00:00:59
10604747|Mcdef|||8888|2012-03-04 00:00:59

I tried something like

while read i
do
awk -v FS="|" -v OFS="|" 'BEGIN { split("3|4", F); } { for(N in F) sub(/'$i'/, "", $(F[N])) } 1' File1 > File1_tp
mv File1_tp File1
done < File2

This is not working. I am getting error in the awk statement inside the while loop. The parameter passing is not working fine.:frowning:

Someone, please help on this.:wall:

2 
awk -F"|" -v OFS="|" 'NR==FNR{a[$0];next}$3 in a{$3=""}$4 in a{$4=""}1' file2 file1
1 Like
3

Try:

awk 'NR==FNR{A[$1];next}$3 in A{$3=x}$4 in A{$4=x}1' file2 FS=\| OFS=\| file1
1 Like
4

THanks both the codes work. But if number of date fields increases, the code becomes more lengthy...

---------- Post updated at 09:25 PM ---------- Previous update was at 09:24 PM ----------

Can some one please explain one of the code?

---------- Post updated at 10:20 PM ---------- Previous update was at 09:25 PM ----------

How to make the code dynamic so that it can handle multiple fields rather than restricting it to two fields?

5

You agreed not to bump posts when you registered. Please stop doing it. We are not "on call"; if someone doesn't answer your post immediately, wait!

What exactly do you want? Do you need to give it a list of fields, a range of fields, or what?

---------- Post updated at 11:05 AM ---------- Previous update was at 10:54 AM ----------

For a list of fields separated by |:

awk -v FIELDS="3|4" -v FS="|" -v OFS="|" 'BEGIN { split(FIELDS, F); }
NR==FNR { A[$1]=1; print "skip " $1; next }
{ for(X in F) if(A[$(F[X])]) $(F[X])="" } 1' fields data
10604747|Mxdef|||9999|2012-03-04 00:00:59
10604747|Mcdef|||8888|2012-03-04 00:00:59

$
1 Like
6

I dint mean to bump the post. That was totally unintentional :slight_smile:

7

If you edit, that doesn't bump.

8

oh ok...I was using the "quick reply" it looked like it was editing...but dint realize it was actually bumping the post