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Re: Feature request: handling space-delimited data with cut
From: |
Pádraig Brady |
Subject: |
Re: Feature request: handling space-delimited data with cut |
Date: |
Fri, 15 May 2009 13:52:37 +0100 |
User-agent: |
Thunderbird 2.0.0.6 (X11/20071008) |
Eric Blake wrote:
> According to Andrew McGill on 5/15/2009 4:10 AM:
>> * There is no SIMPLE tool for handling space delimited data ({'$awk'} is not
>> simple, IMHO)
>
> awk may not be as simple as some other tools, but it is standardized by
> POSIX and is the application of choice for portable scripts when dealing
> with space-delimited data. That's just a fact of life that you will have
> to learn to live with.
>
>> 1. Adding an option (-w) similar to -f to cut words separated by whitespace
>> (same rules as sort, unless the whitespace is changed to something else
>> with -d)
>
> The bar for adding new options is very high. Supposing we added it, you
> have to remember that it still cannot be used by portable scripts, but
> only on installations where you know for sure that new enough coreutils is
> installed. We tend to not want to bloat tool A if tool B can already do
> the job in a standardized manner.
I agree of course. It's hard to decide.
>> I'm in favour of cut -w ... can I send a patch?
>
> Yes, anyone can send a patch. But be prepared to provide a VERY strong
> case for its inclusion, or to get back the reply that we don't want to
> risk incorporating it in the official upstream repository (but of course
> you can continue using your patch on your personal installation).
90% of the time I use cut, I want it to split on whitespace.
How about supporting: cut -d '[:space:]'
cheers,
Pádraig.