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Diffstat (limited to 'doc/gawktexi.in')
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/gawktexi.in | 121 |
1 files changed, 71 insertions, 50 deletions
diff --git a/doc/gawktexi.in b/doc/gawktexi.in index ecd6a972..1acd1a99 100644 --- a/doc/gawktexi.in +++ b/doc/gawktexi.in @@ -560,8 +560,8 @@ particular records in a file and perform operations upon them. * Regexp Field Splitting:: Using regexps as the field separator. * Single Character Fields:: Making each character a separate field. -* Command Line Field Separator:: Setting @code{FS} from the - command line. +* Command Line Field Separator:: Setting @code{FS} from the command + line. * Full Line Fields:: Making the full line be a single field. * Field Splitting Summary:: Some final points and a summary table. @@ -605,10 +605,12 @@ particular records in a file and perform operations upon them. * Printf Examples:: Several examples. * Redirection:: How to redirect output to multiple files and pipes. +* Special FD:: Special files for I/O. * Special Files:: File name interpretation in @command{gawk}. @command{gawk} allows access to inherited file descriptors. -* Special FD:: Special files for I/O. +* Other Inherited Files:: Accessing other open files with + @command{gawk}. * Special Network:: Special files for network communications. * Special Caveats:: Things to watch out for. @@ -8405,6 +8407,7 @@ and discusses the @code{close()} built-in function. * Printf:: The @code{printf} statement. * Redirection:: How to redirect output to multiple files and pipes. +* Special FD:: Special files for I/O. * Special Files:: File name interpretation in @command{gawk}. @command{gawk} allows access to inherited file descriptors. @@ -9390,23 +9393,8 @@ It then sends the list to the shell for execution. @c ENDOFRANGE outre @c ENDOFRANGE reout -@node Special Files -@section Special @value{FFN}s in @command{gawk} -@c STARTOFRANGE gfn -@cindex @command{gawk}, file names in - -@command{gawk} provides a number of special @value{FN}s that it interprets -internally. These @value{FN}s provide access to standard pre-opened files -and TCP/IP networking. - -@menu -* Special FD:: Special files for I/O. -* Special Network:: Special files for network communications. -* Special Caveats:: Things to watch out for. -@end menu - @node Special FD -@subsection Special Files for Standard Pre-Opened Files +@section Special Files for Standard Pre-Opened Data Streams @cindex standard input @cindex input, standard @cindex standard output @@ -9417,9 +9405,12 @@ and TCP/IP networking. @cindex files, descriptors, See file descriptors Running programs conventionally have three input and output streams -already available to them for reading and writing. These are known as -the @dfn{standard input}, @dfn{standard output}, and @dfn{standard error -output}. These streams are, by default, connected to your keyboard and screen, but +already available to them for reading and writing. These are known +as the @dfn{standard input}, @dfn{standard output}, and @dfn{standard +error output}. These open streams (and any other open file or pipe) +are often referred to by the technical term @dfn{file descriptors}. + +These streams are, by default, connected to your keyboard and screen, but they are often redirected with the shell, via the @samp{<}, @samp{<<}, @samp{>}, @samp{>>}, @samp{>&}, and @samp{|} operators. Standard error is typically used for writing error messages; the reason there are two separate @@ -9428,7 +9419,7 @@ redirected separately. @cindex differences in @command{awk} and @command{gawk}, error messages @cindex error handling -In other implementations of @command{awk}, the only way to write an error +In traditional implementations of @command{awk}, the only way to write an error message to standard error in an @command{awk} program is as follows: @example @@ -9461,15 +9452,12 @@ that happens, writing to the screen is not correct. In fact, if terminal at all. Then opening @file{/dev/tty} fails. -@command{gawk} provides special @value{FN}s for accessing the three standard -streams. @value{COMMONEXT} It also provides syntax for accessing -any other inherited open files. -These open files are often referred to by the technical term -@dfn{file descriptor}. -If the @value{FN} matches -one of these special names when @command{gawk} redirects input or output, -then it directly uses the descriptor that the @value{FN} stands for. -These special @value{FN}s work for all operating systems that @command{gawk} +@command{gawk}, BWK @command{awk} and @command{mawk} provide +special @value{FN}s for accessing the three standard streams. +If the @value{FN} matches one of these special names when @command{gawk} +(or one of the others) redirects input or output, then it directly uses +the descriptor that the @value{FN} stands for. These special +@value{FN}s work for all operating systems that @command{gawk} has been ported to, not just those that are POSIX-compliant: @cindex common extensions, @code{/dev/stdin} special file @@ -9491,19 +9479,10 @@ The standard output (file descriptor 1). @item /dev/stderr The standard error output (file descriptor 2). - -@item /dev/fd/@var{N} -The file associated with file descriptor @var{N}. Such a file must -be opened by the program initiating the @command{awk} execution (typically -the shell). Unless special pains are taken in the shell from which -@command{gawk} is invoked, only descriptors 0, 1, and 2 are available. @end table -The @value{FN}s @file{/dev/stdin}, @file{/dev/stdout}, and @file{/dev/stderr} -are aliases for @file{/dev/fd/0}, @file{/dev/fd/1}, and @file{/dev/fd/2}, -respectively. However, they are more self-explanatory. -The proper way to write an error message in a @command{gawk} program -is to use @file{/dev/stderr}, like this: +With these facilities, +the proper way to write an error message then becomes: @example print "Serious error detected!" > "/dev/stderr" @@ -9515,14 +9494,51 @@ Like any other redirection, the value must be a string. It is a common error to omit the quotes, which leads to confusing results. -Finally, using the @code{close()} function on a @value{FN} of the +@command{gawk} does not treat these @value{FN}s as special when +in POSIX compatibility mode. However, since BWK @command{awk} +supports them, @command{gawk} does support them even when +invoked with the @option{--traditional} option (@pxref{Options}). + +@node Special Files +@section Special @value{FFN}s in @command{gawk} +@c STARTOFRANGE gfn +@cindex @command{gawk}, file names in + +Besides access to standard input, stanard output, and standard error, +@command{gawk} provides access to any open file descriptor. +Additionally, there are special @value{FN}s reserved for +TCP/IP networking. + +@menu +* Other Inherited Files:: Accessing other open files with + @command{gawk}. +* Special Network:: Special files for network communications. +* Special Caveats:: Things to watch out for. +@end menu + +@node Other Inherited Files +@subsection Accessing Other Open Files With @command{gawk} + +Besides the @code{/dev/stdin}, @code{/dev/stdout}, and @code{/dev/stderr} +special @value{FN}s mentioned earlier, @command{gawk} provides syntax +for accessing any other inherited open file: + +@table @file +@item /dev/fd/@var{N} +The file associated with file descriptor @var{N}. Such a file must +be opened by the program initiating the @command{awk} execution (typically +the shell). Unless special pains are taken in the shell from which +@command{gawk} is invoked, only descriptors 0, 1, and 2 are available. +@end table + +The @value{FN}s @file{/dev/stdin}, @file{/dev/stdout}, and @file{/dev/stderr} +are essentially aliases for @file{/dev/fd/0}, @file{/dev/fd/1}, and +@file{/dev/fd/2}, respectively. However, those names are more self-explanatory. + +Note that using @code{close()} on a @value{FN} of the form @code{"/dev/fd/@var{N}"}, for file descriptor numbers above two, does actually close the given file descriptor. -The @file{/dev/stdin}, @file{/dev/stdout}, and @file{/dev/stderr} -special files are also recognized internally by several other -versions of @command{awk}. - @node Special Network @subsection Special Files for Network Communications @cindex networks, support for @@ -9558,8 +9574,13 @@ special @value{FN}s that @command{gawk} provides: @cindex compatibility mode (@command{gawk}), file names @cindex file names, in compatibility mode @item -Recognition of these special @value{FN}s is disabled if @command{gawk} is in -compatibility mode (@pxref{Options}). +Recognition of the @value{FN}s for the three standard pre-opened +files is disabled only in POSIX mode. + +@item +Recognition of the other special @value{FN}s is disabled if @command{gawk} is in +compatibility mode (either @option{--traditional} or @option{--posix}; +@pxref{Options}). @item @command{gawk} @emph{always} |