incrementing blank array element

[cback]

Hi

Probably an easy one but here goes;

I want to increment a count in an array like this:-
arr[$1]++
to count occurences of a value through a file. But if that element of the array is NULL or blank this doesn't work. Is there a simpler one liner to initialise and then increment the element better than:-
if (arr[$1]=="&quot {arr[$1]=0};
arr[$1]++;

Thanks

Chris

 

[flogrr]

Hi cback-

I have tried to solve this for you, but alas, no dice!

However, to understand what is happening, refer to the AWK SUMMARY in APPENDIX A (page 192) of The AWK Programming Language book. Here you will find a lucid description as to why AWK acts this way.

HTH







flogrr
flogr@yahoo.com

 

[bigoldbulldog]

You can't access an array with an index of nil. Nothing is as ambiguos as infinity. But why not save the count to a separate variable. i.e.

($1 != "" ? arr[$1]++ : NULLCT++)

Cheers,
ND

bigoldbulldog@hotmail.com