Linux AWK command Tutorial for Beginners

Linux AWK command Tutorial for Beginners | Learn AWK with Examples, learn Step-by-step AWK tutorial for Linux beginners. Learn AWK command syntax, patterns, and examples to process text and data efficiently in Linux.

In Linux, text processing is one of the most powerful tasks that system administrators and developers perform on a daily basis. Among the many command-line tools available, AWK stands out as one of the most versatile and powerful utilities for pattern scanning and processing. This tutorial will guide you through the basics of the AWK command in Linux, its syntax, and practical examples to help you master it.

What is Linux AWK command

The awk command in Linux is not an acronym with a “full form” in the traditional sense of standing for a specific phrase or set of words describing its function. Instead, awk is named after the initials of its three original developers:

A – lfred Aho
W – einberger (Peter Weinberger)
K – ernighan (Brian Kernighan)

Basic syntex of Linux AWK command

awk 'pattern { action }' filename

Pattern – Defines what to search for in each line.
Action – Defines what to do if the pattern matches.
Filename – The input file to process.

Note: If no pattern is given, AWK performs the action on all lines. If no action is given, AWK prints the matching line by default.

awk command list List files with sizes

# List files with sizes
ls -l | awk '{print $9, $5}'

Learn AWK with Examples

1. Print All Lines

awk '{ print }' file.txt

2. Print Specific Column

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

3. Print Line Numbers

awk '{ print NR, $0 }' file.txt

4. Conditional Pattern Matching

awk '/error/ { print }' log.txt

5. Print Lines Based on Condition

awk '$3 > 50 { print $1, $3 }' marks.txt

Real-World Examples of AWK

Example 1: Summing a Column

awk '{ sum += $2 } END { print "Total:", sum }' sales.txt

Example 2: Average Calculation

awk '{ total += $3; count++ } END { print "Average:", total/count }' marks.txt

Example 3: Replace Field Separator

awk 'BEGIN { FS=":"; OFS=" - " } { print $1, $2 }' /etc/passwd

AWK Built-in Variables

Variable	Meaning
$0	Whole line
$1, $2…	Specific column/field
NR	Number of records (lines)
NF	Number of fields in the current line
FS	Field separator (default is space)
OFS	Output field separator
RS	Record separator
ORS	Output record separator

Why Use AWK Linux commans?

Quick and efficient for log analysis.
Ideal for column-based data manipulation.
Works well in shell scripting.

Lightweight alternative to Python or Perl for simple text tasks.

Conclusion

The AWK command in Linux is a must-know tool for anyone working with text, data files, or system administration. With its pattern scanning and processing power, it allows you to filter, format, and analyze data efficiently. By practicing the examples above, you’ll be well on your way to mastering AWK for real-world use cases.

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