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Diffstat (limited to 'doc/gawk.texi')
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/gawk.texi | 399 |
1 files changed, 368 insertions, 31 deletions
diff --git a/doc/gawk.texi b/doc/gawk.texi index 96d3370e..8005fe3f 100644 --- a/doc/gawk.texi +++ b/doc/gawk.texi @@ -633,6 +633,7 @@ particular records in a file and perform operations upon them. * Special Caveats:: Things to watch out for. * Close Files And Pipes:: Closing Input and Output Files and Pipes. +* Nonfatal:: Enabling Nonfatal Output. * Output Summary:: Output summary. * Output Exercises:: Exercises. * Values:: Constants, Variables, and Regular @@ -1002,6 +1003,7 @@ particular records in a file and perform operations upon them. * Unix Installation:: Installing @command{gawk} under various versions of Unix. * Quick Installation:: Compiling @command{gawk} under Unix. +* Shell Startup Files:: Shell convenience functions. * Additional Configuration Options:: Other compile-time options. * Configuration Philosophy:: How it's all supposed to work. * Non-Unix Installation:: Installation on Other Operating @@ -4082,10 +4084,8 @@ No space is allowed between the @option{-o} and @var{file}, if @var{file} is supplied. @quotation NOTE -Due to the way @command{gawk} has evolved, with this option -your program still executes. This will change in the -next major release, such that @command{gawk} will only -pretty-print the program and not run it. +In the past, this option would also execute your program. +This is no longer the case. @end quotation @item @option{-O} @@ -4486,6 +4486,9 @@ searches first in the current directory and then in @file{/usr/local/share/awk}. In practice, this means that you will rarely need to change the value of @env{AWKPATH}. +@xref{Shell Startup Files}, for information on functions that help to +manipulate the @env{AWKPATH} variable. + @command{gawk} places the value of the search path that it used into @code{ENVIRON["AWKPATH"]}. This provides access to the actual search path value from within an @command{awk} program. @@ -4517,6 +4520,9 @@ an empty value, @command{gawk} uses a default path; this is typically @samp{/usr/local/lib/gawk}, although it can vary depending upon how @command{gawk} was built. +@xref{Shell Startup Files}, for information on functions that help to +manipulate the @env{AWKLIBPATH} variable. + @command{gawk} places the value of the search path that it used into @code{ENVIRON["AWKLIBPATH"]}. This provides access to the actual search path value from within an @command{awk} program. @@ -4544,6 +4550,8 @@ wait for input before returning with an error. Controls the number of times @command{gawk} attempts to retry a two-way TCP/IP (socket) connection before giving up. @xref{TCP/IP Networking}. +Note that when nonfatal I/O is enabled (@pxref{Nonfatal}), +@command{gawk} only tries to open a TCP/IP socket once. @item POSIXLY_CORRECT Causes @command{gawk} to switch to POSIX-compatibility @@ -4593,14 +4601,6 @@ two regexp matchers that @command{gawk} uses internally. (There aren't supposed to be differences, but occasionally theory and practice don't coordinate with each other.) -@item GAWK_NO_PP_RUN -When @command{gawk} is invoked with the @option{--pretty-print} option, -it will not run the program if this environment variable exists. - -@quotation CAUTION -This variable will not survive into the next major release. -@end quotation - @item GAWK_STACKSIZE This specifies the amount by which @command{gawk} should grow its internal evaluation stack, when needed. @@ -5180,17 +5180,21 @@ between @samp{0} and @samp{7}. For example, the code for the ASCII ESC @item \x@var{hh}@dots{} The hexadecimal value @var{hh}, where @var{hh} stands for a sequence of hexadecimal digits (@samp{0}--@samp{9}, and either @samp{A}--@samp{F} -or @samp{a}--@samp{f}). Like the same construct -in ISO C, the escape sequence continues until the first nonhexadecimal -digit is seen. @value{COMMONEXT} -However, using more than two hexadecimal digits produces -undefined results. (The @samp{\x} escape sequence is not allowed in -POSIX @command{awk}.) +or @samp{a}--@samp{f}). A maximum of two digts are allowed after +the @samp{\x}. Any further hexadecimal digits are treated as simple +letters or