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Ques:- What is the use of sequence a?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
In AWK, the sequence `a` is used to represent an associative array, where `a` can store key-value pairs.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

ASCII bell

Ques:- What is the use of sequence ?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
In AWK, a sequence is used to generate a series of numbers or to control the flow of processing, often in loops or for creating patterns in output.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

Backspace

Ques:- What is the use of sequence f?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
In AWK, the sequence `f` is used to represent the field separator, which defines how input data is split into fields.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

Formfeed

Ques:- What is the use of PRINTF?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
The `printf` function in AWK is used to format and print data to the output, allowing for control over the layout and appearance of the printed text.
Ques:- What are Associative Arrays?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
Associative arrays are data structures that store key-value pairs, allowing you to access values using unique keys instead of numeric indices. In AWK, they are implemented using arrays where the keys can be strings.
Ques:- What is NR in AWK?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
NR in AWK stands for "Number of Records" and it represents the total number of input records processed so far.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

The Number of Records Variable

Ques:- What is RS in AWK?
Asked In :- plintron,
Right Answer:
RS in AWK stands for "Record Separator." It defines the character or string that separates records in the input data. By default, RS is set to a newline character, meaning each line is treated as a separate record.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

The Record Separator Variable.

Ques:- What is ORS in AWK?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
ORS stands for Output Record Separator in AWK. It is a variable that defines the string that is printed between records when outputting data. By default, ORS is set to a newline character.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

The Output Record Separator Variable

Ques:- What is FILENAME in AWK?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
FILENAME in AWK is a built-in variable that holds the name of the current input file being processed.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

The Current Filename Variable.

Ques:- What are AWK Built-in Variables?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
AWK built-in variables are predefined variables that provide information about the current state of the input data and the execution environment. Some common built-in variables include:

1. **NR** - Number of records processed so far.
2. **NF** - Number of fields in the current record.
3. **FNR** - Number of records processed in the current file.
4. **FS** - Field separator used for input (default is space).
5. **OFS** - Output field separator (default is space).
6. **RS** - Record separator (default is newline).
7. **ORS** - Output record separator (default is newline).
8. **ARGC** - Number of command-line arguments.
9. **ARGV** - Array of command-line arguments.

These variables help in controlling and retrieving information during AWK script execution.
Ques:- What is FS in AWK?
Asked In :- Orion Innovation,
Right Answer:
FS in AWK stands for "Field Separator." It is a variable that defines the character or characters used to separate fields in input records.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

The Input Field Separator Variable.

Ques:- What is OFS in AWK?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
OFS in AWK stands for Output Field Separator, which is the string used to separate fields when AWK prints output. By default, it is a space.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

The Output Field Separator Variable.

Ques:- What is NF in AWK?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
NF in AWK stands for "Number of Fields" and represents the total number of fields in the current record.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

The Number of Fields Variable

Ques:- Usage of And/Or/Not operators in AWK?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
In AWK, the `&&` operator is used for logical AND, `||` for logical OR, and `!` for logical NOT. For example:

- `condition1 && condition2` evaluates to true if both conditions are true.
- `condition1 || condition2` evaluates to true if at least one condition is true.
- `!condition` evaluates to true if the condition is false.
Ques:- What is the use of format specifier %x ?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
The format specifier `%x` in `awk` is used to convert a number to its hexadecimal representation.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

Hexadecimal

Ques:- What are Regular Expressions in AWK?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
Regular expressions in AWK are patterns used to match strings within text. They allow you to search, replace, and manipulate text based on specific criteria, such as matching specific characters, words, or patterns.
Ques:- What is the use of format specifier %s ?
Asked In :- Unvired,
Right Answer:
The format specifier `%s` is used in AWK to represent a string. It is commonly used in functions like `printf` to format and print string values.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

String

Ques:- What is the use of format specifier %g ?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
The format specifier `%g` in Awk is used to format numbers in either fixed-point or exponential notation, depending on which is more compact for the given value.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

The shorter of e or f,with trailing zeros removed

Ques:- What is the use of format specifier %o ?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
The format specifier `%o` in AWK is used to format numbers as octal (base 8) values.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

Octal

Ques:- What is the use of format specifier %d ?
Asked In :-
Right Answer:
The format specifier `%d` is used in `awk` to format and print integers in decimal (base 10) notation.
Comments
Admin May 17, 2020

Decimal integer



The AWK category is a powerful resource for Linux administrators, DevOps engineers, and computer science students aiming to understand text processing on the command line.

Topics include:

  • Basic AWK syntax and operations

  • Pattern scanning and processing

  • Working with pipes and redirection

  • Real-time use cases in log parsing

  • AWK with shell scripting and cron jobs

  • Interview questions on AWK vs. SED vs. GREP

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