How to interlace text files? [Solved]

[CwF]

Any easy way to take 2, maybe 3 text files and interlace them into a single file?
So line 1 from file 1 is line 1.
line 1 from file 2 is line 2.
line 2 from file 1 is line 3.
or line 1 from file 3 is line 3.
and so on, each file 80-90 lines, so I quickly loose focus!

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Try paste(1) with a newline as the delimiter.

[CwF]

Thank you! Close, but no cigar.
It won't alternate lines. I expected "-d '/n'" to do it, the result is line1file1/line1file2 on one line.
However "-d '#'" is close to my desired with line1file1#line1file2(#line1file3) on one line, and this result is usable.

That's safe and makes my manual edit easier. It seems a lost cause to avoid a manual edit since any logic I inject is foiled by 'stupid'.

I'm parsing dvb scan files and each line contains important info and 'text' that is entered by various employees of varied intelligence, for which parsing is impossible. I need to manually clean it no matter what.

Problem #2 is the files order is based on frequency and that relation changes too, meaning I need to move blocks of info, with no pre-logic I can think of possible since each change would be unique.

If anybody has had a particular TV not receive all channels I might be able to tell you why!
Maybe this useful naming!

Code: Select all

Presented by KCEC:581000000:8VSB:65:68:2
Presented by KCEC:581000000:8VSB:81:84:3
Presented by KCEC:581000000:8VSB:97:100:4

Or overlapping affiliates (I have a really good antenna!)

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MYS:177000000:8VSB:65:68:4
Laff:177000000:8VSB:81:84:5
......
MYS:569000000:8VSB:65:68:4
Laff:569000000:8VSB:81:84:5

Or total ambiguity

Code: Select all

[0002]:479000000:8VSB:65:68:2

Those errors barf on some devices. I can correct them, but maybe not automagically...

[Head_on_a_Stick]

It won't alternate lines. I expected "-d '/n'" to do it

Try a backslash instead:

Code: Select all

~$ cat test{1,2}
1
2
3
4
5
one
two
three
four
five
~$ paste -d '\n' test{1,2}
1
one
2
two
3
three
4
four
5
five
~$

Works for me

[CwF]

Works for me

There it is!
Thanks, this will ease the required manual edit.

[sunrat]

That's really neat! Of course I'll never remember it if I ever need it, and if I write it down it will guarantee I never need it!