Hi!

I am using a shell script to modify a data file with awk and redirecting the standart output to a new data file.
Now, when I am trying to plot the new data file with gnuplot, it won't do so.
However, when I open the new data file with gedit and save it WITHOUT ANY CHANGES, it will work correctly.

This is very annoying and no practical solution.

Can anyone tell me the reason?

Difficult to make a suggestion without more detail.
An initial thought is that your original data file may be using the DOS style CR/LF line endings which are being automatically changed to *nix style LF line endings after saving with gedit.
Do you see a change in file size before and after saving with gedit?
Does 'cmp -l <original file> <final file>' give any clues?

1 members found this post helpful.

Looks like you are on to something.

file sizes do not differ.
cmp output isin gedit, the file looks like this (exerpt):
-46.95 10.8 5.7 7.270 952.7
-46.7833 10.7 5.6 0.001 952.8
-46.6167 10.7 5.5 0.005 952.8
-46.45 10.6 5.8 0.006 952.8
-46.2833 10.5 5.4 0.008 952.9
-46.1167 10.5 6.0 0.011 952.9

results in this:
-46.95^I10.8^I5.7^I7.270^I952.7^M-46.7833^I10.7^I5.6^I0.001^I952.8^M-46.6167^I10.7^I5.5^I0.005^I952.8^M-46.45^I10.6^I5.8^I0.006^I952.8^M-46.2833^I10.5^I5.4^I0.008^I952.9^M-46.1167^I10.5^I6.0^I0.011^I952.9^M-45.95^I10.5^I5.4^I0.013^I953.0^M-45.7833^I10.4^I6.0^I0.017^I953.1^M-45.6167^I10.4^I5.2^I0.025^I953.1^M-45.45^I10.3^I6.2^I0.033^I953.1^M-45.2833^I10.3^I5.3^I0.046^I953.1^M-45.1167^I10.3^I5.6^I0.067^I953.1^M-44.95^I10.3^I4.9^I0.095^I953.1^M-44.7833^I10.2^I5.0^I0.107^I953.2^M-44.6167^I10.2^I3.9^I0.113^I953.2^M-44.45^I10.2^I5.2^I0.127^I953.2^M-44.2833^I10.1^I5.7^I0.187^I953.2^M-44.1167^I10.0^I4.8^I0.576^I953.3^M-43.95^I10.0^I5.1^I1.026^I953.3^M-43.7833^I10.0^I3.9^I1.405^I953.3^M-43.6167^I9.9^I5

and so on
while


outputs:
-46.95^I10.8^I5.7^I7.270^I952.7$
-46.7833^I10.7^I5.6^I0.001^I952.8$
-46.6167^I10.7^I5.5^I0.005^I952.8$
-46.45^I10.6^I5.8^I0.006^I952.8$
-46.2833^I10.5^I5.4^I0.008^I952.9$
-46.1167^I10.5^I6.0^I0.011^I952.9$
-45.95^I10.5^I5.4^I0.013^I953.0$

I have already tried the dos2unix command without success.
Would sed help with this?

The ^I is the TAB character, so your original file is TAB delimited.
The ^M is the CR (carriage return) character, so your original file is using CR without LF to end a line, as the file sizes do not differ. gedit seems to be automatically changing the CR line ending to the LF line ending.

I suggest using tr rather than sed.

1 members found this post helpful.

great, this works perfectly.
that was really driving me nuts.
thanks a lot!