Re: [Bug-datamash] Datamash cut in v1.5 doesn't support space in csv

[Assaf Gordon]

Hello,

Sorry for the long delay in replying.

On 2019-09-26 2:45 p.m., John Rhee wrote:
> $ echo -e "Header 1\tHeader 2\tHeader 3\nData A\tData B\tData C"
> Header 1 Header 2 Header 3
> Data A Data B Data C
>
> # Column HEADER NUMBER works fine
> $ echo -e "Header 1\tHeader 2\tHeader 3\nData A\tData B\tData C" 
> |datamash -H cut 2
> cut(Header 2)
> Data B
>
> # Column HEADER NAME WITH SPACE does not work
> $ echo -e "Header 1\tHeader 2\tHeader 3\nData A\tData B\tData C" 
> |datamash -H cut "Header 2"
> datamash: invalid operation ‘2’

This turned out to be just a matter of shell quoting.

When using single-quotes, a single back-slash is needed:

  $ echo [...] | datamash -H cut 'Header\ 2'
  cut(Header 2)
  Data B

When using double-quotes, two back-slashes are needed:

  $ echo [...] | datamash -H cut "Header\\ 2"
  cut(Header 2)
  Data B

When not using quotes at all, three backslashes are needed
(two to pass the backslash character in the parameter to datamash,
and one to escape the backspace):

  $ echo [...] | datamash -H cut Header\\\ 2
  cut(Header 2)
  Data B



Hope this resolves the issue.

regards,
 - assaf