On Friday 13 June 2008, Les Mikesell wrote: >Gene Heskett wrote: >>>> I'm trying to convert a test file, src code for a legacy computer, whose >>>> eol is a single cr into one with a newline subbed for each cr, and tr is >>>> being a pita, it broken, or there is PEBKAC. >>>> >>>> If I use this syntax: >>>> >>>> tr -c \r \n <filename >filename2 >>>> >>>> Then the whole file is converted to nnnnnnnnnn's, every byte. >>>> >>>> The manpage (and pinfo tr too) is, shall we say, completely lacking in >>>> how to handle the file I/O. >>>> >>>> So how do you use tr?" >>> >>> Why option -c? >>> >>> tr '\r' '\n' <filename >filename2 >>> would do it. >> >> Cuz the manpage says that it triggers the character convert thing? > >No, tr actually takes 2 'sets' of characters even though in your use you >only need one character in each set. For example >tr '[A-Z]' '[a-z]' >would lowercase a file (and the brackets and quotes aren't strictly >necessary but would be on a sysV version). >The -c option means to complement the first set (i.e. it becomes the >characters not included). > >> It doesn't touch on its performance if the option isn't given. And it >> doesn't mention using the quotes either, but it worked just fine, thank >> you very much. > >Man pages generally never mention the things the shell does to a command >line before starting the program. This will include expanding variables >and wildcard filenames, redirecting I/O, and other things triggered by >shell metacharacters. In this case tr doesn't particularly need the >quotes, but if you don't use them the shell will parse and remove the \ >characters (treating them as quotes for the following character in its >own parsing). These details are the same for every command you type (or >script) and not repeated in every man page. > I got it working now, but once its done, I won't need it again till 3 years down the log, and will have forgotten it again. Thanks Les. -- Cheers, Gene "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) Reporter: "What would you do if you found a million dollars?" Yogi Berra: "If the guy was poor, I would give it back." -- fedora-list mailing list fedora-list@xxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe: https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-list
