Using awk, bc and expr to perform Math calculations in Bash

When it comes to mathematical calculations in Bash, there are a few built-in tools that you can use, such as the expr command and the “(( ))” arithmetic expression. However, there are also other tools that can come in handy, such as awk and sed, which are powerful text processing tools that can be used to perform calculations on data stored in files or output by other commands.

In this article, we will explore how to use awk, bc, and expr to perform math calculations in Bash, and how to choose the right tool for the job.

Using Awk for Math Calculations

Awk is a powerful text processing tool that can also be used for math calculations. It provides a set of built-in functions that can be used to perform arithmetic, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

For example, let’s say you have a file called numbers.txt that contains a list of numbers, one per line. You can use awk to calculate the sum of these numbers as follows:

This command tells `awk` to read the file numbers.txt, and for each line, add the first field to the variable sum. At the end of the file, awk prints the value of sum.

Awk can also be used to perform more complex calculations, such as finding the average or standard deviation of a set of numbers. For example, to calculate the average of the numbers in the file numbers.txt, you can use the following command:

This command divides the value of sum by the number of records (lines) in the file, which is stored in the built-in variable NR.

Using bc for Math Calculations

bc is a powerful command-line calculator that can perform high-precision arithmetic operations, including floating-point calculations, logarithmic and trigonometric functions, and complex number arithmetic.

Here’s an example of using bc to perform a simple math calculation:

This command tells bc to add 5 and 3 and return the result, which is 8.

bc also supports input from files and provides a number of options for controlling the precision and formatting of its output.

For example, to calculate the square root of 25 using bc, you can use the following command:

This command tells bc to calculate the square root of 25, which is 5.

One of the strengths of bc is its ability to perform arbitrary-precision calculations, which can be useful in scientific computing and other applications that require high levels of accuracy.

Using expr for Math Calculations

The expr command is a built-in tool in Bash that can be used to perform arithmetic operations. It is primarily used to perform basic arithmetic operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

For example, to add two numbers together using expr, you can use the following command:

This command tells expr to add 2 and 3 together, and prints the result to the screen.

Expr can also be used to perform more complex calculations, such as calculating the remainder of a division using the modulus operator (%).

For example, to calculate the remainder of 10 divided by 3, you can use the following command:

This command tells expr to divide 10 by 3 and return the remainder, which is 1.

In addition to basic arithmetic operations, expr also provides some built-in functions that can be used to perform more complex calculations, such as calculating the square root or raising a number to a power.

For example, to calculate the square root of 25 using expr, you can use the following command:

This command tells expr to calculate the square root of 25, which is 5.

Conclusion

In this article, we have explored how to use awk, bc, and expr to perform math calculations in Bash. Each of these tools has its strengths and weaknesses, and choosing the right tool for the job depends on the specific requirements of your script or task.

By mastering these tools and understanding their capabilities, you can perform complex mathematical calculations in Bash, which can be useful in a wide range of applications, from data analysis and processing to scientific computing and automation.