On Sat, Jun 27, 2020 at 06:50:39AM +0100, Jason McIntyre wrote: > On Fri, Jun 26, 2020 at 09:28:00PM -0600, Todd C. Miller wrote: > > On Fri, 26 Jun 2020 23:56:23 +0200, Klemens Nanni wrote: > > > > > How about adding something like "Therefore, FS should be set with -F or > > > in a BEGIN block before input is read." as second sentence in this > > > paragraph? > > > > That whole section is missing important details. I've tried to add > > the missing info without being too repetitive. > > > > - todd > > > > Index: usr.bin/awk/awk.1 > > =================================================================== > > RCS file: /cvs/src/usr.bin/awk/awk.1,v > > retrieving revision 1.54 > > diff -u -p -u -r1.54 awk.1 > > --- usr.bin/awk/awk.1 26 Jun 2020 21:50:06 -0000 1.54 > > +++ usr.bin/awk/awk.1 27 Jun 2020 03:25:48 -0000 > > @@ -129,27 +129,25 @@ and newlines are used as field separator > > .Va FS ) . > > This is convenient when working with multi-line records. > > .Pp > > -An input line is normally made up of fields separated by whitespace, > > -or by the regular expression > > -.Va FS . > > +An input line is normally made up of fields split based on the value > > +of the field separator > > +.Va FS > > +at the time the line is read. > > i'm not sure it reads better when we switch the emphasis from whitespace > to FS. i think it's better that people see how it normally works, then > the gories about FS. so i'd have kept the first part of the sentence, > but maybe reworked the FS bit. > > > The fields are denoted > > .Va $1 , $2 , ... , > > while > > .Va $0 > > refers to the entire line. > > -If > > .Va FS > > -is null, the input line is split into one field per character. > > -Lines are split into fields using the value of > > +may be set to either a single character or a regular expression. > > +As as special case, if > > .Va FS > > -at the time the line is read. > > -Because of this, > > +is a single space > > +.Pq the default , > > +fields will be split by one or more whitespace characters. > > +If > > .Va FS > > -is usually set via the > > -.Fl F > > -option or inside of a > > -.Ic BEGIN > > -block. > > +is null, the input line is split into one field per character. > > .Pp > > Normally, any number of blanks separate fields. > > In order to set the field separator to a single blank, use the > > @@ -171,6 +169,11 @@ as the field separator, use the > > .Fl F > > option with a value of > > .Sq [t] . > > +The field separator is usually set via the > > +.Fl F > > +option or from inside of a > > that sounds odd, but it may be a US/UK thing: i would say either "from > inside a block" or "from the inside of a block".
Maybe "... from inside of the" rather than "... from inside of a" --patrick > > jmc > > > +.Ic BEGIN > > +block so that it takes effect before the input is read. > > .Pp > > A pattern-action statement has the form: > > .Pp > > @@ -407,9 +410,9 @@ The name of the current input file. > > .It Va FNR > > Ordinal number of the current record in the current file. > > .It Va FS > > -Regular expression used to separate fields; also settable > > -by option > > -.Fl F Ar fs . > > +Regular expression used to separate fields (default whitespace); > > +also settable by option > > +.Fl F Ar fs > > .It Va NF > > Number of fields in the current record. > > .Va $NF > > >