numbers. @value{COMMONEXT} +(The @samp{\x} escape sequence is not allowed in POSIX awk.) @quotation CAUTION -The next major release of @command{gawk} will change, such -that a maximum of two hexadecimal digits following the -@samp{\x} will be used. +In ISO C, the escape sequence continues until the first nonhexadecimal +digit is seen. +For many years, @command{gawk} would continue incorporating +hexadecimal digits into the value until a non-hexadecimal digit +or the end of the string was encountered. +However, using more than two hexadecimal digits produced +undefined results. +As of @value{PVERSION} 4.2, only two digits +are processed. @end quotation @cindex @code{\} (backslash), @code{\/} escape sequence @@ -8934,6 +8938,7 @@ and discusses the @code{close()} built-in function. @command{gawk} allows access to inherited file descriptors. * Close Files And Pipes:: Closing Input and Output Files and Pipes. +* Nonfatal:: Enabling Nonfatal Output. * Output Summary:: Output summary. * Output Exercises:: Exercises. @end menu @@ -10440,6 +10445,71 @@ when closing a pipe. @end ifnotdocbook +@node Nonfatal +@section Enabling Nonfatal Output + +This @value{SECTION} describes a @command{gawk}-specific feature. + +In standard @command{awk}, output with @code{print} or @code{printf} +to a nonexistent file, or some other I/O error (such as filling up the +disk) is a fatal error. + +@example +$ @kbd{gawk 'BEGIN @{ print "hi" > "/no/such/file" @}'} +@error{} gawk: cmd. line:1: fatal: can't redirect to `/no/such/file' (No such file or directory) +@end example + +@command{gawk} makes it possible to detect that an error has +occurred, allowing you to possibly recover from the error, or +at least print an error message of your choosing before exiting. +You can do this in one of two ways: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +For all output files, by assigning any value to @code{PROCINFO["NONFATAL"]}. + +@item +On a per-file basis, by assigning any value to +@code{PROCINFO[@var{filename}, "NONFATAL"]}. +Here, @var{filename} is the name of the file to which +you wish output to be nonfatal. +@end itemize + +Once you have enabled nonfatal output, you must check @code{ERRNO} +after every relevant @code{print} or @code{printf} statement to +see if something went wrong. It is also a good idea to initialize +@code{ERRNO} to zero before attempting the output. For example: + +@example +$ @kbd{gawk '} +> @kbd{BEGIN @{} +> @kbd{ PROCINFO["NONFATAL"] = 1} +> @kbd{ ERRNO = 0} +> @kbd{ print "hi" > "/no/such/file"} +> @kbd{ if (ERRNO) @{} +> @kbd{ print("Output failed:", ERRNO) > "/dev/stderr"} +> @kbd{ exit 1} +> @kbd{ @}} +> @kbd{@}'} +@error{} Output failed: No such file or directory +@end example + +Here, @command{gawk} did not produce a fatal error; instead +it let the @command{awk} program code detect the problem and handle it. + +This mechanism works also for standard output and standard error. +For standard output, you may use @code{PROCINFO["-", "NONFATAL"]} +or @code{PROCINFO["/dev/stdout", "NONFATAL"]}. For standard error, use +@code{PROCINFO["/dev/stderr", "NONFATAL"]}. + +When attempting to open a TCP/IP socket (@pxref{TCP/IP Networking}), +@command{gawk} tries multiple times. The @env{GAWK_SOCK_RETRIES} +environment variable (@pxref{Other Environment Variables}) allows you to +override @command{gawk}'s builtin default number of attempts. However, +once nonfatal I/O is enabled for a given socket, @command{gawk} only +retries once, relying on @command{awk}-level code to notice that there +was a problem. + @node Output Summary @section Summary @@ -10468,6 +10538,12 @@ Use @code{close()} to close open file, pipe, and coprocess redirections. For coprocesses, it is possible to close only one direction of the communications. +@item +Normally errors with @code{print} or @code{printf} are fatal. +@command{gawk} lets you make output errors be nonfatal either for +all files or on a per-file basis. You must then check for errors +after every relevant output statement. + @end itemize @c EXCLUDE START @@ -14801,10 +14877,24 @@ opens the next file. An associative array containing the values of the environment. The array indices are the environment variable names; the elements are the values of the particular environment variables. For