printing hh in hh:mm using "awk '{FS=":";print $1}'" misses first line of output!!

mayankmehta83 · 12-03-2009, 02:48 AM

input -->
% cat file
11:30
12:20
13:10

unexpected output

-->
% awk '{FS=":";print $1}' file
11:30
12
13

expected output

-->
% awk '??' file
11
12
13

Please suggest what's wrong with the command. Thanks in advance.

Also consider,

% awk '{ if(NR>1) {FS=":";print $1} }' file
12:20
13

It is as if awk has decided not to work on 1st row of input supplied !!

Tinkster · 12-03-2009, 02:54 AM

Hi, welcome to LQ!

2 options.

Put

Code:

awk -F: '{....'
or
awk 'BEGIN{FS=":"}{ ... '

druuna · 12-03-2009, 02:55 AM

Hi,

awk -F: '{ print $1 }' infile

or

awk 'BEGIN { FS=":" } { print $1 }' infile

Hope this helps.