Insert multiple lines into a file after specified pattern using shell script
I want to insert multiple lines into a file using shell script. Let us consider my input file contents are: input.txt:
abcd
accd
cdef
line
web
Now I have to insert four lines after the line 'cdef' in the input.txt file. After inserting my file should change like this:
abcd
accd
cdef
line1
line2
line3
line4
line
web
The above insertion I should do using the shell script. Can any one help me?
Another sed
,
sed '/cdef/r add.txt' input.txt
input.txt:
abcd
accd
cdef
line
web
add.txt:
line1
line2
line3
line4
Test:
sat:~# sed '/cdef/r add.txt' input.txt
abcd
accd
cdef
line1
line2
line3
line4
line
web
If you want to apply the changes in input.txt
file. Then, use -i
with sed
.
sed -i '/cdef/r add.txt' input.txt
If you want to use a regex as an expression you have to use the -E
tag with sed
.
sed -E '/RegexPattern/r add.txt' input.txt
Using GNU sed
:
sed "/cdef/aline1\nline2\nline3\nline4" input.txt
If you started with:
abcd
accd
cdef
line
web
this would produce:
abcd
accd
cdef
line1
line2
line3
line4
line
web
If you want to save the changes to the file in-place, say:
sed -i "/cdef/aline1\nline2\nline3\nline4" input.txt
sed '/^cdef$/r'<(
echo "line1"
echo "line2"
echo "line3"
echo "line4"
) -i -- input.txt
Using awk
:
awk '/cdef/{print $0 RS "line1" RS "line2" RS "line3" RS "line4";next}1' input.txt
Explanation:
- You find the line you want to insert from using
/.../
- You print the current line using
print $0
-
RS
is built-inawk
variable that is by default set tonew-line
. - You add new lines separated by this variable
-
1
at the end results in printing of every other lines. Usingnext
before it allows us to prevent the current line since you have already printed it usingprint $0
.
$ awk '/cdef/{print $0 RS "line1" RS "line2" RS "line3" RS "line4";next}1' input.txt
abcd
accd
cdef
line1
line2
line3
line4
line
web
To make changes to the file you can do:
awk '...' input.txt > tmp && mv tmp input.txt