Re: New built-in variable

[Jean-Michel ELYN]

Hello Aharon,

First, I want to thank you for your detailed answer. Now I understand a 
bit how awk command works. I now know my request has been listened to, 
what the result will be. However, I would like to provide some 
additional details about what I would like, I'm not sure you have 
understood what I'm looking for because English is not my mother tongue.

So, I wrote I would like you to create a new built-in variable, FIELDS. 
This is not absolutely correct and it is obviously a not negligible 
cost. To be more precise, I would like a reference to the record, not a 
new variable. It would be great accessing $1, $2... as FIELDS[1], 
FIELDS[2]... so that calling awk functions using array(s) would be 
possible with direct access to current record, such as asort() or 
match(). This way no additional memory to allocate, just a new way to 
refer fields... as long as $1, $2... are actually created as an array. 
To tell it another way, $1 and FIELDS[1] would access the same memory 
block. The only difference is it would be possible to refer to the whole 
array as FIELDS. No way to do that with $i.

But maybe I'm using a wrong word: "new built-in variable" is not 
appropriate. It would be better saying "new way of referring fields of 
current record as an array". I hope I've been clearer this time.

Jean-Michel.

PS: Don't know how to post this mail in the thread I've started. I'm 
afraid of creating a new thread as simply sending it to 
address@hidden Sorry if I've mistaken.