How To Insert File Contents After Line Match While Escaping Backslash

Question

I'm trying to use code that I found here: Insert contents of a file after specific pattern match

However, when I add a backslash to the code, it doesn't work. So, then, I followed the instructions here: Slash and backslash in sed to change the delimiters in sed. However, when I do that, the insert (which should be a few lines), turns into thousands.

Here's my attempt:

sed ':<\tag>: r file1.txt' file2.txt

Example:

File1.txt

Hello World 1
Hello World 2

File2.txt:

<thanks>
<tag>
<example>
<new>
<\new>
<\example>
<\tag>
<\thanks>

Desired output:

<thanks>
<tag>
<example>
<new>
<\new>
<\example>
<\tag>
Hello World 1
Hello World 2
<\thanks>

If you could please help me insert the file contents after a line match while escaping a backslash, I would really appreciate it.

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 12 '17 at 17:22

2

try this

sed '/<\\tag>/r file2' file1

I think you swapped file1 and file2.

answered Oct 12 '17 at 17:22

karakfa

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I did swap file1 and 2. Fixing that now. But, I didn't get that output :-( – DomainsFeatured Oct 12 '17 at 17:52
you also need to escape the backslash with another backslash. – karakfa Oct 12 '17 at 18:17
yea I've tried that before `<\\tag>` and `<\\\tag>` both do not work for me – DomainsFeatured Oct 12 '17 at 18:18
nevermind. I found that a line in my file was messing it up. you got it. it works. – DomainsFeatured Oct 12 '17 at 18:24

RavinderSingh13 · Answer 2 · 2017-10-13T02:04:59.250

1

Try with following awk too once.

awk '/<\\tag>/{print;system("cat File2.txt");next} 1' File.txt

To save output into File.txt itself following may help you in same.

awk '/<\\tag>/{print;system("cat File2.txt");next} 1' File.txt > temp_file && mv temp_file  File.text

edited Oct 13 '17 at 02:04

answered Oct 12 '17 at 17:36

RavinderSingh13

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Hey Ravinder, how could I modify this so that it would insert one line before? – DomainsFeatured Oct 12 '17 at 21:29
@DomainsFeatured, please check my 2nd answer and let me know how it goes then. – RavinderSingh13 Oct 13 '17 at 02:05

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 13 '17 at 02:43

1

Same answer as your other question (see https://stackoverflow.com/a/46720002/1745001), just print the new record after instead of before the target line:

awk 'FNR==NR{n=n ORS $0; next} /<\\tag>/{$0=$0 n} 1' file1 file2

I highly recommend the book Effective Awk Programming, 4th Edition, by Arnold Robbins.

answered Oct 13 '17 at 02:43

Ed Morton

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1

Sounds great. Will try this out. Thanks again Ed :-) ....And, it works! – DomainsFeatured Oct 13 '17 at 03:01

How To Insert File Contents After Line Match While Escaping Backslash

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