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awk Basics: Process Text

awk processes text. Fields. Records. Patterns. Actions.

Here's the thing: awk is powerful. Learn it. It's useful.

Basic Usage​

awk '{print $1}' file.txt

My take: $1 is first field. Print it.

Fields​

awk -F: '{print $1}' /etc/passwd

My take: -F sets field separator. Use it.

Patterns​

awk '/pattern/ {print}' file.txt

My take: Patterns match lines. Use them.

Common Patterns​

awk '{print $1, $3}' file.txt

What's Next?​

Now that you understand awk basics, let's talk about awk Advanced.

Personal note: awk seemed complex at first. Then I learned basics. Now I use it. It's powerful. Learn it.