example, -@code{ENVIRON["HOME"]} might be @code{"/home/arnold"}. Changing this array -does not affect the environment passed on to any programs that -@command{awk} may spawn via redirection or the @code{system()} function. -(In a future version of @command{gawk}, it may do so.) +@code{ENVIRON["HOME"]} might be @code{/home/arnold}. + +For POSIX @command{awk}, changing this array does not affect the +environment passed on to any programs that @command{awk} may spawn via +redirection or the @code{system()} function. + +However, beginning with version 4.2, if not in POSIX +compatibility mode, @command{gawk} does update its own environment when +@code{ENVIRON} is changed, thus changing the environment seen by programs +that it creates. You should therefore be especially careful if you +modify @code{ENVIRON["PATH"]"}, which is the search path for finding +executable programs. + +This can also affect the running @command{gawk} program, since some of the +built-in functions may pay attention to certain environment variables. +The most notable instance of this is @code{mktime()} (@pxref{Time +Functions}), which pays attention the value of the @env{TZ} environment +variable on many systems. Some operating systems may not have environment variables. On such systems, the @code{ENVIRON} array is empty (except for @@ -16944,6 +17034,23 @@ You can use @samp{pi = atan2(0, -1)} to retrieve the value of @cindex cosine Return the cosine of @var{x}, with @var{x} in radians. +@item @code{div(@var{numerator}, @var{denominator}, @var{result})} +@cindexawkfunc{div} +@cindex div +Perform integer division, similar to the standard C function of the +same name. First, truncate @code{numerator} and @code{denominator} +towards zero, creating integer values. Clear the @code{result} +array, and then set @code{result["quotient"]} to the result of +@samp{numerator / denominator}, truncated towards zero to an integer, +and set @code{result["remainder"]} to the result of @samp{numerator % +denominator}, truncated towards zero to an integer. This function is +primarily intended for use with arbitrary length integers; it avoids +creating MPFR arbitrary precision floating-point values (@pxref{Arbitrary +Precision Integers}). + +This function is a @code{gawk} extension. It is not available in +compatibility mode (@pxref{Options}). + @item @code{exp(@var{x})} @cindexawkfunc{exp} @cindex exponent @@ -27747,8 +27854,7 @@ The profiled version of your program may not look exactly like what you typed when you wrote it. This is because @command{gawk} creates the profiled version by ``pretty-printing'' its internal representation of the program. The advantage to this is that @command{gawk} can produce -a standard representation. The disadvantage is that all source code -comments are lost. +a standard representation. Also, things such as: @example @@ -27842,10 +27948,26 @@ When called this way, @command{gawk} ``pretty-prints'' the program into @file{awkprof.out}, without any execution counts. @quotation NOTE -The @option{--pretty-print} option still runs your program. -This will change in the next major release. +Once upon a time, the @option{--pretty-print} option would also run +your program. This is is no longer the case. @end quotation +There is a significant difference between the output created when +profiling, and that created when pretty-printing. Pretty-printed output +preserves the original comments that were in the program, although their +placement may not correspond exactly to their original locations in the +source code. + +However, as a deliberate design decision, profiling output @emph{omits} +the original program's comments. This allows you to focus on the +execution count data and helps you avoid the temptation to use the +profiler for pretty-printing. + +Additionally, pretty-printed output does not have the leading indentation +that the profiling output does. This makes it easy to pretty-print your +code once development is completed, and then use the result as the final +version of your program. + @node Advanced Features Summary @section Summary @@ -30919,6 +31041,119 @@ to just use the following: gawk -M 'BEGIN @{ n = 13; print n % 2 @}' @end example +When dividing two arbitrary precision integers with either +@samp{/} or @samp{%}, the result is