Re: Grep'ping on Unix without perl-compatible gnu grep - can you do it better?

[roboticus]

in reply to Grep'ping on Unix without perl-compatible gnu grep - can you do it better?

Tommy:

I'd do it like this:

$ grep -E '^[^#]*foo' boom
now is the foo for all

$ cat boom
now is the foo for all
now # foo is the
blarg

...roboticus

When your only tool is a hammer, all problems look like your thumb.

[Anonymous Monk]

Indeed, the -E switch (aka egrep) does activate a modern regexp syntax, and is found in a boatload more systems than where -P is. It does not come with all the Perl features, but it is way more comfortable than the basic 1980s dialect grep & co default to.

[parv]

You could (have) try(ied) awk on systems that has(had) a lacking grep.