[SOLVED] deleting fields in lines that have more fields than the average

patolfo · 09-09-2011, 12:08 PM

I have this problem i have been trying with awk:
i have this data:

Code:

1 2 a b c d
    e f g h
    i j k l
3 4 m n o p
    q r s t

and i want to get this

Code:

a b c d
e f g h
i j k l
m n o p
q r s t

any idea guys, i wanted to compare the number of fields between lines but i never got a good code in google, i am still googlin BTW

druuna · 09-09-2011, 12:18 PM

Hi,

Is awk required?

Using cut:

Code:

cut -c 5- infile

Hope this helps.

lrtward · 09-09-2011, 02:27 PM

If awk is required:

Code:

# cat file
1 2 a b c d
    e f g h
    i j k l
3 4 m n o p
    q r s t

# awk '{ print $(NF-3), $(NF-2), $(NF-1), $NF }' file
a b c d
e f g h
i j k l
m n o p
q r s t

Though I must say the previous solution by druuna is better if awk is not necessary.

grail · 09-10-2011, 02:24 AM

Well if awk less than 4.0:

Code:

awk --re-interval 'sub(/^.{4}/,"")' file

Version 4 and above the switch is not required as intervals are native. I agree the cut is the better tool in this case.

patolfo · 09-14-2011, 11:03 AM

grail your code worked real good

adn i doe sno thave to be awk, bu ti prefer it, as i am piping data using only awk commands so far.