I want to convert a file containing a column into a row in a Linux file.
Problem
How to convert a column into a row in a Linux file?
Solution
For your information, columns are vertical, or what you arrange from top to bottom, while rows are horizontal, or what you can arrange from left to right. Consider the picture below to distinguish between columns and rows:
For example, you have a test.txt file as shown below:
To convert into a row, use the command below:
awk 'BEGIN { ORS=" " } { print } END { print "\n" }' test.txt
Then the file changes to as shown below:
You can also use the command below:
tr '\n' ' ' < test.txt && echo
So that the file becomes as shown below:
Or you can also use the command below:
paste -sd" " test.txt
To make the file look like this:
Note
If you want to enter the results in a file, for example, the result.txt file, then you can use the standard output redirection or stdout on Linux. For example, you use the awk command to change the file, so you can use the command below:
awk 'BEGIN { ORS=" " } { print } END { print "\n" }' test.txt > result.txt
Then the results of these changes are in the result.txt file as shown below:
Likewise, by using the two commands above, you can simply add stdout at the end of the two commands.
References
keydifferences.com
community.unix.com
