works on command line but doesnt work in file?

[jonnyc2]

I'm new to awk but I'm stuck!! I'm finding it real hard!

so this works fine on the command line:

awk 'BEGIN { RS = "__+" } /string/' /blah/blah/blah/blah/blah/myfile

but when I put it into a file like this:

#!/usr/bin/awk

BEGIN { RS = "__+" } /string/ "/blah/blah/blah/blah/blah/myfile"

I get this (I've tried unquoting the file path):

wk: cmd. line:1: ./printfile
awk: cmd. line:1: ^ syntax error
awk: cmd. line:1: ./printfile
awk: cmd. line:1: ^ unterminated regexp

also ideally I want my RS to be say 100 x "_"
is there a way to do this in awk like you can in perl?

I can get this to work:

BEGIN {
while ( getline < "/blah/blah/blah/blah/blah/myfile" ) {

print
}
}

but then how can I only print sections containing my regex?

what I eventually want to do is use the elements of my ARGV array as my regex, something like this: /ARGV[1]|ARGV[2]/ etc...

cheers

 

[PHV]

Contents of printfile.awk:
#!/usr/bin/awk
BEGIN { RS = "_{100}" }
/string/

How to call it:
./printfile.awk /blah/blah/blah/blah/blah/myfile


Hope This Helps, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ181-2886

 

[PHV]

OOps, sorry for the typo:
Contents of printfile.awk:
#!/usr/bin/awk [!]-f[/!]
BEGIN { RS = "_{100}" }
/string/

How to call it:
./printfile.awk /blah/blah/blah/blah/blah/myfile


Hope This Helps, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ181-2886

 

[jonnyc2]

thanks for that but I cant get it to work, it just prints the whole record and doesn't recognise the _{100}.

 

[futurelet]

Contents of printfile.awk:
#!/usr/bin/gawk --re-interval -f
BEGIN { RS = "_{100}" }
/string/

Make sure to use gawk.

 

[jonnyc2]

thanks, that works a treat.