typically an arbitrary +precision floating point value (unless the denominator evenly +divides into the numerator). In order to do integer division +or remainder with arbitrary precision integers, use the built-in +@code{div()} function (@pxref{Numeric Functions}). + +You can simulate the @code{div()} function in standard @command{awk} +using this user-defined function: + +@example +@c file eg/lib/div.awk +# div --- do integer division + +@c endfile +@ignore +@c file eg/lib/div.awk +# +# Arnold Robbins, arnold@@skeeve.com, Public Domain +# July, 2014 + +@c endfile + +@end ignore +@c file eg/lib/div.awk +function div(numerator, denominator, result) +@{ + split("", result) + + numerator = int(numerator) + denominator = int(denominator) + result["quotient"] = int(numerator / denominator) + result["remainder"] = int(numerator % denominator) + + return 0.0 +@} +@c endfile +@end example + +The following example program, contributed by Katie Wasserman, +uses @code{div()} to +compute the digits of @value{PI} to as many places as you +choose to set: + +@example +@c file eg/prog/pi.awk +# pi.awk --- compute the digits of pi +@c endfile +@c endfile +@ignore +@c file eg/prog/pi.awk +# +# Katie Wasserman, katie@@wass.net +# August 2014 +@c endfile +@end ignore +@c file eg/prog/pi.awk + +BEGIN @{ + digits = 100000 + two = 2 * 10 ^ digits + pi = two + for (m = digits * 4; m > 0; --m) @{ + d = m * 2 + 1 + x = pi * m + div(x, d, result) + pi = result["quotient"] + pi = pi + two + @} + print pi +@} +@c endfile +@end example + +@ignore +Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 10:19:11 -0400 +To: arnold@skeeve.com +From: Katherine Wasserman <katie@wass.net> +Subject: Re: computation of digits of pi? + +Arnold, + +>The program that you sent to compute the digits of pi using div(). Is +>that some standard algorithm that every math student knows? If so, +>what's it called? + +It's not that well known but it's not that obscure either + +It's Euler's modification to Newton's method for calculating pi. + +Take a look at lines (23) - (25) here: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/PiFormulas.htm + +The algorithm I wrote simply expands the multiply by 2 and works from the innermost expression outwards. I used this to program HP calculators because it's quite easy to modify for tiny memory devices with smallish word sizes. + +http://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/hpmuseum/articles.cgi?read=899 + +-Katie +@end ignore + +When asked about the algorithm used, Katie replied: + +@quotation +It's not that well known but it's not that obscure either. +It's Euler's modification to Newton's method for calculating pi. +Take a look at lines (23) - (25) here: @uref{http://mathworld.wolfram.com/PiFormulas.html}. + +The algorithm I wrote simply expands the multiply by 2 and works from +the innermost expression outwards. I used this to program HP calculators +because it's quite easy to modify for tiny memory devices with smallish +word sizes. See +@uref{http://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/hpmuseum/articles.cgi?read=899}. +@end quotation + @node POSIX Floating Point Problems @section Standards Versus Existing Practice @@ -35552,6 +35787,10 @@ Indirect function calls @item Directories on the command line produce a warning and are skipped (@pxref{Command-line directories}) + +@item +Output with @code{print} and @code{printf} need not be fatal +(@pxref{Nonfatal}) @end itemize @item @@ -35639,6 +35878,11 @@ The @code{isarray()} function to check if a variable is an array or not The @code{bindtextdomain()}, @code{dcgettext()}, and @code{dcngettext()} functions for internationalization (@pxref{Programmer i18n}) + +@item +The @code{div()} function for doing integer +division and remainder +(@pxref{Numeric Functions}) @end itemize @item @@ -35771,6 +36015,16 @@ for @command{gawk} @value{PVERSION} 4.1: Ultrix @end itemize +@item +Support for the following systems was removed from the code +for @command{gawk} @value{PVERSION} 4.2: + +@c nested table +@itemize @value{MINUS} +@item +MirBSD +@end itemize + @end itemize @c XXX ADD MORE STUFF HERE @@ -36383,6 +36637,44 @@ with a minimum of two The dynamic extension interface was completely redone (@pxref{Dynamic Extensions}). +@item +Support for