paste

paste

paste is an excellent command for text processing, even though its uses are limited. It can mainly be used to append the contents of files. paste is helpful in creating text files by combining

individual files such that  all the  lines appear on the same row  in the destination file i:e linearly.

Example 1)

You have two files as shown.

/users/higgs$ cat    Start_Times.log

Getname(  )   at   Fri Dec 30 22:29:16 IST 2011

Getip(  )  at   Fri Dec 30 22:30:22 IST 2011

Checkip(  ) at   Fri Dec 30 22:30:23 IST 2011

Getfile(  )    at  Fri Dec 30 22:31:22 IST 2011

/users/higgs$ cat   End_Times.log

Getname(  )   at   Fri Dec 30 22:29:17 IST 2011

Getip(  )  at   Fri Dec 30 22:30:28 IST 2011

Checkip(  ) at   Fri Dec 30 22:30:24 IST 2011

Getfile(  )    at  Fri Dec 30 22:31:42IST 2011

If you have to combine these files such that the start and end times of a function appear on a common line, use paste as follows.

/users/higgs$paste  Start_Times.log   End_Times.log

Getname(  )    at   Fri Dec 30 22:29:16 IST 2011   Getname(  )   at   Fri Dec 30 22:29:17 IST 2011

Getip(  )   at   Fri Dec 30 22:30:22 IST 2011   Getip(  )  at   Fri Dec 30 22:30:28 IST 2011

Checkip(  )  at   Fri Dec 30 22:30:23 IST 2011  Checkip(  ) at   Fri Dec 30 22:30:24 IST 2011

Getfile(  )    at  Fri Dec 30 22:31:22 IST 2011 Getfile(  )    at  Fri Dec 30 22:31:42IST 2011

Notice that one space was added in between the two  same rows of the two files .This 

is    default for paste without any option.

In some cases you may need to  place a different delimiter between lines of the row.

/users/higgs$ paste   -d  ‘,’  Start_Times.log   End_Times.log   >Start_end_times.csv.

/users/higgs$ cat   Start_end_times.csv

Getname(  )    at   Fri Dec 30 22:29:16 IST 2011,   Getname(  )   at   Fri Dec 30 22:29:17 IST 2011

Getip(  )   at   Fri Dec 30 22:30:22 IST 2011 ,  Getip(  )  at   Fri Dec 30 22:30:28 IST 2011

Checkip(  )  at   Fri Dec 30 22:30:23 IST 2011 , Checkip(  ) at   Fri Dec 30 22:30:24 IST 2011

Getfile(  )    at  Fri Dec 30 22:31:22 IST 2011 ,Getfile(  )    at  Fri Dec 30 22:31:42IST 2011

Open this file Start_end_times.csv  in windows excel if you want a better view.

Example 2)

If you want  the contents to appear serially,use paste –s.

Imagine you have two files  

/users/higgs$ cat   Booked.log

Don2

Sherlock_homes

Mission_Impossible4

The_Dirty_picture

/users/higgs$cat Showtime.log

10:30      

14:20                                            4 spaces after   each line

17:40       

22:45      

/users/higgs$paste  -s        Booked.log   Showtime.log

Don2       Sherlock_homes      Mission_Impossible4     The_Dirty_picture

10:30                14:20                      17:40                                  22:45