Bash Shell Split String by Delimiter and Get N-th Element

Bash Shell Split String by Delimiter and Get N-th Element

To bash shell scripting is to split strings by delimiter and extract a specific element from it. In this tutorial, you will learn how to split a string by delimiter and get the N-th element using bash shell scripting.

How to Split String by Delimiter and Get N-th Element in Bash Shell Script

By following steps, you can easily split a string by delimiter and extract the N-th element using bash shell scripting.

  • Step 1: Defining the String and Delimiter
  • Step 2: Splitting the String
  • Step 3: Getting the N-th Element
  • Step 4: Putting it All Together

Step 1: Defining the String and Delimiter

To split a string by delimiter, you need to define the string and delimiter and want to use. Let’s assume you have a string “Hello World, How are you?” and you want to split it using the delimiter “,”. Here is how you can define the string and delimiter in bash shell:

string="Hello World, How are you?"
delimiter=","

Step 2: Splitting the String

Once you have defined the string and delimiter, you can use the bash shell’s built-in command “cut” to split the string. The “cut” command allows us to select a specific portion of the string based on the delimiter you define. Here is the command to split the string using the delimiter “,”:

split_string=$(echo $string | cut -d $delimiter -f 1-)

In this command, you are using the “echo” command to pass the string to the “cut” command. The “-d” option is used to specify the delimiter, and the “-f” option is used to select the field(s) you want to extract. In this case, you are selecting the first field using the “-f 1” option. The “-f 1-” option is used to select all fields from the first field to the end of the string.

Step 3: Getting the N-th Element

Now that you have split the string by delimiter, we can extract a specific element from it. Let’s assume you want to extract the second element from the string. Here is how you can do it:

n=2
nth_element=$(echo $split_string | cut -d $delimiter -f $n)

In this command, you are using the “cut” command again to select the N-th element from the split string. The “-f” option is used to select the N-th field based on the value of the variable “n”.

Step 4: Putting it All Together

Here is the complete bash shell script to split a string by delimiter and extract the N-th element:

string="Hello World, How are you?"
delimiter=","
split_string=$(echo $string | cut -d $delimiter -f 1-)
n=2
nth_element=$(echo $split_string | cut -d $delimiter -f $n)
echo "The N-th element is: $nth_element"

In this script, you first define the string and delimiter, then split the string using the “cut” command, and finally extract the N-th element using the same command. You then print the value of the N-th element using the “echo” command.

Conclusion

Splitting a string by delimiter and extracting a specific element from it is a common task in bash shell scripting. Using the “cut” command, you can easily split a string by delimiter and extract any field, you want. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily split a string by delimiter and extract the N-th element using bash shell scripting.

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AuthorAdmin

My name is Devendra Dode. I am a full-stack developer, entrepreneur, and owner of Tutsmake.com. I like writing tutorials and tips that can help other developers. I share tutorials of PHP, Python, Javascript, JQuery, Laravel, Livewire, Codeigniter, Node JS, Express JS, Vue JS, Angular JS, React Js, MySQL, MongoDB, REST APIs, Windows, Xampp, Linux, Ubuntu, Amazon AWS, Composer, SEO, WordPress, SSL and Bootstrap from a starting stage. As well as demo example.

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