Problems with shell script (sed) in bash

Question

I am attempting to run the following script in bash:

#! /bin/Bash

cp '../Text_Files_Backups/'*.txt .

sed -i '1,/Ref/d' *.txt

##Deletes all lines from the begining of file up to and including the line that includes the text 'Ref'
##      

sed -i -b '/^.$/,$d' *.txt
##Deletes all blank lines and text following and including the first blank line

sed -i 's/\([(a-zA-Z) ]\)\([(1-9)][(0-9)][ ][ ]\)/\1\n\2/g' *.txt
##Searches document for any instance of a letter character immediately followed by a 2 digit number ##immediately followed by 2 blank spaces
##  <or>
##a blank space immediately followed by a 2 digit number immediately followed by 2 blank spaces
##      and inserts a new line immediately prior to the 2 digit number

exit

Each line has been tested separately and functions as it should, except when put together into a script.

The first file seems to be just fine. The next 4 files are blank. Then the next 2 files are good. This keeps up at seemingly random intervals throughout the 550 files that I need to run this on.

Any Ideas?

Thanks.

What are you trying to do? Please show us your input file and desired output — Aleks-Daniel Jakimenko-A.
– Aleks-Daniel Jakimenko-A., Commented Sep 10, 2013 at 18:18

konsolebox · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-10 18:24:52Z

2

sed -i -b '/^.$/,$d' *.txt
##Deletes all blank lines and text following and including the first blank line

You probably mean

sed -i -b '/^$/,$d' *.txt

Even further

sed -i -b '/^[[:blank:]]*$/,$d' *.txt

Which would include those lines with only spaces.

On a test, this command

(echo a; echo b; echo; echo b; echo; echo; echo c; echo d) | sed '/^$/,$d'

Shows

a
b

While this command

(echo a; echo b; echo; echo b; echo; echo; echo c; echo d) | sed '/^.$/,$d'

Shows nothing.

edited Sep 10, 2013 at 18:24

answered Sep 10, 2013 at 18:19

konsolebox

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6 Comments

Dominic Romano Over a year ago

That was my original command, but it didn't work properly. I deleted the subsequent pages in a multi-page document, but not the lines at the bottom of the first page. I was given ^.$ from another member here and to correct that issue.

konsolebox Over a year ago

@DominicRomano On my test it works as intended. Even on a file.

Dominic Romano Over a year ago

I appreciate the help, but the line '/^$/,$d' doesn't work on my system. I need to use '/^.$/,$d' in order to get the desired results.

konsolebox Over a year ago

@DominicRomano I think that ('/^.$/,$d') would actually work if your files are in CRLF format, but the proper way for that is '/^\r$/,$d'. Probably when you were testing /^$/,$d you were actually doing it on a CRLF file? Also a compatible approach is /^\r\?$/,$d which would apply on either formats. For including lines with only spaces, use '/^[[:space:]]*$/,$d'.

konsolebox Over a year ago

@DominicRomano I hope you could try at least '/^\r\?$/,$d' or '/^[[:space:]]*$/,$d' and tell us how it goes.

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