Combine 2 lists via applescript or shell.

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Combine 2 lists via applescript or shell.

Hi I’m looking for someone with help with a script that I want to compile.

I have 2 CSV I need to join together, to help form a list, its something that I can do (non macro) in excel but is long winded way to merge them together.

Both files contain a list, one item per line.

Each line needs to be joined to the line of the other plus some extra input. “ _”

If the list in each do not have them same number of lines then it will not work and so needs to end.

For example

FileA.txt

Cousins

Atkins

Tremain

Chalk

FileB.txt

Steven

Frank

Barry

Phil

In Excel I was using something similar to this

=A1&" _"&[Workbook2]Sheet1!$A$1

OUTPUT FILE LIST.CSV should then look something like this.

Cousins, Cousins _Steven,

Atkins, Atkins _Frank,

Tremain, Tremain _Barry,

Chalk, Chalk _Phil,

Hope that makes sense.

Mac Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.2)

Posted on Oct 8, 2015 8:56 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

VikingOSX

Community+ 2024

Level 10

111,353 points

Oct 8, 2015 9:51 AM in response to MattJayC

The UNIX paste(1) command and Perl appear to do the job.

paste FileA.txt FileB.txt | perl -ne '/^(\w+)\s+(\w+)$/ && print "$1, $1 _$2,\n"' > FileC.txt

Contents of FileC.txt:

Cousins, Cousins _Steven,

Atkins, Atkins _Frank,

Tremain, Tremain _Barry,

Chalk, Chalk _Phil,

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Answer 2

MattJayC Author

Level 1

14 points

Oct 8, 2015 12:48 PM in response to VikingOSX

Nice! just need to do a line check to make sure they match line for line.

Many Thanks!

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Answer 3

Oct 8, 2015 12:58 PM in response to MattJayC

This will get you close without the comma at the end of each line.

paste -d",_" FileA.txt FileA.txt FileB.txt

or with the comma

paste -d",_" FileA.txt FileA.txt FileB.txt - <<<,

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Answer 4

MattJayC Author

Level 1

14 points

Oct 9, 2015 6:48 AM in response to VikingOSX

I had this working fine but now with the file that I am using, it exports a blank file?

some of the lines in the first text look like this

C00E01_WX30_intro_20151002111549.601.txt4

could the "." be causing a problem?

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Answer 5

MattJayC Author

Level 1

14 points

Oct 9, 2015 8:08 AM in response to MattJayC

Ok I have worked out why,

On the second sheet there are spaces on the line.

I need to get it to look at the whole line and paste. Is this still possible?

For example

FileA.txt

Cousins

Atkins

Tremain

Chalk

FileB.txt

Steven S

Frank G

Barry H

Phil J

It needs to look like this

Cousins, Cousins _Steven S,

Atkins, Atkins _Frank G,

Tremain, Tremain _Barry H,

Chalk, Chalk _Phil J,

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Answer 6

Oct 9, 2015 10:01 AM in response to MattJayC

Based on your new criterion, I have changed the $2 capture to include the middle initial separated from the first name by a single space.

paste FileA.txt FileB.txt | perl -ne '/^(\w+)\s+(\w+\s[a-zA-Z])$/ && print "$1, $1 _$2,\n"' > FileC.txt

Contents of FileC.txt:

Cousins, Cousins _Steven S,

Atkins, Atkins _Frank G,

Tremain, Tremain _Barry H,

Chalk, Chalk _Phil J,

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Answer 7

MattJayC Author

Level 1

14 points

Oct 9, 2015 12:20 PM in response to VikingOSX

How can I get it to capture the whole line so that if there are multiple words it spends that too?

Thanks

Matt

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