The master file update problem in AWK

Abstract

8This paper considers how the use o f AWK as a programming vehicle may clarif y certain aspects of the traditional maste r file update problem . We view the updat e problem as having one input stream, rathe r than two separate streams, of old maste r records and transaction records . Thi s permits us to see the programming proble m as the implementation of decision-tabl e logic .For definiteness, let us pose a sampl e master file update problem that has a small scale . In the following, we separat e fields of the records by using a colon , as a delimiter . We have a file o f master records . Suppose that thes e represent inventory records, and consis t of a five-digit item number, an 'M' fo r master record (we shall see T