Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 09:16:06 -0400 From: Rob Ellis <rob@web.ca> To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: OT: using sed to insert \n at command line Message-ID: <20020618131606.GA18107@web.ca> In-Reply-To: <20020618065319.GA68146@happy-idiot-talk.infracaninophi> References: <5.1.1.6.0.20020618161418.020a7780@wheresmymailserver.com> <20020618065319.GA68146@happy-idiot-talk.infracaninophi>
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with tcsh, you need two backslashes before the newline: > echo "abc xyz" | sed 's/ /\\ ? /' abc xyz - rob > On Tue, Jun 18, 2002 at 04:16:18PM +1000, Jacob Rhoden wrote: > > I've done some searching online and I cant work out how to do this, and I > > was wondering if any of you guys do? This is what I am doing, and when I > > try to insert a \n it doesn't work either way: > > > > input | sed 's/a string/\n/g' | output > > input | sed 's/a string/\\n/g' | output > > > > what is the correct way from the command prompt? Thanks for any help . . > > You have to insert a literal newline character into the sed expression > preceded by a backslash: > > $ echo "bibble babble" | sed -e 's/ /\ > > /g' > bibble > babble > > Your ability to do this successfully will be a function of the shell > you're using. It works fine with /bin/sh, but /bin/tcsh is too clever > for it's own good and blows up. > > If you need a command that will expand character escapes in the target > of a substitution command try: > > % echo "bibble babble" | perl -p -e 's/ /\n/g;' > bibble > babble > > Cheers > > Matthew > -- Rob Ellis <rob@web.ca> System Administrator, Web Networks To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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