Getting Started with Bash Text Processing 📝

Bash text processing is about manipulating and analyzing text files directly from your command line.

We’ll cover four essential commands used in Bash for text processing: grep, cut, awk, and sed.

grep – Search Text

grep is used to search for lines that match a pattern in a file or input stream. Ideal for filtering logs, configs, or any plain-text data.

Use when you want to find specific words, patterns, or lines.

cut – Slice Fields

cut is used to extract specific columns or fields from a line of text, especially when data is separated by a delimiter (like commas or tabs).

Use when you want only certain fields from structured text.

awk – Pattern Scanning & Processing

awk is a powerful tool for reading, processing, and transforming structured text line by line. It supports logic, conditions, and field manipulation.

Use when you need custom output or calculations on structured data.

sed – Stream Editor

sed is used for finding and replacing text, deleting lines, or performing basic text transformations in streams or files.

Use when you want to make changes to text in-place or automate text edits.

✅ Summary