[SOLVED] Displaying information using awk

gregarion · 01-14-2010, 02:16 AM

Hey guys, i am using awk to display my information in a certain order.

Database :

Code:

 Persia:42:John
France:50:Mabel 
Persia:50:Rach
Germany:60:John

My expected output is :

Code:

Title             Price           Author
Persia             42              John
France             50              Mabel
Persia             50              Rach
Germany            60              John

So i first tried using awk command which goes like this :

Code:

Title=$(awk -F":" '{printf"\n" $1 }' fruit)
       Price=$(awk -F":" '{printf"\n" $2 }' fruit)
       Author=$(awk -F":" '{printf"\n" $3 }' fruit)

Reason being, i was thinking by arranging the variables under the each Columm name such as Title, Price and Author, it will arrange itself neatly. Let me show u what i meant.

Code:

echo  Title             Price           Author
echo  $Title             $Price          $Author

but for some reason, when i save the results in a variable, the formatting will be gone, instead of displaying the information in a neat columm, it displays the information on one line like the example below :

Code:

Title             Price           Author
PersiaFrancePersiaGermany

I tried using cut command but it also gives me the same problem. If i do not assign it to a variable, how am i able to format it to display it in the correct format?

acid_kewpie · 01-14-2010, 02:24 AM

well there's no newline character in the awk print, add a \n to the end of the print. Why bother assigning to a variable at all though? Just run the awk (or cut or other command) directly at the end.

And don't use `backticks`, use $(dollar bracket) notation instead for the executing stuff for output assignment.

gregarion · 01-14-2010, 02:44 AM

Thanks alot. well, the reason i am assigning the it to a value is bacause i need to information to be displayed under the correct columm. FOr example, for Title , all its information has to be displayed under it. and for Author, all its information has to be displayed under it.

Could you explain to me, why is that when i save it to a value, the formatting runs away again? when i dont assign it to a value and use \n, it comes out fine, but once i assign it to a value it comes out in one straight line again.

Code:

My expected output was : 

Title             Author           Price 
Persia             John
France             Mary
Persia             Susan
Germany            Jhonny

this was why i assign it to a variable. so just underneath each Columm , i just have to put the $variable and display the information in this format.

acid_kewpie · 01-14-2010, 03:16 AM

Hmm, thanks for editing your original post to add in what I suggested... really really confusing and misleading, huh?

gregarion · 01-14-2010, 03:19 AM

Sorry, i just wanted to highlight the main problem. if i do not assign it to a variable, how do i get it to display in the correct format? i tried just using the command without assigning it to a variable , but the issue i am getting is that it just displays the next batch of columm below the other one.