Linux in a Nutshell, Fifth Edition

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Chapter 10: The sed Editor

This is the Title of the Book, eMatter Edition

Copyright © 2006 O’Reilly & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.

d

[address1[,address2]]d

Delete the addressed line (or lines) from the pattern space. Thus,

the line is not passed to standard output. A new line of input is

read, and editing resumes with the first command in the script.

Example

# Delete all empty lines, including lines with just

whitespace:

/^[#tab]*$/d

D

[address1[,address2]]D

Delete the first part (up to embedded newline) of a multiline

pattern space created by the N command, and resume editing with

the first command in the script. If this command empties the

pattern space, then a new line of input is read, as if the d command

had been executed.

Example

# Strip multiple blank lines, leaving only one:

/^$/{

N

/^\n$/D

}

e

[address1[,address2]]e [command] {G}

With command, execute the command and send the result to stan-

dard output. Without command, execute the contents of the

pattern space as a command, and replace the pattern space with

the results.

g

[address1[,address2]]g

Paste the contents of the hold space (see h and H) back into the

pattern space, wiping out the previous contents of the pattern

space. The Example shows a simple way to copy lines.

Example

This script collects all lines containing the word Item: and copies

them to a place marker later in the file. The place marker is

overwritten:

/Item:/H

/<Replace this ...