sed : Convert double quote to singe quote

pgb_710 · 01-21-2010, 02:19 AM

Hi,
I want to convert double quote to single quote in a text file.
I tried escape characters however no success

Please find details as follows:

-sh-3.00$ sed 's/"/\'/g test.txt
sed: -e expression #1, char 7: unterminated `s' command
-sh-3.00$ cat test.txt
"unix"

I want "unix" to be converted to 'unix'

GrapefruiTgirl · 01-21-2010, 02:30 AM

Code:

shell$ echo '"unix"' | sed s/\"/\'/g
'unix'
bash-3.1#

your "unterminated" error was caused in part by the fact that your whole sed statement began with a single quote, but you neglected to close it with a single quote.
Because we're actually sedding quotation marks here, I chose not to put any around the sed command, for clarity.

Does this work on the file?

Sasha

neonsignal · 01-21-2010, 02:31 AM

Code:

sed 's/"/'\''/g' test.txt

==EDIT==

Explanation - to include a single quote in a shell string, you have to exit the quoting, escape the quote, then reenter the quoting, eg

Code:

'firstbit'\''secondbit'

It all gets concatenated together; admittedly this can become unreadable...

GrapefruiTgirl · 01-21-2010, 02:32 AM

@ neon* -- needeth thou an "-i" ? :-)

ghostdog74 · 01-21-2010, 02:35 AM

Code:

$ echo '"unix"' | awk -F'"' '{$1=$1}1' OFS="'"
'unix'

H_TeXMeX_H · 01-21-2010, 07:46 AM

Code:

bash-3.1$ echo '"unix"' | tr \" \'
'unix'

pixellany · 01-21-2010, 07:59 AM

Can I quote you on that?...