printf problem

ed88 · 10-14-2011, 07:45 AM

hi to all must say that im new in linux and programing, under Bash im try to make a script using a video tutorial (Unix Shell Scripting Advanced) and the problem come when i try to print a list of users from data file (names.dat)
format:
name : Asurname : address : city
namee : Csurname1 : address1 : city1
nameee : Bsurname2 : address2 : city2

the exercies is to make print of the names.dat sorted by the 2nd column (surname) printing whitout the ":" in format like this :

name Asurname address city
nameee Bsurname2 address2 city2
namee Csurname1 address1 city1

in the tutorial he use this comand:

Code:

sort -t : +1 names.dat | awk -F : '{printf("%-14.14s%-16.16s%-20.20s%-15.15s%-6.6s%-5.5s\n", $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6)}' | more

i have try it whitout to see the answer to make it alone but was imposible to me to make each column to be line iget somting like this:

name Asurname address city
nameee Bsurname2 address2 city2
namee Csurname1 address1 city1

i have tryed to copy the code from the tutorial but dont work

this is my code :

Code:

awk -F : '{"print(%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s\n", $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6)}' names.dat | sort -k2 | more

maby the teacher in the tutorial use old version of the printf program whit my code i get somting like this :

Code:

%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s
%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s
%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s
%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s
%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s
%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s
MANY LINES OF THIS AND AFTER THE LIST OF NAMES 
name Asurname address city
nameee Bsurname2 address2 city2
namee Csurname1 address1 city1

and whit the tutorial code i dont get nothing

need help and explication who work printf and the columns in line

druuna · 10-14-2011, 07:55 AM

Hi,

I see 2 typo's in your example:

Code:

'{"print(%-20.20s .....

# should be

'{printf("%-20.20s ....

All in all it should look like this:

Code:

 awk -F: '{ printf("%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s%-20.20s\n", $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6) }' infile | sort -k2

Hope this helps.

ed88 · 10-14-2011, 08:04 AM

so mamy thimes i have change it delete this like and the final i forgot the f after print

i have another quiestion why the code from the tutorial dont work to me old version of printf ??

druuna · 10-14-2011, 08:08 AM

Hi,

The sort command (sort -t : +1) in your first example doesn't make sense, but the awk command works. I.e: nothing wrong with printf:

Code:

$ awk -F : '{printf("%-14.14s%-16.16s%-20.20s%-15.15s%-6.6s%-5.5s\n", $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6)}' infile 
name           Asurname        address             city                     
namee          Csurname1       address1            city1                    
nameee         Bsurname2       address2            city2

Hope this helps.

ed88 · 10-14-2011, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by druuna

Hi,

The sort command (sort -t : +1) in your first example doesn't make sense.

hmm maby there was the problem its posible old version of sort program ? or what he mean whit this (what do this) :

sort -t : +1

druuna · 10-14-2011, 08:26 AM

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by ed88

hmm maby there was the problem its posible old version of sort program ? or what he mean whit this (what do this) :

sort -t : +1

I'm not sure if it is an old version, maybe a version that belongs to SunOS/Solaris and/or HPUX.

Sorting a specific column, which I believe the +1 is for, is done with -k<col-number>, which should work with all sort version/flavors.

Just found this sort man-page: SunOS 5.10 - sort manual page. The +1 notation is mentioned here, so I guess your example should work on sunos/solaris.

Hope this helps.