(gawk.info)Output Separators

Output Separators
=================

   As mentioned previously, a `print' statement contains a list of
items, separated by commas.  In the output, the items are normally
separated by single spaces.  This need not be the case; a single space
is only the default.  You can specify any string of characters to use
as the "output field separator" by setting the built-in variable `OFS'.
The initial value of this variable is the string `" "', that is, a
single space.

   The output from an entire `print' statement is called an "output
record".  Each `print' statement outputs one output record and then
outputs a string called the "output record separator".  The built-in
variable `ORS' specifies this string.  The initial value of `ORS' is
the string `"\n"', i.e. a newline character; thus, normally each
`print' statement makes a separate line.

   You can change how output fields and records are separated by
assigning new values to the variables `OFS' and/or `ORS'.  The usual
place to do this is in the `BEGIN' rule (Note: The `BEGIN' and `END'
Special Patterns.), so that it happens before any input is
processed.  You may also do this with assignments on the command line,
before the names of your input files, or using the `-v' command line
option (Note: Command Line Options.).

   The following example prints the first and second fields of each
input record separated by a semicolon, with a blank line added after
each line:

     $ awk 'BEGIN { OFS = ";"; ORS = "\n\n" }
     >            { print $1, $2 }' BBS-list
     -| aardvark;555-5553
     -|
     -| alpo-net;555-3412
     -|
     -| barfly;555-7685
     ...

   If the value of `ORS' does not contain a newline, all your output
will be run together on a single line, unless you output newlines some
other way.