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From: avolio@decuac.UUCP (Frederick M. Avolio)
Newsgroups: net.sources.bugs
Subject: Re: YASS (yet another shell script)
Message-ID: <860@decuac.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 17-Mar-86 16:13:51 EST
Article-I.D.: decuac.860
Posted: Mon Mar 17 16:13:51 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Mar-86 08:03:42 EST
References: <620@ssc-vax.UUCP> <153@sci.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: ULTRIX Applications Center, MD
Lines: 26

In article <153@sci.UUCP>, raymund@sci.UUCP (Raymund Galvin) writes:
> In article <620@ssc-vax.UUCP>, aims@ssc-vax.UUCP (John Daley) writes:
> > This is a 'simple' little shell script I whipped up, out of need, to
> > print a specific line of a specific file. 
> 
> Better?  I dont know.  I dont have access to B shell. 
> 
> The following alias will print any single line from a text file:
> 	alias line 'awk NR==\!:1 \!:2-$'
> The following alias will print a range of lines from a text file:
> 	alias list 'awk NR==\!:1,NR==\!:2\{print\ NR\":\"\$0\} \!:3-$'

The problem with the awk versions is that they process the whole file,
even after you are no longer interested in output. So, 

	line 10 /etc/termcap

does take a while after printing line #10.  

John's script does use the Bourne Shell, but his basic algorithm (head
piped to tail) is usable as an alias, and is quicker than using awk
for the above-mentioned reasons.  (5 times faster to *return* on
/etc/termcap ... rough timing.)
-- 
Fred @ DEC Ultrix Applications Center
UUCP: {decvax,seismo,cbosgd}!decuac!avolio       INET: avolio@decuac.DEC.COM