Ultrix was removed. + +@end itemize + +Version 4.2 introduced the following changes: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +Changes to @code{ENVIRON} are reflected into @command{gawk}'s +environment and that of programs that it runs. +@xref{Auto-set}. + +@item +The @option{--pretty-print} option no longer runs the @command{awk} +program too. +@xref{Options}. + +@item +The @command{igawk} program and its manual page are no longer +installed when @command{gawk} is built. +@xref{Igawk Program}. + +@item +The @code{div()} function. +@xref{Numeric Functions}. + +@item +The maximum number of hexdecimal digits in @samp{\x} escapes +is now two. +@xref{Escape Sequences}. + +@item +Nonfatal output with @code{print} and @code{printf}. +@xref{Nonfatal}. + +@item +Support for MirBSD was removed. @end itemize @c XXX ADD MORE STUFF HERE @@ -37049,6 +37341,8 @@ The generated Info file for The @command{troff} source for a manual page describing the @command{igawk} program presented in @ref{Igawk Program}. +(Since @command{gawk} can do its own @code{@@include} processing, +neither @command{igawk} nor @file{igawk.1} are installed.) @item doc/Makefile.in The input file used during the configuration process to generate the @@ -37093,8 +37387,6 @@ source file for this @value{DOCUMENT}. It also contains a @file{Makefile.in} fil @file{Makefile.am} is used by GNU Automake to create @file{Makefile.in}. The library functions from @ref{Library Functions}, -and the @command{igawk} program from -@DBREF{Igawk Program} are included as ready-to-use files in the @command{gawk} distribution. They are installed as part of the installation process. The rest of the programs in this @value{DOCUMENT} are available in appropriate @@ -37105,6 +37397,12 @@ The source code, manual pages, and infrastructure files for the sample extensions included with @command{gawk}. @xref{Dynamic Extensions}, for more information. +@item extras/* +Additional non-essential files. Currently, this directory contains some shell +startup files to be installed in @file{/etc/profile.d} to aid in manipulating +the @env{AWKPATH} and @env{AWKLIBPATH} environment variables. +@xref{Shell Startup Files}, for more information. + @item posix/* Files needed for building @command{gawk} on POSIX-compliant systems. @@ -37136,6 +37434,7 @@ to configure @command{gawk} for your system yourself. @menu * Quick Installation:: Compiling @command{gawk} under Unix. +* Shell Startup Files:: Shell convenience functions. * Additional Configuration Options:: Other compile-time options. * Configuration Philosophy:: How it's all supposed to work. @end menu @@ -37216,6 +37515,44 @@ is likely that you will be asked for your password, and you will have to have been set up previously as a user who is allowed to run the @command{sudo} command. +@node Shell Startup Files +@appendixsubsec Shell Startup Files + +The distribution contains shell startup files @file{gawk.sh} and +@file{gawk.csh} containing functions to aid in manipulating +the @env{AWKPATH} and @env{AWKLIBPATH} environment variables. +On a Fedora system, these files should be installed in @file{/etc/profile.d}; +on other platforms, the appropriate location may be different. + +@table @command + +@cindex @command{gawkpath_default} shell function +@item gawkpath_default +Reset the @env{AWKPATH} environment variable to its default value. + +@cindex @command{gawkpath_prepend} shell function +@item gawkpath_prepend +Add the argument to the front of the @env{AWKPATH} environment variable. + +@cindex @command{gawkpath_append} shell function +@item gawkpath_append +Add the argument to the end of the @env{AWKPATH} environment variable. + +@cindex @command{gawklibpath_default} shell function +@item gawklibpath_default +Reset the @env{AWKLIBPATH} environment variable to its default value. + +@cindex @command{gawklibpath_prepend} shell function +@item gawklibpath_prepend +Add the argument to the front of the @env{AWKLIBPATH} environment variable. + +@cindex @command{gawklibpath_append} shell function +@item gawklibpath_append +Add the argument to the end of the @env{AWKLIBPATH} environment variable. + +@end table + + @node Additional Configuration Options @appendixsubsec Additional Configuration Options @cindex @command{gawk}, configuring, options |