Chapter 13<P> Using awk
Using awk
The
awk(C)
programming language is designed for processing and reporting on the
contents of text files. Using awk, you can tabulate survey
results, generate form letters, or reformat data files. The name
awk is an acronym constructed from the initials of its
developers (Aho, Weinberger, and Kernighan); it denotes the language
and also the command you use to run an awk
program.
awk does several useful things that you have to program
for yourself in other languages. As a result, many awk
programs are only one or two lines long. Because awk
programs are usually smaller than equivalent programs in other
languages, and because they are interpreted, not compiled,
awk is also a good language for prototyping (that is,
for writing quick prototypes of programs that will later be
converted into a compiled language).