Bash script to split file into two files while changing output file during processing

Question

I am trying to split a text file into two different files, file looks something like this:

//ABC12//burrito (line of text)
(line of text)
(line of text)
etc
//ABC12//taco (line of text)
(line of text)
(line of text)
etc
//ABC12//taco (line of text)
(line of text)
(line of text)
etc
//ABC12//burrito (line of text)
(line of text)
(line of text)
etc

So I would want to split any line beginning with burrito and all subsuquent lines into a file called burrito until a line with taco in it was read, I think the best way to do this would be:

for each line in $text;
   if line contains burrito
         outputfile=burrito
         line>>$outputfile
   elseif line contains taco
         outputfile=taco
         line>>$outputfile
   else
         line>>$outputfile

but I am not sure, any help would be appreciated.

fedorqui, thank you for cleaning up my post

Brian Duffy
– Brian Duffy

2014-12-30 16:58:05 +00:00
Commented Dec 30, 2014 at 16:58 — Brian Duffy
– Brian Duffy, Commented Dec 30, 2014 at 16:58

fedorqui · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-30 16:21:18Z

4

This can be done with awk:

awk '/burrito/ {f="burrito"} /taco/ {f="taco"} {print > f}' file

Explanation

This outputs the lines to a file f, the name of which changes when taco or burrito are found:

/burrito/ {f="burrito"} this means: if the line contains burrito, then set the variable f to burrito.
/taco/ {f="taco"} the same with taco.
{print > f}prints the line into the file stored inf. You can also say{print > f".txt"}` or something else.

If you want to set a default file name, so that it outputs somewhere else until a burrito or taco is found, you can say:

awk 'BEGIN {f="another_file"} /burrito/ {f="burrito"} /taco/ {f="taco"} {print > f}' file

answered Dec 30, 2014 at 16:21

fedorqui

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Comments

anubhava · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-30 17:07:44Z

2

You can use this awk command:

wk 'BEGIN{split("burrito taco", a); f=a[1]} {
   for (i=1; i<=length(a); i++) if ($0 ~ a[i]) f=a[i]; print $0 > f}' file

This will redirect all lines containing taco to a output file called taco
This will redirect all lines containing burrito to a output file called burrito
Instead of f=a[1] you can initialize the output file name to something else.

edited Dec 30, 2014 at 17:07

answered Dec 30, 2014 at 16:43

anubhava

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1 Comment

anubhava Over a year ago

Yes after reading the question again I think I misunderstood the requirements.

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