Adding second line with sed to file

[jerry1]

Does anyone know how to add two lines of
text into a file(not end of file) when
replacing one line with sed.

example:

Look for string in file of "#end":

#end

somewhare in file and add "newline" string plus "#end" string afterwords:

newline
#end


It is of course easy to use:

sed s/string1/strings2/

But I just can't get the new line of text added afterwords.

sed s/strings1/strings2\nstring1/ ????

[Mel Burslan · Accepted solution]

I found myself in the same conundrum more than once in my life and devised a methodology without getting too much into cryptic sed commands.

I tweak this little script everytime I use it as my needs change, but you can get the basic idea. chop up the file, insert your text and reconstruct it.

Here it goes and hope it helps.


FILE=File_to_be_edited
PATTERN="whatever you wish to find"

# find your line number which contains the pattern
findline=`grep -n "${PATTERN}" $FILE|cut -d: -f1`

# cut and paste whatever is before this line into a header section
sed -e "${findline},\$d" ${FILE} > /tmp/file_header

# cut and paste whatever is after this line into a footer section
let f_minus_one=${findline}-1
sed -e "1,${f_minus_one}d" ${FILE} > /tmp/file_footer

# reconstruct your FILE
#
# put the header section first
cat /tmp/file_header > ${FILE}

# add your insertions
echo "my inserted line" >> ${FILE}
echo "another inserted line" >> ${FILE}

# finish off with putting whatever is in the footer section
cat /tmp/file_footer >> ${FILE}

[curt larson_1]

how about something like:

sed '/s1/{h;s/s1/s2/;G;}'

[Vibhor Kumar Agarwal]

Not sure of the syntax but it works:

sed -e 's/string1/&string2/g'

[Muthukumar_5]

Is it working as,

sed -e 's/#end/newline\
#end/g'

Else you can go with awk as,

awk '{ if ( $0 ~= "#end" ) { printf "newline\n"$0"\n" }}'

hth.

[jerry1]

Mel, thanks. Good enough.

I could not however get the others to
work.


# sed "s/#end/{h;s/#end/test/;G;}" rules.test
sed: command garbled: s/#end/{h;s/#end/test/;G;}


Not sure if the syntax is right below. $0 - ??

# awk '{ if ($0 ~= "#end" ) { printf "newline\n"$0"\n" }}' rules.test
awk: syntax error near line 1
awk: illegal statement near line 1
awk: syntax error near line 1
awk: bailing out near line 1


Does not give me a new line for the string
"test" but it seems to be close. Seems like
you could put some kind of switch in between
& and the string "test".

sed "s/#end/&test/g" rules.test

#endtest


------------------------------------
I tried this one already.

# sed -e "s/#end/test\
newline/g" rules.test

testnewline

[curt larson_1]

hello Jerry,

in regards to:

I could not however get the others to work.
# sed "s/#end/{h;s/#end/test/;G;}" rules.test
sed: command garbled: s/#end/{h;s/#end/test/;G;}

you have the syntax wrong; it should be:

sed '/#end/{h;s/#end/test/;G;}' rules.test

not:
sed "s/#end/{h;s/#end/test/;G;}"
aaaaa^, there is no "s" at the begining.

[curt larson_1]

and the awk command would work better as:

awk '{ if ( $0 ~= "#end" ) {
printf("newline\n%s\n",$0);}}'

or

awk '/#end/ {printf "newline\n%s\n",$0);}'

[Hein van den Heuvel]

Jerry,

The sed line Muthukumar showed works interactively, but it hard to do in a script.
You need that new newline character after the 'text for the new line'.

The awk suggestion needs a little tweak.
This works for me:
awk '/^\#end/{print "newline"} {print}'

demo below.

Hein.

#cat x
aap
end #end
noot
#end
#
# awk '/^\#end/{print "newline"} {print}' x
aap
end #end
noot
newline
#end
$ sed -e 's/#end/newline2\
> #end/g' x
aap
end newline2
#end
noot
newline2
#end

[Rory R Hammond]

I know how to cheat

Assume your data does have a Carriage Return
(^M, control M)

sed 's/#end/ XXXX ^M #end/g' |tr "\r" "\n"

You can insert a ^M, using vi by
Control V and then Control M.

If you know your data NEVER has a certain character like a ~, etc you could use that instead of a control character.

Rory

[jerry1]

My appologies Curt. Habbit of always
typing sed s/

They both work.
Curt you had a typo though in:

awk '/#end/ {printf "newline\n%s\n",$0);}'

No ")" after 0 and it works.

Hein van den's works also.

Thanks Guys!