How to use Vi to match a string of text, add a new line, insert string...

Slycraft · 07-18-2012, 11:26 AM

Hi Guys,

So I need to know how to Match a given string of text (at the begining of a line), move to the end of the line, add a new line, then add a given string. Example Below:

Currently
"dn: blah blah blah
objectCategory: CN=Group,CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=ec,DC=loc"

Goal
"dn: blah blah blah
changeType: add
objectCategory: CN=Group,CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=ec,DC=loc"

I am trying to modify a ldif dump. Thing is there is about 80 places I would need to insert "changeType: add". All lines beginning with "dn:" are unique and are specific to the security group that I am trying to import to my new SBS 2011 server.

Thanks for the help guys

Slycraft · 07-18-2012, 11:38 AM

Bear with me here, I am a newb.

But my thoughts are something similar to :%s/^dn:/\r\nchangetype: add/g

druuna · 07-18-2012, 12:03 PM

From within vi:

Code:

:%s/dn: blah blah blah/dn: blah blah blah\rchangeType: add/

But why use vi in the first place?

Code:

sed 's/dn: blah blah blah/dn: blah blah blah\nchangeType: add/' infile

# or

sed '/dn: blah blah blah/a changeType: add' infile

After you check to see if this is the output you want you can re-run the command with the -i option added to make the changes in the infile ("in place")

Code:

sed -i '/dn: blah blah blah/a changeType: add' infile

Slycraft · 07-18-2012, 12:14 PM

hmm think we are close to the same page here. Here is some more complete data.

CURRENTLY
dn: CN=SourceControl, OU=Security Groups, OU=MyBusiness, DC=ec,DC=loc
objectCategory: CN=Group,CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=ec,DC=loc

dn: CN=Executive, OU=Security Groups, OU=MyBusiness, DC=ec,DC=loc
objectCategory: CN=Group,CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=ec,DC=loc

WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE

dn: CN=SourceControl, OU=Security Groups, OU=MyBusiness, DC=ec,DC=loc
changeType: add
objectCategory: CN=Group,CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=ec,DC=loc

dn: CN=Executive, OU=Security Groups, OU=MyBusiness, DC=ec,DC=loc
changeType: add
objectCategory: CN=Group,CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=ec,DC=loc

-------------------------

The only unique identifier is the "dn:". Any line that starts with "dn:" is a new section. There is about 80+ sections and each with a whole lot more attributes in them. My thoughts are - Go to the end of the line that starts with "dn:", create a new line, add string "changeType: add".

Sound right?

druuna · 07-18-2012, 12:28 PM

Sed:

Code:

sed '/^dn:/a changeType: add' infile
sed 's/^dn:\(.*\)$/dn:\1\nchangeType: add/' infile

Vi:

Code:

:%s/dn:\(.*\)/dn:\1\rchangeType: add/

Last 2 of these use back-referencing. All that is matched between \( and \) can be represented by \1 in the replace part (http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2009/10/...tion-examples/)

Slycraft · 07-18-2012, 01:09 PM

PERFECT......druuna you have saved me countless hours of research....THANKS! and Thanks for the link!!!

chrism01 · 07-18-2012, 05:10 PM

BTW, you could also use a vim macro http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/usr_10.html#10.1
Basically doing it once manually, recording as you go, then re-run as many times as you want.

David the H. · 07-20-2012, 10:24 AM

Just to give you more options, here's the same command in ed too.

Code:

printf '%s\n' 'g/^dn:/a\' 'changeType: add' ',p' | ed -s file.txt

",p" prints the altered output to stdout. Change it to "w" to write them back to the input file.

How to use ed:
http://wiki.bash-hackers.org/howto/edit-ed
http://snap.nlc.dcccd.edu/learn/nlc/ed.html
(also read the info page)

And by the way, please use ***[code][/code] tags*** around your code and data, to preserve formatting and to improve readability. Please do not use quote tags, bolding, colors, or other fancy formatting.